Helmets

[coolboy007]

Sir I mean that if he park his bike in the sun then don't forget to take your helmet with you.Some put there helmet on helmet lock.
this way he can save his helmet from sun.

I will never leave the helmet with the bike attached to a helmet lock.
Even today, when i went in for the coaching class, put the helmet in cover supplied and took it inside the centre.

Hope it remains nice for atleast a year

[zayn]

I will never leave the helmet with the bike attached to a helmet lock.
Even today, when i went in for the coaching class, put the helmet in cover supplied and took it inside the centre.

Hope it remains nice for atleast a year

Yeah this way you can increase the life of you lid but don't do over like putting it in the cover... or you can do if you like to do that,Its your Lid...

[coolboy007]

Yeah this way you can increase the life of you lid but don't do over like putting it in the cover... or you can do if you like to do that,Its your Lid...

We have to keep our lids on a floor out of our sight so thats why kept in a cover to avoid it getting dirty...
Most expensive lid till now na so exagerrated a bit

[rohitmundra]

I agree with bandhav that for such a price a much better helmet could have been considered....No personal grudges, but I never liked WLT, not even once....
for a price of 2600/- An AGV or a vega could have been a better option...Still no grudges with WLT yet...

@zayn: Your stretching on DOT symbol as a reason for safety...I completely agree but mind you, You can yourself get these stickers at karol bagh itself...my lid has ECE standard but I still believe that its not a real one.
So don't just rely on stickers.....try to buy those which can be checked and verified elsewhere.

[Motorcyclist]

Most of us have bought helmets for the relative safety it provides and the looks as well. However, have we considered if the brands we buy are actually safe.
E.g: I have seen many people buy CROSS helmets manufactured in China...because they look good. However the helmets are NOT certified. What if you have an accident and the helmet fails?

The same goes for most manufacturers that we mentioned here. Like Rohit mentioned the DOT sticker is as easy to fake as an ISI sticker on helmets like hawker, hulk (available on the roadside) etc.

For starters here are a couple of links which show helmets which actually passed/failed tests performed to DOT/ECE standards.
If you look through the reports you will realize some manufacturers helmets FAIL the tests more than others. The chinese manufactures almost always FAIL!
NHTSA under the NTSB - DOT USA....
Compliance Testing & Reporting: FMVSS 218 Motorcycle Helmets




Seven Flip-Face Motorcycle Helmets Compared - Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

[zayn]

We have to keep our lids on a floor out of our sight so thats why kept in a cover to avoid it getting dirty...
Most expensive lid till now na so exagerrated a bit

Be happy and enjoy your lid keep it with care you have genuine reason for covering it...

[burnrubbernotursoul]

i would like to share a few things that i found out while surfing the net to know about safety ratings. you people would be surprised to know the findings. DOT is a US rating by the Department of Transport. They have laid down certain criteria for the DOT rating and if the manufacturer feels that their helmet adhere to the criteria laid by the Department of Transport then they can put the DOT logo on their helmet.THE HELMET IS NOT "I REPEAT " -"NOT" REQUIRED TO UNDERGO CRASH TEST TO FLAUNT THE DOT LOGO. However the Department of Transport do test the DOT certified helmets at regular interval at random and you will be surprised to know that almost half of these "DOT Certified" helmets in the US market fail to clear the actual test. what about those chinese , thai helmets claiming DOT certification selling their helmets in India. Do you guys really think these helmets are being sold in the US and have undergone scrutiny by the Department of Transport? Do you guys really think the US people would come to India to check if a certain XYZ brand with that logo is genuine? My guess is as good as yours. MORAL: go for the DOT certified helmets from only an internationally reputed helmet brand.

A lot of guys boo.. boo.. the ISI marked helmets. the ISI guidelines for helmets are very similar to ECE rating .more over with ISI you can always check whether the particular brand or model is genuine.

couldnt get much on ECE how they certify helmets and all. if you guys have the information kindly update us

However SNELL rating are provided only after rigorous testing and the list of those helmet models are also put up on their website.Here i must tell you people that i found a lot of chinese helmet manufacturers in that list. However I couldnt find any chinese brands selling in India in that list. thanks i hope it will be of use to you people.

Snell and DOT Certification Ratings - Everything You Want To Know About ATV Helmets

Compliance Testing & Reporting: FMVSS 218 Motorcycle Helmets

[Devilpulsarian]

Sometimes, I do not like the way people put their negative thoughts in here.
More often thn not, I have seen people putting ther words in a harsher way than it should be.

Considering that many guys seek help from xbhp (especially junior members) a little negative wording from a member (especially a senior member) creates a bad rapo of the product he (help seeker) is going to use. He doesnt have any other option but to feel a little disappointed and that lack of love towards the product he has paid a few hard earned (even from parents) dollars for.

He has paid for the gear, now all he can do is either love it from the core of his heart or keep it with him as something which he has to bear for donno how many more days (everybody knows this feeling, right)

Giving advice is something different and posting negative about a product is different.

[burnrubbernotursoul]

Sometimes, I do not like the way people put their negative thoughts in here.
More often thn not, I have seen people putting ther words in a harsher way than it should be.

Considering that many guys seek help from xbhp (especially junior members) a little negative wording from a member (especially a senior member) creates a bad rapo of the product he (help seeker) is going to use. He doesnt have any other option but to feel a little disappointed and that lack of love towards the product he has paid a few hard earned (even from parents) dollars for.

He has paid for the gear, now all he can do is either love it from the core of his heart or keep it with him as something which he has to bear for donno how many more days (everybody knows this feeling, right)

Giving advice is something different and posting negative about a product is different.

Bro!! i have nothing against any brand but the thing for which we buy helmet is for safety. i told about DOT because some members are vouching for the DOT certified helmets, without even caring to see if that particular brand ever cleared the test or how these ratings are given. that's a dangerous trend. i came to know about it when i was surfing the net to zero on a helmet for myself. and i feel others should also know this. i dont want to disappoint the boy coz frankly speaking i dont know about the brand that he took and it would be very wrong to comment when i dont have the knowledge of that product. Here we must understand that the members should be educated so that they can spread the right message.there was a lot of misinformation going about DOT and i felt it was necessary to clear the air so that members take due care before putting their hard earned money on that. its now upto the members to take up the comment in whatever way they want to , but i pray that they see the positive side of it. iam sorry if it hurts anyone's feeling here.i never meant it that way.my only motive was to let the members know the real picture.your point taken and i have deleted the quote so that the person concerned doesnt think that the comments are directed at him. thanks for pointing that out.

[coolboy007]

A lot of guys boo.. boo.. the ISI marked helmets. the ISI guidelines for helmets are very similar to ECE rating .more over with ISI you can always check whether the particular brand or model is genuine.

So you trust Indian govt officials the most. For me, i always put a question mark whenever anything related to the babus in the govt comes up. What options do i have in a ISI marked helmet. Studds and maybe steelbird.
If indian cos dont make what i want, is it my problem? I am not satisfied in a 1000 worth plain jane with a plain visor black Studds which i currently own.
If i get a fake piece in an imported lid, its my luck.

While buying a particular product, most we can do is buy a product with max safety ratings. If you say DOT ratings stickers can be bought and pasted on lids then even the Indian cos can bribe the officials to pass their helmets for ISI marks, their are endless possibilities, you cant say ride without a helmet as the one you wear is anyways useless.

See at present neither i nor you can tell me how much crash efficient is the helmet i bought. Mine carries a DOT stickers- its pure imagination or maybe true its a fake sticker or US didnt test it.

People here paid 5-6k and bought Dajiya helmets, many reported cracks in the outer shell from a fall of height below your abdomen. Now how can the buyer know if its fake or not.

See, my money is now gone and i have no regrets. To me the lid looks absolutely fine with nice layout, padding and outer shell.
Now karol bagh guys posted DOT or ECE stickers, i cant help it. I wont buy a Studds again for the ISI mark and for the plain fear that other lid i might buy could be a fake.
2 other members beside me own this lid.

Sometimes, I do not like the way people put their negative thoughts in here.
More often thn not, I have seen people putting ther words in a harsher way than it should be.

+1. Its imagination going to heights now. Stickers getting pasted and fake DOT ratings. Seems best is to get a Ninja or Steelbird. People give a damn to Cross, WLT etc.

He doesnt have any other option but to feel a little disappointed and that lack of love towards the product he has paid a few hard earned (even from parents) dollars for.

Dont worry, am not one of them. I put my money on the table after serious consideration and once its put i dont mind what people say. Anyways am not interested in a crash test of the lid i bought anytime soon.
Hey, it was my pocket money saved money.

He has paid for the gear, now all he can do is either love it from the core of his heart or keep it with him as something which he has to bear for donno how many more days (everybody knows this feeling, right)
Giving advice is something different and posting negative about a product is different.

Last lines- perfectly said. Was about to post that "Guys take it easy,the posts are becoming a bit taunting now.

[HydBiker]

^^^ But you have to know some facts. Cannot keep giving feel-good messages every time.

Like
- what we get / buy need not be what we think it is
- what we paid for is a lot for us but comparing that to what people pay in other countries for good helmets, it is a lot less... at least that should tell us that we need to pay more for better quality
- At that cost, if you buy from a decent brand then at least you will be sure that you have bought something better than the Indian made Studds/Vega/Volga/... but gotta remember that it is not upto the mark yet

i need to add 1 important thing here. DOT is a US rating by the Department of Transport. They have laid down certain criteria for the DOT rating and if the manufacturer feels that their helmet adhere to the criteria laid by the Department of Transport then they can put the DOT logo on their helmet.THE HELMET IS NOT "I REPEAT " -"NOT" REQUIRED TO UNDERGO CRASH TEST TO FLAUNT THE DOT LOGO. However the Department of Transport do test the DOT certified helmets at regular interval at random and you will be surprised to know that almost half of these "DOT Certified" helmets in the US market fail to clear the actual test. what about those chinese , thai helmets claiming DOT certification selling their helmets in India. Do you really think these helmets are being sold in the US and have undergone scrutiny by the Department of Transport? Do you really think the US people would come to India to check if a certain XYZ brand with that logo is genuine? My guess is as good as yours. MORAL: go for the DOT certified helmets from only an internationally reputed helmet brand.

That's an important point you have written there. I was thinking of posting this just last week but skipped it. As far as I read & understood, except SNELL certification no other certification is issued to a helmet without full testing first. All other certifications are a set of standards and manufacturers can claim to meet them. It is upon the enforcement body to keep a check on the products regularly.

SNELL also tests helmets for double impact in the same crash. This is very important because the head generally receives more than 1 impact in a crash and if the helmet cannot protect you well after the first impact it need not necessarily save you from a strong crash.

Here i must tell you that i found a lot of chinese helmet manufacturers in that list. However I couldnt find any chinese brands selling in India in that list.

That still is a problem. Most Chinese companies make helmets on bulk order and supply to other companies. Most people importing them in India label their own name and not a Chinese name.

---
Not trying to scare anyone or disappoint anyone.

We have to admit the fact that our money can buy us only something a little better but not very good. And we cannot afford that very good stuff.

The point is, be aware of this fact and don't think you are safe once you bought a little expensive helmet. Ride safe. A helmet, how every great it is, can only protect you from certain things and not from everything.

---

See at present neither i nor you can tell me how much crash efficient is the helmet i bought. Mine carries a DOT stickers- its pure imagination or maybe true its a fake sticker or US didnt test it.

You didn't get the point. Forget about your purchase. You probably got something better than most of us here. Leave it there.

The stickers need not be faked or counterfeit. It is about the way the ratings are designed. It is a standard and a manufacturer can claim that his product meets that standard. Whether it really meets or not is determined by the random tests done by the authority (DOT does it in the US. Not sure if ISI do it in India).

In India one is not supposed to sell a helmet that doesn't meet ISI standard. Same like bottled drinking water. But we know that most of them don't meet the standard. Since you cannot go about testing or getting information about the over 150 helmet brands in India, you stick to the known big few like how you look out for Bislery/Bailey/Kinley/Aquafina/Manikchand if you want good water though there are about 500+ bottled water brands. Again, these are mediocre brands and you don't get any assurance. It is only the confidence you have on them that they might deliver some value for your money.

.

[coolboy007]

You didn't get the point. Forget about your purchase. You probably got something better than most of us here. Leave it there.

I have left my purchase in this discussion. I have spent my money and can no way change it. If tomorrow i get a confirmation that my lid is not certified by anyone, still i would have to use it What i got is good or useless doesnt matter now, what matters is how can you be sure what lid you got is a original lid and meets safety standards.

The stickers need not be faked or counterfeit. It is about the way the ratings are designed. It is a standard and a manufacturer can claim that his product meets that standard.

Thats a sad way these things work but thats how it works. Even in India, many local pressure cookers paste ISI mark on them, if they are really tested is another story. Even those tested by ISI, their genuinty cant be confirmed.

In India one is not supposed to sell a helmet that doesn't meet ISI standard. Again, these are mediocre brands and you don't get any assurance. It is only the confidence you have on them that they might deliver some value for your money.

Thats the problem here, you can never be sure what you picked up is genuine or counterfeit. When Castrol oils can be fake, helmets are not far behind.
Even in ISI helmets, there is hardly any choice if you are sure its a certified product.

best is to call any relative in US and tell him to get xyz lid for you, if you have one- relative you can be sure of what you get there.

[xionite]

@burnrubbernotursoul: appreciate you looking into the credibility of DOT certifications! a few links would be nice... adds a lil more credibility to it.

recently... this thread has been used mainly to post pics of new helmets n congratulations... etc.

Sometimes, I do not like the way people put their negative thoughts in here.
More often thn not, I have seen people putting ther words in a harsher way than it should be.

u can't sugarcoat bad news!
n i don't think he was "putting his negative thots in here"

if the DOT certification method has loopholes... most manufacturers seem to be using DOT as possibly "a credible way to sell helmets"... i'm not saying that the Cross, Sparx etc. helmets aren't proper helmets... just that if DOT certification is a major selling point... then it just seems like there's another side to it.

He has paid for the gear, now all he can do is either love it from the core of his heart or keep it with him as something which he has to bear for donno how many more days (everybody knows this feeling, right)

"love it from the core of his heart"

it's a piece of safety equipment.
it either has the capacity to work or the ability to fail.
love's got nothing to do with it.

people are always booing poser bikes/bikers... i would too... but then... would a sub-standard helmet be a "poser helmet" ?

and u're aksing him to love it even of it kills him???

n u want him be happy rather that knowing that he's been cheated/duped???

ofcourse... the fact that not everyone has the moolah to buy a SNELL certified helmet...
but then again... if DOT certification has loopholes (chinese made helmets solf in india)...

how would we know if it holds up to safety tests.

[HydBiker]

Thats the problem here, you can never be sure what you picked up is genuine or counterfeit.

best is to call any relative in US and tell him to get xyz lid for you, if you have one- relative you can be sure of what you get there.

Pls don't take out our system so easily. Our system is among the better ones. But then, if you think there is no such problem in say the US, that's wrong. At least, in India, generally a fake product is sold for less.

Then again, there can be manufacturing defects in any product. I have cases of Prestige & Hawkins pressure cookers blown up under perfectly normal cooking conditions. I have cases of finding particles in Kinley water bottles. That applies to every product. From the link provided a few posts earlier, the KBC Magnum is a SNELL certified helmet but that particular piece failed pretty bad in DOT testing.

[coolboy007]

it's a piece of safety equipment.
it either has the capacity to work or the ability to fail.
love's got nothing to do with it.
and u're aksing him to love it even of it kills him???
how would we know if it holds up to safety tests.

How would we know that a CROSS or WLT "wont" hold upto the safety tests if we dont have the proof that that upon testing by US they got failed. The point here is that we have neither the proof that such lids are unsafe nor proof that they are safe.

Please provide any link of such failed test helmets wherein we can see and be more careful next time.
Whats a better option then? Stick to Indian brands namely Studds or Steelbird? Theres a lot of faking there too.