Clothing questions .. Price vs quality etc

[Danny-B-]

So im going to start doing my DAS soon and ive been trawling the web looking for everything motorbike, anyway ...

I just had a look on ebay for helmets (new not used) and i came across this shop http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/p-rclothing__W0QQ_armrsZ1

now they sell allsorts but why is there a massive difference in the price of helmets ? are some better than others ? if so, how exactly ?

One i looked at was only 30 squid ! Ebay MDS Helmet

part of me thinks ooo nice n cheap, its a crash helmet so it should do what its supposed to .. right ? but then on the other hand im kinda thinking theres something wrong with cheap helmets as some go for £300 ... so im kinda lost with it all, opinions / recommendations please and thankyou

P.S. is it the same thing for leathers etc ?

[MtotheJ]

As for buying helmets off ebay, do not do it whatever you do UNLESS you have tried on the exact same helmet on in the exact same size in a shop. Fit is the most important thing in a helmet and helmets are all different shapes. For example, I had an AGV that was ridiculously tight around my head and loose on my cheeks in a small, then bought a Shoei, also in a small which is perfect around my head and a bit tight in the cheeks (although probably could get away with an XS).

There is also nothing on that advert that says it is road legal. Which it needs to be. Price differences are usually down to make. Shoei and Arai being the most expensive due to the name on the lid. A helmet is also not just a helmet, have a look at this Sharp Helmet Safety Ratings. It shows how safe some helmets are compared to others with a star rating. Get a helmet that fits well though as one that doesnt fit is useless and make sure you try loads on! They vary greatly!

As for leathers, there are no ratings like there are for helmets. But it is normally the case that the bigger names, alpinestars, arlen ness, Berik are going to be better than some dodgey chinese leather jacket sold from Malaysia on ebay.

[Stephen]

Personally i would never buy kit off ebay, especially helmet as you have no idea of the history of the products. Regarding helmets - all helmets sold in this country have to pass certain safety tests, so in some respect they all can provide a certain level of protection. However, they do not show which helmets far exceed the testing requirements and which just scraped by. I wouldnt spend less than £200 ish for a helmet to get a good quality one, that fits well and i like. I also prefer the well known names, as their are well known and well trusted for a reason. After all, would Motogp stars wear Arai/Shoei/Nolan etc if they werent going to do their job and protect them in the event of a crash?

[Guest]

i have bought gloves, boots, but wouldn't buy a helmet without trying it on..

have a look at bike shops near you and check out hein gericke "for the ride" gives you discounts on stuff..

as you are a novice, you need someone to assist you to size and fit a helmet.. different helmets have a different fit, and i wouldn't buy anything without an ACU gold sticker..

as this is one of the best safety classification for helmets..

try the end of line stuff, last seasons designs can be bought at knock down prices..

[TC1474]

As for leathers, there are no ratings like there are for helmets. But it is normally the case that the bigger names, alpinestars, arlen ness, Berik are going to be better than some dodgey chinese leather jacket sold from Malaysia on ebay.

 

Most of the big brand names actually come out of the same factory in the far east, usually Sialkot.

When I was there a couple of years ago, I purchased a very well known brand of leathers for £50 instead of the usual £700 I would have expected to pay here. And they were exactly the same as I did a direct comparison with some leathers I have in my garage I use for research.

Don't let the name fool you, look at the quality

Helmet wise, a £30 hat will afford you exactly the same protection as a £300 hat, it simply will not have the fancy features of the more expensive helmet, but regardless of how much you spend, fit is all important.

A £30 helmet that fits you right will give you far more protection than a £300 hat that fits you badly.

[MtotheJ]

As for leathers, there are no ratings like there are for helmets. But it is normally the case that the bigger names, alpinestars, arlen ness, Berik are going to be better than some dodgey chinese leather jacket sold from Malaysia on ebay.

 

Most of the big brand names actually come out of the same factory in the far east, usually Sialkot.

When I was there a couple of years ago, I purchased a very well known brand of leathers for £50 instead of the usual £700 I would have expected to pay here. And they were exactly the same as I did a direct comparison with some leathers I have in my garage I use for research.

Don't let the name fool you, look at the quality

Helmet wise, a £30 hat will afford you exactly the same protection as a £300 hat, it simply will not have the fancy features of the more expensive helmet, but regardless of how much you spend, fit is all important.

A £30 helmet that fits you right will give you far more protection than a £300 hat that fits you badly.

 

I know what youre saying about the leathers but theyre not chinese brands theyre designed somewhere else surely and just chucked together in that factory.

As for a lid, surely the Sharp safety ratings show that helmets do have different amounts of protection. E.g a KBC T8 has one star which you can get for £60 whereas a Shark RSR2 is 5 star and bought for £320.

[TC1474]

I know what youre saying about the leathers but theyre not chinese brands theyre designed somewhere else surely and just chucked together in that factory.

 

Not in every case. One particular brand has all their leathers designed and manufactured in the far east, and then the factory markets them in other countries under different brand names.

Brand names chop their countries of production on a regular basis and where labour is cheapest. For years it has been Sialkot, but Singapore, Malaysia, China have all been popular manufacturing countries, even the USA was quite popular at one time.

 

As for a lid, surely the Sharp safety ratings show that helmets do have different amounts of protection. E.g a KBC T8 has one star which you can get for £60 whereas a Shark RSR2 is 5 star and bought for £320.

 

The Sharp test is just a job for the boys. EC22/05 (which replaces BS6658-85) sets out minumum standards, the biggest difference is that once approved it becomes self accreditation regardless of whether it is one of the big Jap factories or the smaller European firms.

But, the important point is that all the helmets sold on the UK market far exceed the minimum standard.

The only good point about the Sharp test is that it to a certain degree does show that you don't need to spend vast amounts to get good protection, but of course when it comes to bash hats, there are a lot of brand name snobs out there.

[Bogof]

As for a lid, surely the Sharp safety ratings show that helmets do have different amounts of protection. E.g a KBC T8 has one star which you can get for £60 whereas a Shark RSR2 is 5 star and bought for £320.

 

And the Arai Condor at £240 gets 2 stars, the Schubert S1 Pro at £450 also gets 2 stars, whereas the Lazer LZ6 at £70 gets 5 stars as does the Caberg Trip at £90.

Different levels of protection are available at different prices it seems, but they ALL exceed the EC22/05 minimum standards.

So the moral is, make sure you pay for the helmet, and not the name (unless you're a brand snob)

[Guest akey]

And now the quandry

Is protecting your head the only thing you want a helmet to do? Granted it is the most important and basic need but how about some of the following

Venting - for keeping head cooler in the heat

Draft proofing - for keeping head warm in the cold

Fog prevention - venting and antifog on visor

waterproofing - visor seal and vent leaks for example

ease of changing visors

form when fitted - not fit, but cut and shape of the shell

Weight

areodynamics - drag at 50mph+ causes neck strain

noise level

vision - how much peripheral vision does the visor space allow

For some all of these factors are important with some more important than others, many of which we dont think about until we spend £100+ on a lid that "just doesnt feel right" it was fine for fit, and felt great in the shop but once on the bike something isnt quite right. Most of these additionals are just things we get used to or expect from experience, some are from when we have a new lid and think, wow this is great much better than my old lids, and most only comes with experience.

All of these things take time, resource and testing to get right, which is why some of the more expensive lids cost more, shueberth for example make some of the quietest lids on the market, MX lids tend to have more vents (they are designed with slower speeds in mind) and better peripheral visability. Helmet design is not all about safety.

Danny, I would set a budget and then go look at what you can get for that money, but as others have said, fit is the most important thing when buying a lid.

[TC1474]

shueberth for example make some of the quietest lids on the market,

 

Again, you will get varying thoughts on this. Shueberth are one of the noisiest helmets I have ever tried, mainly because I cannot get one that fits me right, and most people who complain of their helmets being noisy, if you checked would probablyhave the wrong fitting or poorly sized helmet.

On the other side of the coin, AGV (for me anyway) are the quietest because they fit me perfectly, it is all a matter of perception.

It really is a matter of trying different brands on, and having someone with you (maybe the salesperson or a friend who knows what they are talking about) until you find the hat that fits you the best but within your budget, but don't allow yourself to be brainwashed into spending more than you can afford. Some people will use the old cliche "If you have a £30 head then buy a £30 helmet", don't believe it, there are some very good hats out there at the lower end of the financial spectrum.

[Guest akey]

Fair point TC, and I agree I find AGV lids quiet as well.

[Danny-B-]

Excellent folks, thanks very much, my plan is to head on down to my local bike shop once ive got my CBT out the way, ill probs try to get my "Biker" mate to come allong to offer me some advice

I guess id be happy spending £100 on a good helmet, well one that fits nice anyway, not really fussed on brand name as i have no idea what each brand is like anyway.

CBT is booked for sept 13th ! whoo

[techno]

Fair point TC, and I agree I find AGV lids quiet as well.

 

depands which model