2005 IR ZHP Alcantara 6MT l Bimmian phone mount l Khoalty Angel Eye's l Khoalty Fog's l AFE Stage 1 Intake l AFE Dynamic Air Scoop's l CDV Delete
Besian Sealed VANOS l Flat black Kidney Grills l Magnaflow Cat-Back
Couple of things about helmets. Been there done that, hopefully some can learn from my mistakes.
1. Helmets are safety gear and should not be a place where price guides one's decision. They are there to keep the squishy parts where they belong.
2. Get one that fits. I did very little Auto-X but did some time in a few race cars with more time spent wearing my brain bucket. Not only is an ill-fitting hemet uncomfortable, it does have an impact (no pun intended) in the overall safety of the device. Everyones' heads are slightly different shape and your buddy's 7 3/8 (L-XL) helmet may not fit your noggin, despite wearing the same size hat. Points of pressure inside the hemet will cause headaches.
3. Weight matters.
4. SA v M? Personally, I would go with the most current SA rating available. The downside of the SA is the narrower field of view. Frankly, I didn't feel the FOV of my helmet had an adverse effect on stage or lap times; my abilities kept me off the podium, not my hemet.
5. Full face? I like the slightly extra protection the full-faced helmets provided. Granted, I started in open wheel cars before finishing in close cockpit cars and still bought a full-faced helmet. I did remove the shield on occasion, through. Dust...
6. Accessories? HANS mounting points, integrated intercom, etc...
Have fun!
I would def. go with SA over an M rated. They're generally more expensive, but some clubs require SA and it would suck to have to rent or borrow one when you could spend just a little more and get the SA in the first place. The newer the year the better as they phase them out over time. So an SA2010 helmet, while not the cheapest options will last you for many years for lots of different applications.
The primary difference in the M vs SA is the testing they go through. M is for impacting on a flat surface (think rider hitting head on concrete), while SA against a rollbar. SA also has flammability testing. All helmets are one-time use from an impact perspective, regardless of rating.
As someone else mentioned, it's your head--don't make the decision on price.
I went with the HJC Si-12. It's a composite weave and fits my head great. Super, super light which is nice for long sessions.
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