DOT & Snell (American) helmet testing standards

Not that I need to mention it but...

As always with helmets (& any other gear for that matter), it's great if has an alphabet of letters stickered on it only if it fits you. I'll say that again, buy the helmet that fits you best, regardless of which standard it meets.

What's a better choice:
1) A SNELL helmet that fits you like a glove?
2) An EEC helmet that is "safer" but it doesn't fit you as well?

There is probably that ONE helmet out there for everyone. You know, the one that fits better than all others. For me, it's the Arai RX7. I 10000% agree the SNELL rating is unecessary & possiblity a drawback but the RX7 fits my sputnick better than ANY helmet I've ever tried on so that's what I'm sticking with, SNELL or not. In my opinion, the best helmets commonly available are Suomy. If they fit me, that's what I'd be wearing.

KC-10 FE out...
lane:

 

I thought Snell was the helmet for chicken strip riders (slow) that"s why I bought one.

 

IMHO the fact that you all seem to be wearing a helmet(of any quality or price point) is the thing that makes me the happiest.
We are required by law here to wear helmets,and I have only once noticed a sportbike rider without one.
I'd say that about 10% of the H-D riders around here dont wear a helmet at all,but i guess if you can afford the bike,you can afford the fines.(Just the cost of biz.when looking cool is more important than life itself,I guess).
I don't know what the law is for each of you in your particular state,but please wear your helmet wether required by law or not.
When I cruise stateside to North Dakota I notice many many riders with exposed noggins.
I guess my point is putting on any lid of at least DOT quality is 99.999% of the battle.Wether it is DOT SNELL or whatever else, as long as it is properly fitted, is the other .001% of the equasion.
Just my $.02...Cheers!

 

...and most of the ones you see with a helmet aren't even legal DOT's most shops around where I live will give you the DOT sticker for the helmet when you buy it. They keep the sticker behind the counter... I guess HD's don't have wrecks. They must think their all Chuck Norris. I you don't know what I'm talking about then go to [DLMURL]http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com[/DLMURL] and than you'll understand...:biggrin:

 

Interestingly enough, I just got my new Chapparal big-book catalog. They are now featuring helmets by a manufacturer "Sparx" that are DOT and ECE approved, and come with a 5 year warranty. And the pricing is from about $110 - $160. Some features and graphics too.

 

I hope that SNELL learned their lesson, however, since they still have not admitted guilt (probably thru legal advice) I am not for sure. I for one I am glad that Motorcyclist Mag had the balls to stand up to them. They got a lot of heat for that, even losing advertisements. I look at them like a whistle blower that takes the heat, and gets called a liar at first, to be vindicated later.

 

I believe that one of their editors also lost his job as an indirect result, due to loss of advertising from a couple of the big helmet companies.

 

I believe it. It makes me happy to see a major magazine stand up to basically their bread and butter in the name of safety.