Purchasing a Racing Helmet - what to look for

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Cashizslick

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All,

As some of you know I have been talking about getting into autox and track racing for a while now.

Now that I have income, it is perfectly feasable that I will be able to fix the differential on the S14 and be able to pay for track/seat time.

My car will meet the vehicle code standards, but i do not have a racing helmet.

Whats the deal with helmets? Dont most sanctioning bodies require something that is no older than 5 years (saftey certification)?

What should I look for as far as form/funciton? Do most of you who race order your helmets online or buy em at a performance shop? How should I make sure i get the right size for my head?

Bla, so many questions - thanks in advance.
 
get a vented full face with an SA2005 rating.

go to a motorcycle shop and see what they got.
 
SA2005

don't accept any others.

This is what i have:
Racer Wholesale

in the sa2000 variety, as i bought it 2 years ago.

helmts are good for 5-10 years depending on the club, so buying an sa2000 limits youe ownershop lifetime.

fit is most important.

I wear an XL
bill wears a L
mike wears a medium

I'd say you're a medium.... but might be more comfortable with a large. hard to say. you're kinda inbetween on sizes.

this is a good deal:
Racer Wholesale
 
you definitely get what you pay for. when i bought my bike i went cheap and got a scorpion helmet. i get a lot of road and wind noise and wind blows up the front into my face. and that probably won't affect you in a car.

the only thing good about it, it's cheap. it will suit my purpose. my friend had one and wrecked his bike and hit his head, it chipped but didn't break. so they definitely work. vision is good, the lenses don't fog up even if you try, and the face shield only takes about 2 seconds to change out.

3715.jpg


http://www.helmetharbor.com/estore/products.cfm?seriesid=Scorpion+EXO-400+Helmets
 
get a vented full face with an SA2005 rating.

go to a motorcycle shop and see what they got.

Is this what most people do?

Any other comments on this?


Sounds like a decent idea . . . i would be able to try some on and get the proper fit before i order online.
 
i wouldnt recommend an open face helmet
a lot of places dont allow open face helmets any more... the few that do are mostly just "grandfathering" it in for old time members that have them ... so full face is the way to go

SA is allowed for pretty much any auto racing ... M rated helmets are no good for a lot of auto racing (usually ok for autoX and some HPDE track days depending on the orginization) ... so if you want to go heavy on the track and plan on getting into competitive racing dont bother wasting your time or money

get the newest snell rating available (they update every 5 years 2000, 2005, 2010, etc...) most places require the current snell rating or the one before... ie:2005 is current , 2000 is the one prior... so the helmet you bought in 2001 that is 2000 rated will be good untill 2010 then it will be too old to pass tech with... this is why you will see a lot of helmets for very cheap prices that are 2000 rated... even though they were made in 2004, their lifespan is half over and they need to be sold (cheap)

FIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO A GOOD HELMET... beyond that it should have good ventilation... it gets really hot in the car... it should be somewhat light weight... this gets more important the longer the race is...
then theres little things like interchangable pads this is nice if you wear the helmet a lot and the pads either get worn in and dont fit as well or just start to smell like death... there is no shortage of good helmets out there... there is one to fit just about every head and every budget... do some research... try to find places where you can test fit several... good luck
 
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Is this what most people do?

Any other comments on this?


Sounds like a decent idea . . . i would be able to try some on and get the proper fit before i order online.

that's what i would do. i would find a helmet you like, get the right fit, and find the price. then i would go online. a lot of the online stores do free shipping. like the one i posted.
 
motorcycle shops don't sell SA helmets... at least i've never seen it.

also, look for one with HANS device screw holes. HANS are becoming standard in a lot of sanctions now too... so future ready yourself if you do cage the s14 :)
 
motorcycle shops don't sell SA helmets... at least i've never seen it.

also, look for one with HANS device screw holes. HANS are becoming standard in a lot of sanctions now too... so future ready yourself if you do cage the s14 :)

a few in my area do.
 
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