Helmets
- Thread starter bennyboy
- Start date
944 man
Active member
Theres a lot of nonsense talked about helmuts on car forums. If you are confident that absolutely nothing will be able to hit your face in the event of an accident then an open faced helmut will be alright. Personally I would always use a full-face helmut. Make sure that you get a BS Type-A helmet, which will be good to use for national motorsport events too. Currently you only ned a Type-A Fireproof approved lid for international motorsport events. Type B lids are usually made out of thermoplastic and are best avoided. I would also treat with great scepticism any advice suggesting that car helmuts are different in some fundamental way from bike helmuts. Its not too long ago that Arai sold the same lid to both markets with only the paint differing. Even when the shells did differ it was only to make a small (and therefore less susceptable to fire ingress) visor apeture.....
I've got a Shoei RAID II - [link=http://www.shoei-europe.com/uk/products/RAID-II]http://www.shoei-europe.com/uk/products/RAID-II[/link] - it's full face so I can use it for karting as well (I went to loads of corporate karting events last year). Comfy enough, and it's the cheapest one from Shoei...which is still a mile better than the crap you get at TK Maxx! [
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edh
New member
Get one that fits... It might sound daft, but most of them won't. I know that I fit Arai but not Shoei for example. So go somewhere that has lots of choice. I'd go for full face. I'd also be looking very carefully at bike helmets as they appear to be much cheaper than car ones for comparable spec.
Not wanting to start any undue gossip but is Grand Prix Racewear 'business as usual' again? I know at the start of the year their website was closed for 'stocktaking' and there was talk on the internet of them being affected by the economic downturn. I'd be interested to know if the Silverstone branch is open as usual as I've got a few things to buy?
944 man
Active member
They are trading again, I understand. With regards to helmet sizes and fit... The reason that Shoei and Arai (my personal favourite) fit will is because the manufacturers make diffetent shell sizes: most lesser brands simply pad a one-size-for-all outer shell. Shape is important too: the reason that so many Simpson Bandits were offered for sale 'worn once' is because they have an unsuitable North American head shape. My first bandit wasnt fantastically comfortable (but it looked brilliant) but I endured it: I upgraded to a Bandit RX7 which was more like our shape, but still not ideal. Simon
Neil Haughey
New member
GPR are good guys. I got my OMP jet what ever it is helmet there a couple of years back. At the time I was only bothered about track days but I ended up paying about double what I wanted because it was the only 1 off 2 helmets that fitted my head properly and the other was full face and much more expensive. I know, I know, I feel more comfortable wearing open face even though everyone on the net says your face will get ripped off in a crash. I literally tried on every helmet they had and most of them just didn't fit to the shape of my head properly and/or where very uncomfortable to wear.
Agree with everything there up to bike helmets. Bike helmets aren't usually Nomex lined where as anything above shopping spec car helmets are. Car helmets often have different ventilation provisions as well. Certainly don't go with the view "I'm having that helmet because it looks nice". Heads and helmets are all different shapes even if the sizes are comparable. Try it on with a balaclava, assuming you intend to wear one (which is a good idea) and try to get nice an hot before hand - your head will be bigger with the blood pumping. F1 drivers have several helmets which they choose subject to the conditions so, what ever you choose, may not be comfortable all of the time. If you have a choice get the shorter/lower helmet. Clearance with the roof in a 944 is minimal and a great big Apollo 13 fish bowl isn't going to fit.
944 man
Active member
You do not need a nomex liming in a helmet to compete in national motorsport in the UK; you only need it for international events. Thats besides the point anyway, because it is of questionable (read no value at all) value to a track day user. I would trade a nomex balaclava for a Type A/F rating any day, because covering your mouth, it may save your life. Further to my previous point: its of little value to someone in an FIA race either, with a three layer suit over underwear and a balaclava (along with gloves, socks and lined boots). A fire severe enough to test a fireproof lining will kill you, even if youre wearing all of the kit Ive mentioned above..... John, I feel that your post is on the very cusp.
In the sticky in the General forum... http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=40880&mpage=1&key=helmet http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=2195&p=2&tmode=1&smode=1
Neil Haughey
New member
Umm not so sure, I tried this specific thing in my car and I could only hit the wheel if my head came off. My chin hits my chest or my head hits the roof, or would be both at the same time in extremus. Even if I slid right of the seat you would have to get all of my body into the foot well first at which point my lungs would probably be punctured by my ribs, so damage to my face would be less worrying then being dead. In fact the steering wheel is about the one single most impossible thing for me to hit in the car and this is in a normal seat in my normal seating position. Seriously sat in the seat my spine would have to snap in 1/2 for my face to get anywhere near the wheel (I sit high at an steep angle because I like it like that).
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