Beanie Helmets..

[suthrncop]

I know before I ask, that Beanie helmets are not the safest in the world....with that disclaimer out of the way...................................Does anyone have any suggestions for a small beanie type extremely light weight helmet that is DOT in the beanie carbon fiber/kevlar variety....I have several full face, half helmets etc. etc......just looking for something that might be comfortable some of the time when I am riding in the extremely hot days...Has anyone tried the VOX brand or Head Trip brand of beanies that are DOT approved....I used to wear ( I hear it coming..Boooo) a non-DOT helmet when I was young and invisible (AKA STUPID) and would like to have something similar to that but DOT approved...anyone with any suggestions or Recommedations other than not getting one?

[Willow]

I'm unclear on the nature of your question.

Are you aware of a program by which the DOT actually tests and approves helmets?

[Doc Moose]

Every DOT certified beanie helmet I've ever seen makes you look like a "mushroom head". 
I personally would rather wear a 3/4 or full face if I want real protection. 
I have some "fashion" non-DOT beanies that look better and they'd prolly help prevent an abrasion on the top of your head, but that's about it.  I guess better than nothing, but not by much. 
PS: I live in a non-helmet state.

[suthrncop]

I may not have been clear I guess, sorry..I am looking for a beanie helmet that is DOT and small...I was looking at Head Trip Helmets and VOX Helmets they claim to be DOT approved and not much bigger than the Non-DOT helmets...........I guess I am looking for the best of both worlds...just wondering if anyone had any experience with either of these two or similar helmets..Thanks

[suthrncop]

These:

http://www.carbonfiberhelmets.com/

[G-Man]

Beanie Helmets???  We have no idea what you are talking about!





Definitely not DOT

[Hellcat]

The Advanced Carbon Composites Head Trip is being recalled as "not meeting DOT standards". Wow, that is going to cost them a ton of money. They aren't replacing them, just buying them all back.

[Willow]

I may not have been clear I guess, sorry..I am looking for a beanie helmet that is DOT and small...

I occasionally wear a small helmet I bought at a Harley boutique.  It has the DOT tag on the back.



The reason I asked the question is that adherence to DOT "standards" is on the honor system.  That is, manufacturers include the DOT sticker and tag based upon their own decision as to whether it meets the requirements.  If you're counting on the DOT sticker to be evidence of how safe the helmet will be you may be disappointed.

Wear what makes you feel good about your risks.

[fudgie]

Only short ones I've seen and like are the ones willow wears. Other then that I agree with Doc. Funny thing was when we bought our 'novey' ones 3 weeks ago the sales lady gave us DOT stickers to put on them.    I thought a Snell rating was better then a DOT.

[f-Stop]

Check out these guys - http://www.hellsbellscustoms.com/index.htm - they seem to have some fun stuff with the option of DOT certification.  I'm kinda' partial to the "Drive By".

[sandy]

A motorcyclists helmet has a Snell approval rating inside. A biker's helmet says "For novelty use only". DOT doesn't mean anything. Wearing a beanie is like cutting the grass without starting the lawnmower. You're going through the motions but what's the point? As most of you know; we just had a horrific crash here in PHX. Four riders killed by a dump truck. "Maybe" one or more of those guys would have lived if they had a "REAL" helmet. Brain damage is what took at least one victim. I'll get off my soap box now. 

[suthrncop]

I knew the snell ratings were better, didn't know that the DOT ratings were useless....WOW. learned something new....Really like Willow's, it came from HD right? Just gotta make sure it doesn't fall off of my head!
Thanks for all the info will look at hells bells too

[junior]

do like i do..................just get a sticker that says DOT and put it on the back of the beanie, been using it for years 

[Tundra]

A motorcyclists helmet has a Snell approval rating inside. A biker's helmet says "For novelty use only".  Wearing a beanie is like cutting the grass without starting the lawnmower. You're going through the motions but what's the point?  

That's funny stuff But so true, I'll have to remember that for future use

[Chrisj CMA]

Im only sharing this because I feel if I dont, there might be one person out there that needed to hear this and I want that person to consider this:

If you have no real need to wear a smaller helmet (I cant imagine one) I mean some reason you have to, then you should consider this.  Most Valkyries have windshields.  and they are right in front of you

When I got (in a split second) knocked off my bike @ 35mph.  Thats a speed you might say, "I wear beenies when Im just cruisin slow"  At 35mph, as soon as the crashbar hit the street the bike stopped NOW!  I didnt. Leading with my left fist and face, I went flying like superman right through the windshield.  It severely messed up my helmet.

I know I would have left significant parts of my face on that broken windshield had I had anything less than a full face helmet or at least a 3/4 with a sturdy face shield..


Food for thought guys


I wear afull face even when its hot now.....vented ones are a lot better

[BonS]

FWIW: Statistical helmet damage zones. Half-shell helmets only protect the rider from ~38% of crash impacts. So you gain another ~62% protection from head and face impacts wearing a full face. The arguments never end though. Lighter helmets place less strain on the neck in a crash and helmets can be too strong and too rigid so they subject your head to more G's in a crash. It's true that DOT helmets are self-certified by the manufacturer and Snell stickered helmets are tested by the Snell foundation. Both are drop-test evaluations.

[fudgie]

A motorcyclists helmet has a Snell approval rating inside. A biker's helmet says "For novelty use only". DOT doesn't mean anything. Wearing a beanie is like cutting the grass without starting the lawnmower. You're going through the motions but what's the point? As most of you know; we just had a horrific crash here in PHX. Four riders killed by a dump truck. "Maybe" one or more of those guys would have lived if they had a "REAL" helmet. Brain damage is what took at least one victim. I'll get off my soap box now. 

The motions for us is mainly to visit Helmet States. Not head protection. We are a hour south of MI and go up there twice a year or so. Or we dip into NE for a bit. Also we use them when we travel for rain protection. Keep the rain off our heads. Far easier to pack and lighter for the bike and our heads. 

[solo1]

Maybe I have outdated info but Snell certification originally required that the helmet withstand higher g's for a longer duration and more than one impact.  Dot was a looser spec. At any rate, we are talking impacts in the neighborhood of 400 G's.  The  helmet shell is made to absorb some of the energy but it springs back.  The polystyrene foam is made to absorb most of the rest and destroy itself in the process, like an Indy car.  The thicker the foam, the more reduction of the energy. A non Dot or non Snell helmet will be smaller by far than a approved helmet.  The DOT sticker wouldn't fool any cop if he wanted to look closer.
 My profession was environmental testing. A 400 G impact to the brain means that the brain ,at that moment, weighs 400 times its normal weight.  It really doesn't take much of an impact to get into that range.  The helmet spreads that energy to a livable condition. 
Also, in my recollection, a helmet will only absorb energy from a 12 mph DIRECT impact. It's designed, by neccessity, to absorb glancing impacts.  Doesn't sound like much but try this if you're dumb enough.  Find a nice doorway with a steel frame, turn your head sideways and simply walk through the doorway so that your forehead will hit the frame.

How did that feel?

So much for ramblings from a retired geezer.

[robin]

Why even bother if your not worried about your brain on asphalt nothing at all is just as good

[Ice]

Do not know if anyone cares but again my two cents, ( if I keep it up I'm going to be broke )

For a long time I wore a Half helmet and 3/4 helmet, part of that was my days as a Motor Officer, I purchased a new Helmet last year in January, and it was a full face helmet. Several reasons for this, one is I am getting older and wiser (so I tell myself), and being a Cop for 18 years, I scraped my share of faces off the pavement from people who wore "benie" helmets. (cant happen to me I am a trainded professional, what a bunch of BS ) Anywho, what I wanted to say is that even though the full face is heavier and hotter, after the impact of this undescribable not identifyable Gigantig Green thing that stuck my face shield shut, I was very happy that I had a full face helmet, I believe whatever that was (flying lizzard, frog, toad, wicked witch of the west) the full face helmet was a great investment, I do not know how much damage that thing would have otherwise done, but I can say that it definatively would have hurt bad enough to possibly cause me to wreck, my head went far enough back that I turtled my wife (who was half asleep) on the back, she thought I was goofing around. 
Well I guess I am rambling a bit, but before going out and buying something, that, yeah its cooler in many ways, do the research and get educated, see if your brain is worth the risk.

Greetings Yuri

[Momz]

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) wrote an engineering standard for Motorcycle Helmets. And it is just that,...a standard. Not a system of approval or certification.

The standard includes glossines standards, manufacturing, and material processes. There are so many sections within the DOT standard, even including impact and coverage minimums.

But in no way does the DOT approve or certify any helmet. If the helmet comes with a DOT sticker, it should also have the standard section number on it. That number refers to the section of the standard the manufacturer claims to meet.

You'd be surprised what sections they can or will claim (rivet size, fade resistance, liner sweat aborbtion,etc).

The Snell Foundation Standard is the only recognized standard in AMA amatuer and professtional racing, FIM, SCCA, NHRA, and SCORE competition events.

[Garland]

Im only sharing this because I feel if I dont, there might be one person out there that needed to hear this and I want that person to consider this:

If you have no real need to wear a smaller helmet (I cant imagine one) I mean some reason you have to, then you should consider this.  Most Valkyries have windshields.  and they are right in front of you

When I got (in a split second) knocked off my bike @ 35mph.  Thats a speed you might say, "I wear beenies when Im just cruisin slow"  At 35mph, as soon as the crashbar hit the street the bike stopped NOW!  I didnt. Leading with my left fist and face, I went flying like superman right through the windshield.  It severely messed up my helmet.

I know I would have left significant parts of my face on that broken windshield had I had anything less than a full face helmet or at least a 3/4 with a sturdy face shield..


Food for thought guys


I wear afull face even when its hot now.....vented ones are a lot better

I thought the stock windshield was designed to pivot forward in the event of a crash. Are your upper bracket mounts installed too tightly, or does the system not work as advertised?

[Chrisj CMA]

I dont remember reading anything about pivoting forward on impact by design when I purchased the thing new from Honda (although the idea is not without merritt)  I r/r my shield all the time and I just use a little open end wrench to tighten those 10mm bolts and I dont crank on them very hard...I dont think I would want them any looser than they have been. BUT...

Once on the freeway a BIG RIG passed me and the suction right behind it was strong and I thought I noticed my shield move a bit.  When I got home I found the left side to be loose and the cause was the hardware.  (this is what makes me think you are right about the flip forward design)  The washer that goes in there has a shoulder and a rubber washer.  For some reason, maybe deterioration of the rubber, that washer was now too fat to allow me to tighten the upper mount of the windshield.  So I ground the shoulder down a  bit and then I was able to get her tight enough....again not with a gorilla grip, just using a small open ended wrench, I cant even get a box in there because of my speakers

So.........bottom line, if its supposed to pivot, then there should be some more intense instructions because there would have to be a very specific torque and maybe new rubber washers every couple years to maintain that capability.  And I would think there would be a possiblilty of that thing moving at rare times when you didnt want it too if it was a tad too loose, so ya, it would have to be precise.

[fiddle mike]

Willow's hat looks like my Simpson half shell.  I bought it on-line not knowing Simpson now out-sources to China.   I like it for summer.
Texas is a pro-choice state 

[doubletee]

Why even bother if your not worried about your brain on asphalt nothing at all is just as good

<rant> Only reason we're bothering is because a few states' legislatures think they should control more of my life than I think they should. If not for their stupid, self-righteous, controlling laws, I wouldn't have to invest in anything in order to visit their states and spend my hard-earned money to prop up their states' economies.  </rant>

[fudgie]

Why even bother if your not worried about your brain on asphalt nothing at all is just as good

<rant> Only reason we're bothering is because a few states' legislatures think they should control more of my life than I think they should. If not for their stupid, self-righteous, controlling laws, I wouldn't have to invest in anything in order to visit their states and spend my hard-earned money to prop up their state's economy.  </rant>

     

[MNBill]

Hey theopowers

"The Advanced Carbon Composites Head Trip is being recalled as "not meeting DOT standards". Wow, that is going to cost them a ton of money. They aren't replacing them, just buying them all back."

Where did you hear that about the Head Trip??? My helmet is arriving tommorow.

I found the site,,, bought the helmet from Iron Braid, tommorow I will see how they will stand behind it

[suthrncop]

Bought an HCI from the "Harley Boutique" paid a little more than I could have gotten it online, but got a good fit and it feels great...love it...Looks like the one in Willow's Pic.....thanks