Getting the right helmet
There’s more to choosing a helmet than price and colour – its intent really matters
Selecting riding gear is all-too often an aesthetic choice rather than a practical decision. But there is more at stake when it picking the right helmet. Take a sports helmet: Its visor aperture will be positioned towards the top of the helmet with a high-cut neck at the rear, to suit the typical leant-forward sportsbike riding position, with the head tilted chin-up. The angle of the sightline is upwards for optimum vision and the higher section at the rear doesn’t interfere with your clothing. A touring helmet, on the other hand, will have a wide aperture for excellent all-round vision, positioned centrally in the helmet to suit a touring riding style; sitting upright, with your head in a straight-ahead position and the neck and body almost vertical. Flip-front helmets are typically used for touring, so the visor position and design are similar, with the option to open the chinbar for convenience. Some flipfront helmets should only be used with the chin-bar closed when riding (Labelled ‘P’ on the homologation label) while others can be used with them locked open as well as closed (dualhomologated, with P/J shown on the homologation label). Open-face helmets are popular on retro bikes while jet-style lids are common among city commuters. Both typically have ‘J’ homologation only and will offer less protection to the face in the event of an accident than a full face or closed flip-front would. Off-road helmets are a different beast altogether. Most adventure helmets are derived from enduro or motocross helmets; large chin bars for lots of airflow to the face, huge apertures intended to allow riders to wear goggles and peaks to reduce sun and debris hitting the face. Road-based helmets use a visor for on-road convenience but these can often be removed and replaced with goggles when venturing off-road.
Picking the right style of helmet for the sort of riding you do, is a crucial contributor to your safety. Wearing a touring helmet on a sportsbike, for example, could significantly restrict your vision, comfort and safety. Whatever style you need, ensure it fits properly, that it’s ECE22.05 or ECE22.06 homologated, and look for other integrated features like rotational motion protection systems that could further benefit your safety.