- This topic has 22 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by eon.
No Snell…Avoid?
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June 5, 2009 at 12:09 am #19319BuddhaDogParticipant
Just starting out, I read as much as possible, but regrettabily didn’t see the motorcyclistonline.com article about Snell. I figured DOT + SNELL would be even better. I chose a Rockhard helmet (made by O’Neal), full face. It meets DOT, SNELL, 2005, AS Australian Standard, JS (Japan) and ECE 22.05 (Europe). Bought the AC/DC helmet (Highway to Hell), figured as a 40 y.o. first-time rider, might as well have fun. Great band from my youth, nothing you see on the usual biker, so why not? May not be the best, but it’s pretty good. And I got it on sale for $200 off MSRP, so a good deal as well. Worst thing is changing the visir; you have to do it before the ride, no quick release.
Check it out: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/13408/ITEM/Rockhard-AC-DC-Helmet.aspx
Next will be the Elvis, but only after I get a hog.
June 5, 2009 at 12:15 am #19320zeppelinfromledParticipantI think their argument is that, for the double impact, neither impact can transfer more than 300 Gs. Now, I don’t really know how much force that is, in terms of head injury. But if 300 Gs is below this threshold of injury, then I support it being able to reduce the force two times in a row. To use your analogy, if the vest can stop a more powerful bullet, why not try to make it stop two of them. As long as we’re sure that it can stop the more powerful bullet, which I think is the bigger issue here.
I don’t know. I’m not a physicist, nor am I an expert in blunt force trauma to the head. I think that most helmets on the market will protect your head just fine, whether or not Snell has anything to do with it.
It’s an interesting question though. People say that Snell has “stricter” standards, but there’s always a trade off.
June 5, 2009 at 12:42 pm #19338alaaaaaaaaanParticipantI also have the IS-16 and love the helmet, fits great, good circulation and like they’ve said before the built in sun visor is the niftiest and most useful add on to a helmet i have found. Good luck!
June 5, 2009 at 7:42 pm #19374SafetyFirstParticipantI like my Scorpion Exo-400 and Exo-700.
I have yet to fog up the face-shield on either.
I run both helmets with clear face-shields, because the way I see it, I’d like to try to make direct eye contact both-ways with the cager thinking about make a left in front of me at the light when I’m on a green.
I’m not going to back down on being pro-FF. If a juicy bug or a rock from a gravel truck hits you in the face on a half-face, so be it. Never mind a lot of the impact to the head from hurt reports show it being where FF gives protection.
My favorite helmet accessory is the HALO ScotchLite reflective rubber band. That was around $15 well spent.
The liners and cheekpads on both are removable and swappable between shell sizes (I know the XS/S/M use the small shell.) I started off with a medium Exo-400, went through MSF class and realized I could use about a size smaller. $30 later, got a small liner and cheekpads, and I’m fitted great now. And I have a helmet I can convert to a medium when I get a passenger someday.
June 5, 2009 at 7:55 pm #19375eternal05ParticipantAs Munch said, above a certain baseline gear is all about preference, so as long as you respect the higher risk with a particular piece of gear over another, the good ol’ individual freedoms provided by most 1st-world countries dictate that I sit back and zip it. Your call for your body.
However, if anybody wants to argue with me that a half-helmet is a better idea than a full-face (which I don’t THINK anybody is doing…), bring it Here’s the ol’ statistical impact zone chart:
What you’ll notice is that about 50% of impacts happen in the areas unprotected by a skull cap. More importantly, we’re talking about your face. If you go down at highway speed and you get so lucky as to hit the 40%-chance facial region, you won’t “mess up” your face. You won’t scar it. Your face will be gone. Your nose will be gone. They will have to rebuild your face from scratch. But if you’re lucky, your nasal bone will have been sufficiently smashed into your brain on impact to kill you.
June 6, 2009 at 10:23 am #19416MunchParticipantMy argument never was about safety. FF absolutely surpasses all in the help it can provide in the way of protection. In rain, cold, and longer journeys I put my full face on. More often then not I have my FF on my sissy bar for just in case.
I really didn’t mean for it to be a thread jack either. As Elwood could probly understand maybe more then some, with the times we have been living in and with all the craptastic laws that are popping up the one statement just got on the wrong side of me.
Never will you see me tell a beginner or even a vet that a FF is less protective then any other helmet.
As far as Snell Vs DOT. I have heard all the arguments. Locally to be honest there aren’t that many Snell cert’ed helmets around. A lot of times it seems like it’s used more for price jacking then it is for the purpose of safety. I am sure it has it’s merits, but those merits for me aren’t worth the extra $100-$200 in hopes that IF I get nailed twice in the head the helmet is “control tested” to withstand it. Granted in a world of chaos lightning rarely strikes twice in the same spot…..unless like with that test…. your aiming intentionally for it to.June 6, 2009 at 11:14 am #19417eternal05ParticipantI completely understand. I wasn’t really targeting you with my post
June 7, 2009 at 10:03 pm #19432eonParticipantOoh, webbikeworld has just reviewed the helmet you are looking at. Looks very nice
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/is-16/ -
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