dual sport

Here is my question to you.... What's your head worth? I bought THE most expensive helmet on the market when I had my sport bike. TWICE!!!! The first time it saved me from death more than likely. A large rock to the back of the head at 70mph. Helmet had a very small crack and some scratches. Buy what you can afford, but spend as much as you can!

 

Make sure it fits properly. New helmets need to be a little over snug as the padding wears in.

As far as expenses the only way to really tell a decent helmet is a couple things. The DOT, and Snell certifications. Typically all helmets these days will be DOT certified. Snell certifications go beyond DOT and are more expensive, there are updates to Snell certifications so the more recent ones are Snell 2005 and Snell 2010 certifications.

So any helmet is better then none, a Snell is arguably better protection than a DOT helmet.

Then the helmets themselves and to start off I've had bad crashes with expensive helmets (40mph high-side with tumlbing down the road) and cheap helmets (25mph superman over the handlebars head-diving into a rock pile). Both protected my head without issue.

I buy helmets that fit first and foremost; a loose helmet is only marginally better then no helmet at all and a tight helmet is miserable. A good test is to put the helmet on with the strap and then grab the area in-front of your mouth with your hand and hand downward toward the floor/your chest. The helmet shouldn't slide on your head.

Different manufacturers have different helmet shapes. I fit cheap AFX helmets and expensive Arai helmets well, with most Shoei, Icon, and HJC being just uncomfortable vices on my brain.


So #1 is fit, #2 is certifications, #3 is well Arai or non-arai?

Arai helmets are each individually tested on the assembly line for defects; all other m/c helmet manufacturers do batch testing which statistically is good enough. So keep that in mind; I've owned 3 $700 Arai street helmets (currently have 1, 2 used in accidents), and two $130 AFX DS-39 dual-sport helmets (one used in the rock/superman accident). Currently I use the AFX all the time. So that's me, if I had the cash I'd get a nice Arai Dual Sport helmet but I need real knee braces first.

And in my opinion, I'd say a cheaper helmet with a GOOD neck brace is better than an expensive helmet and no neck brace especially for off-roading on trails. I roll with this (see below pic) when I know I'm going on trails (including some riding pants that I'm not wearing), and then go with a street jacket, helmet and airbag vest around town. If I don't wear the airbag vest I wear the neckbracke.

 

Great advice on helmets in here, I'm personally looking at the AFX FX-41 DS helmet.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/afx-fx-41-ds-helmet

 

Hell with that built in sun visor I might get the 41! I've been looking for something like that forever (doubly so since I wear glasses). Not to mention the side cutouts for the neck brace.

 

got some trackmaster II installed

 

Hey Guys!

Finally got my DRZ-E converted and plated, my buddy and I rode about 250 miles this weekend on the back roads and fields of Ohio and Kentucky! Here are some pics I managed to get. 1st thing on my list... A new seat! Dirtbike seats aren't meant for 200 mile trips haha My buddy rides a XR650.

 

Stand up a little more

 

That's what i need to learn how to do more of off road is stand up. Trouble is my bike and me being 6'4ish doesn't really fit to well.

 

Oh I definitely do, it gets rid of my swamp ass

Still my seat will need modified, its fine for short trips but not a 200 mile day haha

 

Anyone going to the Land between the Lakes Dualsport ride Sept 6-7 (LBL200)? Looks like a good time! I may try to go