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Which would you recommend? I would ask what type you wear but then again people don't always wear what they want due to financial set-backs and stuff. Also, if I can't afford these types of helmets would a no-name helmet help me in a crash? How do those AGV, or HJC helmets fare compared to the Shoeis and Arais?

Some people will say they are all the same blah blah blah, paying for brand name blah blah blah, but you do get what you pay for.

I have had an Arai and currently wear a Shoei and I find they are are far more comfortable than any cheaper helmet I have tried on.
All helmets for street use have passed safety tests so they will all protect you pretty much the same but for the 99.99% of the time you are not crashing a comfortable helmet is a must.

More expensive helmets have better vents and removable padding are generally quieter and in my opinion look a whole lot better.

If you are only interested in protection, buy the cheapest helmet you can get but if you want to be more comfortable buy the best you can afford.

The no-names did best in the recent Motorcyclist Magazine test. See:

http://motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/hatz/

Bottom line from their long test article:

"Helmets are getting better, and some of the least-expensive helmets provide truly amazing protection. But just how good can helmets get? Stay tuned—we'll explore that topic very soon."

I currently use a Shoei RF1000 full face and a HJC CL-Max flip face.

One that fits right.

Try on different brands.

A good fit is more important. DOT, Snell, ECE, if the fit is poor, the helmet will not protect right. A cheap, well fitting helmet will offer more protection than an expensive poor fitting one.

Among the brands, the shape of the shell varies. You need to find the one that matches your head. Unless your a conehead, there is one that fits well out there.

I have an HJC CSX dirtbike helmet. If their street helmets work anywhere near as good as this one did/does, you'll be fine. Even after smacking face first into the ground, it stayed on and did it's job. Just need new hardware for the visor, the adjusting screw in the center snapped when the visor folded over my eyes. It happened at 40 MPH and i had NO head trauma (headache, concusion, etc.).

Awesome article you linked to, gsJack -- thanks for pointing us to it! What a comprehensive and intelligently-written dissection of the issue.

I wear Arai and Shark and have to put a plug in for the Shark S500. Very comfortable, good price and the easiest visor removal on the market. Quiet too.

I would say that it doesn't even matter. Its proven that if you drop a helmet from four feet it will develop a hairline crack, so when you do get into an accident a $600 helmet with a crack won't be nearly as effective as it should.

I'm not saying that people drop their helmets all the time but c'mon... &%$# happens and to me that is a big investment gone bad. Plus you never know what people do to your helmet if you lock it to your bike.

Comfort is a big deal too, I would recoment HJC.

I've got that magazine in my room with the helmet article. The Z1R-ZRP is supposed to be their top pick (now called the Z1R Strike) but as stated, you should see how the helmet feels on your head before you but it. Shoei and Arai have great reputations, but they've also been around the longest. Some of these newer companies will charge less for an equal or better product but don't have the "good rep" yet.

The most important thing is FIT. Have a look at this (its here on TMF, someplace, used to be a sticky, below is a link to another site its still a sticky on).

http://www.beginnerandbeyond.com/index. ... 8a237a4235

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