Back in the day, Bell used to run an ad where the tag line was, "if you have a $50 head, get a $50 helmet"...of course, that was before the Snell Foundation standard, production of a safe helmet required quite a bit of hand work, and the cheaper helmets were a joke. Nowadays, with current manufacturing capability enabling mass production, advances in composites at a lower price point and rigorous testing (all due to economies of scale as the industry has grown to meet demand), it is hard to justify spending more on a helmet just in terms of securing any additional safety benefit. What you will get for more money is more/better features and lighter weight weaves in the shell material.

Besides fire retardant linings, the other major difference, as I understand it, between M and SA standards is in narrowly distributed impact testing i.e. roll bar impacts.

 

a friend of mine has a pyrotect full face helmet he needs to get rid of. SA2005 white, practically new (never wore it for a track day). it's XXL tho...

$150+shipping

PM me and i'll get some pics for you.

 

And mwood is still waiting for his $49.95 rebate check.

 

Good one.


Funnier yet, the HJC M2005 open face I use for autocross I bought on sale for...you got it...$50

 

Pyrotect makes a good helmet for $249 (SA 2005), which is what I'll probably get. They also have interchangable cheek pads, to help customize the fit. Stable Energies carries them: http://www.stableenergies.com/prodin...umber=PY-FF-05

Here's a cheap alternative, just for autox ($80) http://www.racingcommunications.com/
You could upgrade later. fyi, I've NEVER had a club at an HPDE have a problem with my M2000 helmet and I've been using it since I started in 2004, even if their website stated SA helmets only. I've done 15+ weekends and progressed to instructing in that time. I don't have an explanation for this, but you could always try to save the money for now (assuming your head is only worth $80, like mine) and if a club calls you out on it, you could borrow one for that weekend, and then buy a new one at that time, at whatever the latest SA rating is at that time.
Just some ideas...

 

And another thread revived in lieu of a new one...

OK, I've looked online at the Pyrotect, a G-Force Hybrid and now a RaceQuip Ridgeline and have the same question for all of them:

Which one will add the least amount of height to an already tall driver?

I picked the car I have because it didn't have the headroom-killing sunroof, I already drive with the seat full down, so you get where this is going. One other thing I'll point out, and the rest of you can peek along, is if the helmet has venting on areas where it'll tear up the headliner of a daily driver. The Pyro and the Ridgeline look clean in that regard, but what the heck is on top of the G-Force?

Someone mentioned an "inexpensive" Bell (contradiction in terms if I ever saw one) full-face with low overhead profile, but I'm unable to locate that info.

Edit: OK, no responses, so I went with my best guess and picked up a Bell Sport SA2005 ($259 at OGRacing). Damn, I forgot how freakin' BIG a helmet can be, and it doesn't help that I wear a 7 3/8 hat!

The same old problem as above, not sure how this will play out at VIR when I get on track with instructor. As it stands, I have to rack the seat back aft about three-four clicks, and bring the seat itself forward one notch from street. Literally no room above, and if I go further back, the headliner bulge at the door split line pushes the helmet to the right. With the seat positioned as described, the helmet barely clears the roof, and I have a built-in brace for hard right-hand turns.

For the record: I am just shy of 6' 2", 193lbs, and 39" of that height is from seat cushion to top of my head.

 

Hey guys, I need a helmet as well. What I am wondering about is what the deal is with the number in SA2005. I am trying to by one for open track racing and I have been recommended to get SA2005. I thought helmets expire every 5 years. I'm assuming the number is year... Can anybody clarify?

 

SA means it's rated for auto racing. M would be for motocycles.
You are correct, 2005 is the rating year. They re-rate every 5 yrs. They are usually good for 10 rated years. Many lapping groups allow older. So, look for an SA2010 if they are out. You will get a longer life out of it before you have to get a new one.

 

You might also consider how often you'll use it and what the weather is like. In my case, I won't keep a helmet longer than 5 years as it gets kind of funky inside. So a 2005 isn't a bad deal for me (usually cheaper). Now, if I were high speeding it around a track, I might reconsider. But for parking lot racing, I'm not concerned with the newer ratings.

 

a head sock helps keep a helmet fresh and nice for a lot longer. SA is definitely the way to go though, its the most widely accepted for doing "car stuff".

 

If your going to get a head sock, you may as well get a nomex balaclava. Also, to save money, you may consider a open face helmet, rather than a full face. You are in a closed car, wearing a belt(s) to hold you in place. The field of vision is better with an open helmet too.
There was some debate, within the SCCA, about using full face helmets in cars with airbags. The thought was that the force of the bag going off would catch and cause a neck injury. I never heard the outcome of this.

 

Nomex wear is never a bad choice. Flames don't know if you're racing for a F1 title or just having fun around a track
Being sold as pork chops isn't on my priority list, at least.
As for the full face vs "Jet" helmet debate hitting an airbag with a full helmet shouldn't be too fun to test!

 

I'm about to pop for a new SA2010 (my current SA2000 is open face now). Checking some boards, come to find out one of my favorite tracks, NJMP, has MANDATED *NO* open face helmets as of 2011 for all track activities. Don't know if this is a trend, a law, or what, but the open face just got canned, however much I might like one.

 

If you do open face consider eye protection!

I had some close calls when going through the HPDE ranks with my MR2 - 2 pebbles bounced off my cheek two different times, had a tire booger bounce off my eyebrow, plus the dust from the occasional spins causing half a lap of blindness at times...

I went full face when it was time to upgrade and get something with head and neck restraint anchor points for racing

YMMV