I’m in the market for a helmet (for riding ATVs and Dirt bikes), any suggestion as far as brand is concerned? Any online stores/links?

 

I'm kinda partial to these guys: http://www.motosport.com/ but maybe that's cause they're just down the road. Wise advice on helmets is to buy the best one you can afford. Afterall it's your brain your talking about. In general, the lighter the helmet the better it's going to be for neck strain, especially in a collision, however sometimes light just means "cheap". If you have a place near you, it's really better to go in and try on helmets to make sure you get one that fits instead of buying online.

 

Personally, I've always been a fan of Shoei. I have always found they fit just a little better. They ARE a few dollar's more that other brands. Again IMO, there is no point in skimping when it comes to personal safety. -Chris

 

I personally don't wear a helmet when riding my atv, but I never ride at high speeds, or do anything stupid enough to need one...

 

Make sure the helmet meets both the Snell and the DOT tests there will be a sticker
on the back or inside and if it doesn't have both then pass. Rockymountain atv
has the best prices and their house brand of apparel is pretty good and they have a
great price. I have the Arc helmet boots and pants and they are holding up pretty
well the helmet has good vision and a good fit. That is also a big thing measuring your
head correcetly and getting a helmet that fits right since a too loose helmet can come
off during a crash or worse twist and block your vision and cause a crash and since
it has more leverage it could be more likely to snap your neck!! The tusk brand of the
parts they have are also really good priced and the chains sprockets and brake pads
they have will save you alot of money since they are the parts that wear out the most. http://www.rockymountainatv.com/home...F6AB.westring1

 

A note about proper fit, in addition to the above problems caused by a too loose fit, a major one is the secondary impact of the helmet hitting your head in a crash, defeating the purpose of the shock absorbing material inside. It should be tight enough so that when you grab it by the chin guard and move it (up, down , side to side), you head should go with it, even unfastened. It may seem a little uncomfortable at first but a good helmet will fit itself to your head fairly quickly. I personaly used to buy Bell helmets, don't know whats out there now. Stay away from cheap plastic ones, look for a good approved compsite material. It's saved my noggin many times. If you ride a dirt bike and never crash, you're not trying hard enough lol!

 

The biggest thing is to make sure that the helmet has a Snell rating. Snell is a much tougher rating to achieve than DOT and a Snell-rated helmet will protect you better.
Which brand you buy really doesnt matter nowdays because they are all made in Korea.
I agree with not skimping on the price you pay for a helmet, but dont think that a $400 Arai or Shoei is going to protect you any better than a $200 HJC.

 

Thanks guys, taking all your advise I bought HJC on EBay (I know few other folks around here recommended the same brand). It is $99.99+ shipping, it is SNELL and DOT approved!

 

About the size, I have tried a few in the local shop here( including HJC brand) and I need medium (57-58 size) so choosing size online was not difficult.

 

I think I would want to buy Shoei when I buy a street legal motorcycle. I barely travel more than 8-9MPH on my ATV so HJC should do for now.

 

I love AFX helmets. They are very light and sturdy. Had one save my life when my rear swingarm broke off at 40 MPH and rolled my quad 3 times. I'll never wear another brand of helmet.

 

Thanks for your reply but I disagree with you totally, I would have said the same a few years ago but that was before my very good buddy died in a crash. I didn't have to face his parents to tell them that their son died but none the less it left me and my other buddy mentally crippled for quit some time. He was doing right about 35MPH and took the impact right to his head, died on the scene and no, he was not trying any stunts,a simple case of loosing grip and falling. Just before the accident the last thing he told me was "ok, meet you later when I get back(nodding his head in a up right positive gesture)" ...

 

I've allways used and depended on Bell helmets for years.

 

It's not only you there could be some knuckle head and he is hauling butt and doesn't
see you coming around the corner and simple physics dictates that the vehicle travelin
the fastest gets the least damage, So for ypou that means you get pitched off your
ride and end up who knows where and mostlikey a few flips later!! So don't just think
it is just you, I used to get hit by my buddy on his quad all the time and sometimes
it was like where did you come from and sometimes we were just rididng side by side
and a root would throw one of us off the trail and into one another or a tree only
doing 15-20mph!!

 

Its also a matter of the simple fact that if you fall even at only 5 mph that you could still sustain a fatal head injury.
I personally wont ride a motocycle, ATV or snowmobile without a helmet. Back when I still owned a dirtbike I wouldnt ride that thing without a helmet, neck roll, chest protection and motocross boots. Its pretty much a given that when you ride a bike that sooner or later you will fall and if Im going to possibly fall on some sharp, jagged rocks and then have a 200+ pound bike land on me, I want all the protection I can get.