I am going to purchase a helment for DE's and track events and I am wondering if anyone can comment on a particular model. I am looking at the BELL S2R SA2005 HELMET. Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

full face, what ever fits. Do not forget the HANS

 

Bell are nice, you may also consider: the lightest are Arai and Stand 21 (which is what Porsche Motorsport uses)

 

I have a Bell and an Arai. The Arai is lighter and fits better although it cost twice as much as the Bell.

 

You definitely have to try them all on first and go with what fits best -- the Arai and Stand 21 just didn't fit me, whereas the Bell (Vortex) fits perfectly.

 

Again, make sure the helmet has the pre-drilled holes for the HANS mounting brackets. That way its not a hassle to add the HANS device. Arai GP5-K is my choice for helmet, but get whatever fits your head and don't go by what looks good in a catalog. Just my $.02

 

Would recommend the lightest model with HANs pre-drilled holes.

 

Both Arai and Stand 21 can come predrilled, Stand 21 is lighter though.
Both are excellent helmets, stand 21 is even more expensive, most important is fit!

 

What helmets do the F1 drivers use? It seems a number of the guys use Arai, and I've been told that Schumi used Schuberth (can we even get that here)? Mika Hakkinen's recent test last year showed him wearing a Bell ...

 

Schuberth are excellent but very expensive and unobtainium in the US. You can get them from Sandtler Motorsport http://www.sandtler.de/ the same firm that does the Cup car decals also does helmet design, for those who want the authentic 'German' look. However they do love doing the design featurung the Zip and the Brains...


R+C

 

When you have a Arai GP5, you stop thinking about other helmets; period.

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I am going to order the Arai GP5W and the Bell M 4 so I can try them both and decide which one I like best. I can then return the other one and just pay shipping.

 

Bell has gone very cheap with their helmets in recent years. I still love the way my Bell circa Snell 95 fits, but the current version of the same model is awful...as are the rest of the Bell line (to my dome).

Ended up with an Arai GP5W...a LOT more money, but fits well, and is smaller and lighter.

 

Stand 21 will take pics and custom make one for you.

Their new carbon fiber helmet is much lighter than my Arai GP5. Prior to that the Arai was far superior for my head than any other.

The Stand 21 custom will of course cost more. But you're not driving the cheapest car you could have bought either. A helmet is sooo important for so many reasons. And comfort is critical when you are running for longer than a typical 20-30 min session. This is no place to save money!

Cheers

 

i love my stand 21. the custom fit and light weight is what sealed the deal for me.