[Mort]

Motorcycle helmets have to meet a minium safety standard to be used on the road, lower cost helmet manufacturers will work to those standards, no more no less. High end manufacturers will excede these standards because they have the experience and R&D facilities make the safest helmets possible.
Some of the extra cost goes into the linings and ventilation but this comfort and fresh air is still part of the safety to a rider.
Any Arai crash helmet you see being used in car or bike racing can be bought off the shelf at an Arai stockist. There are no different standards between road and track only the best they can make. Riding on the road is no less a danger than the track.
If you drop your Arai helmet, you can send it back to them to be X-rayed to see if it still safe.
If you wear your helmet every day the linings can wear out, at the higher end of the market spares are available, spare visors and pinlock as well, the list goes on, that is why they are expensive.

If somebody cannot afford, or does not want to spend that amount of money, that is a different matter,
A rider should always buy the best they can afford.
No, I don't have an Arai helmet, my choice.

K. Nice rant but I notice that you completely backed off your claim that a more expensive helmet is safer and accepted my stance that you're paying for comfort and convenience.

Glad we agree.

[greentrumpet]

I'd never buy a lid without trying it for comfort and size. Sadly even then it's possible to buy a helmet that seems to fit well in the shop only to give you a headache after 80 miles (Roof in my case). I'm lucky that there's a sportsbikeshop near me and the staff took over an hour sorting lids for the wife and me. Some manufacturers only make one or two shell sizes and use more padding which could be less safe in an accident. The experience of others may suggest likely candidates to try but fit is very personal.

[CPJS]

K. Nice rant but I notice that you completely backed off your claim that a more expensive helmet is safer and accepted my stance that you're paying for comfort and convenience.

Glad we agree.

I don't know where you get the idea that it is a rant, it is just some imformation for everyone just in case anyone decided to buying a crash helmet based on your criteria.
If you did not understand it then I will say it cleary.
For your 'That point is well before $200.' pricing you will not buy a helmet that meets the safety standards that the high end helmets are built to.

[dwhitehorne]

Don't buy a helmet without trying it on first

I learned this lesson a few months ago.  Had a Bell large helmet for years.  Saw a LS2 online that was listed as open box for a third of the price.  Online reviews said they ran small to size so I ordered a XL.  It was way to small so I ended up having to order a 2XL liner to get it to fit.  So much for the open box savings.  David

[JessHerbst]

Safety rating assure you a helmet will meet certain safety standards. A helmet marked ECE 22.05 that costs $200 is as safe as a $800 helmet with same ECE 22.05 (there are at least 4 different standards, some better than others)
 They will differ in fit, comfort, noise reduction, wind resistance, features and style.
 How much those things are worth are, of course, a personal choice.

[Brian10x]

Hard to go wrong with a Shoei.

I'd second that and add Arai.

[NVDucati]

Snell Foundation
https://smf.org/
Don't try to read it all in one sitting.
And while you are bargain hunting, try to avoid the counterfeit helmets.
https://www.webbikeworld.com/a-look-at-dangerous-counterfeit-motorcycle-helmets/

[hammer]

 Miss my old Buco helmet.

[Mort]

I don't know where you get the idea that it is a rant, it is just some imformation for everyone just in case anyone decided to buying a crash helmet based on your criteria.
If you did not understand it then I will say it cleary.
For your 'That point is well before $200.' pricing you will not buy a helmet that meets the safety standards that the high end helmets are built to.

Plenty of sub $200 with an ECE rating.

[BRX39.5]

I’ve had 2 Shoei helmets. First was a shoei interceptor(yea!)then later I had a gt air. Both marvellous helmets and unfortunately I crash tested them both 🤦🏼‍♂️
Both helmets did their job well; both bikes written off, both times ended up in hospital.
So I now consider them a jinx and have gone back to Arai (irrational I know, had lots of other makes that didn’t involve hospital though!)
They’re comfy, well built and importantly, safe.
The one you like looks great; As others have said make sure you try one first.

[BRX39.5]

Oops!

[CPJS]

Plenty of sub $200 with an ECE rating.

Perhaps you could give me a model of your choice so we can compare the construction with a top end lid.

[lucky phil]

Motorcycle helmets have to meet a minium safety standard to be used on the road, lower cost helmet manufacturers will work to those standards, no more no less. High end manufacturers will excede these standards because they have the experience and R&D facilities make the safest helmets possible.
Some of the extra cost goes into the linings and ventilation but this comfort and fresh air is still part of the safety to a rider.
Any Arai crash helmet you see being used in car or bike racing can be bought off the shelf at an Arai stockist. There are no different standards between road and track only the best they can make. Riding on the road is no less a danger than the track.
If you drop your Arai helmet, you can send it back to them to be X-rayed to see if it still safe.
If you wear your helmet every day the linings can wear out, at the higher end of the market spares are available, spare visors and pinlock as well, the list goes on, that is why they are expensive.

If somebody cannot afford, or does not want to spend that amount of money, that is a different matter,
A rider should always buy the best they can afford.
No, I don't have an Arai helmet, my choice.

That means what? If only life was this simple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76yu124i3Bo&ab_channel=FortNine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BUyp3HX8cY&ab_channel=FortNine

Phil

[fireypete]

a couple of years ago I got my first polycarbonate type helmet. A Nolan N89. Great reviews and a very safe helmet I’m sure. On sale it wasn’t much over half the price of a Shoei. If I had my time again I would spend the extra. A helmet is a long term purchase, after a few years the price is forgotten. The Nolan isn’t is as safe for me because it just doesn’t bed in as well as a shoei. Time spent thinking about a helmet that is not comfortable, and is more noisy and the vents are not as good and fastening system is not as good as standard d rings is time not concentrating.   Fort nine has a good helmet vid regarding standards. Some of the tests are quite useless. Yes you pay a premium for certain helmet names, but you get a more polished product.

[lucky phil]

a couple of years ago I got my first polycarbonate type helmet. A Nolan N89. Great reviews and a very safe helmet I’m sure. On sale it wasn’t much over half the price of a Shoei. If I had my time again I would spend the extra. A helmet is a long term purchase, after a few years the price is forgotten. The Nolan isn’t is as safe for me because it just doesn’t bed in as well as a shoei. Time spent thinking about a helmet that is not comfortable, and is more noisy and the vents are not as good and fastening system is not as good as standard d rings is time not concentrating.   Fort nine has a good helmet vid regarding standards. Some of the tests are quite useless. Yes you pay a premium for certain helmet names, but you get a more polished product.

Maybe but then as he's shown so are a myriad of the official tests. Personally I think he's one of the few credible sources on the internet and with a degree in Physics he's certainly qualified to at least understand the details in subjects like helmet testing.