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Hey Folks,

Once again one of your faithful noobs with a fountain of questions looking for a fountain of knowledge. After lots of info from you guys, I have decided to steer clear of sport bikes and am looking into cruisers... if that has anything to do with helmet selection. I am looking at full face helmets and have found anything from 70-400$. What is a good bargain for a helmet that is still going to protect. I know to look for the SNELL and DOT approval. Both if possible, but one or the other. So what's a good amount to spend... can I spend 150$ and be totally fine with that? Should I go for a used one instead just to save a little or is it imperative to my health to go with a brand new one? Thanks again for all the help and advice... Oh the bikes that have caught my eye... and my price range are the suzuki savage and the honda shadow 600 and 650 respectively.

This might be an interesting read for you.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearb ... index.html

Once you decide whether or not you want a snell certified helmet, the most important thing is fit. Different brands fit different heads. I use shoei and love them but they don't work for everyone.

Go try on a ton of different helmets and when you find 'the one' you can always shop around online for a discounted price.

The msrp for my current Helmet (RF-1000) is $384 but I picked it up for $289 online.

thume wrote:This might be an interesting read for you.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearb ... index.html

Once you decide whether or not you want a snell certified helmet, the most important thing is fit. Different brands fit different heads. I use shoei and love them but they don't work for everyone.

Go try on a ton of different helmets and when you find 'the one' you can always shop around online for a discounted price.

The msrp for my current Helmet (RF-1000) is $384 but I picked it up for $289 online.

Wow, Thume, thanks for sharing that. That little bit of research they did is an eye opener. The little $80 helmet did best in all aspects of energy management whereas the $400 Arai did second to worst. I used to think that more expensive it was, the better. But apparently not.

I've got a 'tall' head, and so find it a problem to find helmets that fit properly. You'll just have to try on many different brands and styles. If you're going to be riding long hours, find something lightweight if possible; your neck will love you for it. As for bikes, I have the 600 VLX (the deluxe model), and love it. But it takes time to get used to the 4 speed transmission; I keep wanting to shift to 5th, just because it's so automatically ingrained. The Savage/S-40 is a good reliable bike, but if you're over 5'8" it may be too small for you. But, you can usually find them low mileage used for around two grand or less. And as reliable as they are, I wouldn't think twice about a ten year old Savage with a few thousand miles on it.

Did you read the helmet fit guide? Fit is the most important. If it doesn't fit, it won't protect you properly.

P