Choosing a Helmet

As much fun motorcycling is, it is equally risky. One small mistake can cause you your life or can make you a vegetable for the rest of your life. Helmets are one of the most important riding gears without which one should never get on a motorcycle.

Selecting a helmet

This post is mostly aimed at being a beginner’s guide from an Indian context to help new riders understand the various factors that should be considered when buying a new helmet. We also have put a set of helmet recommendation across various price ranges based on our experience.

The three main factors to consider when buying a new helmet

1. Type of Helmet
2. Safety Standard
3. Choosing the Correct size helmet

Types of Helmet:

Open Face Helmet

Benefits Open Face helmets:

• Good visibility.
• Less hot during summer rides
• Fit is comfortablet

Disadvantages Open Face helmets:

• Less protection
• Prone to face injuries
• More noise at higher speeds

Full Face helmet

Benefits Full Face helmets:

• Best protection
• Less cold during winter rides
• Quieter even at higher speeds
• Most aerodynamic

Disadvantages Full Face helmets:

• Less large field of view
• Hot in summer

Modular Helmets

Benefits Modular / Flip Up helmets:

• Ease of use. Preferred choice for touring.
• More protection then an Open Face helmet

Disadvantages Flip Up helmets:

• Relatively heavy
• Less quiet then a Full Face helmet
• Less safer than Full Face helmet.

Cross helmets

Benefits Cross helmets:

• Light
• Comprehensive ventilation
• Breathing space

Disadvantages Cross helmets:

• No visor
• Less suitable for everyday use
• Less comfort
• Strictly for off-road use.

There are two more variants of helmets – half helmet and dual sport helmet. However, what I have mentioned above are the more popular ones.

Our Recommendation: We strongly suggest people to buy a full face helmets if they are serious about motorcycling. Full face helmets are the safest among all the types of the helmet.

Safety Standards:

            Revzilla has made a detailed post on the various motorcycle helmet standards. Please read the below link to understand in detail about the various standards.

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/helmet-safety-ratings-101

            From an Indian context you will need to understand the below standards.

1. ISI – This is the Indian governments standard. As per the MV act, for any helmet to be road legal it should have ISI. This standard is in general very basic and isn’t the safest option available. It is ok for City driving with speeds of 50-60 kmph. But if you ride on highways you need to buy a helmet with better rating. All helmets manufactured by Indian Makers confine to this standard.
2. DOT – This is helmet safety standard issues in USA. Unfortunately, DOT is one of the only standards that is not actually tested by the issuing body. Instead, independent contractors are hired to randomly test helmets, with the hope of catching the bad lids. 
3. ECE – Standards determined by the Economic Commission for Europe. This multinational standard is used by more than 50 countries in Europe, and any helmet with this sticker must meet the current ECE 22.05 standard
4. SHARP/SNELL – Much advanced safety standards which come in costly helmets. These standards are in addition DOT/ECE standards.

Our Recommendation: We strongly recommend bikers to buy the safest helmet in their budget. ECE standard is a minimum requirement to ensure Safety. SHARP/SNELL will be good to have.

Choosing the Correct Size Helmet:

Another major factor to consider when buying a helmet is sizing. A cheap helmet which fits better is much safer than a costly helmet which doesn’t fit well.

1. Determine your head shape

Helmets mostly come in three sizes, Round Oval, Intermediate Oval and Long Oval. You will need to understand your head shape when trying to buy a helmet.

To find out what you’ve got, ask a friend to take a photo of your head from above. Flatten your hair down as much as possible, because it can obscure your head’s shape. Looking at the picture, is your head almost round (round oval), or is it long and thin (long oval)? Somewhere in between (intermediate oval)?  In the case on India most of the people either have a Round to Intermediate Oval shape.

2. Head Size.

The first thing you need is a tape measure to measure your head. You can always use a piece of string and then offer it up against a builder’s tape measure.

Put tape measure around your forehead, slightly above the eyebrows and ears. Then you can check the measurement against the manufacturers sizing chart to see if you need a S/M/L/XL/XXL helmet.

Our Recommendation: Never buy a helmet online. It is better to visit a local Helmet store and try the helmet and buy.

Each helmet manufacturer has a style in making their helmets. So L in one brand will not feel the same as L in another brand. For eg, in my case, a XL in AGV helmets fit me perfect but an XL in MT is always too tight. It best to go a to shop try the helmet for 20-30 mins to understand the fit and also see if any pressure points are built up causing pain.

Our Recommendation list:

• Under 5000
  • AXOR Apex
  • MT Axis
  • SMK Helmet

• Helmets between 5000 to 10000
  • SOL SF 2M
  • MT Thunder 3 (SHARP Rated(
  • HJC CL – 17 (SNELL Rated)
  • MT Blade 2 SC (SHARP Rated)
  • Bell Qualifier

• Helmets between 10000 to 15000
  • AGV K1
  • Caberg Duke II  (Flipup Helmet)
  • HJC FG-ST
  • HJC IS-17

• Helmets above 15000
  • AGV K3 SV
  • AGV K5 S

• Of course, if you can afford to shell out money, nothing like owning a Shoei or an ARAI.

As mentioned before, helmets are one of the most important riding gears. In my next post, I will detail about other gears – jacket, pants, gloves and shoes