Lidle bike gear

[Snowy]

[quote author=Rabb link=1329575349/25#25 date=1330030425]I want to buy a helmet for my better half - what's the quality / fit like?

Thats what i did last night. Helmet seems to fit reasonably well for £40. There is a fair amount of noise but then i have never used a flip helmet so may be the norm. Comes with a standard and winter collar and spare visor which is handy. All bits are removable and thus washable! Not much more you could want for £40. (not suitable for track days obviously) If your gonna get one get there quick as they are moving pretty dam fast.

The tank bag is also a bargain. Versatile, seems well put together and works supprisingly lol. [/quote]

Personally I wouldn't support the view that its OK to have a helmet designed to lower specs/impact strength for use on the road but that the same helmet would not be OK for use on the track. Speeds may be different but there's a whole load more stationary objects and other road users travelling in the opposite direction to hit which increases the risk of a heavy impact.

[Dabz]

far safer to come off on track than it is on the road!

[Crosbie]

[quote author=Crosbie link=1329575349/26#26 date=1330073362][quote author=Rabb link=1329575349/25#25 date=1330030425]I want to buy a helmet for my better half - what's the quality / fit like?

Thats what i did last night. Helmet seems to fit reasonably well for £40. There is a fair amount of noise but then i have never used a flip helmet so may be the norm. Comes with a standard and winter collar and spare visor which is handy. All bits are removable and thus washable! Not much more you could want for £40. (not suitable for track days obviously) If your gonna get one get there quick as they are moving pretty dam fast.

The tank bag is also a bargain. Versatile, seems well put together and works supprisingly lol. [/quote]

Personally I wouldn't support the view that its OK to have a helmet designed to lower specs/impact strength for use on the road but that the same helmet would not be OK for use on the track. Speeds may be different but there's a whole load more stationary objects and other road users travelling in the opposite direction to hit which increases the risk of a heavy impact.


[/quote]
There may be more stationary objects to hit on a road than a track but lawfully you aren’t doing more that 70mph on a road compared to 120,130,140 etc on a track. I would hazard a guess that this is why there are helmets for track use and not. At the end of the day a helmet designed not for track use will protect you in an accident as best it can which will have be through the rigors of testing for road use/collisions.

On that basis there is nothing wrong with the helmet, it just isn’t up to the mark that a helmet suitable for track use is but then if you are riding within the law that shouldn’t be an issue!

Ps. having a highspeed crash I personally would be more concerned of the damage caused to my body’s vital organs (minus my brain) as apparently a high proportion of serious motorcycle accident victims die not from brain damage but from other failing vital organs that effectively turn to mush (this comes from my boss's daughter who is a brain surgeon!) quite literally. Apparently we bikers are great for neuro research as those that tend to be fatalities are young so no onset of dimensia etc and have the head intact. :-/ Bit morbid I know, sorry.

[Snowy]

[quote author=BMWGraeme link=1329575349/30#30 date=1330086453][quote author=Crosbie link=1329575349/26#26 date=1330073362][quote author=Rabb link=1329575349/25#25 date=1330030425]I want to buy a helmet for my better half - what's the quality / fit like?

Thats what i did last night. Helmet seems to fit reasonably well for £40. There is a fair amount of noise but then i have never used a flip helmet so may be the norm. Comes with a standard and winter collar and spare visor which is handy. All bits are removable and thus washable! Not much more you could want for £40. (not suitable for track days obviously) If your gonna get one get there quick as they are moving pretty dam fast.

The tank bag is also a bargain. Versatile, seems well put together and works supprisingly lol. [/quote]

Personally I wouldn't support the view that its OK to have a helmet designed to lower specs/impact strength for use on the road but that the same helmet would not be OK for use on the track. Speeds may be different but there's a whole load more stationary objects and other road users travelling in the opposite direction to hit which increases the risk of a heavy impact.


[/quote]
There may be more stationary objects to hit on a road than a track but lawfully you aren’t doing more that 70mph on a road compared to 120,130,140 etc on a track. I would hazard a guess that this is why there are helmets for track use and not. At the end of the day a helmet designed not for track use will protect you in an accident as best it can which will have be through the rigors of testing for road use/collisions.

On that basis there is nothing wrong with the helmet, it just isn’t up to the mark that a helmet suitable for track use is but then if you are riding within the law that shouldn’t be an issue!


Ps. having a highspeed crash I personally would be more concerned of the damage caused to my body’s vital organs (minus my brain) as apparently a high proportion of serious motorcycle accident victims die not from brain damage but from other failing vital organs that effectively turn to mush (this comes from my boss's daughter who is a brain surgeon!) quite literally. Apparently we bikers are great for neuro research as those that tend to be fatalities are young so no onset of dimensia etc and have the head intact. :-/ Bit morbid I know, sorry.[/quote]

IMHO: I would rather come off at 140mph and slide than come off at 70mph and hit an oncoming car also doing 70mph. Or hit a tree at 70mph. Maybe your bosses daughters evidence is due to the use of highly spec'd helmets being bought for road use hence the protection for the head? That seems to support the argument that higher spec'd helmets are bought for road use. I bet there's a higher proportion of Arai's, Schuberths, AGV's being used on the road - all high quality helmets.

At the end of the day though the debate is meaningless as we all make a personal choice with buying helmets and other equipment based upon our own views. I just wouldn't put my daughters head inside a £40 helmet from Lidl's and ride down the road at the legal limit. That just my opinion.

[Swanny]

Apparently we bikers are great for neuro research as those that tend to be fatalities are young so no onset of dimensia etc and have the head intact. :-/ Bit morbid I know, sorry.

Good to know I'll keep my boyish good looks if I die at the side of the road ;D

[Sharik]

I would rather come off at 140mph and slide than come off at 70mph and hit an oncoming car also doing 70mph

God forbid that it would ever happen but the result is exactly the same; a 140mph impact speed.

[Gerry]

I would rather come off at 140mph and slide than come off at 70mph and hit an oncoming car also doing 70mph

God forbid that it would ever happen but the result is exactly the same; a 140mph impact speed.

Dear Sharik,
I feel obliged to disagree with your disagreement, look carefully at the two scenarios:

1, Racetrack: 140MPH slide over nice soft grass and end up laying in a sweet smelling patch of daisy’s.

2, Road: 70 MPH impact into oncoming car driven by very old person who reverses over you twice in their confusion.

No contest ;D

G

[Last Train]

Not too impressed with the ruck sacks :-?

So best it was left in the shop

Loads of stuff still there.

[Snowy]

I would rather come off at 140mph and slide than come off at 70mph and hit an oncoming car also doing 70mph

God forbid that it would ever happen but the result is exactly the same; a 140mph impact speed.

Err no, its not the same at all. The important word is "impact". Sliding down the road (or racetrack) dissapates energy over a relatively long period of time- there's no sudden "impact". Colliding with a stationary or moving object results in a huge impact and your bones and vital organs then have to dissapate all that energy. Guess the difference in the result?

[Scotty]

Does anyone remember the biking proverb "if you've got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet" I agree with Snowy, no way would I put my head, nor that of anyone important to me in a £40 helmet.

Helmets aren't specifically designed for racing as opposed to road use, but in this instance there isn't an element of choice - flip front lids aren't allowed on tracks.