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SNELL 2005 bad ??

2K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  mikeiscool 
#1 ·
#3 ·
2005 Snell isn't bad it's the same standard they've used for 2000 and 1995 I believe.

For 2010 they have revised Snell to coincide with ECE and such because they finally conceded that the European standard was safer.

For me this is a huge change since I'm a small/XS size and the new Snell standard will accomodate these sizes better by decreasing the stiffness/hardness of the helmet as our tiny little heads have less mass.

I'm super tempted to get an on-sale 2005 helmet to save a few $100 but I think I'll pay full value for the new standard.

For M/L/XL heads, M2005 should still be quite safe.
 
#4 ·
For me this is a huge change since I'm a small/XS size and the new Snell standard will accomodate these sizes better by decreasing the stiffness/hardness of the helmet as our tiny little heads have less mass.

I'm super tempted to get an on-sale 2005 helmet to save a few $100 but I think I'll pay full value for the new standard.

For M/L/XL heads, M2005 should still be quite safe.
If I were you, and wore that size, it would be a no-brainer to get either ECE or new Snell.

ECE has been around for quite some time, so you don't necessarily have to pay a premium to get it, you just have to chose a helmet that meets the standard.

Many of the Shark models are very high rated, and can be found for $200-300US, so saving hundreds would not be a factor.
 
#6 · (Edited)
It's not hype at all...it's very real, just US standards that have not caught up to the the Europeans, and probably feeling the pressure on the sales floors.

As technology moves forward, so does testing and understanding of the injuries sustained, and ways to negate.

I don't think there's a down side to this type of development. I would not scrap my 1-2 year old helmet, and go buy a new one because of this, but when I was shopping for a new lid, I would take this into consideration.

This has been posted here several times, and is a pretty in-depth read, but if you like the details, this won't let you down:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html

There's a lso a lot to be said for general fitment of a helmet, and many people simply do not wear the correct size, which to a dregree, negates the benefit or argument to either standard.
 
#10 ·
One thing I learned about helmet fitment, is to try the helmet on without the cheek pads, remove them.

If the helmet fits nice & snug this way, it's typically sized correct for your head.

Too many people think a helmet is too small when the cheek pads are tight, but they don't know that some manufactures have replacement pads, that are smaller.

When the cheek pads compress over time, the helmet loosens up, and the fit is now more obviously incorrect.

Food for thought.....
 
#11 ·
One thing I learned about helmet fitment, is to try the helmet on without the cheek pads, remove them.
Good advice. My first helmet was a medium, purchased because it felt good in the store, nice and comforatable. Out on the road, in the wind, i was a bobble head. Sketchy to say the least. Went back a little while later, tried the same helmet but in a small, without the cheekpads and it was right, ended up with a small helmet and extra small cheekpads. it was a little tight at first, but after a couple weeks the pads broke in and now its perfect.
 
#17 ·
It's absolutely amazing the difference a correctly fitted helmet makes... I've been rocking an off-brand $100 helmet for the past few years, but it was starting to smell really bad, so I went out and got a mid-range HJC.

I had no idea how much better it would be! Old helmet was an M, new one is an XL... new one doesn't try to leave my head at speeds >100kph, and it's probably 3x quieter since there aren't big gaps for the air to rattle around in.

The fact that the new helmet has flip-down sun visor, antifog, and far better venting is just icing on the cake :)
 
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