I have the HJC-AC10 and I like it very much.

I got mine from http://www.ridegear.com (but they are near me so I was able to walk in and try on a few helmets before choosing.

One person (I think it was dkmura) mentioned that motorcycle helmets are typically designed for only a single impact, whereas Auto helmets are designed to resist multiple impacts. I don't know how accurate that is, but I know that bicycle helmets are a one shot deal, so maybe it's the same with motorcycle helmets. The problem is that in a car crash your head can bounce around on several things which might make the motorcycle helmets less safe if they crack and fall apart after the first hit. Haven't researched this so I don't know for sure if it is an issue.

I've also heard that SA helmets have additional fire resistance that M helmets don't, but again, I haven't found the Snell test procedures to find out for sure.

Well, here are the standards in case anyone is interested. It makes for some good bedtime reading.

http://www.smf.org/stds.html

-D'oh!

 

Well, from what I understand, as you said, auto helmets are required to be fire retardant, whereas motorcycle helmets are not (by Snell standards). Which makes sense -- crash on a bike and you just take a long up-close and personal ride on the pavement.

Snell also says that auto helmets have to meet some roll cage or crash bar test. Probably what you're referring to. On the other hand, if I'm not mistaken, motorcycle helmets have a different requirement that is more stringent. I think they have to be able to absorb a larger (maybe single) impact than auto helmets do, possibly because of flying off into the wild blue yonder when your bike goes down, attempting to imitate an arrow where the wall is your target. I'm doing this from memory, so that might not be entirely accurate.

I figure all helmets are one-shot. I would never use even the most expensive auto helmet after any crash with any head impact. But I see what you're saying, that you might impact more than once just bouncing around inside the car.

Any experts here?

 

Update:

I've read the test specs a little bit, and the first thing I see is that the M2000 cert requires NO flame test, but the SA2000 requires a the helmet to be flamed with a propane torch for 30 seconds. So, that confirms one of the rumors I've heard.

Also, the SA2000 cert has a tighter spec for face shield indentations.

Finally, the SA2000 has an additional impact test against the "roll-bar anvil". The M2000 cert omits this test. However, both the M2000 and SA2000 have the same requirements for impacts against the "flat anvil" and "hemispherical anvil" (2 impacts at each test site), and the same requirements for impacts against the "wedge anvil" (one impact at each test site).

So, overall, I'd say the two tests are very similar, with the SA helmet getting fire protection, a stronger face sheild (maybe) and an extra test against a "roll bar" but no extra tests on the other anvils. Also, the "roll bar" test happens at a different location than the other test (closer to the top of the head) and it is therefore conceivable that an M2000 helmet could be weak in that specific area even though it is strong in other areas.

I may have missed some other details, but I think that should cover the main points.

Oh, I agree that all these helmets are "one crash only".


Later,
D'oh!

 

Good info. Thanks for digging that up.

So, I don't really feel like I'm significantly less protected for the kind of driving I will be doing. I likely would see no difference just based on the Snell ratings.

On the other hand, I'm still wondering what a $1000 Bell gives me that a $150 HJC doesn't? A really fancy label? :-)

 

One thing I want to bring up is fit. A specifc brand isn't going to do you a bit of good unless the sizing is correct. So even the best and most highly reccomended brand may not be the best for you if you are in between sizes. This happned to me a few years back when I wanted to get this new and really cool looking Shoei for my motorcycle. Unfortunately neither the M nor the LG fit so I ended up getting a LG Arai Quantum which fit like a glove

 

Oh and for the car I'm using an HJC CL-14. Full face at a pretty good price, which is what I was looking for in an occasional track use helmet.

 

In my opinion, fire protection and multiple impact protection are pretty valuable. And you don't have to spend $1000 to get them, either.

Like a wise old racer once said: "If you have a cheap head, get a cheap helmet."

 

I don't know which Bell costs $1,000. I paid $300 for my M2 Pro a couple of years ago and consider it a good deal. I agree with GaryM05: helmets are not the place to save money.

 

Buub,
you do get what you pay for. Your $100 motorcycle helmet probably weights twice what a $500 car helmet weights. Weight in the helmet is important for two reasons. First when you are at a Track Day all day long, you will notice a huge difference in how sore (or not sore) you neck muscles are between a light and heavy helmet. The Second reason is in the unfortunate chance you do have a heavy impact, remember the weight of your helmet is increased exponetially, the higher the g-forces are in the impact. So in other words, your 8lb helmet can do a lot more damage to your neck, spine, etc than a 5lb helmet. Believe me, a helmet is not where you want to save money, you should always spend as much as you can to get the lightest, safest helmet you can afford. Like I said in my previous post, how much is your head worth?

 

I didn't mean to imply that I was willing to accept a lesser level of protection. What I meant to say is that I don't think, for the driving I'm doing, that the M2000 helmet is going to give me significantly less protection than an SA2000 would. My feeling is that it would have to be a pretty violent accident for the differences to be substantial.

AutoX just never reaches those speeds, and you're rarely close to any other cars, or a wall, anyway. Track days are for low-level drivers like me -- they specifically state that we're there for 7/10 driving, and will not tolerate people driving too aggresively, for the safety of the other drivers. The guys at Pacific Raceways are not shy about pulling someone off the track and sending them home, if they think they're being dangerous to other drivers. I think I have seen it happen at least once every time I have been there.

Oh, and I do some mountain hiking, so I know what light is all about. I buy more expensive mountaineering gear specifically because it is light. Heck, I've been seriously debating a $25 cup, just because it's made of titanium. I have a titanium cook set already -- stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum.

The HJC AC-11 is one of their top-end helmets. It doesn't look or feel like it's cheaply made. And, it weighs only 3.3 pounds, so no neck problems either.

But I'm not discounting your arguments. I may seriously consider just going Bell or someone similar next time I buy a helmet. But, I simply can't afford a $400+ helmet at this point, and it seems all but the bottom-end Bells are in that range.

 

Buub,
Think of this, if you have a tire blow at Turn 1 at SIR (I refuse to call it Pacific Raceways), you will wish you had a Good helmet! In a heavy accident, you will be accepting a lesser degree of safety protection in a M helmet vs a good SA helmet.

Alex

 

I ended up with this:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/solorace...bellsrpro.html

Great periphial vision, light and comfortable. Great price for a full face helmet. SA2000

 

Cool site. Thanks for the link!

 

you may also find some listings and pricing at http://www.soloperformance.com/Deskt...=4&selection=6

 

Exept that M2000 helmets also offer multiple impact protection, but they don't have the "roll bar" test. However, if your car does not have a roll bar or cage, what exactly does that test tell you? Also, if the motorcycle helmets are just as strong in the other tests, would they be significantly less strong in that final area?

As far as fire protection goes, if you are autoxing or at a track day in jeans and a T-shirt, how much is that fire protection on the helmet going to help? I think that if fire safety is enough to sway you into a helmet you would othewise not consider, you should also think about a racing suit so you really are fully protected.

Just playing devil's advocate, and I am by no means trying to imply that those considerations are unimportant (just that they may be less important for some than for others).

Personally, if I were doing more than 1 or 2 track days a year, I'd definitely strongly consider getting a $300-$400 helmet (since that is really only the const of a couple days @ the track). However, when I first got my helmet I wasn't sure how much I would be tracking or AutoXing. As it turns out, I mainly AutoX and only go to the track occasionally (don't really have the time or money for more), and I am therefore comfortable with the motorcycle helmet.

There is definitely no right or wrong answer, but you should carefully weigh your options and choose what is best for you. If you are not sure how interested in racing you will be, maybe it is best to start off with an inexpensive helmet, and then if you end up really getting into heavy tracking, you can always buy another helmet at that time.

-D'oh!

 

Gary brought up a good point about fitting inside the Z with a helmet on. I don't know if any other 6'1" guys have had a problem, but with my new helmet, I have to adjust my seat to fit. Now, granted, I would normally drive with the seat just shy of vertical and this would leave me maybe half an inch or so of head clearence without the helmet, so I don't think in my case any helmet would work. But, after trying on several different models, I can certainly see some helmets sitting lower than others.
I selected a Sparco model that fit me best by far. I tried the Bell M2 and M3, Sport 3, the Simpson voyager, Bieffe predator and F1 models, OMP vision and formula models, and two Sparco's. The Simpson was the worst fitting. Not really bad, but not as well as the Sport 3 for the price. They also fogged the worst after just ten minutes of walking around. Of course Simpson makes better models, but for the money (about $350) the Bell Sport 3 is the best bet in my opinion. The Sparco SN2000 was on a clearance price for the same as the Bell M2 and M3, and is exceptionally light. If a good deal can be found, it'd be worth checking out the Sparco line. The Sparco sizing seems to be smaller than the Bell and others, so if you're good in a large, then the XL is probably where you'll be in a Sparco. I tried an Arai helmet, don't know which one, but it was smokin' light and well vented like the Sparco, but was just shy of a grand.