Long before buying a motorcycle, the first thing to pay special attention to is the choice of a helmet. An inexperienced consumer can take far more than one day to select the right and safe model, so in this article we will try to figure out what it is a motocross helmet and how to behave when buying.
Types of helmets
In the car market, you can see several main types of helmets:
- open;
- integral (closed);
- modular (movable mechanism);
- cross;
- "pot".
In addition to the main varieties, there are several types of helmets that can combine the above types. We will analyze all the pros and cons of each model individually.
Open
This type is suitable for owners of choppers and classic scooters. Motocross helmet can be with or without a visor, with a visor and with additional protection for the cheeks. Such a helmet has a more or less normal degree of protection for your head, but the face remains vulnerable. It would be possible to close our eyes to this, but only the statistics of road accidents indicate that in 70% of such cases involving motor vehicles, blows and injuries fall on the face and jaw.
There are few significant advantages for such a helmet: a little fresher on the face in the summer, a slightly better overview (when compared with the closed types) and a low price. There is no need to recommend such a motocross helmet to beginner bikers or children, especially since reviews about them are distributed about 50/50.
Integral
The closed type of helmet is one of the most popular types of biker protection. It is used in a wide variety of purposes and categories. There is a motocross helmet for children, professional, for off-road, mototracks and many other directions.
Integral has the highest level of protection, for which city motorcyclists, athletes and ordinary mototourists fell in love with it. The helmet covers the entire head with the face. In their reviews, many bikers complain about insufficient ventilation and sometimes a small viewing angle, but there are no complaints about the safety.
Modular
This type of helmets is also called transformers for the existing design features. The front part of them (or in another way - the “jaw”) leans back, due to which the helmet becomes universal and something between the integral and the open type.
It is this motocross helmet (photo above) that is chosen by those who switch from an open option to a safer one. Transformers have reliable face protection, but due to their safety design, they are a bit short of integrals (the more moving parts, the less strength).
Numerous reviews about the modulars boil down to the fact that the motorist considers their weight to be the most significant drawback. Very often, transforming models weigh almost a pound more than ordinary closed counterparts. A striking representative of the modular line is the Fox motocross helmet.
Cross
Models are characterized by developed eye and jaw protection thanks to a specific visor and protruding lower part. As a rule, this type of helmet is used only for its intended purpose - sports cross-country and professional sports, that is, where there is dirt, dust and off-road.
Special glasses are additionally purchased for the helmet, if one is not equipped with a visor. In the car markets, you can find combined models of increased comfort, which are often adopted by mototourists.
They all respond differently about them, but the only thing motorists do not like about them is the versatility of sizes. Sometimes picking the right motocross helmet under your head becomes a real problem.
"Pot"
This type of protection can hardly be called a helmet, because it can only be protected from the sun in case of an accident.
Nevertheless, he is very fond of self-confident “reinforced concrete” bikers and similar personalities who believe that they will cope with any emergency on the road.
Reviews are left only by lovers of design and a good review, and therefore there can be no talk of any safety of such a helmet.
What to choose?
If we talk about their safety or, moreover, the safety of the child, then the choice is obvious - these are helmets of closed type. Professionals and motorists with a specific focus can choose other options for themselves, but we will focus on integrals, and everything described below will be based on this type of motocross helmets.
Dear or cheap?
First you need to decide on the budget that you are ready to devote to the purchase of a helmet. The price range is very large, they can start from 4,000 rubles and end somewhere closer to 500,000 (carbon, diamond rim, titanium and other "bells and whistles").
Unfortunately, manufacturers, raising the price tag for their products, do not always pay due attention to the safety of the helmet. It often happens that a model for 30,000 rubles has rather mediocre protection, and an analogue for 10,000 is not only notable for increased comfort, but also breaks safety records. Therefore, the rule: “The more expensive, the better” is not always suitable for motocross helmets.
Sometimes in different stores the cost of the same helmet is significantly different, so do not be lazy, but it is better to choose and watch all the options you like in several places.
Security
After you decide on the budget for a future purchase, you can create for yourself a certain filter of security for the models you like. Below is an example search algorithm.
- Choose your favorite brand.
- We look at crash and other tests on official sites (the Shoei motocross helmet, for example, publishes them on SHARP stands).
- According to the test, we select all models that have received at least four stars.
- Models whose weight exceeds one and a half kilogram mark can be excluded (severity is needed for professionals and specific types of motocross).
- We look at the price line and filter out what contradicts our budget.
After completing these steps, you will receive the most narrowed list of suitable helmets for you. It remains to choose the right and liked model in size. After trying on, do not rush to take off the helmet for about 10-20 minutes. If after this time you are as comfortable as at the beginning, then the helmet is quite suitable for you. Be sure to pay attention to the material of which the model is made, and to the true build quality. It must be protected by all kinds of holograms and certificates of conformity.
You can choose any model you like in the online store, but it’s better to choose the live one due to the above factors, although some brands are ready to come to you for the sake of sales. For example, if you chose the Monster Energy motocross helmet on the official resource, the store representative will come to you to try on, which is extremely convenient, although troublesome.