Helmet Suggestions..
 

Ok, I've done a search and seen all of the "how much is your head worth" arguements, but what I'm looking for is a decent SA2000 rated helmet for an event 2 weeks from now.

What places have a good selection/price.. Anyone know of anyplace running end of season sales? good guy/bad guy stuff?

Not really looking to spend more than 2-300, that should be adequate but not fancy...

TIA!

Eric

http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/pro.html

i got the M3. A little more than your price tag, just shop around, i found a place that sold me that helmet for $350 including overnight delivery. if i can only remember the shop name. dammit...

I'm liking the SR Pro...

I dunno that I'll need the full visor running the track days I do, and man does it get hot in TX...

http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/racer.html

Can use my sunglasses easier anyway..

or maybe this one?

http://www.racerwholesale.com/Mercha...Racing+Helmets

I've got the Bell M2, love it.

PaulC

how do you guys feel about the hybrid faced helmets vs the full visor helmets? Do you get much ventilation with the M2?

as I said.. It gets frikken hot running events in 100+ summer heat here in TX.

Always full visor for me, I like my teeth. I had a big old chunk of rubber come through the window and smacked my visor.. Never ran with the visor open again.

Ventilation in the M2 is great for me, I had trouble with my simpson voyager, had to run the visor open or I couldn't breathe. I can run the M2 closed, no issues.

PaulC

ok.. that's a good point... with the weird offset I run I do get stuff thrown in my car...

So whats the $50 advantage of the M2 over the G-Force Pro-Force?

http://www.racerwholesale.com/Mercha...Racing+Helmets

the M2 is the same as the m3 execpt the M3 has a bigger view port. Is the m2 fiberglass? I beleive the M3 is some type of carbonkevlar.

for $150 I am wllling to bet there are more differences...

here's a comparision;

http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/hlmtftrs.html#racer

Dunno about the comparo between the G-force and the M2, since I had the opportunity to try on the M2, which wasn't the case for the G-force. I liked the M2 fit so much better than the simpson helmets that I bought it.

PaulC

I've heard that about simpson... Heard better about g-force and Bell....

I should have paid closer attention to what brands/models I've used before...

i have a gforce pro force 1, i love it. has the threaded holes for the gforce head restraint system as well.

I ran a SR-PRO for years and loved it. I finally retired it to a friend that needed a helmet and used the chance to upgrade to a M3. I had some worries about feeling claustrophobic in comparison with the open design of the SR. Yet, once it was on I never noticed.
-Matt

Bell Sport III Similar to the M3, but made from fiberglass. Fits your budget.

I got mine HERE

I'm in the market for one too. Maybe we can do a mini-group buy. j/k;)

I just can't afford $300 bucks for a helmet. Got to get the Fluidyne/ast first.

i'm running a bell sport II and love it. make sure it's comfortable. hard to drive and mess with your helmet at the same time. when i autocrossed, i wore a simpson open face that i liked, but am most comfortable in my sport II

Check with www.mojoracing.com for end of the season prices. I have had the SRPro nad Bieffe F1 and Predator. The Bieffe is a great helmet for the price.

db

So what do you think Eric? Bell M2 Wide eye port, or Sport III, SR PRO. As you say above the SR pro looks good and has a larger opening for shades/glasses. On cold days you could use the visor.

Damm there expensive. I can remember back in the day. It's all about liability insurance and lawsuits. Cost to make helmet $45.00 the rest is the above.

Well, I liek the big opening on the M@ over the SportIII, and as I said before.. The SR Pro is cool, but I think I'm going to go for the full face.

The wheels I run stick out about an inch from the side of the car and love to throw things in the windows/roof. Just on the off chance something happens, the full face can't be a bad thing. I can always run the visor up if it's too hot...

Basically it's down to the M2 and the Pro-Force 1 for me... 289 vs 249. Opinions?


(side note, no one has much stock on Bieffe Helmets, apparantly they're currently on strike.)

http://www.discoveryparts.com/
Small outfit run by racers. They've been setting up shop at races and autocrosses. Good guys.

Cory

ok Done... Heard positive comments on both, so I took the extra $50 and got a helmet bag too...

ordered one G-Force Pro Force one and Helmet bag from racer Wholesale..

$282 shipped.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

check out my friends at Pyrotect they make the Bell brand helmets and the Pyrotect brand. very competitive prices, great to work with, and they support grassroots racing and racers. I personally have a Bell Vortex forced air model, but several friends are using the Pyrotect helmets and have loved the fit and price.

i bought a HJC helmet for i think around $150. heard it was decent for the money.

make sure this is an SA95 or SA2000 and not an M or DOT(motorcycle) rated helmet. the SA type helmets are the only ones allowed for racing and most open track days.

i think HJC only makes M helmets

i didn't even know there was a difference with the motorcycle helmets...anybody know what the difference is? if anything i would think a motorcycle helmet has a higher standard than a car helmet. but thanks for the info.

The SA helmets are very similar but they are designed to withstand the several impacts one can expect in a rollover accident inside a race car. They also have a fire rating.
Whatever helmet you buy, make SURE it's approved in the series you're going to run. And find that sticker insdie the helmet so you can show the tech inspectin guys when you get there.

if it says meets or exceeds all DOT/SNELL M2000 safety standards... is that good enough to run a few track days....? i'm looking for something that i can still use if/when i get a motorcycle, something like the m5....

You'll have to look at the rules of the organization. You could use it here unless you had a rollcage.

it depends on teh location but 90% of "track days" will require an SA rated helmet..

AutoX events M rated are fine, but generally not on track use...

again, generally... check your local track rules.

what's the difference between an M rated and a SA rated helmet...?

absolutely right, most open track events require an SA rated helmet.

If you got a big head, I've got an old Simpson Voyager that's still good, I use it as a second helmet but when I buy my Isaac device I'm going to buy a new helmet too.

If you're not in a hurry, when I get my new helmet you can have my Simpson.

PaulC

sweet!! what size is it?

M - motorcycle
SA - Autoracing...

someabout how motorcycle helmets are more deisgned for one hard impact and car helmets are designed for multiple impacts as yoru head bangs around off of stuff...

that and Car helmets have fire retardant rules as well.

Yep. Many manufacturers who make both kinds actually only use one shell (essentially it's an SA shell) but the lining is different. Nomex for SA and polyester or whatever for M.

I can think of no reason in this day and age to have anything other than a full face helmet. Only possible exception would be autocross, but I will never be on a closed circuit with anything but a closed face helmet.

anything but, or never with? :confused:

Oops. I fixed mine. Now fix yours ;)

I will never be on a closed circuit with anything but a closed face helmet.

see, but then you'd have to fix your quote of what I quote you saying....

too confusing.

anyway... what's your reasoning for closed face? how about visor/no visor?

I look at it as why NOT closed face with a visor? Maybe my head is hotter (but once underway I NEVER notice. I'm too busy driving) but the helmet is there for when stuff goes really, really bad. When stuff goes really, really bad I will take all the help I can get.

I used to run my closed face helmet without the visor, figuring I was in an enclosed coupe with a windsheild in front of me. I think it was Silkworm who pointed out that if I were upside down with glass flying through the cockpit I would wish I had the visor not only on, but down. I completely agree. I admit to autocrossing with my visor up, but not on the track.

The full face also protects your mouth and teeth along with your face and eyes. Much less chance of you loosing teeth from the steering wheel, busting your nose or getting debris in your eyes.

My point of view is the closed face may make my head sweat more, but I think that a small price to pay.

What would you reccommed for autoX only?

I'm thinking about trying to do the whole season next year so I may just go buy my own helmet.

I kinda like the idea of being able to use it if I get a bike. Are SA helmets legal for motorcycle use?

For autox only anything that is M95 or better will suffice. That means SA95, M2000, open, closed whatever is all legal. Helmets in autox or more for insurance purposes than protection.


That I don't know. My guess is yes, but I don't know that for certain.

If your going to buy a helmet might as well buy a SA2000 rated helmet. Then you know it will work.:)

I'm still undecided between the Bell M2 and the G-Force Pro. What made up your mind for your Eric? Looks like $, but the big eyeport is nice. Any opinions? I'm so :confused: !!

thanks silkworm for the offer, but i just picked up a bieffe predator.... the guy at the shop broke everything down for me, and made it an easy choice for me. :) thanks for the help!

K, no problem.. The offer's open to anyone in Nor/So Cal, don't feel like shipping it.

yeah, I pretty much just went for the cheaper one... I have a pretty narrow head, so I don't really figure the big eye port matters much.

I would guess YES, But since even a KEVLAR SA Helmet will be significantly HEAVIER than any decent Motorcycle helmet they are no fun to wear on a bike, My fiberglass Simpson Voyager (SA) helmet weighs double what my Arai (M) helmet does.

If you're even thinking you'll use it for anything BUT autocross (motorcycles especially) get a full face helmet.
If you're NOT going to do anything BUT autocross, you can get an open one if you want to. I'd get an SA rated one so, in two years when you decide on friday to go to that track day your buddies are having, you'll be able to use your own lid. Get one that's newer than the SNELL 95 rating as those will be out of date sooner than the 2000 rated ones.

Cory
has a M rated helmet...

Ordered a Pyrotect SA2000 helmet, same as the Bel M2. Just a little cheaper.

Thanks Cory for the link, and all others for helping us newbees.

www.discoveryparts.com has a great selection of stuff, great phone tech support with a free helmet bag and free shipping. Check them out.:)

CPA7man
the Pyrotect was a good choice, and you can order direct from them if you like.