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Is this helmet suitable for car use and track days?
nick205 - 21/1/07 at 09:07 PM

Still looking at helmets! Several people have mentioned Nitro helmets - does this one look suitable for car use and track days (not racing).

http:// cgi.ebay.co.uk/NITRO-311-V-11-Motorcycle-Helmet-Black-Silver-MED_W0QQitemZ110081644053QQihZ001QQcategoryZ72278QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Cheers!

graememk - 21/1/07 at 09:15 PM

a £20 helmet wil be as good as a £20 helmet
where as a £200 helmet will will be as good as a £200 helmet

personally go try a few on as you might not like the feel, in a kit car i wouldnt worry about the cost of the helmet as if i were on a bike as its more to keep the wind out of your hair but still dont go to cheap

[Edited on 21/1/07 by graememk]

JoelP - 21/1/07 at 09:16 PM

on a trackday, i have never had my helmet inspect for markings. I would expect this helmet to be fine for keeping dust and dirt out of your eyes, hopefully flying debris too. I wouldnt wear it on a real bike though, for no reason other than the price - it cant be top quality at that price, but i would expect it to be just fine for what a typical locost driver needs. Usual caveat, i dont know jackshit

nick205 - 21/1/07 at 09:18 PM

Definitely won't be wearing it on a bike! Only really looking for something to keep the wind off and protect from any road debris.

907 - 21/1/07 at 09:22 PM

Hi

I replied on your other thread so on this one I'll try a different approach.


A well fitting lid should make your face look like a womans arse in tights.

Sorry if this offends anyone.


Paul G

flak monkey - 21/1/07 at 09:22 PM

The only thing that puts me off it is that its a polycarbonate shell.

Mine is one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nitro-N800VX-Helmet-01-Metallic-Black_W0QQitemZ230070063487QQihZ013QQcategoryZ72278QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

They have a GRP shell and a lot more vents than a cheapo one. Up to you, in a car the one you have pointed out will be more than enough to keep the crap off your face. I got a bit better one for use on a bike too...

David

gary gsx - 21/1/07 at 09:31 PM

all ill say is you only get one head

nick205 - 21/1/07 at 09:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 907
Hi

I replied on your other thread so on this one I'll try a different approach.


A well fitting lid should make your face look like a womans arse in tights.

Sorry if this offends anyone.


Paul G


LOL - that's not a pretty mental image!


I did pop into my local bike emporium to have a look and tried 3 different makes on for size. The guys were very helpful, but the cheapest helmet was an AGV Airtech @ £120 (reduced from £150). Very comfy it was, but a bit over my budget for wearing in the car.

As per Flak's post I'm going to have a look at some other Nitro models.

Cheers again for the advice - this is very new to me

[Edited on 21/1/07 by nick205]

carnut - 21/1/07 at 09:35 PM

As Carole Smith said

"Buy a $10 helmet if you've got a $10 head!"

graememk - 21/1/07 at 09:35 PM

i have a avg v-flyer if that helps

about £200 to £300 but very very comforable for me

ayoungman - 21/1/07 at 09:36 PM

I'll be wearing one of these !

f lying helmet

Micael - 21/1/07 at 10:09 PM

Buy a light helmet

The most important thing on a car helmet is the weight. When you are straped in the seat with your 6 point harness a heavy helmet can snap your neck if you crash.
Here in sweden you are not allowed to have an fullface helmet in a closed (saloon/rally) car. Just because of the weight.

Peltor has a good and light helmet. It has built in hearing protectors.

http://www.peltor.se/int/Product.asp?PageNumber=160&ProductCategory_Id=46&Product_Id=79

zxrlocost - 21/1/07 at 10:43 PM

for road use and the odd track days even the cheapest helmet will do

simply because your in a car not on a motorbike

there is no law to wear a helmet in the car

so its only there to keep the bits out your eyes and road noise

zxrlocost - 21/1/07 at 10:50 PM

JUST READ SOME OF THE OTHER THREADS ON THIS

"LIKE PERSONALLY ITS MY HEAD SO I WOULDNT GET A CHEAP HELMET."

Everyone YOU ARE NOT ON A SUPERBIKE YOU ARE IN A CAR

alister667 - 21/1/07 at 11:01 PM

Zxrlocost is absolutely right.

Motorcycle helmets (even cheap ones) are fine for BECs (as long as they have a BS kite mark) basically because if they are externally impacted it's probably because your head has come off you body already and is bouncing down the road.... All they really do is keep the flies and stones out.

Even the most expensive Arai or Shoei motorcycle helmet will not be allowed in MSA events because one of the most important functions of a motorsport helmet is flame retardance. This isn't an issue on the bikes since you'll almost always get chucked off it in the event of a crash. Very few of them have it.

By all means if you want the comfort of a top class helmet go for it, they can be very good to wear and make long journeys a pleasure.

Micael brings up a good point about it being light, and of course it is important that it is a comfortable fit. Don't trust the markings and you will get variations from helmet to helmet - one Nitro V-500 XL might not be the same as another Nitro V-500 XL.

Finally check how much a new visor is. I have a Nitro V-500 for the road (it's perfectly fine) I get through about 1 visor every 18 months and the visor is about 1/2 the price of a brand new helmet.

All the best

Ali

Confused but excited. - 21/1/07 at 11:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
The only thing that puts me off it is that its a polycarbonate shell.

Mine is one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nitro-N800VX-Helmet-01-Metallic-Black_W0QQitemZ230070063487QQihZ013QQcategoryZ72278QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

They have a GRP shell and a lot more vents than a cheapo one. Up to you, in a car the one you have pointed out will be more than enough to keep the crap off your face. I got a bit better one for use on a bike too...

David


David, what is wrong with a polycarbonate shell? It is used for eye shields and bullet proof windows. I would have though it would be stronger than GRP. I am of course willing to amend my views in the light of superior knowledge.
I was under the impression that the ACU Gold standard implied that it was suitable for bike racing.
I am not trying to be a smart arse, I would like your further input as I purchased a similar helmet to keep bugs and road debris out of my eyes and face, relying on the roll cage to protect my head in the event of vehicular inversion.

flak monkey - 22/1/07 at 07:36 AM

I am aware of the uses of polycarbonate.

Again this is more a bike issue than car use:

Polycarbonate ones tend to be moulded in 2 parts, and have been known to split on impact. Also polycarbonate goes brittle after a few years.

Like others have said, in a car it should be fine.

David Jenkins - 22/1/07 at 09:00 AM

Typically, I'll propose a compromise!

When I bought a helmet I considered the following:

Whether it fitted, and was comfortable: when I go out in my car it's for an hour or two; if the helmet doesn't fit then it can get painful, and if it's loose it can change position on your head when travelling at speed.

Visibility: many bike helmets only have a narrow slot to look through, as a bike rider can easily move his head - peripheral vision is very important in a car.

Visor price and availability: can I walk into almost any bike shop and get one without ordering and waiting?

Ventilation: I wear glasses, and they get steamed up unless there's decent air flow.

Bonus features: removable, cleanable linings are good. Also flip-fronts if you like them.

What you'll find is that the cheaper helmets don't meet every requirement, and you'll have to start looking at the lower-middle price range.

I ended up buying a Caberg Justissimo, which is good in most respects, although can be noisy at speed (I use earplugs if I'm going any distance).

HTH,
David

martyn_16v - 22/1/07 at 09:14 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
in the event of vehicular inversion.


I don't know why that made me smile, but it did

robinj66 - 22/1/07 at 09:23 AM

My advice would be to go along to a few bike shows - you get lots of bargains - quality helmets but cheap as they are last years model etc. (Eg, OGK Aeroblade for £50!)

But most importantly, you can try them on and get a helmet that FITS YOUR HEAD

David Jenkins - 22/1/07 at 10:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by robinj66
But most importantly, you can try them on and get a helmet that FITS YOUR HEAD


Absolutely - but it's hard for a novice to know what "good fit" means. A decent dealer will help you.

For me, it was "Is it pinching anywhere? Do I feel squashed?" I found some of the big-name helmets very uncomfortable, so price isn't necessarily significant for fit. When you get one that feels comfy, try turning and nodding your head sharply - if you can feel it sliding around, it's not a good fit. Also grab the chin-piece (assuming a full-face helmet) and try jerking the helmet around on your head - once again, if you can shift the helmet on your head, then it's not a good fit.

Finally, if you wear glasses, or like to wear sunglasses while driving, try a pair on under the helmet. You may find that the internal padding squashes the arms on the specs.

But everything's a compromise...

David

Confused but excited. - 22/1/07 at 01:56 PM

David,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Most informative. Oh, and scary.
That will be a new lid then.

David Jenkins - 22/1/07 at 05:08 PM

No worries.

Nice bonus with the Caberg is the second visor that comes down behind the main one - it's dark tinted so you don't need to worry about sunglasses, but still legal 'cos you can always move it out of the way.

Also, if the weather's hot, you can open the clear visor and rely on the secondary one to protect your eyes (it's still rated as a protective thingy) and get a big blast of fresh air.