BILT Helmets

[wakked1]

The discovery and adventure are different helmets, and the discovery has pretty crap reviews on cycle gears own site. I'd spring for the explorer even if you ignore the drop down sunvisor.

 

[corndog67]

I had a pretty major crash in 2008, had blood coming out of ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.

My

In a kung fu movie, thats always fatal.

 

[ThumperX]

Apparently not in a motorcycle accident the old noggin just leaked a bit after the slosh.
The fit of the helmet is crucial, the finish is important for weight, noise, and durability, but IMO the fit is the big safety issue.

 

[gixxerjeff]

the old noggin just leaked a bit after the slosh.

 

[MC BumSlap]

I thought SN2010 was pretty good.

I do agree you need to pay more for fit, finish and comfort.

 

[Caddywumpus]

All my gear is now BILT and Sedici. Well, I do have a Bell Star helmet... but

I find their gear good. Iv even tested it and its held up great!

 

[SLOWREX03]

So nowhere did I see that they failed Snell testing after spending about 15 minutes googling it... I did see that they never submitted their helmets to Snell. I also saw statements that they were in the process of getting ECE certification.
I'm not a fan of Snell... I don't think their testing relates to "real world" motorcycle crashing. As I recall, they were started to test car helmets, where the helmet can slap back and forth against roll bars, and a really rigid outer shell is more beneficial. ECE testing is different, and I think more valuable/effective at rating motorcycle helmets. Interestingly, Snell has revised their standards as of 2010, to be more in line with the ECE testing.

And if I had to choose between a good-fitting BiLT helmet, or a poor-fitting Arai helmet, I'd take the BiLT.

this one is ECE compliant:

http://www.cyclegear.com/CycleGear/...-Full-Face-Motorcycle-Helmet/p/40576_59435_21

 

[EjGlows]

Why wouldn't you just get a good-fitting helmet on sale? There are tons of really good quality helmets (higher quality) that are at incredible discount at the moment.

I've never paid full-price for any gear.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Why wouldn't you just get a good-fitting helmet on sale? There are tons of really good quality helmets (higher quality) that are at incredible discount at the moment.

I would ask you your definition of a *good quality* helmet, but that would negate 47 previous posts.
Besides, I'm surprised the topic of helmet age hasn't come up yet. 'Deals' aren't always deals.

 

[EjGlows]

I would ask you your definition of a *good quality* helmet, but that would negate 47 previous posts.
Besides, I'm surprised the topic of helmet age hasn't come up yet. 'Deals' aren't always deals.

There are a ton of the top name brands with manufacture dates 2012-2013 now on clearance. Find what fits your head best and enjoy the creature comforts (lightweight, softer padding, better visor mechanism,etc) of a better lid.

Scorpions are on sale for $50 (originally $350) at STG.

 

[Archimedes]

Let's see. A $45 helmet. Retail markup of about 100 percent, means wholesale cost of $22.50. Manufacturer makes money, say a 20% operating margin, so that's about $18 of actual cost in that helmet, including design, testing, manufacture and shipping. About the same price as a 12 pack. So yeah, I'm sure it's a great helmet.

 

[ThumperX]

Let's see. A $45 helmet. Retail markup of about 100 percent, means wholesale cost of $22.50. Manufacturer makes money, say a 20% operating margin, so that's about $18 of actual cost in that helmet, including design, testing, manufacture and shipping. About the same price as a 12 pack. So yeah, I'm sure it's a great helmet.

FWIW, I bought a closeout SHOEI for $100.

 

[Halloweeencat]

With all the insane sales going on, my best advice would be to figure out your size and buy online (where there are loads more variety).

 

[Archimedes]

FWIW, I bought a closeout SHOEI for $100.

But that $100 Shoei was sold at a loss. $100 wasn't the normal retail price of that helmet.

 

[Gabe]

how about a chart that shows the chances of dying from a head injury in those 3 situations?

Source: NHTSA 2007 http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810856.pdf

Not what you asked for, but you can see about 1/2 of unhelmeted riders that die in crashes die from head injuries and 35% of helmeted ones die from head injuries. So helmet vs. no helmet makes a difference--not a huge difference, but it's significant.

I couldn't (quickly) find a study breaking down car-crash data by injury type, but I'll bet it's a similar percentage, 30-50%.

That chart is too complex. Can you simplify it?

What do you think a more complex chart with more data would reveal? That wearing an expensive helmet makes motorcycles as safe as cars (or even significantly safer than just wearing a cheap DOT-approved full-face helmet)? Or that wearing $3000 worth of safety gear, taking every racetrack/safety/motor-officer class in the world and having a library of 500 books on riding technique will make you invulnerable from crashing and dying?

It doesn't. Motorcycles are dangerous as fuq. If airplanes were as dangerous nobody would fly, ever. And no amount of gear or training will change that (even if it does--sometimes--improve your odds). Believing anything but is self-delusional.

 

[Gixxergirl1000]

Or that wearing $3000 worth of safety gear, taking every racetrack/safety/motor-officer class in the world and having a library of 500 books on riding technique will make you invulnerable from crashing and dying?

It doesn't. Motorcycles are dangerous as fuq. If airplanes were as dangerous nobody would fly, ever. And no amount of gear or training will change that (even if it does--sometimes--improve your odds). Believing anything but is self-delusional.

OK, so I disagree with this a bit. It appears that you're implying (particularly to newer riders) that education isn't going to make a difference... or may just SLIGHTLY "improve your odds". When you look at the statistics below, you'll see that rider skills- like being able to successfully navigate a corner, and having enough skill/training to be able to ride without riding over your abilities... and know how important it is to ride "unimpaired"... can significantly improve one's safety, and decrease the risks associated with riding.
These stats refer to specifically single vehicle crashes... so no "left turners", or idiot cagers who can't stay in their lane, etc... these are all on the rider... which is the ONE thing we, as riders, have control over.

Rider impairment and speeding also remain major contributing factors in these unnecessary and preventable crashes (both are discussed in greater detail later in this document); however, some other findings extracted from FARS provide further insight into possible reasons for escalating motorcyclist fatalities:

Half of the fatalities in single vehicle crashes relate to problems negotiating a curve prior to a crash;

Over 80 percent of motorcycle fatalities in single vehicle crashes occur off the roadway (a crash occurring on the shoulder, median, roadside, outside right-of-way, off roadway location unknown, in a parking lane, separator and gore. A gore is an area of land where two roadways diverge or converge.);

Almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities in single vehicle crashes occur at night;

Collisions with fixed objects are a significant factor in over half of motorcycle fatalities in single vehicle crashes.

With proper training, making sure riders actually KNOW how to ride, that they have actual SKILLS to negotiate a corner, and we could potentially reduce single-vehicle fatalities by as much as HALF. That's a pretty significant opportunity, to my way of thinking.

And BTW, People, just sitting your ass on the bike and toodling down the road is NOT "training". Get books, get dvd's, get to the track or California Superbike School, take Gabe's training course, but GET EDUCATED! And no- just taking the MSF is not training... that's your starting platform for your continued education. If you haven't read some books, worked with experienced riders, taken additional classes, then you have done precious little to become a skilled rider and increase your odds of surviving what absolutely is a dangerous hobby.

Suggestions? Get some books. Take classes. Watch Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist II dvd. Then go back, and re-read those books... watch that vid every month for a year... and then drag it out once a year after that for a "refresher course". Take Gabe's classes. Once you've got several thousand miles under your belt, do a track day or two- you'll learn more in one day than you will in 6 months riding around in the hills with your friends. If you're a newer rider (less than 10,000 miles), avoid riding at night whenever possible.
And NEVER, EVER, under any circumstances, ride impaired. This doesn't mean just alcohol... it can mean cold medicine... prescription meds... allergy meds.

These are just a few things you can do to significantly increase your safety... and your enjoyment of the sport! Worth the time investment, IMHO!

 

[ThumperX]

Let's see. A $45 helmet. Retail markup of about 100 percent, means wholesale cost of $22.50. Manufacturer makes money, say a 20% operating margin, so that's about $18 of actual cost in that helmet, including design, testing, manufacture and shipping. About the same price as a 12 pack. So yeah, I'm sure it's a great helmet.

But that $100 Shoei was sold at a loss. $100 wasn't the normal retail price of that helmet.

One of the reasons that the SHOEI is expensive is that it is manufactured in Japan where the cost of materials and labor are quite a bit higher than the Chinese product.

Not all helmets manufactured in China are junk but while SHOEI manufactures SHOEI, your average Chinese manufacturer is placing several different brand names on the same product spreading the cost of R&D over millions rather than thousands of pieces produced.

I'm not saying I'd rather wear the BILT over the SHOEI; but, I am saying that retail price is quite often related to product demand and production and not always an indicator of quality.

 

[Kornholio]

I would ask you your definition of a *good quality* helmet, but that would negate 47 previous posts.
Besides, I'm surprised the topic of helmet age hasn't come up yet. 'Deals' aren't always deals.

Can someone please explain to me how a helmet that has never touched the ground in a crash "ages" to the point where it's no longer safe to wear? Does polystyrene foam really degrade to the point that it's no longer safe after five years or so?

 

[Gabe]

OK, so I disagree with this a bit. It appears that you're implying (particularly to newer riders) that education isn't going to make a difference... or may just SLIGHTLY "improve your odds". When you look at the statistics below, you'll see that rider skills- like being able to successfully navigate a corner, and having enough skill/training to be able to ride without riding over your abilities... and know how important it is to ride "unimpaired"... can significantly improve one's safety, and decrease the risks associated with riding.
These stats refer to specifically single vehicle crashes... so no "left turners", or idiot cagers who can't stay in their lane, etc... these are all on the rider... which is the ONE thing we, as riders, have control over.

Yes! Connie has made some very important points here. Most motorcyclists die or are badly hurt because:

They ride impaired

or

They don't understand the risks they take

or

They don't match their speed to their abilities and riding conditions. You can eliminate most risk by keeping that in mind, being properly trained, making good decisions and wearing adequate riding gear.

But...

What I wrote was motorcycles are extremely dangerous and no amount of gear or training will change that. You should do everything you can to improve your odds, but even if you do (and nobody does, because there's always a practical limit)...well...we can all name many riders--experienced riders, gifted riders--who did all the right things and still died or have been badly injured in crashes. Because even if you're Mr. Safety Sam, you won't make the right choice every time. I can name plenty of well-known moto-safety gurus who have died or were injured in crashes (but I won't because I'm a classy guy).

And the stats I gave are for all crashes where motorcyclists died, regardless of number of vehicles involved.

Thanks for the nice plugs for Moto U!

 

[Gabe]

Can someone please explain to me how a helmet that has never touched the ground in a crash "ages" to the point where it's no longer safe to wear? Does polystyrene foam really degrade to the point that it's no longer safe after five years or so?

I would love to take some old helmets to Bell in Santa Cruz to test. That would be an awesome story.