How to Choose a New Motorbike Helmet

With these unusual times we’re living in presently it makes even more sense to make sure what you spend your money on is as suited to you as possible. This is especially true if you’re in the market for a new helmet – either your current helmet has had an unfortunate drop, you’ve banged your head on something or you’ve gone past the 5 year point, or you simply need a new helmet because it’s your first one – this blog will take you through a few of the key things to consider when picking the perfect helmet for you. 

Safety Standards

All the helmets Bike Stop sell conform to the basic standards governing the use of helmets on the road with a motorcycle in the UK. We actually had a post going through motorcycle helmet safety a month ago (seems a while ago now!) so if you’re interested you should check it out here. The key takeaways are the standards – namely British Standard 6658:1985 or UN-ECE Regulation 22.05.  Either of these two standards render a helmet legal and ensure the helmet has been subject to a basic set of tests giving a basic level of safety on the road. There’s also the SHARP testing undertaken by the UK Government which offers an extra guide to the effectiveness of the helmet with their star rating system. Providing you go for a genuine helmet (of course Bike Stop only sells these) then these ratings are generally at a very good level for the major manufacturers. Some manufacturers go above and beyond these standards holding themselves to account, such as Arai and Shoei with their own stricter tests but differing standards and assessments. 

In essence, any helmet you buy from Bike Stop offers you a solid standard of protection, with bigger budgets bringing extra features and potentially extra safety. 

Fit

Following on close behind safety standards is how a helmet fits you; you could be wearing the safest helmet, but if it doesn’t fit you properly it renders it meaningless. A poor fit will allow the helmet to move around your head, or even come off, causing its impact protection to be severely compromised. A helmet should feel snug but comfortable and you shouldn’t be able to move it much once it’s on. It is worthwhile making sure you leave one on for a while to ensure no pressure points become apparent, and this is especially true if you wear glasses. A comfortable, well-fitting helmet is a safe one, not only because it’ll protect you better but because your comfort improves your concentration. 

If you’re in any doubt, we can assist you in our shop to check if a helmet is fitting you correctly and advise you which head shapes suit which helmets. 

Ventilation

This is key to a helmet’s comfort, and not all helmets are created equal when it comes to this. Not only having a good flow of air, but being able to control it is key to keeping yourself cool on a warm day, and fog-free on a cold one. Helmets typically have a chin-bar and top vent to clear your visor and pull air over the top of your head. It is worth checking reviews of helmets to establish which ones work best – the Shoei GT-Air (1 and 2) are firm favourites of mine for this reason alone. 

Features

At this point you should have some helmets that suit your head and are safe, but helmets aren’t that simple! You’ve a raft of features to consider, some of which you might find critical to your intended usage. 

Drop-down sun visors are a feature some cry out for – they allow you to ride into the night without having to worry about changing out visors and keeping your eyes protected from sun glare. A well implemented sun visor can be truly invaluable in winter months and when touring. 

Pinlock visors have become commonplace but aren’t standard across all helmets. Pinlocks prevent visors from fogging, especially crucial when its cooler, if the ventilation on your helmet is limited, or you’re riding slowly with the visor down. Keeping your visor down as much as possible is crucial to your safety – getting something in your eye can be seriously dangerous at an inopportune moment, and can even endanger your eyes themselves. A standard fit Pinlock is a great selling point for a helmet, but a lot of visors are compatible with the inserts if it’s not included. 

There are a multitude of other features to think about too, some more gimmicky than others. Channels for the arms of glasses are very helpful for those who wear them, removable liners to wash keeping the smell away and you can even get helmets with LED lights to improve visibility, just bear in mind it’s something else to keep on top of charging! 

Retention Mechanism

Arguably this is up there with the overall safety of the helmet, however there is a huge convenience factor here. The two main ways of holding a helmet on your head are the tried-and-test double D-ring strap, and the ratchet. The double D-ring works off friction and the tension on the strap (make sure you tighten them a touch for maximum effectiveness) while the ratchet clicks into place and holds itself mechanically. Both have been proven to be safe in a range of scenarios, but many prefer a double D-ring due to its simplicity, while others prefer the convenience of a ratchet – it's very hard to do up a double D-ring with gloves on after all.  

Looks and Colour

While this is entirely superficial it’s certainly a factor to consider unless you truly don’t care how you look! Most helmets come in a wide range of colours and designs. Typically you’ll pay a touch more for the version of a helmet that has the fancy graphics and colours, but if you’re content with a solid colour then those versions tend to be cheaper. Much like go-faster stripes the colour has no effect on the performance of the helmet, but bear in mind matt-finish helmets do need looking after differently to gloss ones. 

That covers most of the things you should be looking for and considering when buying a motorcycle helmet, and thanks to the massive range available you should be able to find one that suits your head, heart and wallet! 

Bike Stop is still open, and our café is still doing takeaway which costs considerably less than a new helmet, and if you’re part of the NHS working hard through these troubled times you can get your tea or coffee for free!