A common question we get is “Why does helmet A cost $1000 and helmet B cost $200?” Is it worth the difference?
There is an old saying around the motorcycle industry. “How much is your head worth?”
As someone who has crashed in a plastic helmet, I will never wear a cheap helmet again.
(I should add that the helmet being too big for me definitely contributed to how bad the accident was as well.)
However, sometimes to get on two wheels, one can only afford a cheap helmet. And hey! Helmets have come a very long way since they were first made a legal requirement in Australia. A cheap helmet is better than no helmet at all.
Helmets are generally made of four materials:
• Plastic
• Fiberglass
• Kevlar/Du-Point
• Carbon Fibre
All helmets have different layers in them that absorb impact force to protect your head. There are also brands that have liners that rotate with your head during an impact (such as MIPS), but we’ll get into that in another article.
Composite helmets are helmets that are made up of 2 or more of the above materials, with the fibers woven together to create, in general, lighter, and stronger helmets. These are more labour intensive, so they tend to be more expensive. However, the benefits usually outweigh the extra cost.
Plastic helmets are made up of thermoplastics and thermoset resins.
Thermoplastics are made of oil-based polymers and can actually be melted and recast an almost infinite number of times.
Thermoset resins require a curing agent to harden into their final form.
Plastic helmets are less expensive to make, are heat resistant and offer good protection against dents. They are also heavier than their counterparts.
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic is a synthetic resin in which the polymer units are linked through carbonate group. It is often used in helmet visors, greenhouse windows, bullet proof windows and much more. Polycarbonate blends tend to be a bit heavier than thermoplastics, however they do offer higher impact protection.
Upon impact, plastic allows the force of the impact to travel through the helmet easily. This can result in a good brain rattle, and you do not know what part of your head you may hit.
Fibreglass as a material is relatively inexpensive, however it is labour intensive to mould and shape into a helmet.
Fibreglass is often combined with other materials such as Kevlar and Carbon-Fiber when being used for motorcycle helmet manufacturing.
Fibreglass is strong, but can also be brittle, leading to a helmet shell cracking under impact. This does spread an impact force around a greater part of the helmet, allowing the Styrofoam below to compress and absorb more of the impact force. This can create a softer blow to the head, and a better chance of the rider walking away from a crash.
Also known as Dyneema and Aramid, this material is what is put in bullet proof vests and motorcycle jeans. It is abrasion resistant and is produced with the same weave methods a fibreglass.
Where Kevlar is strong, it does not hold up well to compression. Therefore it is often mixed with Fibreglass or Carbon-Fibre.
Carbon-Fibre is lighter than Fibreglass, strong, resistant to pressure and compression. Carbon-Fibre can be woven into different patterns for aesthetics and is used most often used in high performance products such as motorcycles, cars, planes, even specialty push bikes when replacing steel.
Carbon-Fibre allows the impact force to be spread around the maximum surface area available and is most popular in racing helmets. Carbon-fibre is the most expensive and labour intensive of materials; therefore, it is often combined with fibreglass and Kevlar.
Not everyone can afford a $1000 helmet and not everyone needs a $1000 helmet. My current helmet is worth about $600 and for the riding I do, it will protect me just fine.
Sometimes you need a helmet just to get you on two wheels! That is why there is so much choice out there for motorcycle helmets.
Above all else, whether it is a $200 helmet or a $1500 helmet, a plastic helmet or a carbon fibre helmet, the most important part is fit. If your helmet doesn’t fit right, it’s not going to protect you properly. It is so important that when you are purchasing a motorcycle helmet, you get it properly fitted. If you are unsure, or just want a 2nd opinion, come in store and see us!
We can ensure you have the right fitting helmet and are as safe as can be on the road.
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