Are Icon Helmets Quantitatively Less Safe than Shoei or Arai?

Hi All,

So I just purchased an Icon Airmada from fortnine.ca (formerly Canada's Motorcycle).

I haven't had it out on the bike yet but I find it lightweight, comfortable (if a bit hard to get on or off) and very visible.

As with anyone who doesn't spend $600 on a helmet and makes the mistake of posting about it online I got a bunch of comments along the lines of "Buy a Shoei, buy an Arai, how much is your head worth?".

Now I recognize that the Icon Airmada is not SNELL approved (which is a fair point). However, is that because it wouldn't pass SNELL or because Icon didn't want to spend the small fortune it costs to have it certified? It apparently passes "Global Standards" which means DOT FMVSS 218 (US), ECE 22-05 (Europe), SAI AS1698 AUS) & SG (Japan) safety and testing standards which means eligible for Moto GP use if you really wanted.

A guy I ride with went down with one on at highway cruising speed and bought another after although I realize that's totally anecdotal evidence.


I guess my real question is: is there anything quantitative to suggest I would be significantly safer in a Shoei or Arai (assuming this Airmada fits really well)?

Thanks,

Mike

 

I don't know ... I love my HJC RPHA-ST which I bought from Canada's Motorcycle (Fort Nine). My second one actually since the first had to be retired during my head-on collision.

As long as it's got an approval and is a reasonable quality (Icon makes decent gear - I have one of their jackets for hot weather riding), get what's comfortable and the best you can afford.

 

I thought the proper attire for sporting an Icon helmet was sneakers, jeans, a hoody, and chest protector.

 

I would say if it's comfortable and has the international ratings you posted, it will offer you just as much protection as any other brand. I know it's been hashed over ad nauseum, but I've never subscribed to the "how much is your head worth" mentality. My head is priceless, yet I wouldn't (and couldn't) spend enormous amounts to reflect the value of my head. In the grand scheme of physics, there is a limited amount of protection that any hardened brain cage can offer once a rider has become an unwilling pedestrian at any given speed. I personally like HJC helmets because they seem to fit me better than most while also falling well within my budget. I like to think that I get just as much protection from a Snell rated HJC as I would from a Snell rated Shoei or Arai at a much lower cost.

I hope I never find out I was wrong the hard way...

 

I agree. It meets or exceeds government standards. Good enough. Spend enough money and you can have one custom built that may or may not be safer. At some point, a governing body has to decide a minimum standard for helmets to meet and they have done that. Does that mean the minimum standard is enough. Your call.

I bought my Shoei several years ago. The X-Twelve fit me really nice. I also wanted specific graphics. I paid for that. I did not need it. Maybe I could have found a cheaper one if I looked harder and longer. My first helmet was an entry level HJC but I found it considerably heavier on the neck than the Shoei, and the Sharke I had in between. If you don't have neck and back issues, the weight of the helmet won't mean much. If you do, very small weight differences make a huge difference.

Are you happy with your purchase? Yes? Nothing else really matters. Except mine is better than yours because I paid more.

 

This new helmet rating by the UK government is considered the best around as it takes in a lot more real world examples.
High price doesn't mean highest quality sometimes.
It has most helmets in the list, and it's easy to navigate.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/content/ratings

 

Maybe I was missing something but that site only gave a star rating and no write up to explain their ratings. It would be nice to see where an individual helmet faired well and not so well in their testing. What is important to one person for a specific reason may not be as important to another.

However, I was thinking of replacing my existing helmet in a year or two and had one in mind. Not any more though. Thanks for the link Oz.

 

I bought my Shoei because it fit really well, it has emergency pad removal indicators for EMT's so they get get your helmet off without yanking on your neck, and the color matched my bike (at the time). Knowing the size of Cycle Gear and product liability laws, I am sure the Icon helmets are fine.

 

You can find many threads about helmets on this site alone. Do some searching and get as much info. as you can. I see the key points this way.

ECE rating is WAY better than DOT. SNELL2 is arguably better than ECE, but I am happy with either.
A $100 helmet that is PROPERLY RATED and fits you well, is going to be infinitely better/safer than the poor fitting $1000 helmet next to it.
Any other point, is about OPINION regarding helmet features. Opinions are not right/wrong. They are just yours or someone else's.

Bottom line - I would go try on every ECE helmet I can and buy the one that fits best. Once, that was the $150 helmet for me. Once that was the $700 helmet.

Jose

 

If you tap the helmet you want, it gives you the test result with a bit more info.
For example, here is mine:
You can tap the impact zone picture to show results for front, left, right and rear.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/shark-vision-r

 

Here's what is suggested for the anecdotal and undecided. This one also offers protection from demons.

http://www.andysowards.com/blog/assets/viking-motorcycle-helmet.jpg

 

Ok. Now that was funny, Billy.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

 

Winning entry in the iconic post of the week contest.

 

Right on BB. Jeffs HJC passed its own impact test, headon collision with a truck. Sounds good to me, so I bought one too. Glad you're still here Jeff.

 

Thanks for all the input guys and that website is awesome.

Looks like I should avoid getting hit on the side of the head if possible

Great to have that info in my back pocket going forward.

 

Well I hope those who were throwing stones weren't wearing a Shoei GT-Air or Neo-Tech helmets, as these are not SNELL approved either. Even the Schuberth SR1 race helmet did not get a SNELL certification. In fact all of the modular and helmets with the drop down sun shield do not seem to be SNELL certified at the moment, something to do with the shell construction that is needed for sun sheild. Aria has gotten around this by putting the sun shield on the outside of the helmet. Oddly, my $149 dollar HJC CL-16 did and buying it on a close out for $40 and getting a $30 store credit rebate, you could say I bought a $10 helmet. Take that Bell!

I think the stigma that comes with Icon, is that their gear, as hinted to earlier, seems to be associated with squids and stunters. As long as it meets the safety standards set forth by DOT, ECE I wouldn't second guess it. Although I am a Shoei wearer, their helmets just seem to fit met the best, I have found that HJC fits remarkably close to how a Shoei fits. I will say that the fit and finish of the Shoei is a bit nicer. Still wouldn't stop me from getting another HJC if a deal like I got was available again. If the Icon fits and feels good AND it meets the safety standards I say it's a win-win for you.

 

Thanks OOTV. I've seen your posts on many subjects before and your opinions are usually really valid.

I'm not too worried about the brand image, although I find it ironic that squids are usually people without proper gear but icon as a gear manufacturer is associated with them.

I was riding a Voss Helmet before which I bought as a complete rookie without doing my research. Spoiler alert: there's basically zero information anywhere on them which is sketchy.

I bought this Icon because it fit great after trying on probably 30 different helmets from various manufacturers and fit my budget as well. The guy at the store said they're great but you never know with salesmen sometimes. I got a great deal (I think) at $150 CAD on it. So far I'm happy with my purchase.

 

Canadian lives matter.

 

Forget about the sharp ratings. Whilst decent tests they do not show the full picture.

For example a £40 thermoplastic helmet out performed a top of the range aria.

There are various research studies which demonstrate the flaws in the sharp tests compared to the old way of testing. Whilst yes some of the tests are more realistic there are some which are not.

The report is heavy reading .


At the end of the day a more expensive helmet is usually much better finished and will last longer if in daily use due to quality of materials. I'm talking about the inner she'll, padding vents and other ergonomics

 

Some folks buy a helmet for the paint job.