helmet???

I know its a common question but I am a beginner and I really look forward for your replies.

I have a great bike coming and I really need high quality gears for my protection and it also required for NC citizens to wear helmet. For now I will have a helmet, a well-ventilated and high quality helmet. I heard that Bell make great helmets like their Star.

So anyone have experience with Bel Star helmet?? Are they good like what reviews said.

Looking forward for your answers.

cant help on the Bell
but HJC makes good helmets i use a 3/4 with flip up shield

make sure they are dot, and snell rated for one.
Never had a bell, so no input there, +1 on the hjc though, also have an arai that is super awesome. I would recommend going to the biggest bike shop in your area and trying them on, see what you like, and what size. consider weight as well when trying them on. I also recommend buying two, as your girlfriend will commandeer the best of your helmet selection, every friggin time!

There are some basic rules to remember;
1. Price does not equal safety - any approved helmet comply with the standards and plastic helmets are better at spreading the load, for instance
2. Price usually does matter when it comes to comfort, fit and finish - easier to replace visors, better scratch resistance on visors, better ventilation, interor comfort, possible to remove and clean interior, less noise etc.
3. Find a helmet that suits your head shape

You need to try it on for comfort. Which is easiest done at a dealer. Then it's up to you if you think it's OK to take advantage of your dealer's services and spend your money elsewhere or if you should also repay him by also buying from him. I often tell a dealer, if prices are vastly higher than online, that "You want X for this, I can get it for Y online including feight. I'm willing to pay 15% (to 20%, depending) extra in order to get it here from you now, but more than that is too much. Do we have a deal?"

Furtheremore, there are more helmets that doesn't fit me than those that do. Shoei, for instance, is praised by many but cause me instant and massive pain if I try to put one on. It's so bad I cannot even think, let alone consider riding with one on. AGVs fit me best, Arais are fine once lightly modified around the temples. HJC make incredibly light helmets, and the lighter a helmet is the better for safety, all else being equal.

Had Bell helmets 30 years ago . Star was a good helmet then , plus I had a open face for when I wanted to ride without being totally enclosed.
Simpson are my favorite Have a Super Bandit and a open face for warmer days.
HJC are nice and cheaper than Simpson
I just bought a Scorpion half helmet with a retractable internal shield and really like it .
What ever one your thinking of dont buy it until you try on a couple to check fit, comfort , features and price. Having two helmets is the way to go so you can change up from full face to a half helmet based on the kind of riding you may be doing
LIte weight is huge for comfort.. Maybe try on one of the new full face helmets that have a chin piece that opens for taking a drink or talking at short stops.
Hope this helps

HJC, model IS-16 saved my life so that is what I wear.

I had a Bell and it was an ok helmet but it was pretty big and bulky compared to the HJC that I have now. It's much more aerodynamic and more comfortable than the bell. My next helmet will definately be an HJC. The newest certification for from Snell is M2010. Helmets in sold in the US may or may not have the both the DOT and Snell M2010 stickers on them. My HJC shows both. If you have any questions about whether or not a helmet is Snell approed you can look it up at the snell site www.smf.org/cert

No experience with Bell. Have had a lot of HJCs, they are cheap and noisy but work great, have several rashed ones to tell the story. The best bang for you buck is Scorpion, the EXO 500 is my next helmet. Quiet and loaded with features. I love Shoeis but they don't fit my head correctly and hurt very soon. Same with the new HJCs, the newest models put pressure in the wrong places on my head. If you are on a strict budget Bilt has some models that impressed me, I've seen them at Cycle Gear for 50% off on occasion, putting them sub $100.

I only wear full face and suggest others do the same. More likely than not (murphy's law) you will face plant and your 1/2 or 3/4 helmet will be useless. I still have a undamaged jaw today because of my full face HJC.

damarble wrote: No experience with Bell. Have had a lot of HJCs, they are cheap and noisy but work great, have several rashed ones to tell the story. The best bang for you buck is Scorpion, the EXO 500 is my next helmet. Quiet and loaded with features. I love Shoeis but they don't fit my head correctly and hurt very soon. Same with the new HJCs, the newest models put pressure in the wrong places on my head. If you are on a strict budget Bilt has some models that impressed me, I've seen them at Cycle Gear for 50% off on occasion, putting them sub $100.

I only wear full face and suggest others do the same. More likely than not (murphy's law) you will face plant and your 1/2 or 3/4 helmet will be useless. I still have a undamaged jaw today because of my full face HJC.

I agree whole heartedly with the use of full face helmets. My first bike accident was a high side and I was wearing a 3/4 helmet and the first thing that hit the pavement was my face. Luckily I wasn't going terribly fast and mainly just got rashed up but I have been wearing full face ever since. A couple of years ago I was running up I95 at around 80 mph and had a bird hit me in the head. It almost knocked me off of the bike. The end result was I had a headache for a couple days and it put some scratches in my face shield and the side of the helmet. Here it is common to see people riding in shorts and flip flops with no helmet but I value my body more than that so I never ride without my helmmet.

Had a couple of bell helmets (mostly older models) most to the padding was gone so not very comfortable by the time I got them but were most likely fine when new. I now use a shoei quest and really like it but my favorite was a AGV Q3. fit just as well as the shoei but had less wind noise. both of these were full face.

baldy110 wrote: HJC, model IS-16 saved my life so that is what I wear.

I got one of those xx large for sale if u want it

Im pleased with my Scorpion XO-700 and the services and prices from sportbiketrackgear.com. Due for an upgrade, think I will go with the XO-1000 this time.