I'm a couple weeks away from buying my first Harley ... and part of the deal with my wife (I know, I know) is that I invest in the best safety equipment I can find. Anyone have any recommendations for very well rated helmets? How about ones I should stay away from? Thanks for your help!

 

Maybe this will help.

https://www.hdforums.com/fb.asp?m=1624700

 

full face I be guessing for you and your promise to your OL..

they arnt bad when you go fast if they have good venting
they arnt bad when it rains..if you dont breath when stopped

 

I'll recommend that if you must wear a helmet (because of your State laws) that you be sure and purchase a true DOT certified helmet. When they say "meets or exceeds DOT certifications" that ain't the same thing, and no, it's not certified, and they don't even come with a DOT label on the helmet, unless the schmuck selling 'em includes a DOT sticker (fake as Hell). Get pulled over in Michigan (for instance, where they're REALLY **** about helmets) with a helmet like that and you'll receive your ticket for $100+ pronto. Not to mention, why the Hell would anybody wear a helmet that ain't DOT certified if they didn't have to wear a helmet at all - that makes ZERO sense in anybody's book.

 

Some argue that a non DOT is a lot more comfortable. Anyway, to the original poster, as Nortonics stated, DOT is safer, but if you want to be as safe as you can, look for a helmet with a Snell rating as these exceed the safety of DOTs.

 

Well, I'm know expert but yesterday I "tested" the Icon Mainframe helmet (pic below). I found the helmet very comfortable and it did its job during the test. It was DOT and Snell rated.I bought it at a local place for about $200. I bought one of their fog free sheilds ($35)because the one that comes with the helmet would fog up completely when I first put it on. The fog free sheild would fog a little early in the morning on a humid day at the stop light but if you cracked it a little it would clear up.



I believe the main thing is to have one that fits correctly. This link give a decent description of fitting a helmet. http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/str..._helmet_guide/. I would suggest you go try them on before you buy one. I wasfortunate in that the one that was comfortable in the store was also comfortable on the bike.The selection at the local Harley dealer for full face helmets was pretty lacking so I got mine at the local metric dealer.

Not sure what you're planning on riding in but I also wore a leather jacket with "armor" plates in the shoulders and sleeves.While I can't say 100% that the armor helped in the wreck I can say that my shoulder and elbow on my left side do not hurt but my lefthip (no armor pad) sure does. The one I have is an Alpinestar Stage Perforated Jacket. It's on the pricey side (~$350)but it was comfortable (as comfortable as I leather jacket can be in warm weather) and flowed air pretty well.

Good luck and have fun!

[IMG]local://upfiles/30491/7F93A0B9D9914681A6611A80E319729D.jpg[/IMG]

 

I've gone full circle on this issue. I started off with a 1/2 half helmet but just recently bought a full face. I ended up with a Shoei which is one of the top rated helmets. Arai is another superior brand. Can't place a price on your melon so save some on the bling for the bike and spend it on good head gear.

Save this web site of your 'favorites' list: http://www.webbikeworld.com/

They test a lot of riding gear and are a good source of information.

Ride safe.

 

You have an endless number of choices. Helmets have come a long way and are better than ever. Take any name like Arai, Shoei, Nolan, KBC, HJC ( and many more) and you can't go wrong. But whatever helmet you choose, make sure it is a proper fit. Too loose and you won't get the protection the helmet was designed to provide. Too tight and you will want to tear it off of you before the ride is 30 minutes old. Go to a bike shop and try on many. Don't just measure your mellon and order on-line. Harley sells very good helmets, just a bit pricey. Just last night I bought my wife an FXRG carbon kevelar full helmet. She needs a light helmet because of her neck, but I want her fully protected. This helmet cost $475, but that is just chump change compared to the cost of head trauma.

 

I second Mac57's comments. I saw an old design THH full face on closeout the other day for under 30 bucks!! I have a ratty-looking, well worn version that still serves me well--a new shield for it would cost almost as much asthe whole new helmet. If you are like me, you may end up with a collection of different helmets, some cheap and some expensive. The only things that matter muchto me are: 1) Is it comfortable? and 2) Willyou be wearing it whenyou need it?

 

The two brands I most respect are Shoei and Arai. That doesn't mean that there aren't other good helmets. In fact at this time I'm wearing a Nolan "flip up" full face. Just get a good DOT helmet that fits you properly. Fit and weight are probably the two most important things when considering a good helmet. I would not order thru the mail without first trying one on in a store to be certain of size. There are too many variables out there when it comes to shape and sizing.