helmet advice needed

[Ianatlarge]

Over the past few months I have settled into being a bike rider in Thailand (fyi got some lessons and spent weeks riding in circles in a disused carpark). Now I have a Click, and am riding regularly, but now thinking about accessories.

Helmet—what would experienced people recommend? I took a look at the local Honda store, had a full face helmet for 1000b. Looked ok, but is that too cheap for anything worthwhile?

Also, does it get too hot wearing such a helmet for hours on end while riding? I am currently using a 300b half helmet thing (yes, I know).

Can anyone suggest a good helmet, wear I can find one in northern Thailand (Chiang Mai?), and approx cost (lower cost is good, not looking for supercool style).

Thanks for any help.

[onthewind]

Good for you for getting some lessons and welcome to the world of motorcycling.

On our last trip we bought our helmets from England. I will only use Shoei helmets. Mine being a Neotec. Flip front with built in sunglasses.

These don't come cheap. £500 (25'000 Bht). There are many makes to choose from. The only reason I got a new helmet was I was made redundant. my last shoei was 5 years old and long past needing changing.

There are many helmets available here, most a lot cheaper than ours.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/product-reviews/helmets/?page=1&rpp=72

What we get for the extra money is better quality, lower noise and fiberglass/kevlar helmets last longer and are more abrasive resistant compared to Plastic helmets. All helmets for Road use here must be up to European standard. So we can check to make sure a helmet has passed proper safety checks before we buy it.

I do know of my friends who ride big bikes in Southern Thailand, most have full face helmets. The Blackbird riders club on Koh Samui all have top of the range helmets to match their bikes. So I know you can get them. Just might have to hunt around. I leave that for others to advise.

This sums up why you should not get a cheap Chinese helmet very well:-

[hansgruber]

Bell Bullit or a Bell 500.

I have both as I sometimes like the open face but they both offer some retro styling.

[wantan]

Index, Real, Bilmola are all low cost brands widely available in Thailand. I would suggest buying a fullface for at least 2000 Baht. Do not buy in the supermarket. Look for a helmet store. What store depends on how much money you want to spend. Some have only cheap, some mixed, some only expensive. Shouldnt be a problem to find a helmet in Chiang Mai. Keep an open face type helmet too. Sometimes you may want to use it for very short rides. Never ever go without helmet. Even the cheapest open face helmet is better than nothing!

[CMMCB]

Just bought a Real full face helmet a few days ago from the long-standing shop on Chang Moi Rd, on the right, just before the road turns quite sharply left near the TMB bank.

1500 baht, very comfortable with good ventilation and comes with two visors (one clear, one tinted), though the tinted one suffers from rather too much glare and I've been wearing sunglasses with it - anyone got a recommendation for a place to add some kind of anti-glare film?

[WingNut]

I agree with what was said. If your looking for decent safety with a competitive price buy a "Real" brand Chinese made full face helmet for 1,200-1,500 Baht. They are really heavy and a lot of weight on your neck after a while, the face part sometimes doesn't close so perfectly, but they offer very decent protection for the money. Can be found at many motorcycle accessory supply shops in Thailand:

http://www.real-helmets.com/2014/m/product_detail.php?p=1&k=fullface

If you want lighter weight, better quality, better craftsmanship, much higher safety etc, buy a Japanese made Shoei Qwest model. Around 15,000 Baht in Thailand or a lot less if you get one carried in from overseas: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shoei-qwest-solid-helmet

Don't settle on anything less than full face. Hot, yes. That's life. You only got one head. Protect it.

Approximately 85% of the motorcycle accidents that do result in death are because of head trauma from either no helmet or a cheap helmet that broke or flew off on impact. Also, statistically the total number of motorcycle accidents that result in death at all is low for people wearing full face helmets. Even at speeds of only 60km per hour your head hitting the pavement would be like the result of what it would look like when dropping a watermelon from a car window at those speeds.

Edited April 2, 2015 by WingNut

[wow64]

Got one of those Real Helmets.. not bad for the price.. take it with me when I need to leave the helmet on the bike or its raining.

Had an Arai helmet also (got stolen off the bike)... big difference in the weight and comfort. I actually got a sore neck/upper back when I first got the "Real" helmet coming from the Arai. Big girl I guess.

Just picked up a Shark Race-R Pro Carbon awesome helmet and 1.3 kilo.

[oval]

I bought a shark S600 for around 5000 baht and it's really good. Feels solid, light, comfortable, and has a good safety rating.

Bought it from http://www.bkkspeed.com/

Edited April 3, 2015 by oval

[CMMCB]

Same for me, wow64, I have a better, much more expensive, helmet (Reevu) for longer journeys but take the Real one for around town when the helmet needs to be left on the bike. The spare visor for the Reevu cost the same as the whole Real helmet!

[CMMCB]

I bought a shark S600 for around 5000 baht and it's really good. Feels solid, light, comfortable, and has a good safety rating.

Bought it from http://www.bkkspeed.com/

Glad you got a good helmet, Oval, but I'd just warn the OP not to buy a helmet from the internet without trying it on first. Fit affects both safety and comfort considerably. Good helmets come in different sizes and head shapes for a reason. Here's a link with more info about how to choose a helmet and why you must try one on before buying.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle-helmet-guide

Sorry, Oval, not trying to suggest you didn't try your helmet on first; just want to make sure our new friend does too.

BTW, Oval, I'm guessing your moniker is related to your helmet shape, so you're obviously aware of the issue! ;-)

Edited April 3, 2015 by CMMCB

[dec]

As said, REAL is probably the best option price wise and quality....... I have an full face INDEX but they only seem to sell one size L which is too big for me....must have had it 5 years or so, keep meaning to upgrade it but one good thing about having an old helmet is you don't have to bother locking it everytime you get off the bike...although scrotes will still cut through the strap on a expensive helmet.

[WingNut]

Sometimes I leave my REAL helmet on my bike, but never my Shoei. I bought a cheap gun trigger cable lock for it on eBay for a few bucks. I run the cable lock through the whole mouth assembly part of the helmet and lock it to the passenger footpeg of my bike. They can't cut the strap this way and should never get stolen if you lock it to the bike properly in that way unless the thieves are running around with bolt cutters which is less likely to happen to a cheap REAL helmet.

Edited April 3, 2015 by WingNut

[WingNut]

Here is the method I use to lock as I mentioned:

[WingNut]

You can also buy a longer, and thicker cable type lock and still lock it to the foot peg like that. You can also place the helmet on the gas tank and lock it that same way through the forks and/or handlebars if you don't want your helmet on your foot peg. The advantage to the gun trigger lock is its small size and can be stored under the seat. But I know a friend bought a cheap, locally sourced cable lock for around 100-200 Baht which does the job too, but it's larger and heavier and he has to carry it in his bag when riding.

[wow64]

Thats the only way to lock your helmet through the opening.. had my arai stolen from me being lazy and just locking the straps.

I do a similar thing to you but I lock the cable under the seat of the Hondas.

[Rhys]

I like the HJC models about 3.5 K for a good one.. all the way up to the 20 K Plus.. with the HJC, I just carry it with me, in the helmet bag...if I am heading to Tesco..

Index brand helmet, many located at Tesco, will run about 1000 baht...full face helmet.

look into some gloves as well.. save the skin from the abrasions..

Edited April 3, 2015 by Rhys

[WingNut]

Yes, gloves for sure too. Much needed. It's hard to find good ones locally though that aren't expensive. Sidici are good value for money if you can find them. I would get gauntlet gloves too for some wrist protection as well.

[WingNut]

I got a pair of these recently. Lots of back of the finger and knuckle protection and air vents by the knuckles. Good wrist protection too. Most gloves that give this much protection are usually a lot more money: http://www.cyclegear.com/SEDICI-Ultimo-Race-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves

[Dellboy218]

In Chiang Mai try www.helmet2home.com. For mail order try www.motoin.de. Their prices include 19% tax which will be automatically removed. You may find prices and shipping rates better than the likes of Revzilla.

[Rhys]

I got a pair of these recently. Lots of back of the finger and knuckle protection and air vents by the knuckles. Good wrist protection too. Most gloves that give this much protection are usually a lot more money: http://www.cyclegear.com/SEDICI-Ultimo-Race-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves

Looks good...next time I am up at Paddocks, I may pickup a pair.. what type of jackets do you like.. under 8k..

basically looking for protection from abrasions...

Helmets, like to look at the Shark Model... or possibly one of those neon yellow helmet..hmm what do you think, the neon yellow helmet is another sign.. to hit me...?

on the pegs

[WingNut]

I use an inexpensive jacket made by Nerve, which is a German design. Fits great, excellent protection, and was very inexpensive. You can add back plates and things to it for extra protection too. Around 2,000 Baht I think. I bought it from www.320sp.com - They used to have a shop in China Town where I bought mine, but the shop has now moved to Thonburi I think and is no longer located in China Town.

I am not sure you can find those gloves at Paddocks, but you can try. I ordered mine from the web site link I provided. They are also on Amazon, but you can find other gloves at Paddocks I am sure.

[wantan]

I got a pair of these recently. Lots of back of the finger and knuckle protection and air vents by the knuckles. Good wrist protection too. Most gloves that give this much protection are usually a lot more money: http://www.cyclegear.com/SEDICI-Ultimo-Race-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves

Looks good...next time I am up at Paddocks, I may pickup a pair.. what type of jackets do you like.. under 8k..

basically looking for protection from abrasions...

Helmets, like to look at the Shark Model... or possibly one of those neon yellow helmet..hmm what do you think, the neon yellow helmet is another sign.. to hit me...?

on the pegs

>Looks good...next time I am up at Paddocks, I may pickup a pair.. what type of jackets do you like.. under 8k..

I have RevIt "Tarmac Air" and "Air Wave" bought at Panda Rider. I like them. 6-7,000 Baht each.

> ...or possibly one of those neon yellow helmet..hmm what do you think, the neon yellow helmet is another sign.. to hit me...?

You never know, people in Thailand arent used to such safety thingies. So you might get some attention that you dont really want. I had the same thoughts and decided not to wear safety colors, even though experts say they are safer (at least for city riding). But i really dont know, its an interesting question.

[Rhys]

I got a pair of these recently. Lots of back of the finger and knuckle protection and air vents by the knuckles. Good wrist protection too. Most gloves that give this much protection are usually a lot more money: http://www.cyclegear.com/SEDICI-Ultimo-Race-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves

Looks good...next time I am up at Paddocks, I may pickup a pair.. what type of jackets do you like.. under 8k..

basically looking for protection from abrasions...

Helmets, like to look at the Shark Model... or possibly one of those neon yellow helmet..hmm what do you think, the neon yellow helmet is another sign.. to hit me...?

on the pegs

>Looks good...next time I am up at Paddocks, I may pickup a pair.. what type of jackets do you like.. under 8k..

I have RevIt "Tarmac Air" and "Air Wave" bought at Panda Rider. I like them. 6-7,000 Baht each.

> ...or possibly one of those neon yellow helmet..hmm what do you think, the neon yellow helmet is another sign.. to hit me...?

You never know, people in Thailand arent used to such safety thingies. So you might get some attention that you dont really want. I had the same thoughts and decided not to wear safety colors, even though experts say they are safer (at least for city riding). But i really dont know, its an interesting question.

I've seen a few neon yellow helmets down in the south, but it is usually on those 650cc plus riders... Yet interestingly the riders are always in groups....

Edited April 5, 2015 by Rhys

[WingNut]

I wouldn't mind a yellow neon helmet. If I buy another Shoei one day I was actually considering that color. I have no issues with it.

[Familyonthemove]

This is just my personal view ..... but I reckon for day to day riding on a scooter you need protection for low speed spills. So spending big money on a top-end Arai or Shoei lid may not be worth the investment. These helmets are honed in bike racing and offer the best protection for riders of fast bikes who head out of the city onto the open roads.

Any 'export quality' helmet that can meet the CE/ACU type specs will provide 99.9% of the protection of a top-end helmet for normal use.

So I'd say look for a helmet model that is also available in Europe so you know it's properly tested.

Full face obviously protects more of your face - (a chin landing is quite common in city crashes) - and to avoid the excess heat issues of full face go for the 'enduro/adventure/moto' style with a large opening. Again, the small opening helmets are designed for racing and they restrict vision as well as making your head hot - but the larger visor opening of the adventure style helmet is just as good as an open face from a heat point of view and visibility is also good.

There's a good range of mid-priced adventure style helmets ..... I went for the HTC multi - which is available in Thailand but it's also sold in Europe. Wide opening, peak to act as a sun shade - and ride it without a visor and with sunglasses on and you'll get 'ram air' cooling for your face.

[WingNut]

This is just my personal view ..... but I reckon for day to day riding on a scooter you need protection for low speed spills. So spending big money on a top-end Arai or Shoei lid may not be worth the investment. These helmets are honed in bike racing and offer the best protection for riders of fast bikes who head out of the city onto the open roads.

Any 'export quality' helmet that can meet the CE/ACU type specs will provide 99.9% of the protection of a top-end helmet for normal use.

So I'd say look for a helmet model that is also available in Europe so you know it's properly tested.

Full face obviously protects more of your face - (a chin landing is quite common in city crashes) - and to avoid the excess heat issues of full face go for the 'enduro/adventure/moto' style with a large opening. Again, the small opening helmets are designed for racing and they restrict vision as well as making your head hot - but the larger visor opening of the adventure style helmet is just as good as an open face from a heat point of view and visibility is also good.

There's a good range of mid-priced adventure style helmets ..... I went for the HTC multi - which is available in Thailand but it's also sold in Europe. Wide opening, peak to act as a sun shade - and ride it without a visor and with sunglasses on and you'll get 'ram air' cooling for your face.

I agree with most everything. Good advice. But I would still go full face. The heat is a small price for complete head safety.

[Familyonthemove]

This is just my personal view ..... but I reckon for day to day riding on a scooter you need protection for low speed spills. So spending big money on a top-end Arai or Shoei lid may not be worth the investment. These helmets are honed in bike racing and offer the best protection for riders of fast bikes who head out of the city onto the open roads.

Any 'export quality' helmet that can meet the CE/ACU type specs will provide 99.9% of the protection of a top-end helmet for normal use.

So I'd say look for a helmet model that is also available in Europe so you know it's properly tested.

Full face obviously protects more of your face - (a chin landing is quite common in city crashes) - and to avoid the excess heat issues of full face go for the 'enduro/adventure/moto' style with a large opening. Again, the small opening helmets are designed for racing and they restrict vision as well as making your head hot - but the larger visor opening of the adventure style helmet is just as good as an open face from a heat point of view and visibility is also good.

There's a good range of mid-priced adventure style helmets ..... I went for the HTC multi - which is available in Thailand but it's also sold in Europe. Wide opening, peak to act as a sun shade - and ride it without a visor and with sunglasses on and you'll get 'ram air' cooling for your face.

I agree with most everything. Good advice. But I would still go full face. The heat is a small price for complete head safety.

Yes I agree - I was not being too clear - I meant that I recommend a full face 'adventure-style' helmet with a large visor opening. The HTC Multi that I went for is a full face - although the chin bar can be removed, but I always leave it in place. Only issue with the HTC Multi is that you can't lock it to the bike as the chin bar can be removed.

[Genericnic]

This is just my personal view ..... but I reckon for day to day riding on a scooter you need protection for low speed spills. So spending big money on a top-end Arai or Shoei lid may not be worth the investment. These helmets are honed in bike racing and offer the best protection for riders of fast bikes who head out of the city onto the open roads.

Any 'export quality' helmet that can meet the CE/ACU type specs will provide 99.9% of the protection of a top-end helmet for normal use.

So I'd say look for a helmet model that is also available in Europe so you know it's properly tested.

Full face obviously protects more of your face - (a chin landing is quite common in city crashes) - and to avoid the excess heat issues of full face go for the 'enduro/adventure/moto' style with a large opening. Again, the small opening helmets are designed for racing and they restrict vision as well as making your head hot - but the larger visor opening of the adventure style helmet is just as good as an open face from a heat point of view and visibility is also good.

There's a good range of mid-priced adventure style helmets ..... I went for the HTC multi - which is available in Thailand but it's also sold in Europe. Wide opening, peak to act as a sun shade - and ride it without a visor and with sunglasses on and you'll get 'ram air' cooling for your face.

@Familyonthemove,

The problem is with physics not what you are riding. You hit the ground at 30 kph, it feels the same where you are riding a Honda Cub or a Ducati. Nature isn't impressed. I ride a Honda Wave 125i. I wear a Shoei helmet because I know if it will protect a big bike rider, it will protect me just as well. There are no guarantees in life (other than dying at the end of it), but I prefer to have the odds in my favor.

David

[MRYANG]

I agree with what was said. If your looking for decent safety with a competitive price buy a "Real" brand Chinese made full face helmet for 1,200-1,500 Baht. They are really heavy and a lot of weight on your neck after a while, the face part sometimes doesn't close so perfectly, but they offer very decent protection for the money. Can be found at many motorcycle accessory supply shops in Thailand:

http://www.real-helmets.com/2014/m/product_detail.php?p=1&k=fullface

If you want lighter weight, better quality, better craftsmanship, much higher safety etc, buy a Japanese made Shoei Qwest model. Around 15,000 Baht in Thailand or a lot less if you get one carried in from overseas: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shoei-qwest-solid-helmet

Don't settle on anything less than full face. Hot, yes. That's life. You only got one head. Protect it.

Approximately 85% of the motorcycle accidents that do result in death are because of head trauma from either no helmet or a cheap helmet that broke or flew off on impact. Also, statistically the total number of motorcycle accidents that result in death at all is low for people wearing full face helmets. Even at speeds of only 60km per hour your head hitting the pavement would be like the result of what it would look like when dropping a watermelon from a car window at those speeds.

While I agree much about the safety aspects in this post I just have to say this:

No watermelon is even close to the hardness of a human skull. When people do comparison videos with watermelons, it's not specifically to use something that is as tough but just for reference. A coconut is better but not even a coconut is as tough as the human skull. However, this comparison of watermelon similar to hardness of the human skull is flooding Internet and it's completely wrong.

The human skull is second to the covering surface of teeths the hardest part of our bodies and the hardest part of our skeleton.

Most people can rip apart a watermelon with their hands. Some even penetrate it with a thumb. Now, Try that on a coconut. If u can do that, your next challenge is the human skull. Good luck.

To answer the op's question: Buy the most expensive helmet you can afford. Everything cheaper is a compromise in safety. But before you buy do this: imagine that you are lying in hospital with a skull fracture and think - if a high quality helmet could lessen my chance of getting here with 10% - Would I pay the price difference?

All helmets below 10k is crap. Looks nice but don't do what you might think. Because a quality helmet designer don't cut corners in manufacturing, they end up expensive. So if it's cheap, corners were cut with your skull as the ultimate price. Worth it?

[Gweiloman]

I agree with what was said. If your looking for decent safety with a competitive price buy a "Real" brand Chinese made full face helmet for 1,200-1,500 Baht. They are really heavy and a lot of weight on your neck after a while, the face part sometimes doesn't close so perfectly, but they offer very decent protection for the money. Can be found at many motorcycle accessory supply shops in Thailand:

http://www.real-helmets.com/2014/m/product_detail.php?p=1&k=fullface

If you want lighter weight, better quality, better craftsmanship, much higher safety etc, buy a Japanese made Shoei Qwest model. Around 15,000 Baht in Thailand or a lot less if you get one carried in from overseas: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shoei-qwest-solid-helmet

Don't settle on anything less than full face. Hot, yes. That's life. You only got one head. Protect it.

Approximately 85% of the motorcycle accidents that do result in death are because of head trauma from either no helmet or a cheap helmet that broke or flew off on impact. Also, statistically the total number of motorcycle accidents that result in death at all is low for people wearing full face helmets. Even at speeds of only 60km per hour your head hitting the pavement would be like the result of what it would look like when dropping a watermelon from a car window at those speeds.

While I agree much about the safety aspects in this post I just have to say this:

No watermelon is even close to the hardness of a human skull. When people do comparison videos with watermelons, it's not specifically to use something that is as tough but just for reference. A coconut is better but not even a coconut is as tough as the human skull. However, this comparison of watermelon similar to hardness of the human skull is flooding Internet and it's completely wrong.

The human skull is second to the covering surface of teeths the hardest part of our bodies and the hardest part of our skeleton.

Most people can rip apart a watermelon with their hands. Some even penetrate it with a thumb. Now, Try that on a coconut. If u can do that, your next challenge is the human skull. Good luck.

To answer the op's question: Buy the most expensive helmet you can afford. Everything cheaper is a compromise in safety. But before you buy do this: imagine that you are lying in hospital with a skull fracture and think - if a high quality helmet could lessen my chance of getting here with 10% - Would I pay the price difference?

All helmets below 10k is crap. Looks nice but don't do what you might think. Because a quality helmet designer don't cut corners in manufacturing, they end up expensive. So if it's cheap, corners were cut with your skull as the ultimate price. Worth it?

Ah, Mr. Yang. Welcome to the biking forum. First post here? If so, a very good one. While I (of course) agree with what you have to say, I beg to differ on your observation regarding a human skull and a coconut. Take a hammer to a skull and to a coconut - which do you think will crack first?

Apart from the relative hardness of the two, think also of the content. The human skull protects within it, all that life is about. Even if the skull is not "broken", can the same be said for the insides?

But your post is about how a helmet protects the head and that is all good. Alas, there are some posters on here that believes they are invincible, due to their riding skills and/or experience and therefore will never be able to accept the message. Us mere mortals on the other hand, applaud you for your good advice.