Best helmet on the market??

[ramcclure200]

Anybody have one of the hebo CF helmets? are they still out there? and how did they stack up? I have used the HJC ac-x1 and for a less expensive helmet it has been good. I believe they have a CF version now?

I have one Hebo CF and still love it, I have a bum neck and needed something light for short or long rides. The helmet has held up well and so has the head liner after 100's of wash cycles.

[Vindicator]

Hi Guys,

the first thing I do when evaluating my options for an helmet is to check the Snell certification (http://www.smf.org/. If it meets this criteria I then move along to all the other items I consider important for my standards.

The way I see it, and having tried a couple of helmets along the way, weight is not a decisive factor on my choice , I tend to build the notion that very low weight helmets are missing something...I know this might be considered controversial but I had quite a few examples that more or less lead me to this conclusion. Back in my youth days, , when riding 50cc Yamaha I had 2 helmets, both from Nolan, one a full face and another (later) a replica of Edi Orioli's Dakar race helmet. Edi's was much heavier than the full face and the difference in absorbing the hits was astonishing at the time. For sure this was due to materials used on the outer and inside shell, much different from the plastic used on the full face.
I now ride with a FOX V3 and the weight difference to Edi's Nolan is not that significant but the constructions and materials used is light years ahead.
Comparing my V3 to an Airoh in terms of weight reminds me of the 2 Nolans I had in the past, I don't mean to bash Airoh but just the other day I was reading on a KTM forum in Portugal that someone's Airoh fell of the bike and simply cracked... . Like I said, I don't mean to bash Airoh or any other helmet low weight helmet but I feel they are missing something...
Arai in my perspective are top of the line simply because there's no difference between the helmet you buy at the store and the one pro riders use in races, except for the collors. This says it all.

my 2 cents

[Nhuskys]

Originally Posted by cyclecat

I just bought an Airoh Stelt. Looks like it will stand the test of time AND it's very light. I'll be wearing it for the first time this weekend.

My Troy Lee Designs is a very good helmet. I have a buddy that could tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer. He's been through 8 bikes and 3 surgeries but his Troy Lee helmet survived.

Where did you buy your Airoh, as you live in the US?
Thanks

[jeffs2200]

I got my Airoh from dirtbike express in the UK.

Do not be fooled by the light weight. They are a good quality helmet and pass the British standard which many consider to be better than the snell standard, which many consider to be deeply flawed.

If one cracked from a simple drop I am sure it was from previous damage or a defect.

The Airoh you can buy is the same as the ones the pros wear.

[nhrider]

Do remember that helmets have a life span of about 3-5 years.

I have an HJC that's about 6 yrs old, it is an average model. I just recently tried on a Fly helmet (average model) just for kicks. It felt good and much lighter then the HJC. The technology has made some of these lower models lighter and less expensive.

[dank]

i have a fly helmet, and i like the concept of it because the face shield is closer to your head so there is less leverage on your neck in a crash.

[lankydoug]

It seems to me that one of the most important criteria is how it fits. Lets face it peoples heads are not created equal. Unfortunately there is no place near me that I could try on a dozen different brands, however one cycle shop had several and I found that some of the high dollar brands were not shaped at all like my head and were uncomfortable. Some of the others were like a pillow and I'm not sure if that makes it safer or not. I decided to go with the old school reliable helmet brand that I had as a kid so I ordered a Bell. It fit just like the 3 or 4 others I have had in the past, one of which definitely saved my life in a street bike meets drunk drivers auto encounter.

[dank]

[QUOTE=lankydoug;50328]It seems to me that one of the most important criteria is how it fits.

agreed. fit is most important. a $70 helmet that fits your head will do more good than a $500 helmet that doesnt, imo

[Vindicator]

Originally Posted by jeffs2200

I got my Airoh from dirtbike express in the UK.

Do not be fooled by the light weight. They are a good quality helmet and pass the British standard which many consider to be better than the snell standard, which many consider to be deeply flawed.

If one cracked from a simple drop I am sure it was from previous damage or a defect.

The Airoh you can buy is the same as the ones the pros wear.

I see your point and I cannot for sure say this wasn't the case, might be that the helmet was already damaged.
Regarding UK standards, do they enforce independent testing on the helmets or is just like DOT standards that are just guidelines for helmet safety ? In Snell's case you can only have the sticker if the helmet was tested .

[Silver]

Here is a link to a post with pics of an Airoh helmet after a crash he is still alive so i guess it did it's job. Didn't sound like that bad of crash but the damage to the helmet was pretty bad.I tried to copy paste the pics but it would not let me.
http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/sho...1&page=2&pp=10