What Are Your Helmet Preferences?

[Chook]

Curious to know people's preferences when it comes to helmets and for what reasons?

Open face or closed in?

UV or clear visor?

Vents?

Buckles/clip straps?

[twobjshelbys]

Arai open but I was in a Ford gt and corvettes at bondurant. Had to use a house closed in the open formula mazda. Cobra with regular windshield should be OK with open. Consider open if you wear eyeglasses

[LMH]

Simpson Venator. Good venting, predrilled for HANNS device. Full face is my preference. Not very heavy either IMO.
Remember if you're looking for an auto helmet, it has to have an SA rating if your track requires it.
Larry

[fordracing65]

Whatever helmet the STIG uses. Bad Ass

[Mrs flatchat]

Check your CAMS manual for your category requirement then choose
Basically -FIA standard, full face for open cars and HANS compliant

[Ron61]

Here we are required to use an approved full face helmet. Mine had different shields that I could change to when the conditions were dark or bright. Also it was full padded and had vents which are almost have to have in our hot weather.

Ron

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Chook

Curious to know people's preferences when it comes to helmets and for what reasons?

Open face or closed in?

UV or clear visor?

Vents?

Buckles/clip straps?

I prefer a full face for the added protection, regardless of what I'm running.

Some additional advice is whichever helmet you decide to buy, make sure you go to a shop that can properly fit it to your head, as they all fit differently, and a misfit helmet is almost as bad as no helmet at all.


Bill S

[twobjshelbys]

I will reiterate. If you wear eye glasses you should opt for an open face if you can. I couldn't get a full face that fit right on over my glasses.

[Millsy]

Arai RX-Q full face with clear shield

[deano59]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

I will reiterate. If you wear eye glasses you should opt for an open face if you can. I couldn't get a full face that fit right on over my glasses.

i race on dirt and use a full face helmet have no trouble with my glasses or sunglasses at all put helmet on first then put ya glasses on thru the opening . have not had a full face helmet yet that i couldn't wear glasses with

[Jaydee]

A full face is much quieter if you have the wind in your face. On long rides I will always use a full face helmet. It's a bit tight getting your glasses through the opening but can be done. If you have a windscreen and not bothered by wind noise or use earplugs then a open feels less restrictive and gives you better movement.
JD

[Bartruff1]

My preference is none...

[ChiChris]

I've worn full faced Bell Sport series helmets for the last 10 years w/sunglasses. They have a larger opening for folks who wear glasses.

[David Hodgson]

If you need to wear one you might as well go the whole hog. my preference is for an open face, but when I return to track or other events, I'll be looking at a full face.
Anything can come through that windscreen at you unexpectedly, even in low key events.

[PeterAllen]

I have an interesting tale of visors.

Many many years ago I was racing at Amaroo and the weather was an on-off mixture of showers, clouds and sunshine. I was using a tinted visor and also running at the pointed end of the field. On the 'sighting' lap I took note of the damp areas and in particular a large patch at 'Mazda House', a very fast right-hand, downhill sweeper.

I think i was 2nd or 3rd on the first lap as we approached the corner and I backed-off a fair bit only to have someone pass me on the outside. I figured the driver had no thought of self preservation. The next lap, again I was passed, and so this went on for just about each of the 8, or so, laps.

I was quite depressed at the finish and thought I'd lost the plot regarding racing.

On the 'slow-down' lap I raised my tinted visor for a closer look at the damp patch only to discover it was a shadow, cast by a large tree in the sunshine!

I think I told everyone I was having fuel pickup problems to hide my stupidity.

[Tom Wells]

I've always used a full face helmet. Frankly, it isn't a comfort or convenience thing. It's self-preservation.

The added protection for the face and jaw compared with the open helmet seems like a really good reason...

Tom

[guye]

Full face. Safer. Plus required for open top cobras, even with full windscreen, in Oz.

I ride a motorbike, so recently when I needed to refresh my helmet I considered options. An SA rated car helmet is lighter and has a wider eye opening for greater visibility. Also optionally has the HANS knobs attached.

However the new motorbike helmet I purchased was an upgraded Shoei (what I normally ride in) but this was HEAPS lighter! It also included as standard the fog free visor, PLUS a built in sunglasses pop-down thingy like the jet pilots use - which is ultra cool! It means you can add and remove sunglasses with a flick of a knob on the side of your head! No need for uv visors, or shade challenges like Peter faced!

I think it is only slightly heavier than the equivalent car helmet. But it doesn't have HANS anchors.

As Bill said, make sure you go somewhere that know what they're selling. For example, Arai's don't fit my head whereas Shoei are great - for me!

Oh, and my Shoei fits my eye glasses underneath as well - a more recent requirement

The Shoei GT-Air is pretty expensive - about $1k AUD. But hey, I like my head in its current shape.

[jcraigau]

I always wonder about the 2 cylinder bilge pump brigade, tatted to the hilt, wearing their "colours" with no helmet screaming through traffic.

I guess if you don't have anything to protect, you don't need a helmet!

[Gav]

I had a full face bell helmet.
My sunglasses saved my right eye and the helmet saved my life.

[kyleb]

As the old saying goes...
If you have a $2 head then buy a $2 helmet !!