Helmet advise - Shoei vs. Scorpion

[woodyracing]

Originally Posted by venomous

When it comes to gear, this is one area I refuse to buy knock off stuff. IMO Scorpion is just that. My last accident was a highside and put me into a fence. My head went into it first and without a good helmet I could only imagine. I have had Arai, Shoei and Icon helmets. The Icon helmet fits me the best, is good quality, has cool graphics and is affordable.

Make sure it is SNELL M2000 approved...just a DOT approved helmet dosen't mean crap.

Get some good gloves, jacket (having a snotty nurse scrub asphalt from your thigh and forearms is the worst thing I ever felt) and boots (this will save your ankles and heels if you go down hard).

I just bought a set of the mid high Alpinestar SMX boots and they broke in very quickly and are very comfortable.

Here is a link to where I get most of my riding gear as they are very reliable, ship quickly, and have alot of different sales every month
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/

WOW, just WOW Scorpion is knock-off crap but Icon is quality gear??? I'm speachless...


okay I'm back, thats BS. Icon is the ORIGINAL POS brand. Their helmets were made by the factory that makes a lot of the sub-$100 off-brand full face helmets until not too long ago. They run an entire company on cheap-sh!t product with a pseudo-stylish look.

FWIW I've been using Scorpion helmets on the track for a few years now and have hit my head every way you can short of jumping off a building and my Scorpion helmets have consistently exceeded my expectations.

Now, I'm certainly not going to claim they are "better" than Arai, Shoei, etc but they protect your head which is what a helmet is supposed to do. For sure they aren't as refined as the higher end helmets but they protect your head which is what a helmet should do.

[SMotU]

I bought a new helmet this past weekend, and I think that I have learned that the real key to how the helmet performs is how it fits. I had a Scorpion EXO 700, and had worn it for 40,000 miles with no complaints ... except noise. When I went to buy a new helmet, the salesman worked with me for about an hour trying different helmets and switching out pads. I tried on three different models of Arai. They are built for different shaped heads. Once I got one that fit on the crown of my head properly, I switched out cheek pads until it was just right. The difference in noise is amazing. I don't know that the Scorpion is that much worse of a helmet, but I was able to get fit for the Arai so that it is just right. The thing that had confused me was that when I read reviews of helmets, I would often get conflicting info about noise. Some would say that the thing was quiet, and others would review the same helmet and say that it was loud. At first I thought that it was just differences of opinion about what constitutes "loud", but now I think that it's a matter of fit. Whatever you get, try to get someone to work with you on making sure that it fits just right. I'm very pleased with my new Arai. I would have never looked to replace the Scorpion if it weren't for noise. If you find a Scorpion that fits, you will probably be very happy.

Cheers!
Steve