Im really happy you made this thread. My friend has a EXO 700 and he liked it but it didnt match his bike. He went to the shoppet and they had a few icon helmets. He tried some on and liked the SSR Alliance best. He bought it and hated it. He gave it a week of breaking in and said that the noise in it was horrible and when moving that his head moved around much more than his old helemt. He couldnt return it and sold it for 80 bucks and just went back top the Scorpion. Hope this helps man.

 

exo400s can be picked up on the cheap...i got one for 50 and another for 65

 

can someone explain the different between a scorpion and a shoei? what makes a $500 helmet so much better...a helmet is a helmet is a helmet, no?

 

in terms of safety id say this is true almost all the time. If you take two DOT or snell approved helmets neither one is going to be that much safer than the other. They both meet a certain set of safety standards and they wouldnt be certified by either organization if they didnt so thats not the real difference. As with most products it comes down to branding, marketing, and the research/development thats gone in to the helmet model. I look at it the same way i look at pharmaceuticals. Generic and name brand drugs both have to meet the same fda standards, have to prove to have the same effects, etc in order to be sold. The difference between generic brands and name brands though is that the name brands do all the research, development, and marketing so they charge more, while the generics just take the same chemicals and sell them for cheap once the big companies do all the work. Name brands and the more expensive helmets also usually have more features in terms of ventilation, padding, yadda yadda yadda. Plus its always cooler to have an arai than a $50 no name helmet . BUT i also love the scorpion exo700s cuz they have plenty of design features like top end helmets have but with a midrange price. So long as you are wearing a dot approved helmet though your head will be just as safe as anyone elses that has one.

 

Mostly the differences come down to weight, aerodynamics, air vents, shields and noise designing.

 

My Shoei lasted almost 15 years and did a great job when I needed it. It was an $800 helmet in the mid 90s. I did my faceplant in it and now it rests on a shelf in the garage as a reminder of why I'll wait and buy good quality stuff.

 

Anybody know of some good places to buy a helmet in Chicago? I too am a refer graduate and I'm broke as shyt and I'm tired of riding around with my grandfathers Harley ish helmet that he gave to me on the free. Someone please if you know of a store in Chicago or at least close to Chicago let me know!!!!

 

Helmets only last for so long and are only good for one impact pretty much. The eps foam thats inside them degrades over time and is much less effective after like 3-4 years i think it is. So even if the helmet has never been dropped or been in a wreck but is more than 4 years old id definitely recommend getting a new one asap.

 

This is precisely why I need a new one, I have had my HJC I have now since I was 13, I am now turning 21 in a few weeks.

 

its the everclear, i wouldnt get it any other way.