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cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 11:00 AM

I am thinking about getting a new helmet for the car. Would be nice if it were good enough to do track days just for the future.

Don't really want to spend more than 100 pounds. Is this possible?

Thanks

Rupert

smart51 - 16/3/07 at 11:11 AM

quote:
Originally posted by CaLviNx
How much do you value your head @ ?

please please buy the best you can your head/life is a priceless commodity.


This kind of comment really annoys me. Whilst it is true of a bike, you don't really fall over in a car. Bikers wear helmets incase they fall off. You need protection from your head hitting the floor.

In a car, you need protection from flying debris. A decent rather than expensive helmet will be OK surely.

Even if I do roll my car. The rollover hoop and supports will stop my head from hitting the ground and my £50 helmet should protect me from debris and grass whiplash.

westcost1 - 16/3/07 at 11:14 AM

Maybe get a fire proof one looking at your avator!

Mr Whippy - 16/3/07 at 11:16 AM

cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 11:16 AM

they way i look at it is. before i took the windscreen off i never put a lid on. now all i am looking for is something to keep the wasps out.

I guess a track day is a different story so maybe i will have to wait until i get a super job to do those.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to get them from?

Are there any full head (i.e. car ones) for under 100 squid? or should i go for another bike one?

Where is best to get them from?

Thanks

Rupert

Mr Whippy - 16/3/07 at 11:21 AM

I would suggest you get one with the approved motorsport label on it as a minimum. These can still be bought for reasonable money, how about a second hand helmet? My concern with an unapproved one would be the visor itself shattering dangerously if hit by a stone.

cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 11:23 AM

where can i find these helmets?!

Cannot find any under about 400 squid on the net!

Rupert

andyps - 16/3/07 at 11:23 AM

I got an AGV for £75 which has all the approvals for use in track days and for competition. It was very slightly second hand - worn once by someone who decided he didn't like hillclimbing. Just keep an eye out for one. Alternatively, to keep the wasps out the helmets Aldi etc. have occassionally would work fine.

cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 11:39 AM

have found an OMP integrale plus for 85 squid

Any ideas where i might be able to try this on for size?

In the notts area is possibe

Thanks everyone

Rupert

nitram38 - 16/3/07 at 11:45 AM

I use a Caberg V2.
It looks like any other full face helmet, but it has an internal flip down tinted visor.
Saves fumbling for sunglasses when turning into the sun light and only around £85.
It also makes you look like a fighter pilot and stops you from having to make eye contact with idiots when you stop at junctions!

Agriv8 - 16/3/07 at 11:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
quote:
Originally posted by CaLviNx
How much do you value your head @ ?

please please buy the best you can your head/life is a priceless commodity.


This kind of comment really annoys me. Whilst it is true of a bike, you don't really fall over in a car. Bikers wear helmets incase they fall off. You need protection from your head hitting the floor.

In a car, you need protection from flying debris. A decent rather than expensive helmet will be OK surely.

Even if I do roll my car. The rollover hoop and supports will stop my head from hitting the ground and my £50 helmet should protect me from debris and grass whiplash.


agreed I dont intend to fall of my MNR on a bike completly diferent requirement as Id also want some spie protection.

I use a £40 Nitro one for the kit car more comfy that my Harri.

didnt some one post a scan from a bike magazine recently ? on a helmet test feature.

regards

Agriv8

02GF74 - 16/3/07 at 11:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by CaLviNx
Hi

How much do you value your head @ ?

please please buy the best you can your head/life is a priceless commodity.


I would go with that but is it the right decision?

Going back to last century, when steel helmets were first issued to the army, all of a sudden the number of head injuries increased which was the oppostie to what was expected.

Ofcourse the reason for this was that soldiers that would have been killed otherwise survived thus increasing the head injury statistic.

So a better lid may save you from death but if you do survive but with severe brain damage, then is perhaps death not preferable?

Who can really say which is the best option?

nick205 - 16/3/07 at 12:04 PM

See here

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=60015


Does the job fine for me - keeps your head warm and stops poo hitting you in the face. Not dear either so I am lookingat getting a second one for anyone foolish enough to ride in the car with me

miegru - 16/3/07 at 01:02 PM

I agree to getting the best for what you can spend. Having said that; don't go for a bike one.

If you go for one that is designed for open car racing chances are that there will be significantly less lift and buffeting. Ideally you also buy one of these spoilers on the underside, they really work.

Based on an earlier tread I bought some WileyX glasses. Haven't worn a helmet since! Fantastic!

cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 02:16 PM

i have the very same glasses but don't fancy them at speed. a wasp or drop of water even at speed would bloody smart

procomp - 16/3/07 at 02:49 PM

Hi a few links to places that do MSA approved helmets.

GPR

DEMON TWEEKS

RALLY NUTS

ALEX READE

EARS MOTORSPORT

HTH cheers matt

iank - 16/3/07 at 03:09 PM

One warning that made me think a couple of threads on this ago was get a very lightweight one.

No point worrying about how well they protect your head while on a bike as bike helmets aren't designed for people who are securely strapped in. If it's heavy it can increase the severity of whiplash injury in a car wreck.

So either go for a properly designed expensive car motorsport helmet, or a really light (cheap?) bike helmet to keep the flys out of your nose.

cadebytiger - 16/3/07 at 03:16 PM

anyone know the visor standards?

This is the most important thing!

is there a number i should look for?

Rupert

G.Man - 16/3/07 at 03:17 PM

In my experience, car helmets are heavier and more expensive than bike helmets...

For road and occasional track day use, just get one that has the best visor..

You are really just trying to protect against stone/bug hits anyway, so a helmet with a good visor is more important than the overall strength..

If you manage to turn a se7en over, you are looking at more worries than bashing your head, breaking your neck for one!

Most Arai's and Shoei's will meet MSA regs and there are plenty around £100 with very good visor systems..

mookaloid - 16/3/07 at 05:03 PM

I got one of these Not from demon tweeks but my local motorsport outlet.

It complies with the appropriate BS so if you ever wanted to enter a sprint or hill climb you could do with it.

Also apart from what Mark said above (which are all good points) the quality of the lining etc will be better and it will be more comfortable and last longer tahn the cheapo ones.

Cheers

Mark

benji106 - 16/3/07 at 05:15 PM

go to a shop and try one on before you buy, getting the right size makes a lot of difference to the level of protection offered, plus if you get one too small it will give you a headache quite quickly. you can get decent lids for £100 generally the more expensive ones will have features like washable liners and better ventilation and visors. wouldnt reccomend you buy one second hand, if its been bashed about it will offer far less protection.

G.Man - 16/3/07 at 05:22 PM

For me, I will use a manufacturer that specialises in Helmets..

not one that makes steering wheels, suits, seats, boots etc etc..

And from my experience of Sparco race suits, the last thing I want to do is entrust my head to one of their helmets...

BUT... I speak from personal experience and preference, and I know a lot about the Arai and Shoei testing and development... For all I know they could make them for Sparco

One other piece of "preference" Motorcycle helmets have much larger apertures than car helmets...

If you want the best visibility and peripheral vision, a bike lid is the way to go...

Mine was discounted down to £350 from £450, I value my head, but then I have 4 helmets altogther.. darn biker fashion

jack trolley - 16/3/07 at 05:48 PM

An objective helmet test which contradicts trite slogans.

oliwb - 16/3/07 at 06:34 PM

I bought an extremely expensive secondhand Shoei helmet. Only cost me £12. I knew it was in good nick had a £250 paint job etc so went for it. I did buy a new visor though a genuine replacement one which cost £40 because it was a naff one on it. I would and wouldn't agree with Mark on it. You are taking slightly less risk in a car as your not so likely to hit the road. However he makes a good point about other things. I was prompted to buy a helmet by someone I know who was hit in the face by a bit of wood whilst driving a seven on the motorway. Luckily he had a helmet on but it made a mess all the same! Oli.

David Jenkins - 16/3/07 at 06:59 PM

When thinking about the effectiveness or otherwise of helmets in one of our cars (including going under the back of a lorry trailer) just consider that a windscreen will give zero protection in extreme collisions. In fact, most tin-tops will fare badly in those situations!

My choice was to get a helmet to protect my face and eyes from flying objects, up to and including half-bricks thrown up by lorries (as happened to my brother when driving an MGB - flew up, bounced off the bonnet, and went straight through the windshield, just missing his head). At least with a helmet on, it would take much of the force out of the impact.

Other people can make their own choices, based on their own risk assessment...

David

andyps - 16/3/07 at 11:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
as happened to my brother when driving an MGB - flew up, bounced off the bonnet, and went straight through the windshield, just missing his head


I understand what you are saying in the rest of your post, but this could happen in any tin top so maybe we should all get those baseball style face guards even in a tin top just in case! Mind you, an MGB may not have had a laminated screen which helps a bit.

David Jenkins - 17/3/07 at 07:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by andyps
I understand what you are saying in the rest of your post, but this could happen in any tin top so maybe we should all get those baseball style face guards even in a tin top just in case!




Fair point! (Except that the rozzers take a dim view of people wearing protective headgear in a tin-top on the public highway... )

I reckon the only time where your head is more vulnerable in a 7-style car than any other is in a roll-over - on the public highway, that is. In that sort of accident a windscreen is useless (and could be a hazard in itself, with glass going everywhere). Any sort of helmet is a bonus in that situation, but obviously a top-rate one would be better than an Aldi special offer.

The other risk is banging your head on roll bars in rear-end or side shunts - but the same could be said for tin-tops, where you can bang your head on door frames, etc.

Otherwise, a more common risk is flying objects, and almost anything BSI-approved that covers your head and face is better than nothing. I do occasionally drive with shades instead of a helmet - and have had a few minor collisions with insects. They can really hurt, and could be a dangerous distraction.

A side issue is that I suffer from hayfever in Spring and Summer, and if I drive without protecting my eyes from the wind I can barely see for several hours afterwards!

David

907 - 17/3/07 at 09:13 AM

I remember from my biking days (sold it last spring) the "kind" motorists that used to move over to let you pass.
On minor roads this would flick up all manor of dirt and stones from the gutter. Does this happen in sevens?

If I were to buy a lid for car use I would get one that could be fitted with a (legal) tinted visor
and carry a clear one for night use. That's what I did on the bike.

Just my 2p

Paul G

David Jenkins - 17/3/07 at 09:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 907
I remember from my biking days (sold it last spring) the "kind" motorists that used to move over to let you pass.
On minor roads this would flick up all manor of dirt and stones from the gutter. Does this happen in sevens?


Well, they rarely pull over now, but there's so much muck on the roads that there's plenty flying around most days...



[Edited on 17/3/07 by David Jenkins]

G.Man - 17/3/07 at 10:13 AM

quote:
Originally posted by jack trolley
An objective helmet test which contradicts trite slogans.


So glad I have a Shoei XR1000, I am a little concerned about the HJC Results tho, my brother had one split in a crash...

Was almost new out of the box a few days earlier... admittedly it did save his head tho...

wilkingj - 17/3/07 at 01:56 PM

Go to the British Motorcycle Federation's show at the Peterborough Showground.
BMF Show
BMF Show, 20 – 21 May, East of England Showground, Peterborough.

I got two brand new ACU Gold Stamp approved Helmets for £30 each. He only had new kit, and he only have XXL and XXXL sizes and could not sell them during the year. Hence the cheap price. BMF is good for odd sized people like me!.

Try the Frank Thomas Reject tents. There were 4 or 5 Marquee's full of jackets, trousers, gloves etc.
ALL - Sold as rejects.

Also got a nice waterproof breathable Biker jacket for £40, a summer weight jacket for £20, and three pairs of decent gloves for £5 each.

However, the lady told me most of it was mail order returns that could not be sold again as new. Just check over very carefully what you buy, all my kit was perfect.
Both jackets came with liners, but without any body armour panels. but they are not really required in a car.



Well worth a visit.

David Jenkins - 17/3/07 at 02:24 PM

Got a good reminder about wearing eye protection this afternoon, on the way to Woodbridge airfield - had been driving along with the visor up, as I was only doing 30mph. Lowered it when I went faster - within 30 seconds there was a loud THWACK as something pinged off my visor. No idea what it was, but it was roughly eye level...

ChrisGamlin - 17/3/07 at 04:06 PM

Although your head is obviously a priceless commodity to everyone, I also find the "spend as much as you value your head" type comments a bit daft. Its rather like saying "if you value your life don't drive anything other than an NCAP 5 Star rated car", which is even more ironic given the type of cars we drive. At the end of the day we all have to make compromises and decide what is an acceptable risk.

There's no doubt a £500 lid will probably give you better protection than a £50 lid, but you can't look at it in isolation. Personally I'd feel far safer in a Locaterfield having spent £100 on a helmet and £500 on a full cage, than £600 on an all singing helmet, not to mention all the other protective equipment you could add such as fireproof suit/gloves/boots, bladder fuel tank, side impact bars etc.

Chris