Been looking at some head gear on Saferacer.com cause i need to pick up a helmet now since im planning on getting a little more serious into tracking my z and 510. Its such a pain having to borrow one every time!

I only have experience with full face helmets, but i have never tried an open face helmet before.

I figured i would get some feedback from some of you more seasoned track gurus before i dish out 200-400 bucks for a brain protectar.

I figured an open face helmet would provide much more viewing area than a full face, that may be a good selling point as it may make things more comfortable for me. But any thoughts are appreciated! thanks

 

my friend has the HJC AR-10 II SA2010

http://www.saferacer.com/hjc-motorsp...productid=2209

he loves it and it looks kind of cool. He bought the black one though.

 

I run full face, like it, and find one that fits you propely.

 

That looks legit, hmm...decent price too!

This is the one that caught my eye (in XL):

http://www.saferacer.com/hjc-motorsp...productid=1195

Have you ran open face (if thats what you call it) before? Im kind of curious as to why people seem to always run full face if you dont have too...looks like open face would be more comfortable and provide more visibility...no?

 

I wear an open face Bell. Comfortable with eyeglasses and sun glasses. Like the visor for sun. Bearable when temperatures are 80 degrees plus.

 

Yea thats what i was thinking about getting...MAYBE...Closed face looks alot cooler thats for sure lol..

But then again i guess it makes talking to people easier with open face while your wearing it lol...not that it matters though haha...

I guess im gona go and test fit some on at this local store, hopefully they have an open face one like that i can try out. That may be the ticket as far as practicality is concerned. I never even thought about the weather being a factor....that def must stay ALOT cooler!

 

Nope not at all, i wear full face on motorcycles, dirt bikes ect etc. My only open face is my cross country mountain bike helmet. Also till the airbags are removed , i would rather eat the bag with a full face on. Same with riding in other peoples cars.

 

HJC's run small... I also have an Arai which are known for being smaller and they're very close in fitment. I have an AR-10 in black, the rubberized material can be fragile and scratch. The HJC is pretty light but not as light as my Arai but for half the price... The HJC is a great deal and very comfortable.

 

Something to think about,
What are you going to use it for? What are the groups you plan to run with recommend? Would you be comfortable running that type of helmet on a motorcycle or dirt bike as higher speeds?

If so then one good option is the g-force hybrid pro.

Make sure that you so get an SA helmet though, and not an M or DOT.

I will say that I only use close face now after seeing someone's chin after an impact.

 

The airbag deployment is a good point! didnt think about that....

I will be using the helmet for an assortment of SOLO auto x, Road racing, and drifting. probably more towards road courses and drifting to be honest...dont see how that could make a difference in what kinda helmet i should get though...explain?

As far as motorcycles or dirt bikes, i dont do either....dont really plan on it either, not really my thing

Ive heard that full face helmets are more likely to cause neck/spinal injuries...so i guess its either face damage or neck damage? lol pick a card...

 

I am think the Neck injury part came from a question by SFI and SCCA about 5 years ago. I safety panel tested it and found just the opposite was true since the full rim of the helmet prevented over extention of the neck in many circumstances.

I brought up the Motorcycle/dirt bike deal just to get people to think about if they were fully exposed, which would they prefer.

As far as helmet safety types, most orginizations are going to SA ratings. They are tested for Automotive impacts with multiple impacts and angles.

 

Thats what i have been reading as well...Motorcycle helmete are rated to only withstand one large blow as opposed to multiple ones like SA helmets i guess...

Def good to know, i didnt think to search if someone has asked a similar question but might be cool to collect information for a sticky? or no?

 

Not true:

http://www.smf.org/testing

The only testing difference between a SA and M Snell helmet is flame resistance. Also remember that HANS is the only head and neck restraint approved for use with an open face helmet.

IMHO, open face helmets are only good for Solo use. They have no place on a race track where speeds exceed 60mph. Again, that's just one person's opinion.

 

Don't SA helmets have fire retardant materials in the face area?

 

^hmm again good to know!

Looks like ill def be going full face then...all makes sense to me

 

I went full face. Might as well go all the way. Visualization is unobstructed.

I have a bigger melon so I went with Simpson, as they tend to be good for bigger heads.