Helmets

scottk · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 6

Just getting started in karting and my old motorcycle helmet is a snell90. I believe that I need to have at least a snell95 to compete. My question is when looking for a new helmet, should I be looking for a mototcycle or an auto racing helmet. Thanks in advance.

Stephen Buckley · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 861

Motorcycle or kart.... auto helmets have Nomex inside. Very $$$$$$.

S

Charlie Fox · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 9:31 am Post subject: Helmets

Scott,
Motorcycle style helmets also have a bigger viewing area than autoracing helmets. There is a few web sites that explain the difference. I believe Shoei and Bell explain the difference.

Dave Ridenour · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 79 Location: Middlebury, Indiana

Get a snell 2000. They are priced very reasonable(I just got a Bell from Dennis Kirk for $100) and if you stay off of it and take care of it, will last you a few years.
Dave

scottk · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 6

Charlie:
Is a larger veiwing area desirable?

Charlie Tackett · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 12:46 pm Post subject: Helmets

Where's Tim Doll?? He has a canned post as this question comes up repeatedly over the years.

Other than the Nomex, the SA rated helmets have a thicker face shield (a .177 pellet can dent, but not pentrate a M-shield and with the S-shield, it can't even dent it.) and a positve retention mechanism on the shield. As far as impact testing, the standards and all the tests are absolutely identical, except the SA has one aditional impact test to attempt to replicate a roll bar type impact.

As Charlie pointed out the M helemts do have a larger viewing are, laterally, to increase peripheral vision. Seeing how some folks drive, I doubt if the would ever use this feature as intended anyway!!

ANy of the M, K, or SA would provide adequate and similar levels of protection for a karter.

Larry Ferguson · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 5:00 pm Post subject: Helmets

My opinion...get a HIGH QUALITY motorcycle road racing helmet. As mentioned before, m/c helmets are designed for use where your head could be subject to a severe blow to the ground. GP riders are faced with this throughout their careers. Just watch a World SuperBike or Moto GP, and you'll see what's what in head gear. Arai, Shoei, Bell, and Suomy (hard to find copy of Arai).
My favorite, the Arai RX7-RR3. The old saying is, if you have a $100 head, buy a $100 helmet! Think about it.
Larry

Dennis Brown · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 43

Well said Larry, I agree totally.
DB

Charlie Tackett · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 6:29 pm Post subject: Helmets

The real bottom line is not whether you get an M, K, or SA, as they all meet the same impact standards, but that the helmet you get fits you properly. An $800 CF/Kevelar helmet that doesn't fit properly is not as effective or valuable to you survival as a $150 Snell rated helmet that is of a proper fit.

Erik Frank · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 7:37 pm Post subject: Helmets

Two discriminating factors between brands and types of helmets that I have discovered is weight and wind noise. I kart race with a Simpson Super Bandit 8. But I wear an Arai Signet GT when I ride my sport bike. The Arai is significantly lighter than the Simpson, and MUCH quiter at high speeds, with less buffeting. The weight issue can be very important to help reduce neck strain. Noise and buffeting can obviously affect drag and aerodynamics. One last thing, I much prefer changing out visors on the Simpson than on the Arai.

Gary Osterholt · Site Admin Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 2769

Scott,

I think the viewing area is a personal preference.

I like a very small opening. I have an Arai, and I still put a visor strip to cut down on the viewing area.

Gary Osterholt
www.garyosterholt.com

Doug Welch · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 10:15 pm Post subject: Helmets

Most sactioning bodies strongly recomend an M or K rating for the helmet. An auto helmet is made to protect you from bouncing off tubes inside a car. M and K rated helemts are for bouncing off the ground. We are using the Simpson kart shark offered by Russell. It's the same as the speedway shark but with out the Nomex. It has a K98 rating(the first year for kart specific lids). The kid likes it, it's lite and very comfortable.

Doug

Charlie Fox · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 10:15 pm Post subject: Helmets

All I know is the side to side area is larger so you have more peripheral view I don't think the overall height is different. In a laydown I think you need this.

Darren Swisher · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2001 10:42 pm Post subject: Helmets

Doug, Visit this site, It will help with some of those questions.

answer to your questions

Darren

Larry Ferguson · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2001 4:16 am Post subject: Helmets

The Bandit (Darth Vader) was originally manufactured as a drag helmet, and is still very popular in that arena (along with it's variations). The Signet comes from a long background in M/C roadracing, and has design features that are meant to keep it quiet and I would consider it a very nice helmet. I have to disagree with Mr. Tackett. I personally would never put a $150 helmet on my head (or Randolph's), althoughI do agree that the fit is a most important area. As far as the view-port, on a bike as opposed to being in a race car (where your head should be restrained) you need all of the perephrial vision you can find, which is why you will see this designed into a M/C helmet.
Plus, as I said ealier, regardless of what some people think, a GP helmet is designed to take high impact on asphalt. There is more to the helmet that just the shell. Either way, get yourself the best that you can.
Larry