What helmet do you use and why?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,641
Likes: 5
From: Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Just purchased a Pyrotect open face SA2005 . It is designed by Bell Helmets and uses many of the parts found in Bell Mag IV, for half the price ($148.95 at Apex Performance, including balaclava, helmet bag and free ground shipping within the US). It looks very well made and quite comfortable. I will try it in real track life shortly.
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 9,663
Likes: 557
From: Solana Beach, CA
Don't skimp on the helmet. Get....
the best one you can afford. Since they all need to meet minimum standards, get the lightest helmet. The theory being that in a sudden stop, the less weight you are carrying up high, the less the force will be on your neck as it decelerates. Also, consider getting one that is HANS ready, closed face too*. The Dale Earnhardt incident completely convinced me that closed face is the way to go. A Chatterbox will work on a closed face helmet.**
* I am parroting advice I got from Galen Bieker, owner of WERKS II in Burbank, CA. He is one of the better drivers around...now driving a 997 GT3 Cup Car. Galen is a total safety freak. He talks...I listen.
** Others prefer open faced helmets...cooler and easier to get on and off. Not me, I want my jaw and teeth protected...my personal opinion.
* I am parroting advice I got from Galen Bieker, owner of WERKS II in Burbank, CA. He is one of the better drivers around...now driving a 997 GT3 Cup Car. Galen is a total safety freak. He talks...I listen.
** Others prefer open faced helmets...cooler and easier to get on and off. Not me, I want my jaw and teeth protected...my personal opinion.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 986
Likes: 3
From: Illinois
i'm using an Arai GP5. it's really light and works well in open cockpits (i have an ariel atom). seems like the helmet of choice for lots of pro series- including F1.
i have an open face g-force for instructing in sedans/coupes.
i have an open face g-force for instructing in sedans/coupes.
Race Car
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,053
Likes: 8
From: Houston, Texas
I got a Bell Mag IV open face helmet. Its hot in Texas and all DE's require open windows. Plus my car has an active airbag and heard that its not safe to have a closed face helmet with airbags.
Last edited by texas911; Jun 23, 2007 at 11:40 PM.
Rennlist Stories
The Best Porsche Posts for Porsche Enthusiasts
Porsche's Top 5 Most Questionable Naming Decisions
Verdad Gallardo
Pogea Racing's 964 Porsche 911 Reimagination Stands Out in a Crowded Field
Verdad Gallardo
6 Convertible Top MYTHS Most People Don't Understand!
Michael S. Palmer
2026 Porsche 911 Club Coupe is Spectacular, And Everything Wrong with the Porsche Market
Joe Kucinski
Talos Takes Your 991 Porsche 911 GT3 to the Next Level for a Cool $1.13 Million
Verdad Gallardo
9 Vehicles Porsche Helped Engineer that Aren't Porsches
Verdad Gallardo
9 Features and Characteristics That Only Porsche People Understand
Verdad Gallardo
I've Written 500 Rennlist Articles: Here's How Porsche Has Changed Along the Way
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Unnecessary Porsches Ever Built (And Why We Love Them)
Verdad Gallardo
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,774
Likes: 437
From: kansas
Bell Vortex Ultra Series.
I selected it based on weight, ventilation, and price. At the time, the prices ranged from about $200 to some as high as $1800. When I asked the salesman for some advice on selection, he asked me " well how much is your head worth".
My answer, "more than $200 but not quite $1800"
Obviously, this is not how I really feel but the question makes the sky the limit. When you factor in the probabilities of needing the helmet, and the feature differences between the low end and the upper end, I went for something at the mid range.
I selected it based on weight, ventilation, and price. At the time, the prices ranged from about $200 to some as high as $1800. When I asked the salesman for some advice on selection, he asked me " well how much is your head worth".
My answer, "more than $200 but not quite $1800"
Obviously, this is not how I really feel but the question makes the sky the limit. When you factor in the probabilities of needing the helmet, and the feature differences between the low end and the upper end, I went for something at the mid range.
Addict
Rennlist
Lifetime Member
Rennlist
Lifetime Member
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Miramar Beach, Florida
Originally Posted by AM993
Just purchased a Pyrotect open face SA2005 . It is designed by Bell Helmets and uses many of the parts found in Bell Mag IV, for half the price ($148.95 at Apex Performance, including balaclava, helmet bag and free ground shipping within the US). It looks very well made and quite comfortable. I will try it in real track life shortly.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 117
From: Nassau, Abu Dhabi and Duluth (Ga)
Originally Posted by texas911
I got a Bell Mag IV open face helmet. Its hot in Texas and all DE's require open windows. Plus my car has an active airbag and heard that its not safe to have a closed face helmet with airbags.
Its hot in 'lanta too and I have an after market wheel with airbag- can anyone comment on the closed face and airbag concern?
Super Duper Moderator
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,773
Likes: 21
From: YQU
Bell M3 Pro in white (with a Chatterbox).
Large eyeport for sunglasses
Closed face as I value my jaw/teeth
Mid-range priced/moderately light
White -- cooler as sun reflective?
Marc
Large eyeport for sunglasses
Closed face as I value my jaw/teeth
Mid-range priced/moderately light
White -- cooler as sun reflective?
Marc