Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters

lets talk helmets

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wideopen231:
Was getting ready to order a helmet and started to think that new SA rating would be out before I need the helmet. Well if they come out around first of year. If you know about when they normally hit the market let me know.

 Next thing is brand. Always had Simpson never had problem,never tested the bounce off rollcage factor and just as soon not. Looking at G- Force helmets.Great price heck a carbon fiver is under 400,simpson close to 800. question then why 1/2 price.   If use or have used Gforce let me know your thoughts on them. Also any other brand you like or hate.

gregm784:
Is a Gforce CF helmet real CF or is is a poly carbonite shell that looks like CF?  A kid i know brought his motorcycle over one day, showing off a new CF helmet....it had a seam in it....yea, that's a poly helmet that looks CF. 

I wear an Impact drag champ. Very comfy and what i believe to be safe.

JrFuel Hayden:
In my 35 years of selling Motorcycle parts to dealers, I've sold 10's of thousands of helmets, starting with Bell helmets in 1974.
And of course many other brands. Greg you are right your buddy no doubt has a carbon imprinted poly helmet, I know I've sold them.
 I wonder the knock-off carbon helmet was a G-Force, they advertise it's carbon fiber, but maybe they mean carbon fiber look.
With G-Force top of the line CF retailing at $399.99, and Simpson Top of the line CF retailing at $2,000, and Bell top of the line CF retailing at $3,500, makes my wonder.
Look carbon fiber helmets are sexy but really, wouldn't it be better to buy a non CF helmet and spend that extra money on making the car lighter, instead of your head ?
I always told anyone looking for a helmet that fit is a real big deal. If the helmet is too loose, it will not give you the protection you bought the helmet for. The problem with shopping for SA helmets is finding a store that has styles and more important sizes in stock for you to try on. Helmets need to fit snug, matter-a-fact, I tell helmet shoppers to keep trying on smaller and smaller helmets until it hurts, then go back one. You see after you cinch it down about 10 times the liner crushes to the shape of your head, ever notice your helmet gets looser after you 1'st put it on ? Also a good point don't use a used helmet, it has crushed to the shape of the old owner.
The problem of buying a helmet "on-line" is of course you can't try it on, unless they will let you keep returning/ exchanging the helmet until you find one that fits snug.  The problem with the on-line sales people is the sharper ones will have you measure your head 1" above your eye brows which will tell them your helmet size. Except that's not a true fit, because you could have a bowling ball shape head or an oval, same size but not the same fit.  You oval shaped head guys can very often have "Hot Spots" on your for-head, and yes I have customized helmets to fit better.   
My partner has used Simpson for his last two helmets, and our current driver has a Bell, not carbon. The last Simpson Bud bought was not the Drarth Vader helmet like his last helmet because he wanted a larger eye port so putting on his eyeglasses better. Another reason to find a place where you can try on multiple helmets. We have an advantage because we live in SoCal, and just drive about an hour to Simpson. i think there is a SoCal M/C shop that he says he has SA Snell Bell helmets in stock.
Call the manufactures that make SA approved helmets to see if they are going to any car/truck/Motorcycle shows near you so you can get a good fitting helmet, or at least find the style and size that will fit.
Well, that's my 2 cents on helmets. Shop smart, it's only your life.

Jon Hansen

PSweeney:
tricky subject as the rationale is normally buy the best you can afford, but expensive doesn't always mean best now there's so many gimmicks out there.  CF is just to make it lighter, meaning you head should in theory have less inertia in a crash.  Personally I'd be inclined to leave the CF alone and spend the extra on a decent HANS device and ISP cage padding. 

rooman:
I wear a Simpson fiberglass Drag Bandit and I did what Jon suggested--the smallest size that would fit me. It is so tight that it is a problem to get my glasses on (especially with the small eye port) so I don't wear them. I figure that if I can't see the strip without them I probably should not be driving--it's not like I am trying to read the decals on the opposition's car as he pulls away from me   :)
  As Phil notes the helmet weight issue is less critical with a HANS and the big helmet pads as your head has nowhere to go. I tested that theory a few years ago at Bakersfield when I got into a side to side bouncing situation in the shut down area in Horan's car. The big pads limited the lateral travel of the helmet and kept my head off the cage. It is also a good idea to get the built in head sock. I wear a double eye port sock as well but the way the built in one in the Bandit fits over my nose tends to stop fogging of the visor. I also like the detent on the Simpson visor as it is very positive but never hard to adjust

Roo

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