I have a cheap Helemt I picked up from Aldi it was just to give a friend a lift.
without propertesting I carnt comment on the actual sfaty but it passed all the tests, it feels solid enough but its heavey and the airflow above is rubbish. I find the venting a bit pants and in the rain dosnt run off as well. and the wind noise is horride above 60 or so.
So I think you pay for the extra's the bits above the basic safty standards and the extra design and testing that go into the lid to make things like the rain run off, or keep the wind noise down.
Having said that Mines a HJC FG15 they were £199 2 years ago then dropped to £99, you can now get the same lid for £60 and that sort of proves my point the basic Lid the matrials the shipping + markup can now be done for £60 but when it first came out they had to cover the cost of the design. the same happens with cars/computers/TV's even softwear when it first comes out its expensive becuase you are paying for the design after thats covered the cost drops.
There is some truth in what Cavy says and earthwind too
New designs and new models of established designs are usually aimed at those who are known as "early adopters"
They command a higher price through novelty, exclusivity, and PRICE !
Because the trade KNOWS the human pre-disposition to impress others with "high value artifacts" in all scenarios
In the 70's I used to run a busy spares and clothing department and we had a contract with AGV
People used to ask "What's the cheapest helmet you've got ?"
To which I used to reply "If you have a £5 head buy a £5 helmet !"
Seriously though, it is much more important to buy the right size than just paying more for it
A GOOD new helmet SHOULD hurt your temples after about an hour otherwise it's TOO BIG !
If it feels really snug and comfy when you try it it on it will be too big in 6 months time when it's settled to the unique shape of your head
If, when fastened securely,
(when you can't get your finger between the strap and the underside of your chin)
the skin of your forehead moves WITH the helmet then it is likely to be a good fit
Put 1 on, fasten it then get a friend to hold the rim and try to move your head inside the helmet
If you can it's too big if you can't then it's probably OK
After that its down to personal preference as to colour/design/material
One more thing....
Try several of the SAME helmet size as manufacturing tolerances are not are ridgid as would make them all alike
No 2 helmets of the same size and make are likely to fit/feel the same
IMO from experience
i used to have an agv quasar max biaggi rep back in 2003 i had my head run over by a sierra when i came off and all that was damaged was the visor got ripped off.i have had agv ever since and would not wear anything else of lesser quality.it all goes on how much you value your head and your life.you buy the best you can afford i think
when I got a new one earlier this year I checked out results of the SHARP helmet safety scheme,actual one good thing being done for US by the govt,and on there the most expensive arent always the best then went to a local helmet dealer to make sure what I wanted fitted then haggled a bit and got them same price as online
wanted one with a dark dropdown internal visor so had to get 4star Shark S900 but still hundreds cheaper than so called top Japanese brands and just as safe if not better
i dont think so no body is invincible and bikers know that they are not.having an expensive lid doesnt stop you breaking your neck,back losing a leg arm etc etc.we just have to do our best to anticipate everyother twat on the road.but do our best to protect ourselves.and to be honest and some wont like this but there is just as many twat bike riders on the road as car drivers who think cos they have a fast bike they are a superbike rider.i know some car drivers are bad but motorcyclists are just as bad!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with the point about some riders, it embarrasses me occasionally to think that the car drivers are putting me and that plonker who just wheelied away from the lights in a 30mph zone in the same category.
Helmets ... how many people wearing a cheap helmet complain after a bad crash if the helmet fails ? Not so many are able to I suspect :(
There's a BIG difference between paying several HUNDRED for a helmet and paying £60 to £100 for one
Can you honestly say or prove that the more you pay the better it is ?
I M O
It's not how MUCH you spend
But how wisely you spend it
I got a brand new NITRO through a mate who worked for a wholesalers
They had sold so many at Birmingham that they could afford to give the rest away
i agree emzed you pay what you can.i think a lot of the big name lids are too expensive.they dont cost no where near that to make they just take advantage of peoples fears i think.my agv that i ride in at mo was 189 quid so not extortionate but still fab lid
Well that's still the thick end of £200 zzrbabe
When you consider that retailers are making anything up to 150% markup on helmets I think it's extortionate
£150 should be the maximum price for a "top of the range" all singing all dancing crash helmet, considering the actual manufacturing costs
Over the last 10 years the price of helmets has escalated out of all proportion to the ACTUAL value of the item
It all started with "replca" helmets of the ones top riders were wearing
But as kwakgirl ? said those riders don't pay for them !
Some of you will have seen the way the pit crews at the TT rip the visors off the riders helmets and throw them away with great abandon
I know it's about quick change to get the rider on his/her way as quickly as possible
I crewed at the TT and we only had time for a quick wipe back then, as the visors were not QD like modern helmets
The majority of those visors are still perfectly serviceable
(after all they have been protcted by "rip offs")
but when we need a replacement it costs us an "arm & a leg"
You are quite right that they take advantage of people's fears
It's high time we banded together and DEMANDED a fairer pricing policy
Particularly as we are COMPELLED to wear them
Again that's just my opinion
interesting point xk makes there
Does wearing an expensive lid lead to a difference in riding behaviour?
There's loads of research that shows when ABS became widespread & seatbelt legislation was introduced for cars, drivers adjusted their perception of the risk and drove faster, drove closer to the vehicle in front, & braked later cos they felt safer. The effect was that improvement in RTA fatalities didn't happen quite as expected cos people were compensating for the difference in risk.....there was also some displacement of the effects of this to increased fatalities in pedestrians, cyclists & motorcyclists
well emzed i totally agree why should we have to pay way over the odds for something we have to wear by law.it is total pants and just another way of trying to keep bikers off the road i think.i think they should not be able to put more than a 25% mark up on the actual production cost its just not fair
I needed a new helmet about 3 years ago, I had a Suomy but it was 5 years old and well used, I went around a few retailers in Leeds trying different makes and styles.
It soon became obvious that different makes were different shapes, and also the more expensive ones were much better finished and more comfortable.
I ended up with an Arai Viper GT, certainly far from the cheapest. I bought it from Hein Gericke, and they custom fitted it for me by changing the inside padding in the top and cheeks, till it was a perfect fit. At the end of last year the strap had started to fray as it kept catching on the velcro on the neck of my winter jacket, I took it back to the shop and they sent it away for a service and replacement strap, it came back looking like a brand new lid, and it was done free of charge!
So yes it was expensive initially, but I suspect a cheap lid would of only been fit for the bin if the strap was damaged?
Would I buy another Arai? Without a second thought
That's what I mean about markup
Hein Gericke are one of the major culprits
They have ridiculous margins to play with because they are a multi-national operation and buy in bulk at huge discounts from the manufacturers
Lulling the customer into a sense of "can't do enough for you"
But the exhorbitant prices that they charge pays for the premises overheads, staff wages, glossy catalogues etc.
But well done for taking it back, maybe if more of us did that
We might get better all round customer service
All helmet retailers can and should offer a "free" fitting service
After all, they are selling you an item of "safety wear"
It's their duty and responsibility to make sure that the item is :
"FIT FOR PURPOSE"
They should make sure it is just that, and if it's not they are failing in their responsibility
All helmet suppliers should do what they did for you without adding the service to the price
Also Ian, if the "experts" are to be believed
Your helmet SHELL was scrap after 3 years anyway
So the "refurb" FOC , was costing Hiene Gericke nothing
They had already made more than enough profit from you on the original purchase
BTW
Has anyone ever managed to buy any Solvol Autosol from HG
At their listed price of 99p
(it might have gone up now, but I got fed up of going into their Sheffield branch to be given the "same old story")
Whenever I've been in there, they are always "out of stock"
Maybe I've just been unlucky
Arai recommend replacement after 5 years of 'average' use, and they guarantee their helmets for 5 years too
I was also fortunate enough to find a helmet with the previous years design that I liked, which had £100 off
That just re-enforces my earlier point Ian
Being able to "discount" the helmet by £100 just because it was
"last years" design,
surely illustrates that they are making FAR too much profit
After all, if you had gone to buy that helmet whilst it was :
"current stock" I'm pretty sure you would have had to pay the FULL price
Same helmet
But well done, if you've got the cash and you're happy with your purchase, I suppose you consider it money well spent for
"peace of mind"
Yep the profit margins must be high, but other than buying on the web, what can you do?
Had it not been for the £100 off, I probably wouldn't of bought it, I am a Yorkshireman after all
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