Well, it's time to replace my aging Nolan 102 Modular (six years old).
The more I look at new helmets, the more confused I get.
Just about narrowed it down to the: SHOEI Neotec White Modular Helmet
or NOLAN 104 White Modular Helmet
Tried on both and they seem to fit fairly good (kinda tight but I think that's because they're new and will wear in)
There is a hugh difference in prices of these two helmets and I've got to wonder WHY?
What makes the Shoei cost so much more?
ps: My younger brother (non-rider) asked this question...
What's the difference between a DOT certified helmet costing $ 69.00 and one costing $ 600.00 as both meet the DOT safety requirements?
Features, name, weight of the helmet, fit, venting, materials and graphics. Those are many of the things that could account for the price difference in any helmet. As far as protection? A 100 dollar dot/snell certified helmet will protect your head just as well as a 600 dollar dot/snell certified helmet.
Both the N104 and the Neotec earned 4 stars in the SHARP testing on how much they exceed the European ECE minumum requirements: SHARP Helmets - THE HELMET SAFETY SCHEME
One thing that wBW notes is that the N104 is slightly narrower than neutral, and that the Neotec is slightly rounder than neutral. One or the other should fit you better. The fit is even more important for safety than it is for comfort. Our head must fit the shape of the expanded polystyrene liner just right for the most safety.
The FMVSS218 standard that earns a helmet the DOT sticker is pretty weak. Among other things, it only tests from the eye-line upward, so a half helmet can qualify. The helmet makers self certify to DOT that their helmets meet the standard. DOT only tests a coupl'a dozen helmets each year. Both the ECE and Snell tests are tougher. The extra costs of a higher priced helmet will get you better fit and finish, better ventilation, removable and washable liner, and other amenities. It might also get a helmet that exceeds, or greatly exceeds the DOT minimum standards for safety. Or just higher price for the brand awareness. (Please, nobody dredge up the outdated stuff about cheap DOT helmets being safer than a Snell certified helmet...if ever true, that was made obsolete when the Snell M2010 standards came out.)
I had dinner a couple of years ago with one of the owners of the Vega helmet company. She told me that her & her husband's company sends samples of their helmets to the Chinese lab of a Swiss testing company for DOT testing. They send samples of their helmets to a testing company in Germany for ECE testing. (Vega has an interesting business model. They are direct from factory to their own warehouse in the U.S....I don't know about Europe...to the retailer. They do not have intermediate distributors that add costs to the distribution chain.)
I've got both...the Nolan stays on the shelf, and the Shoei gets used. Much more plush interior, more comfy, quieter, better airflow, etc etc etc. The ONLY thing the Nolan has better is the humongous eye port. Your experience may vary.
I have two helmets I use...Shoei Neotech and a Shuberth modular. I love them both, but the Neotech is a bit noisier. The only thing about the Shuberth is the visor is so smooth, you can't ride over 20 MPH without the wind closing it all the way. You also need two hands to close the modular, or slam it shut while on the run...but it's light, feels very comfortable and is quiet. The NeoTech visor is not smooth going up and down, is snug around the cheek bone, but I like that fit. I have my radio installed in it and is the helmet I use most. But if I had to choose between one or the other, I like the Shuberth slightly better.
I used to have the N104...hurt my head and my chin was always up against the chin guard. As mentioned above, you either have a Nolan head, or a Shoei head.
Much has already been said, but the one core thing I disagree on is what tr0uble said, concerning the protection.
Somehow it is often forgotten, that the DOT certification is only a minimum requirement, not a maximum.
The large producers of helmets like Nolan Shoei etc. greatly exceed these requirements. So a cheap Chinese helmet which just meets the DOT requirements will protect you a lot (actually a really huge amount) less than an expensive brand helmet that exceeds the DOT requirement.
And I'm not just saying this, I've read multiple helmet tests by independent organisations and they all come to the same conclusion.
Here are a few links:
Since they are in German, here is the translation of the categories in which they were tested (the ones on the top)
So a cheap Chinese helmet which just meets the DOT requirements will protect you a lot (actually a really huge amount) less than an expensive brand helmet that exceeds the DOT requirement.
Well of course there has to be some documentation out there to allow those people that have spent vast amounts more on a helmet thinking it provides SO much more protection to sleep better at night :mrgreen:.
Everyone has their own opinions...fwiw, I wear a Nolan N90.
FWIW - I have a more Arai head shape. Shoei's really don't fit me well.
I recently have moved to the Nolan N104 and love it. I had tried on Nolan's before and they never really fit right. I tried on the N104 and fits like a glove. I like the visibility and versatility of this helmet very much. I really do not find it noisy at all and the ventilation is great.
Honestly, I think 9/10 of what makes a helmet good or bad for you is the fit. At least it does for me.
If possible, try on any helmet you think you want to buy. I found out that in a modular(or flip up)helmet, I have a Shoei shaped head. For the last 6 yrs. I have been wearing a Shoei Multitec. A great helmet in quality and fit. Just last week I put the Multi on my "back up shelf" and got a Shoei Neotec. This is everything the Multi is but better yet. Better vents, nicer interior, and the built in sunshade has negated the need to mess with sunglasses or a tinted face shield.
Cheaper helmets tend to be polycarbonate; expensive ones laid-up fiberglass. Based on my experience working with fiberglass I prefer the polycarbonate, which is heavier but more resistant to repeated impacts like you might get bouncing down the road. Once fiberglass fractures at the first hit it doesn't do much protecting.
But in the end it's the TYPE of impact the helmet gets (flat road, blunt curb, or sharp-edged guardrail) as well as the LOCATION of the impact on the helmet that determines how well it protects. One-size-fits-all ratings are worthless.
Based on my experience working with fiberglass I prefer the polycarbonate, which is heavier but more resistant to repeated impacts like you might get bouncing down the road. Once fiberglass fractures at the first hit it doesn't do much protecting.
Snell requires that the tested helmets pass two impact tests against the flat and round test anvils and one against the edge anvil. Also pass one test against the penetration point (.5mm round point on a 60° point). Snell also tests the chin bar of full face and modular helmets (if they're submitted for testing--so far LS2 FF 3964 size XL & XXL and Zeus 3000 size S pass) and the face shield of helmets with one. There are other tests as well. The shell of Snell certified helmets include polycarbonate. fiberglass, and carbon fiber. Snell Foundation - helmet testing
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 (DOT) testing requires impact tests twice in each of four locations on a helmet against both flat and hemispherical anvils, as well as a penetration test.
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