When you choose a motorcycle helmet, you are supposed to check quietness, ventilation/air flow, de-fogging, face shield (if any) ability to keep wind out, face shield ability to resist scratching, ease of replacing it, scratch resistance of shell, color/graphic design, weight, ease of fastening the strap and last, fit and comfort.
J.D. Power & Associates, an independent research company, measured for the 11th consecutive year, the overall satisfaction of bikers with their helmets. Arai ranks highest, followed by Shoei and Icon. Harley-Davidson helmets rank very well for design/styling and windshield. Overall satisfaction with motorcycle helmets has increased to its highest point since the study’s inception in 1999. All results by jumping (you may want to wear your helmet) HERE.
How the Hell can you Buy a Helmet with the Above Checklist? For exanmple; How does one tell that the Helmet is Quiet unless you take it for a spin? Harley Davidson’s Helmets are mostly HJC, now. I have 2 Half Helmets that were Shoei. I bought them about 8 Years ago, at Ft Laud Harley. Did you know that Helmets are supposedly to be Retired after Max 5 Years? Did you know that after an Accident even that it appears to be a Non-Head Injury Accident, the Helmet is also supposed to be Tossed! How ever for all those that ride with, Skid Lids or without an Approved Helmet GOOD LUCK and GOD BE WITH YOU or WHOMEVER ! I can’t understand how Seat Belts are mandatory and Helmets aren’t in Fl. REAL GOOD LOBYISTS i guess.
Made In China
Bigalyts,
What does HJC stand for ? I must be behind on the know here . I am interested in a good helment but I have all of the above and I like one thats not listed . My Davida is my favorite but the leather ear covers are hot in summer ? I hate to cut on a $300.00 Helment and my novelty hats are cool but man at the wind noise. Anybody got a good one for me I would appericate it . Asa
No helmets to my knowledge are made in America, except novelty helmets that do not pass spear test. We used to type DOT on a sticker and slap it on the novelty, didn’t work but got a good laugh from the mirrored sunglassed badge.
No American company wants that product liability and all that goes with it. European Snell is more stringent than DOT.
Whatever the test, tested or not tested helmets you only need a good helmet if you hit your head. So don’t hit your head or wear a helmet and protect your pretty face.
For sure though eye and ear protection is a must. A lot of us have gone through life not hitting our heads but damaging eyes and ears over time from wind and wind noise. takes a toll over time, unless you just putt from ice- house to ice-house.
Grayhawk
Grayhawk,
These helmets are made in America and and by far better than all the China made helmets.
Check them out. THEY ARE D.O.T
http://carbonfiberhelmets.com/
Right on Cade!
You beat me too it!
Also affectionately known as HeadTrips!
These surpass DOT
Made one at a time USA
http://www.carbonfiberhelmets.com
Cade and Hawghugger,
These are not motorcycle helment they are average bicycle headgear. Your face always hits the ground first right after your hands.
People who ride without proper safety gear are just waitng to be organ donors.
Watch for those turning left in front of you! Or maybe even those that have been drinking and hit you head on while passing slower cars.
I was watching the Oklahoma City News Friday and another on of our brothers met his fate! He had a helmet on the bike but wasnt wearing it, they showed pictures of it sitting nicely by the curb while this guy was in a body bag and the car that turned left in front of him never saw him coming and the bike was Brite Yellow!!!They were probaly talking or texting on their phone!!!
David
David,
Get back on your crotch rocket and take a header you numb nutted xxxxxx.
cade
No one ever wins in helmet debates, as such I do not try I have worn and not worn helmets. Each to his own. just my earlier comments.
In regards to the have a hedder comment to David pretty lame no matter what he rides..
Did look up ACC , head trip helmets, they state they have a dot mc helmet and novelty non dot mc helmets.
A little concerning where they say their non dot helmet is small but safe. Maybe not the best choice of verbage if someone has an issue but their site, their verbage and as such their risk.
They are made in America as you said and as they so stated, no reason to doubt that. They also state their dot helmet meets the dot standard due to a 5/8″ liner that they are going to or are patenting??
They do not list or reference any dot certification number that I could find on their site so nothing to reference from there..
I could not find them listed in any of the helmet rating listings that I found but could have missed something.
The only thing I can find is an article in American Iron Magazine.
See pasted thread below;
American Iron Magazine
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#1 03-21-2008, 12:11 PM
vin2k
Member Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 38
ACC DOT Helmets
——————————————————————————–
I just bought an Advanced Carbon Composites DOT helmet. The customer service was excellent. However, I just found this article on the FMVSS 218 testing performace and the ACC helmet failed testing and was recalled. Does anyone know if this issue was resolved? They claim the helmet is DOT certified and I was willing to pay a premium for the helmet. Also, how good are these standards if companies are allowed to do their own testing to certify a helmet as DOT Approved yet in Independant testing, the same helmets fail? Maybe that was a rhetorical question
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testin…8/2007s218.pdf
So again be your own judge, your head.
I am not a helmet expert but I am sure there are those out there that may lend some insight, just always do your homework make your choices in life.
Be safe
Grayhawk
Just to clarify one more time Grayhawk.
NO helmets are ever now nor ever have been DOT certified.
repeat
NO helmets are ever now nor ever have been DOT certified.
Mike
As I stated above I found no dot cert number, I did not say they were or were not certified, nor did I state any helmets have or have not ever been certified or that a dot certfication, number or whatever ever you deem certfication is or is not ever existed. No echoing needed here.
Understand your passion on bikers rights and support same and as such comments above are not debating that.
I looked up the site Cade referenced and goolged acc and dot no more no less.
I referenced the guy in the article as posted as that is all I found where he stated they ACC certified they were dot approved, and all he found is the failed independent dot test and was querying same in his post.
So certification in context of my comment is only referencing where the individual in the article stated first hand that when he purchased his dot helmet from ACC they ACC certified they were dot approved. I also stated in my first comment that I knew of no American made helmet company that was dot approved and based on my quick reference search still do not.
Cheers
Grayhawk
blah,blah,blah
Hawghugger,
You claim,”These surpass DOT”.
How do you know this and in what areas do you know that they accomplish what you claim?
Cade,
Right now I ride a Harley Softail. I have never owned a crotch rocket(I guess that means one that is powered by one of those jet helicopter engines)I have owned and riden most all makes and sizes in my 40 years of riding and the only time I was hurt was when I wasnt wearing some type of riding gear!!! So please dont call names I didnt call you one.
Dave
“…..We used to type DOT on a sticker and slap it on the novelty, didn’t work but got a good laugh from the mirrored sunglassed badge.”
Once you understand the certification process, the cop’s laughter turns to choking disbelief in court.
Unless you just want to keep getting laughed at and keep paying a fine you shouldn’t owe.
Law Enforcement Officers are not legally allowed to enforce safety, or whatever they have in their imagination. They are constitutionally restricted to enforce the law. The Supreme Court says nothing can be “implied” in law – everything must be written word for word into the law itself, so we can read and understand the law. It is so simple yet so confounding, that a California Judge actually said “neither an officer or a consumer can look at a helmet and tell if it is fabricated properly. All that is required of the riders is to wear a helmet that bears the Manufacturers Certification of Compliance with the federal standard (218).”
Whether a helmet has ever been tested or not, it doesn’t matter. If the DOT symbol is there, it is legal. In California, a cop can’t even ticket you unless he knows that particular helmet has been recalled by the manufacturer AND you tell the cop you know your helmet is not legal.
Unless you allow the cop to steam roll your Rights. Then the cop can do whatever he wants. Maybe that’s why the cop was laughing at you.
Know your Rights or you don’t have any.
Mark, sorry man did not mean to push your legal button I was being facetious about the sticker,” not meaning to be taken literally”. Back in Daytona years and years ago when one paid $10 for those novety helmets and got a typewriter written sticker with it to slap on like that was going to make it, ” a $10 dollar helmet for my $10 head”, any safer.
Again bikers choice, bikers rights to wear or not to wear, the individuals choice. I prefer a helmet today because I am no longer bullet proof in my mind and want the best protection available I can get not whether its constitutional or not, again another debate, as such I rely on independent testing results to educate me on my best possible purchasing decisions , my choice.
If you hit hard enough the coconut will crack $10 or $1000 lid.
Further to my original point in commenting in my opinion they, “US manufacturing of helmets has pretty well gone by the wayside, not because they can’t make a safe as possible helmet but because they can not win and/or avoid engaging in legal battles as to whether a helmet is deemed safe or not as that is more times than not unwinnable much like the once HD crash bar that is now called an engine guard comment I made a while back on anothor post. Again my opinion.
If you hit hard enough it does not matter the coconut will crack $10 or $1000 shell.
As far as certification process that is another play on words and Mike is I believe pretty right on in regards to that specific terminology on the use of the term certfication though as no one in my opinion can certify something is safe and as such I have never seen a certifcation in this case.
As far as knowing my Constitutional rights that is a whole different debate but the same literally as just about every ammendment of the US Constitution is being ignored in todays world. That is a fight we should all engage in.
Ride safe
Grayhawk
Understand this.
DOT does not approve helmets nor does DOT certify helmets.
SO what does that mean? Exactly, what it says.
What does it mean if a helmet has a DOT sticker and/or label in it or on it? As a consumer, the DOT label means nothing. Purchasing a helmet with the DOT label(s) or stickers is neither a guarantee nor warrantee of the suitability or merchantability of the helmet.
All programs set forth for helmet testing are for the manufacturer compliance. No testing of helmets is for the consumer.
Personally, I don’t wear a helmet putting around town, but I like to wear one on the highway. That being said, I know the risks. I usually tell people the difference between no helmet and a good full face helmet is an open casket, or a closed one.
Now, when I do buy a helmet, and I just did, the only certifacation that I look for is the SNELL cert. There are also more stringent racing certifications, but those usually only come on helmets $500 and up. My personal choice this last time was one of the new ICON Domain II carbon fiber units. I love it because it is really light and also has the SNELL cert. I’ve used it for a couple months and so far, no complaints at all.
Greenwald gets it correct every time.
What usually happens with many other people is they want to know a legal answer and get a guess related to “safety” in response. 2 very different topics and the 2 cannot be discussed in the same paragraph. With a lack of knowledge on the topic of what makes a helmet legal, one commonly substitutes “opinion on safety” to fill in the missing info.
I am unconvinced that anyone is safer in most riding situations if they are wearing ANY helmet. If wearing a helmet was “safer” there would have been a significant drop in the number of deaths per accident after California instituted their mandatory helmet law.
Safety completely aside, I find most riders that want to choose to wear the legally minimal (size and weight) helmet allowed, are not only being BS’d by the police, but also by the HD dealer employee or other self proclaimed “expert.” There are far more sources of completely false information on what makes a helmet legal, than there are for accurate info., like http://www.boltofca.com for CA.
If police and your peers twisted the facts on speeding laws the way they do for helmet facts, 99 percent of road users would be crawling at half the posted speed limit from the fear of getting anywhere near that “limit” and the fear of a ticket. I see what so-called pro-choice people wear for helmets and it seems so much like the driver causing road rage by doing 25 in a 50 zone. Then come the transparent excuses : ” I drink and ride, so I can’t wear a CD size helmet, it would attract cops.” Well, there’s your choice. Or is it lack of gonads?
I always put DOT sticker in my non-DOT helmet. When the police comes, they see it and it always is ok. I always buy helmets online from Asia and Europe with ECE standards always.
In many states such as Hawaii, helmets are not necessary too. In these years, the politician legislates the new law and regulation to enforce DOT helmets on roads.. that is too bad. riding with no helmet is so free in Aloha state.
If crash at high speed, no helmet can save life.
By the way, I bought a MASEI chrome helmet in store and it is a great looking helmet with fancy graphics. I love it!
If anyone who want ECE and DOT sticker, please email me to colonknight@hotmail.com
i give you for free.
Hi better ride safely. No helmet can protect human well if the speed is over 70 mpd.
HJC helmets are from Korea and made in China now. No.1 seller now they claim. wearing helmets should be an option of riders. I prefer to ride on my bike without any helmet.. So cool and free! this is america and people like freedom.
luu
Does anyone have proof (website, or court record) that helmets are not made in USA because of fear of liability due to being sued? It makes sense, but also most manufacturing goes to low labor countries, which could be the real reason.