APS Racing Products

Motorbike Helmets questionnaire PART 2! Please also help with this one! =)?

Please fill in both parts of the questionnaire! There's opportunity for 20 points altogether here!! :) Would you pay more for a helmet that had been advertised as having enhanced safety due to the use of advanced materials? Would you pay more for a helmet with graphics? Which do you consider to be more important? A helmet that can withstand a large impact energy force A helmet that effectively distributes the energy across the helmet shell and through the inner liner Do you think that helmets that use the new materials, and therefore cost more, are good value for money? Do you think that there is any real way to test whether the newer, more expensive helmets are ‘better’ than the ones made from older materials, as there are set safety standards that all helmets must pass before they can be sold? Thanks everyone!

Public Comments

1. nope nope the second, but both are important not necessarily snell is a great way to tell..
2. nope yes both yes yes
3. No I would not pay more for advanced materials or graphics. As to which is more important...It really is a crap-shoot, Because there are 2 things that can kill you in a motorcycle crash in regards to the helmet. Both of these are in the event of a "CRASH" not a "lay-down" 1. A sudden stop, which will shift your brain and makes it impact the front of the skull, causing swelling and potential brain damage. 2. The weight of a full face helmet will usually snap your neck upon impact. So at that point it doesn't matter what it's made of or how graphic it is. I have been on a rescue squad for 18 years...I can remember about 9 bike wrecks in our area... The ONLY 2 riders to get killed were the guys wearing the Full Face helmets...2 were wearing DOT 3/4 helmets, both were OK with no head trauma. The rest were wearing the Novelty Brain Buckets. None of which had any head trauma. The difference in helmet selection in an impact crash over 50mph will probably be an "open" or "closed" casket funeral.
4. Of course I would pay more for a better helmet (safer), and I have done so a few times. I would not pay more for graphics unless it was something really special & matched my bike. And yes, there are well established testing protocols for helmets (DOT, ANSI, etc.)
5. no not likely I actually paid more to get one that was solid black I prefer to have the energy evenly distributed as long as the helmet meets SNELL specs I dont care if it is made of cardboard I think that new materials will open up new designs and helmet features... but as for protection... I look at it like this... who wants a perfectly intact brain sitting on top of a severed spinal cord???? there is a limit to how much protection you can get....
6. Would you pay more for a helmet that had been advertised as having enhanced safety due to the use of advanced materials? NO Would you pay more for a helmet with graphics? NO Which do you consider to be more important? A helmet that can withstand a large impact energy force A helmet that effectively distributes the energy across the helmet shell and through the inner liner This because a large impact force will probably break my neck. Do you think that helmets that use the new materials, and therefore cost more, are good value for money? yes Do you think that there is any real way to test whether the newer, more expensive helmets are ‘better’ than the ones made from older materials, as there are set safety standards that all helmets must pass before they can be sold? Sure, independant testing could do it.
7. Only where proven, Carbonfibre Bamboo or cork, all have safety levels though which would you choose for a helmet... You can use all three!!!! Nope hate graphics Why would I want to look like a rossi rep.. They should pay me to advertise.. distribution and absorption.. Crumple zones Forget what the lid looks like afterwards as long as it saved my turnip from soup Why should a helmet made from bamboo cost £300.00 when you can get it for practically nothing Carbon fibre Kevlar etc man made need to be manufactured so there are production costs, So no Why should I pay for someones "bright idea" put it on a head and see if it survives... Seriously Cadaver tests far out reach those of crash test dummies the results are far more tangible.. A metal neck doesn't fracture like a human cervical vertibrae And doesn't show the impact.
8. no yes (actually i wanna get rockhard Hustler helmet...love the way it looks) first yeah, carbon-fiber helmets rock! meh... i dont think that much, i juat get on ma bike n ride. Half-helmet = half brain peace
9. Not if it doesn't fit properly No, if I wanted to look like an explosion in a shellsuit factory I could do it myself Distributes energy Not if they don't fit properly, I have had a carbonfibre helmet and it cost less than the conventional one I have now, I gave it a pretty good workout by somersaulting off the front of a bike and faceplanting the road and it came through well I suspect that any similarly priced helmet will have done the same Safety checks conducted and required by the EU are less effective than those previously required in UK a more effective test in real-life conditions is called for.
10. > Would you pay more for a helmet that had been advertised as having enhanced safety due to the use of advanced materials? No. Helmets these days are too expensive as it is. Helmets are safe enough. I'd be better off spending that money on armor for the rest of my body. > Would you pay more for a helmet with graphics? No. I like mine plain, with the DOT sticker. > Which do you consider to be more important? A helmet that effectively distributes the energy across the helmet shell and through the inner liner Airbag for my head, eh? After the wreck, I'll buy a new one. > Do you think that helmets that use the new materials, and therefore cost more, are good value for money? No. They're overpriced. I'm looking for the full face, DOT sticker, and Snell rating; that's all I need to know for the helmet. I'd be better off spending additional money on armor for the rest of my body. > Do you think that there is any real way to test whether the newer, more expensive helmets are ‘better’ than the ones made from older materials, as there are set safety standards that all helmets must pass before they can be sold? Yes. Crash test dummies, compare measurement of "brain deceleration" at identical impacts. Ideally, we'd want a helmet that allows the head to move to put the least deceleration on the brain, while not allowing the neck to break.
11. no chance no not a poser most important would be choise of helmet or no helmet, no yes to get more money out of us
12. no yes both no You gotta test them on cadavers.