Spagina
PR Elite
Hey guys, I wanted to get some imput from you on helmets. In the last few years I have smacked my head a few times pretty good and really want to make sure that I am taking the right steps to keep what brain cells I have left... damn dirtbikes.
This brings me to my topic, MSR Helmets. I owned one, once, in 2009. I liked it. It fit well, the liner came out and snapped in very easily. The helmet itself looks like knock off Shoei as far as design and fit goes. The helmet exceeds Snell and DOT standards, and weighs 3.15 lbs... so it is kind of heavy compared to a top of the line helmet, but there are ones far heavier.
I know i have watched videos that show helmets dropping anywhere from 3-6 feet, even from the seat of a bike on a stand, and then when they are x-ray'ed it shows that they are JUNK - spider web like stress fractures all over that weaken the helmet for future crashes. These tests have been done on good helmets too, not a g-max or something. The more I read about helmets, the more i hear that "if the helmet is in any significant impact, it should be hung up and replaced"... well, who has the money for that??? Seriously, if i buy a $600 Shoei, i'm broke for a while. If the first time I wear it, I wreck pretty hard, there is no way I can afford to quit wearing it and buy a new one.
I can get a MSR helmet significantly cheaper... about 1/8 the price. If I wear it and eat dirt the first time, I CAN afford to hang it up and buy another MSR.
So basically, is it worth it to buy an extrememly good helmet and just wear it, or buy a Snell/DOT approved helmet, that may be a little heavier and less "COOL" and actually follow manufacturers guidlines as far as replacement after a crash/ drop??
This brings me to my topic, MSR Helmets. I owned one, once, in 2009. I liked it. It fit well, the liner came out and snapped in very easily. The helmet itself looks like knock off Shoei as far as design and fit goes. The helmet exceeds Snell and DOT standards, and weighs 3.15 lbs... so it is kind of heavy compared to a top of the line helmet, but there are ones far heavier.
I know i have watched videos that show helmets dropping anywhere from 3-6 feet, even from the seat of a bike on a stand, and then when they are x-ray'ed it shows that they are JUNK - spider web like stress fractures all over that weaken the helmet for future crashes. These tests have been done on good helmets too, not a g-max or something. The more I read about helmets, the more i hear that "if the helmet is in any significant impact, it should be hung up and replaced"... well, who has the money for that??? Seriously, if i buy a $600 Shoei, i'm broke for a while. If the first time I wear it, I wreck pretty hard, there is no way I can afford to quit wearing it and buy a new one.
I can get a MSR helmet significantly cheaper... about 1/8 the price. If I wear it and eat dirt the first time, I CAN afford to hang it up and buy another MSR.
So basically, is it worth it to buy an extrememly good helmet and just wear it, or buy a Snell/DOT approved helmet, that may be a little heavier and less "COOL" and actually follow manufacturers guidlines as far as replacement after a crash/ drop??