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Snell helmet rating


flyv65

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Anybody read the new issue of Motorcyclist? Had a big article in there that pretty much said the Snell standard is to high and subjects the brain to unecessary Gs in an impact. The article makes a compelling case for *NOT* buying a Snell rated helmet.

Bryan...might buy a Schuberth...

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They will put a DOT sticker on a salad bowl.. I look more for the Snell 2000m or the Euro sticker..

Remember the padding on teh inside is what asorbs inpact of your noggin :D

Yup, the DOT sticker is a "self-regulated" thing: the manufacturers are on their honor to meet ther equirements. But the arguement (of just about everybody *but* the Snell Foundation) is that the Snell standard is far too hard and subjects the brain to unecessary linear Gs. FWIW, the article showed they tested several different manufactures helmets and the ones that were kindest to yer noggin were (in order):

DOT, DOT & BSI, DOT & ECE, lastly DOT & Snell M2000/M2005.

Bryan...it's gonna take a lot of convincing to get me to buy another Snell helmet...

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Funny thing....

Did you notice which Major Helmat manufacturer, that did NOT have a single Helmet in the Test....

Makes you wonder what happend there.

Where's SHOEI....

Then it's also funny to note, that the Pep Boys helmet (174 G's) scores better than the Arai Tracker (201 G's).

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Funny thing....

Did you notice which Major Helmat manufacturer, that did NOT have a single Helmet in the Test....

Makes you wonder what happend there.

Where's SHOEI....

Yeah, they said that they asked "several" times for helmets from all the manufacturers, but got nothing from Shoei (and I forget who else). I figured they knew the Snell stuff wouldn't fare so well, so they decided not to play.

Bryan...I'd like to see data on the stuff they sell overseas...

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Maybe they need to do a comparo regarding full face helmets ONLY and see what does better. I won't wear a bowl, because while it might be kinder to your brain, it doesn't keep your face from being grinded off in a wreck.

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Bell helmets also refused to take part in this test.

IIRC, the Snell memorial foundation was set up because of a sports car related death. The Snell "double strike" test (which is a test not required by other testing associations) is in place because inside a car, they found that the drivers heads hit the roll bar more than once.

The ability to pass the double strike test, is why Snell certified helmets have stronger shells, and tend to pass higher 'G' forces on to your brain.

I think the European standards make more sense for motorcycle riders.

Who cares if your DOT helmet's outer shell fractures in a crash, as long as your brain is protected? Helmets only need to work once.

Edit: FWIW: My last three helmets have been Arai's (Snell certified)

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Maybe they need to do a comparo regarding full face helmets ONLY and see what does better.  I won't wear a bowl, because while it might be kinder to your brain, it doesn't keep your face from being grinded off in a wreck.

All the helmets tested in the article *were* full face helmets, Furbird.

Bryan...Much like Roderash, I've only ever owned Snell certified buckets-that may change soon...

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Open mouth, insert foot, I didn't know they were all full-face. DOT rules are so light that a bowl with a bungee cord could pass :lol:

My theory on the helmet ratings is that the more certifications, the better. Think about something. If you fall down at speed, how many times will your helmet hit the ground? Probably a lot more than once. The pro guys can get away with only hitting once if at all, but the world is not a racetrack and we all don't get paid 2 million a year to ride a bike for 45 minutes at a time. There's a lot more shit to hit on the road than inside a car, especially now with Hans devices, padded cages, and even the helmet "cradles" that Nascar now uses so the helmet can't hit anything.

What I'm getting at it is this. If you fall, and you're helmet cracks on the first blow, what happens if your head hits the next time, or 2, 3, or 4 times? "One strike" helmets are about as good as wearing a bowl with a bungee cord. After the first blow, it's like you never had one on at all.

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Two things came out in the Hurt Report. which is just about the only valid study done on motorcycle crashes in the United States.

1. In most cases, your helmet is not going all that fast when it strikes an object.

2. During a crash, the helmet is rarely hit more than once in the same place.

The article in Motorcyclist is good reading, and could change your mind about your next helmet.

If the main purpose of a helmet is to protect your brain, why does the Snell standard allow the the helmet to transfer the highest G forces?

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My $79 Fulmer (3/4) saved my noodle when I wrecked my 'wing. The full face Fulmer was only $139 or so.

I figure my money's better spent on a proper jacket, gloves, and boots than wasting it all on a super-expensive helmet.

On a bike, you'll most likely only have one *hard* hit. In a car, that's definitely not true.

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Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with paying $500 for a helmet either when the $100 do just as good a job. I just don't know how well something that's not Snell certified would hold up in a bad wreck. And hopefully I'll never find out.

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The Krypt Keeper

Joined: 08 Apr 2004

Posts: 1104

Location: Bruington Cemetary, VA

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 12:58 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They will put a DOT sticker on a salad bowl.. I look more for the Snell 2000m or the Euro sticker..

Remember the padding on teh inside is what asorbs inpact of your noggin

_________________

I also hope for everyone who is to busy yacking on their phone to have it shoved so far up their ass that the "hear me now?" guy comes in clear. Pay attention, or stay the fuck off the road.

I still think your better off with a DOT helmet - even though its self regulated, the test shows a lower G's being passed on to the rider, combined with multiple injuries you are better off when there is less trauma to the brain. The article and related studies show that a multiple strike in the same location is very rare, and given that the 2 hit test of the Snell standard forces the helmet manufactures to use a firmer sublayer causing higher G loads to the brain. As the Hurt report also spelled out is that essentially there were no deaths to helmeted riders from head injuries alone. In the COST study they concluded that the current helmets where too stiff and too resilent.

I currently have a Shuberth Concept with the ECE22-05 standard and I'm glad I din't pay for the Snell hype that goes with Snell certified helmets. I would fill comfortable buying a DOT certified helmet if it fit all my criteria after reading that article.

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I'm glad that report came out when it did. I'm in the market for a good helmet and it pointed me in another direction. I'm thinking of trying one of the Z1R full face helmets. Does anyone have experience with one?

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I'm glad that report came out when it did. I'm in the market for a good helmet and it pointed me in another direction. I'm thinking of trying one of the Z1R full face helmets. Does anyone have experience with one?

I went to their website to find a local dealer (found two in the Denver area), but haven't had a chance to get out and try one on. I bet there's a run on the bloody things after that write-up, tho.

Bryan...I like saving money as much as the next guy...

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