Moped/scooter helmets

pramclub

My son is thinking of getting a moped or scooter, as he's only 16 he'll have a 50cc restricted. What price range helmet should we be looking at? Or are all helmets the same, regardless of the speed/engine size of the bike?

Premier_2

All helmets are the same regarless of the speed/engine size of the bike.

But not all helmets are the same in terms of design, materials, etc.

Open face or full face. Glass fibre or polycarbonate.

First priority is that the helmet has the necessary legal logo on it certifying it is ok legally for raod use. This should be on any helmest sold from a reputable source anyway.

Then its down to design, style, material, comfort ... and how much you value protecting your son's head.

Chippy_Minton_2

I'd buy the best you/he can afford. After all he only has one head. Go into a supplier and ask advise. Don't swayed by fashion go for a good comfortable fit in a quality brand. An end of line (last years colours) will be found on offer somewhere. So long as it's kite marked BS and within date and all that.

LandyAndy

DaveMacD

And for goodness sake, make sure he tries it on before you buy.

It shouldn't be too tight, or he'll spend more time thinking of his headache than he will on the road ahead. If it's any more than a little snug, it probably wont bed in enough to get comfy.
When it's on and strapped up, it shouldn't be able to be pulled up or twisted round, and certainly shouldn't come right off.

If it's a full face helmet, check the ventilation. In this sort of weather, you take one breath out, and everything goes cloudy

From a convenience point of view, something that is full face, but you can flip the front up as well as the visor is a godsend. It means you don't have to take the helmet off at garages and the like (handy in the winter) and if the worst does happen, it's easier to open a flip front helmet than take off a full facer. And there are some good deals to be had. As long as it has the ACU sticker on it, it meets the requirements for safety.

Chippy_Minton_2

Premier wrote: »

First priority is that the helmet has the necessary legal logo on it certifying it is ok legally for raod use. This should be on any helmest sold from a reputable source anyway.

Legal for road use in the UK doesn't always make it a better helmet. But best to stay clear from that as the OP was asking advice and we don't want to confuse them.

Takoda

You don't want it too loose though otherwise when the padding settles down it will be too big. I buy mine snug around the cheeks.

Buy the best you can afford (how much is your head worth?) and replace it if you drop it on something hard like concrete.

Tell him NOT to sit it on the seat or hang it from the handlebars or stick it on top of his mirror. Put it on the floor where it is safer.

Markyt

Go somewhere it will be fitted by someone who knows what they are doing, as a badly fitting helmet won't give the required level of protection.

Check out any helmet you like against this:

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

which test against the current standards (though some believe they aren't as good as the previous tests they replaced).

There's also a guide to fitting:

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/helmet-guidance/best-fit/

You can pick up a good helmet cheaply. Above about £80-100, you'll be paying for extras like light weight, removable linings, quick release visors, low noise, limited edition paintjobs and the like. Nice to have if you can afford them, but not essential.

Volcano

After having slid down the road on my face on more than one occasion....I'd NEVER risk an open-face helmet. This is also one time where I'd recommend buying from a bike dealers rather than the net (unless you have a particular helmet model in mind).

Never buy a second-hand one either!

Vomityspice

How much is his head worth to you?

You can get a helmet for £30 (ebay?) or £300? Which do you think is better?

As another poster put it, he only has one head....

elfen

Is good to go into a local bike shop and try on the helmets, as size differs between each. A good not too expensive helmet I used to wear (for nearly 3 years and no problems) was an AGV. Bought online new, was I think about £130. Full face, had changeable visors, and three different vents (one main, two sides that didn't need to be opened or closed as they only opened with breathing out) Comfy as hell, double d-ring closing (is better than a clip thing when you have cold hands or gloves on - easy to pull tight) and kept my bonce nicely protected.