Can anyone recommend a very good helmet for track days etc? Looking for recommendations on full or open faced helmets too. Thanks in advance.

 

Stilo, have different size shells vs just padding out one size fits all. Pricey but great product. What's your noggin worth......

 

I went for a basic Bell helmet, open faced. It was about $150 and is SA2010, making it available for me to use on the track for PCA DEs. I picked it up from a local Bike store in town. You can go way up for prices with built in headsets, which are really cool if you have an instructor using it as well. Anyway, I went open faced as it gets hot in Florida. With Pennsylvania, a closed helmet should do fine most of the year, although you it will still get stuffy in there.

Another $.02

 

I have a Bell M4 full face helmet, with a head sock to keep inside of the helmet clean.

 

Arai. A bit pricey but it fits way better than Bell, Sparco and simpson

 

if you're looking for a budget helmet, I had an HJC a while back. Just make sure the helmet meets your club's minimum requirements. some motorcycle helmets are great and can be bought cheap but don't meet the fire resistance requirement.

 

This reminds me of a Bell poster I saw back in the 70's at a BMW Motorcycle store:

"If you have a $10.00 head, buy a $10.00 helmet."

Anyway I always bought the highest rated full coverage helmets then, and used them on both street and track. The extra face protection is well worth it.

 

+1 make sure the helmet has DOT and Snell accreditation.

 

Thanks for the recommendations. Will look into Stilo and Arai.

 

As one's head shape may different from other, I though it is just me that Arai and Shoei fit better than other brands.

My suggestion is you need to try them on as see how it fit. This is very important.

 

+1. Go to a local race shop and try a few on. The fit is very important, not just for safety but for comfort as well. I wouldn't pick a helmet for any reasons other than fit and weight.

 

Yes, yes, yes.

Go try them on. I have had several. The Bell helmets seem to fit a more round head. The Arai seem to be a better fit for my head. A little lighter and better feel for me. Not to mention it looks really cool

 

At the end of the day all the brands mentioned so far go through the same test/certification process, so all are "safe". The biggest differences will be in how well they fit you and how heavy they are. With closed face helmets the viewing angles vary some also. Ultimately just make sure you try on any helmet before buying it.

 

Looks like the local PCA chapter uses in car commas for DE days, so will go to a race shop and try on a bunch of helmets for best fit and will find one with comms capabilities too.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

I have a Stilo and an Arai. Arai uses more shell sizes, so if you are looking for a smaller helmet, the Arai is a better choice.

Like others have mentioned, fit is the most important. I find that Stilo and Bell fit similar, while Arai fits more snug and better for round head.

I personally really like the quality of the Arai line though. I forget my exact model, but it has the larger eyeport, which is a must for me.

If you are on a budget but still want a great helmet, Bell is a great choice. Their shells are bit larger and heavier, but a good quality product if you don't want to spend $800-$1000.

Good luck.