JPL 993-C4S

I have tried on several brands of helmets, including Bell, Simpson, and G-Force.

Of these, the G-Force fit the best, followed by the Simpson, followed by the Bell. (For some reason, the Bells were all too round whereas my head must be oval-ish).

The issue is that I have never heard of G-Force (and my search of the archive revealed no discussion of them on this board). Does anyone have a G-Force helmet, are they generally considered to be good helmets?

993Racer

I use an AGV brand helmet. They are a great value with style and are rated snell M95. You can get them on ebay and if you go for the upper end I think you will be very surprised.

Made in Italy and have somne great designs... I think most agree that the others areoverpriced, especially for DE events...

STLPCA

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by 993Racer:
<strong>... rated snell M95.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Sorry can't help w/G-Force.
However, check w/your sanctioning body before buying a motorcycle (Snell "M") helmet since many organizations do not permit them, instead requiring a Snell "SA" (Special Applications). Further, IMO you're better off buying a 2000 rather than a 1995 since, again many organizations require a certification not more than 10 yrs old (i.e., a 1995 can be used only through 2005). For something as important as a helmet, I would not buy one used unless you absolutely, positively know its history. An impacted helmet, whether from a drop or other accident, may be severly weakened & have its performance compromised even w/o any external indications of damage.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><strong>I think most agree that the others areoverpriced, especially for DE events...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I don't believe you'll find agreement w/that statement on the Board, but I guess it really depends on how much you value the head inside the helmet.

<a href="http://forums.rennlist.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002194#000000" target="_blank">Naive helmet question </a>

<a href="http://www.smf.org/" target="_blank">Snell Foundation Website - all about standards & certifications</a>

JPL 993-C4S

The G-Force that I am considering is SA2000 rated.

I figure SA2000 is the way to go, because while some clubs accept motorcycle helmets, all car clubs seem to accept SA2000.

G-Force is I think made in the US, and their prices seem very reasonable. Beyond that I know very little about them (which is of course why I started this thread).

This is the website: <a href="http://www.gforce.com/" target="_blank">http://www.gforce.com/</a>

Jim Michaels

JPL: The G-Force helmet line is Snell approved, so it is a "good" helmet, at least in that respect. Other helmet lines that are not big names here are also Snell approved. Snell approves helmets, but doesn't rank them in terms of protection. Some helmets cost a lot more than others, but I don't know of any empirical evidence that shows a positive correlation between price and protection among Snell approved helmets. There is an inverse correlation between weight and price, however, so the cheaper helmets are heavier and not as finely detailed in terms of visual construction. Some are also not very attractive looking in terms of overall shape. I have a older Arai that is attractive, oozes visual quality of construction, and fits me perfectly, but it will no longer pass tech inspection (protection degrades across the years), whereas my cheaper SA2000 Simpson will.

Robert Henriksen

My ranking of criteria is:

i) SA2000 rated
ii) comfortable fit
iii) price
iv) weight

I'll always take a closed face over open, myself; but that part is personal preference. I've seen the protection issue argued both ways.

Tim Ashfield

After more years riding motorcycles than I care to admit and a fair number of track events in cars I will only wear one make of helmet and that is Arai. IMHO no contest.

Best to all.

Robert Henriksen

Tim, does Arai make many/any SA-rated helmets? I agree with you that they're wonderful helmets, and fit my skull nicely to boot.

Never mind - <a href="http://www.araiamericas.com/auto_helmet.html" target="_blank">http://www.araiamericas.com/auto_helmet.html</a>

$700 - $1,000! Wow. And yes, I do know about the '$50 head' concept.

993Racer2

hello,

There are a couple of really good points here that I thought would be important to mention. First the M95 works at a number oF PCA events and SA is not required. However opt for SA when you can. I also tend to agree that ARAI makes a fantastic helment and given DE versus riding a superbike this is a good selection.

The point being that all the authors here make some good statements. Also note I would agree that going above 95 rating approval is a good idea for the future. My general point originally is that there is not a conclusive relationship between cost and the quality of the helmet when you look at all brands and price versus ratings.

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