Helmets, What do you recommend? Carbon Type

[Rhys]

Aloha Mates... Happy Holidays...

 

I have been saving up... Finally going to buy a Carbon Helmet, but these rascals are expensive... What do you recommend?

 

 

[Swiss1960]

Expensive, but still cheaper than a long time stay in the ICU with a broken skull...

[scubascuba3]

Probably overrated, never noticed a helmet being heavy

[OneMoreFarang]

How long do you want to own that helmet?

Do you want to take it with you wherever you go? Or lock it to your bike?

 

Personally, I have a medium quality helmet and I leave it with my bike. Until now I had two helmets stolen over about 15 years. I guess that is somehow acceptable. 

[In the jungle]

I wouldn't bother with Carbon Fibre.

 

Fine if you are Marc Marquez or Lewis Hamilton but they get theirs for free.

 

I use an Arai mostly because I find them very comfortable.  Construction is mostly fibreglass with some kevlar. 

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Probably overrated, never noticed a helmet being heavy

You would if you tried on a carbon one a compared.

 

Not worth the extra cost tho really.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

As someone that has ridden bikes for over 4 decades, I can first hand state that there is no such thing as an expensive helmet - after you fall off at high speed. It is unlikely that anyone in Thailand will ever reach the speeds of Eastern Creek or Phillip Island, but there is no such thing IMO as spoending too much on a helmet. The only thing they cannot fix or replace (within reason) is a head.

 

In Thailand IMO the brand must be an overseas made one - any of the big name brands. Arai and Shoei have been the best over a long period of time. Given the speeds likely here, a top of the range helmet that racers get is not really that necessary - but if you can afford it, then get it. The main things for me (at my age) are a full-face (due to much slower reaction times) and one that has great ventilation.   

[novacova]

5 hours ago, Rhys said:

Finally going to buy a Carbon Helmet, but these rascals are expensive... What do you recommend?

Arai or Shark. Shoei is good & doesn’t make carbon, but I’d put my money on a shoei 

[London Lowf]

2 hours ago, PJ71 said:

You would if you tried on a carbon one a compared.

 

Not worth the extra cost tho really.

 

I use a local one as my head is pretty worthless - B1,850 if I remember correctly. It is very heavy when I pick it up but once on it's unnoticable and I have a very weak neck following surgery.

 

[papa al]

Construction hard hats aer just as good.

[eisfeld]

I have a Shark helmet with carbon - model name Speed-R. Cost about 13k or thereabouts. Decent price as they are made in Thailand. Pretty good helmet. Is it worth it to spend extra for a carbon model? Not sure, you can definitely feel that they are lighter but I'm also fine with a regular helmet. Ventilation is more important. And availability of replacement inner liner.

 

[scubascuba3]

Shark is good, i have 2 Shark helmets currently, I wouldn't bother with carbon, Shark are available on Lazada and Shopee, if you've bought before you can rely on the size, i first bought them in 1999

[Henryford]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Shark is good, i have 2 Shark helmets currently, I wouldn't bother with carbon, Shark are available on Lazada and Shopee, if you've bought before you can rely on the size, i first bought them in 1999

 

I recently tried buying a new helmet via Lazada but i think their sizing is very unreliable (like their clothes). I had to send one back because it didn't fit despite being supposedly my size. I don't want to have to keep doing that so i guess i have to find a suitable helmet i can try on in a shop. But there isn't much choice in Pattaya except the basic 200-600 baht ones.

[scubascuba3]

23 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

I recently tried buying a new helmet via Lazada but i think their sizing is very unreliable (like their clothes). I had to send one back because it didn't fit despite being supposedly my size. I don't want to have to keep doing that so i guess i have to find a suitable helmet i can try on in a shop. But there isn't much choice in Pattaya except the basic 200-600 baht ones.

i only recommend buying from the good makes if you know the size, I'm happy i bought  Shark helmets twice from Lazada same size

[papa al]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

Pattaya except the basic 200-600 baht ones.

Pattaya south at ~Pattaya Thai soi16 has many mid-range helmets.

[PJ71]

12 hours ago, papa al said:

Construction hard hats aer just as good.

Don't think i've ever seen a construction worker with a full face hard hat....

[Rhys]

On 12/24/2023 at 4:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

How long do you want to own that helmet?

Do you want to take it with you wherever you go? Or lock it to your bike?

 

Personally, I have a medium quality helmet and I leave it with my bike. Until now I had two helmets stolen over about 15 years. I guess that is somehow acceptable. 

 

I hear ya... I have had two HJC Helmets stolen...SAD...about 5 years apart.  Most likely I would take the helmet with me. For riding around town I use the other helmets...  I just wanted something for the long ride... 

[Rhys]

23 hours ago, eisfeld said:

I have a Shark helmet with carbon - model name Speed-R. Cost about 13k or thereabouts. Decent price as they are made in Thailand. Pretty good helmet. Is it worth it to spend extra for a carbon model? Not sure, you can definitely feel that they are lighter but I'm also fine with a regular helmet. Ventilation is more important. And availability of replacement inner liner.

 

 

I found a shop locally that carries SHARK... I will have to go and check it out... It is about 16K..

 

[liddelljohn]

I have a HJC FS10  carbon helmet  its comfy very light  but a bit noisy  I do love it ,, I also have a HJC FS15  plastic shell   its a but heavier   they are good helmets ,,  also  have a flip front AGV  its heavier  but convenient  a bit noisy though

[Tropicalevo]

On 12/24/2023 at 4:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

How long do you want to own that helmet?

Do you want to take it with you wherever you go? Or lock it to your bike?

 

Personally, I have a medium quality helmet and I leave it with my bike. Until now I had two helmets stolen over about 15 years. I guess that is somehow acceptable. 

Wow. That is not good.

Been riding bikes in Thailand for 23 years - never had a helmet go missing yet. 🤞

Just rest the helmet on the mirror. The current one is a fairly good one (Shark) cost 14,000 baht.

Being an old fogey, I also tend to forget and leave the key in the bike. I have had the key taken once - by a security guard at the ferry terminal when I went away for a few days.

Never lost the bike - a very old PCX.

[Tropicalevo]

18 minutes ago, liddelljohn said:

I have a HJC FS10  carbon helmet  its comfy very light  but a bit noisy  I do love it ,, I also have a HJC FS15  plastic shell   its a but heavier   they are good helmets ,,  also  have a flip front AGV  its heavier  but convenient  a bit noisy though

My Shark also has a flip front. (lower section)

Most of the time I do not use it as I do not like the way it restricts vision and I like to feel the breeze.

Only use it on longer journeys. Living on an island, I do not get many of them!

[JonnyF]

I have a Shark carbon Speed-R. 

 

Great helmet, light, comfy, looks good. 

 

I say go for it. 

[JonnyF]

On 12/24/2023 at 4:55 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

How long do you want to own that helmet?

Do you want to take it with you wherever you go? Or lock it to your bike?

 

Personally, I have a medium quality helmet and I leave it with my bike. Until now I had two helmets stolen over about 15 years. I guess that is somehow acceptable. 

 

I always lock mine to the bike, even if I'm using one of my cheaper helmets. It's not the cost, it's just annoying and inconvenient to have them stolen, having to ride home through busy traffic as a farang without a helmet in BKK, makes me stand out like a sore thumb looking like a right idiot, risking head injury, dust in the eyes, getting pulled by the cops etc.

 

Only takes 5-10 seconds to lock it if you keep a coiled combination lock wrapped around the frame somewhere.   

 

[OneMoreFarang]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

I always lock mine to the bike, even if I'm using one of my cheaper helmets. It's not the cost, it's just annoying and inconvenient to have them stolen, having to ride home through busy traffic as a farang without a helmet in BKK, makes me stand out like a sore thumb looking like a right idiot, risking head injury, dust in the eyes, getting pulled by the cops etc.

 

Only takes 5-10 seconds to lock it if you keep a coiled combination lock wrapped around the frame somewhere.   

 

Such a lock would definitely ruin the look of my bike. I am not riding a PCX or something ugly like that. ;) 

[ozimoron]

On 12/24/2023 at 3:40 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Probably overrated, never noticed a helmet being heavy

 

This one was. My fiberglass Bell helmet in 1979.

[JonnyF]

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Such a lock would definitely ruin the look of my bike. I am not riding a PCX or something ugly like that. ;) 

 

If I had a PCX I'd put it under the seat. I don't find it ruins the look of my 899. 

 

Those locks are pretty small. You wouldn't even notice it and if you're that worried they are small enough to fit inside the pocket of a motorbike jacket.  

 

 

[Georgealbert]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Such a lock would definitely ruin the look of my bike. I am not riding a PCX or something ugly like that. ;) 

Sorry but how does a portable lock ruin the look of your bike?

[In the jungle]

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

 

This one was. My fiberglass Bell helmet in 1979.

 

That's not a Suzuki.

 

Do I win a prize?

[Agusts]

Noise, noise, noise...! My last helmet was a flip up MT Atom, at 100kph the noise on the left side was so bad even earplugs couldn't make me feel comfortable, I got rid of it after the first long trip...

 

Now I am afraid to buy a new helmet again, just use old ones..., anywhere we can test drive a helmet at 100kph before buying ...!!!???

 

No amount of review or people recommendation will help, I even think two exact same make and model helmets could come out differently out of the factory regarding noise ...! Seems like a lucky, unlucky, draw... 

[Agusts]

1 minute ago, Agusts said:

Duplicate