Sharp helmet safety ratings

cojomo2

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Useful to check your helmet safety rating.

After messing around with this, most of the 400 euro plus helmets get 4 stars out of five. Many of the sub 100 euro helmets get poor ratings with some exceptions, such as the Box BX1 helmet, which get 4 stars and costs only about 60 Euro...

So..is it possible that a 60 euro helmet would be as safe to crash in as a 400 euro one as this site suggests? Interested to know. Cheers

goodlad

cojomo2 wrote: »

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Useful to check your helmet safety rating.

After messing around with this, most of the 400 euro plus helmets get 4 stars out of five. Many of the sub 100 euro helmets get poor ratings with some exceptions, such as the Box BX1 helmet, which get 4 stars and costs only about 60 Euro...

So..is it possible that a 60 euro helmet would be as safe to crash in as a 400 euro one as this site suggests? Interested to know. Cheers

If the safety rating is based on the same tests being done on all the helmets and it rates them the same 4 stars then yeah its going to perform just as well in a crash.

But most helmets that are expensive isnt based on just a safety rating. They factor in comfort, ventilation, internal visor, pinlock etc....

So yeah for safety it might rate the same but for comfort and features it will most likely be lacking.

cojomo2

goodlad wrote: »

If the safety rating is based on the same tests being done on all the helmets and it rates them the same 4 stars then yeah its going to perform just as well in a crash.

But most helmets that are expensive isnt based on just a safety rating. They factor in comfort, ventilation, internal visor, pinlock etc....

So yeah for safety it might rate the same but for comfort and features it will most likely be lacking.

yeah was thinking that. Handy though if you want to pick up a cheap spare (pillion)that will still offer all the protection of an expensive helmet.

This one is only 70 quid and is one of the few that get 5 starts out of 5
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/Products/productsresults/Helmets/2010/May/may2710-70-quid-lid-takes-five-star-rating/

Cienciano

It wouldn't fill me with confidence to have a one star helmet, and if I knew it had just one or two stars I probably wouldn't buy it.
But when buying a helmet I also look for one with pinlock visor, flip up (or system as they call them), internal sun visor and removable liner. You need to try on, that's the most important thing. You can see that expensive doesn't mean best peforming in those particular tests, but expensive also doesn't mean most comfortable and best quality either.

Wonda-Boy

There has been countless tests shown that the Sharp tests are badly flawed....just think about it for a minute. No helmet bought for €70 is a good helmet IMHO. It might be a handy back up to leave in a mates house to get you home in an emergency etc but I would not put it near my crust for everyday wear. Again you factor in the mark up for the maker of the lid and the the shops mark up, the actual cost of the helmet would be around €30-40 to make ffs!!!!

How can that get 5 stars....and this is not an argument from posh lads buying Arai's and Shoei lids to be all that, against other buying cheaper lids. I have a HJC lid also aswell as my Arai, and I am on the lookout for a nice shark lid too. You dont have to spend a baby grand (€500) on a lid but double digits....FORGETABOUTIT.

Del2005

cojomo2 wrote: »

yeah was thinking that. Handy though if you want to pick up a cheap spare (pillion)that will still offer all the protection of an expensive helmet.

If someone doesn't have their own properly fitting helmet they shouldn't be getting on the back of a bike. The most basic safety in any helmet is a correct fit and loaning someone an incorrectly fitting helmet, be it €700 or €70, is not going to protect them in event of a crash.

bladespin

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

There has been countless tests shown that the Sharp tests are badly flawed....just think about it for a minute. No helmet bought for €70 is a good helmet IMHO. It might be a handy back up to leave in a mates house to get you home in an emergency etc but I would not put it near my crust for everyday wear. Again you factor in the mark up for the maker of the lid and the the shops mark up, the actual cost of the helmet would be around €30-40 to make ffs!!!!

How can that get 5 stars....and this is not an argument from posh lads buying Arai's and Shoei lids to be all that, against other buying cheaper lids. I have a HJC lid also aswell as my Arai, and I am on the lookout for a nice shark lid too. You dont have to spend a baby grand (€500) on a lid but double digits....FORGETABOUTIT.

I wouldn't be so sure, the most fundamentally important thing about a helmet is the fit, after that all sorts of fancy stuff like design, kevlar etc come into it. Combine a cheap well fitted lid with a good design and you won't be far off, neither one costs all that much to make.

P.C.

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

No helmet bought for €70 is a good helmet IMHO.
.

And there are tests out there that say that a €70 helmet is a safe helmet.
There are plenty of people who say that a €70 helmet is a good helmet, and a few of those people have been involved in collisions while wearing a €70 helmet.

If it is comfortable, fits properly, has low wind noise, all the other things that you want from a helmet, has a good safety rating, and costs €70 - what makes it a bad helmet?
Is it just the price, or is there something else?

goodlad

P.C. wrote: »

And there are tests out there that say that a €70 helmet is a safe helmet.
There are plenty of people who say that a €70 helmet is a good helmet, and a few of those people have been involved in collisions while wearing a €70 helmet.

If it is comfortable, fits properly, has low wind noise, all the other things that you want from a helmet, has a good safety rating, and costs €70 - what makes it a bad helmet?
Is it just the price, or is there something else?

Yup i completely agree.
I cant agree with the point of cheap makes it crap.

Even if the sharp tests arnt great as some people say, the fact is that the cheap and expensive helmet both scored the same.

I know what wonda says about the breakdown in cost of that Nitro helmet means it cost about €40 to make. But show me the breakdown of what it costs to make an Arai helmet to show me that the costs for them are not the same.

I have a feeling that the base cost isnt too different and then the cost massively increases when you start factoring in all the added benefits on ventilation, brand name, padding etc....

minidazzler

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

There has been countless tests shown that the Sharp tests are badly flawed....just think about it for a minute. No helmet bought for €70 is a good helmet IMHO.

Any links on the tests? Saying there were tests done then going on about how cost is the reason it can't be good is kinda disingenuous.

That said, my Caberg Konda got 5 stars, I hope those tests are accurate should I ever test it myself :pac:

Though, I fully expect to break my jaw if in a front on collision, it was the only lid to fit my huge head with comfort, but my jaw sometimes touches the face guard a little. The risks we take eh? :pac:

Wonda-Boy

P.C. wrote: »

And there are tests out there that say that a €70 helmet is a safe helmet.
There are plenty of people who say that a €70 helmet is a good helmet, and a few of those people have been involved in collisions while wearing a €70 helmet.

If it is comfortable, fits properly, has low wind noise, all the other things that you want from a helmet, has a good safety rating, and costs €70 - what makes it a bad helmet?
Is it just the price, or is there something else?

Do you know of a helmet that is €70 and has all the above either P.C? You dont have to agree with my opinion like I dont with yours.

If you wanna put your head in a helmet that is made for €40 and sold for €70 then off you go. If they were perfectly acceptable lids why do you never see them on any amateur racer or even a road racer to keep costs down, I mean racing is very costly so every savings is paramount....why dont they stick a cheap lid on.

As was said earlier you dont have to pay silly money but €70 no way....

Wonda-Boy

goodlad wrote: »

Yup i completely agree.
I cant agree with the point of cheap makes it crap.

Even if the sharp tests arnt great as some people say, the fact is that the cheap and expensive helmet both scored the same.

I know what wonda says about the breakdown in cost of that Nitro helmet means it cost about €40 to make. But show me the breakdown of what it costs to make an Arai helmet to show me that the costs for them are not the same.

I have a feeling that the base cost isnt too different and then the cost massively increases when you start factoring in all the added benefits on ventilation, brand name, padding etc....

AFAIK Arai are the only helmet makers in the world that is PURELY HANDMADE thats why they cost what they do......

From Arai Website.

The backbone of every Arai helmet is the ergonomically shaped outer shell. Arai outer shells are completely handmade by dedicated craftsmen out of several types of ‘Super Glass Fibre’ carefully blended together in different constructions. ‘Super Glass fibre’ is an exclusively by Arai developed reinforced resin material and is one of the best glass fibres for strength. It was originally developed for space and army defence technology. The specific gravity of Super Glass Fibre is 2.4 and it is up to 40% stronger for extension and bending resistance than normal fibreglass. Arai was one of the first manufacturers in the industry to use Super Fibre for helmet outer shells.

Please note: Even the basic Arai outer shell is made out of one layer of Super Fibre, but is often specified within Arai brochures and technical information as ‘Standard Glass fibre’.

Aint gonna get that for €40 bucks!

Wonda-Boy

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/scrap-sharp-helmet-ratings-says-leading-scientist/7268.html

http://whyarai.co.uk/sharp.php

Xaime

The Duchinni D701 gets 4 stars and costs about €60. I have one and it's fine maybe not such good padding and lining as a 400 e helmet but it is still very good.

Cienciano

I had an expensive arai before, definitely not worth it imho.

Hotblack Desiato

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

If they were perfectly acceptable lids why do you never see them on any amateur racer or even a road racer to keep costs down,

Because you have to have an ACU / MCUI approval sticker on a lid to go racing.
Submitting the lid for testing costs money and then the manufacturer has to pay a royalty on each stickered helmet sold.
I heard a good number of years ago that an ACU Gold sticker cost the lid maker at that time £10 per lid IIRC
Nothing to do with how good a cheap lid is, or isn't, just that if they're not stickered they can't be used. No manufacturer is going to submit a cheap lid for approval for racing if the cost of getting approval wipes out the profit margin.

Hotblack Desiato

Disappointed to see that my Shoei XR1000 would only get 3 stars, does that make it a crap lid? It certainly wasn't a cheap one.

Please Kill Me

ninja900 wrote: »

Disappointed to see that my Shoei XR1000 would only get 3 stars, does that make it a crap lid? It certainly wasn't a cheap one.

I wouldn't think so mate. Shoei is a good brand and that model is top class.

I don't put much weight into these SHARP tests TBH. There are helmets I will or won't wear, regardless of what these tests say. If I could afford Arai or Shoei I'd use them. I can't so I go for the best of the rest, so I use Shark, HJC and KBC. I recently had an off while wearing a HJC and was very surprised (and glad) that it held up as well as it did. I don't even know where it rates in those tests and I don't care.

P.C.

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Do you know of a helmet that is €70 and has all the above either P.C? You dont have to agree with my opinion like I dont with yours.

If you wanna put your head in a helmet that is made for €40 and sold for €70 then off you go.

It is the attitude in that sentence that I do not appreciate.
To me it implies that anyone who buys and uses a helmet that costs €70 is stupid.

All helmets sold in the EU have to conform to basic EU saftey standards.

My head is worth millions of euro to me - in fact, I can't live without it.
Does that mean that I have to find a helmet that costs a few million euro?

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

If they were perfectly acceptable lids why do you never see them on any amateur racer or even a road racer to keep costs down, I mean racing is very costly so every savings is paramount....why dont they stick a cheap lid on. ....

It all depends on what racing you are refering to.
When you go indoor gocart racing, they supply you with a helmet that costs less than €70.

How far do you want to go in your 'savings' - cheap tyres? cheap bikes?
By your argument there should be no bike racing, as that would save money.

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

As was said earlier you dont have to pay silly money but €70 no way....

So, where do you draw the line?
What is acceptable to you?
€100?
Maybe €200?
And how do you know how much it costs to make these helmets?
How do you know that the helmet being sold for €70 only costs €40 to make?
How do you know that a €200 helmet does not cost €40 to make?

Wonda-Boy

Your interpretation of others opinions/attitudes has nothing to do with me, and if everyone on here had a problem with attitudes the place would be empty.

You can twist words all you like, I never said anyone on here is STUPID for buying a €70 helmet, that's like saying that a mods opinion on here is more valid then OP just because they are a mod :rolleyes:

Most helmets not all, in the EU comform to a BASIC standard if the cheap lids manages that so be it, I would rather a helmet that exceeds it so thats what I buy. Again personal choice.

And my opinion (not argument) is perfectly legitimate, if you honestly think that a €300/400 handmade Arai costs €40 to make then you should do some research....

And I said its what is acceptable TO ME, the best I can afford at the time of purchase like when I got my Arai BEFORE I got my bike so I would have more money to get a better helmet, and less for the bike.

I remember this topic was posted before and most lads on here said they would not touch a cheap lid, its a personal thing like ATGATT.

Simple.

Richard tea

I can understand where Wonda is coming from. One of the first bits of advice given to me and 99% of new bikers is dont scrimp on gear. I could never afford an expensive helmet but ill settle with a mid range one.

bladespin

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

And my opinion (not argument) is perfectly legitimate, if you honestly think that a €300/400 handmade Arai costs €40 to make then you should do some research....

I'd be a little surprised if they cost much more to make than that TBH.

BTW I've never seen a €400 handmade helmet, individually moulded, machined and tested at 3 different levels but not handmade. Even a lot of the stuff the motogp guys get isn't handmade.

Wonda-Boy

According to the Arai website it takes 18 man hours to produce each helmet, and each one goes through 27 individual steps. I am lucky enough to have 2 good helmets one a HJC RPHA-10 and the other a Arai Quantum Flag Series. And I can see where the money went on the Arai over the HJC, and the HJC is a fine helmet. I cant see it costing so little myself blade....

daenerysstormborn3

I wear an Arai, always have. To be honest I really couldn't care less what anyone else wears, it has no bearing on me or my riding. Whilst I do wear an Arai and think they are a top class helmet, just because something is lovely and pricey and looks great, doesn't mean it's going to be the best fit for everyone. At the end of the day, regardless of price, you want something that is comfortable and provides you with a level of protection you are happy with.

Just weighing in on this with a few quotes from the Arai website. Obviously they want to paint themselves in the best light possible but in reality they can't embellish things beyond the truth.

"At Arai standards like ECE or SNELL are our baseline, not our goal."

"That is why we use our own ”in-house” test standard. A standard, that is more demanding than the mandatory standard, with multiple impacts, penetration tests, random impact areas instead of pre-defined impact points and higher impact velocities.... It is based on decennia of experience and investigation of crashed helmets both on the track and on the public road."

"...For this reason, we deliberately give our helmets a smooth outer shell, although edgy or square designs might be more fashionable. Our smooth shell has less change of getting hooked or snagged during a crash, causing unnecessary damage or injuries, thanks to this functional shape of the shell."

"In 1993 Arai is the first helmet manufacturer to introduce a full 5-Year Limited Warranty. To date we are one of the very few helmet manufacturers in the world that can substantiate quality statements by warranting our products for five years. Only recently some other helmet manufacturers have extended their warranties past one year. If a manufacturer doesn’t trust its helmets for more than one year, why should you?"

"You can’t always see the reasons why an Arai feels better, but they’re there: lower weight from aerospace fibreglass-based construction; a lower centre of gravity for better balance and less strain; softer single-piece multiple-density liners. Ventilation systems that work in the real world, not just in drawings."

Cienciano

P.C. wrote: »

It is the attitude in that sentence that I do not appreciate.
To me it implies that anyone who buys and uses a helmet that costs €70 is stupid.

All helmets sold in the EU have to conform to basic EU saftey standards.

My head is worth millions of euro to me - in fact, I can't live without it.
Does that mean that I have to find a helmet that costs a few million euro?



It all depends on what racing you are refering to.
When you go indoor gocart racing, they supply you with a helmet that costs less than €70.

How far do you want to go in your 'savings' - cheap tyres? cheap bikes?
By your argument there should be no bike racing, as that would save money.




So, where do you draw the line?
What is acceptable to you?
€100?
Maybe €200?
And how do you know how much it costs to make these helmets?
How do you know that the helmet being sold for €70 only costs €40 to make?
How do you know that a €200 helmet does not cost €40 to make?

I think that post set a boards record for the amount of question marks . If you think wonda_boy implied that you're stupid for getting a cheap lid that sounds like paranoia, I didn't get that "attitude" at all
Pretty clear what he said, wear what you like, personally he wouldn't wear a cheap lid.
I wouldn't wear a cheap lid myself, but I'm with Richard tea, mid range lids ftw! Using my second Nolan at the moment, and probably a 3rd when I need a new one.
Wonda_boy, hows your Arai? I had a quantum f about 10 years ago, cost a small fortune, but the outside plates (think they call them "side pods") that hold the visor on started to crack. Cost me €70 to get new ones :mad: and on top of that, the new ones started to go after a while again. Put me right off arai. Just thinking, PC could get a great lid for the price of the poxy side pods

bladespin

pixiebean22 wrote: »

"In 1993 Arai is the first helmet manufacturer to introduce a full 5-Year Limited Warranty. To date we are one of the very few helmet manufacturers in the world that can substantiate quality statements by warranting our products for five years. Only recently some other helmet manufacturers have extended their warranties past one year. If a manufacturer doesn’t trust its helmets for more than one year, why should you?"

This alone would make me consider Arai to be one of the best.

Wonda-Boy

I got my Arai Quantum in Crossans in Newry, I wanted a Shoei so bad, but found they do not suit my crust. So I had a look at the Arai, could not afford the RX-7 so I got the next one down and I love it to bits. Crossans sat me down and custom fit it to my head as it was a little loose so they changed the pads there and then with other ones and set it up took about 15mins. I also got a free tinted visior lovely plush carry bag for the lid and 3 bottles of lube for the visor changes and a free 1 year service on the helmet. That and the 5 yr warranty on top of it....not bad for a helmet that costs €40 give or take to make

I had one of them lids in Lidl in my hands about 2 mths ago when they were doing them and I would not give them to a kid in a crowded bouncy castle.

Cant stress this enough lads, wear WTF you want...... I do.