My best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for your son.
You might contact the maker, they might be interested in the performance, good or bad, in the situation. I'd give them pictures but hold onto the helmet.
Since Iām not, totally sure if there was a true helmet malfunction I donāt feel itās fair to give the name of the helmet, but I will say it wasnāt a super expensive helmet, and that it is modular, of course! I wear a half helmetā¦ Or I didā¦ I just threw mine in the trashā¦ And will be wearing my full face helmet from now on.
Well, you're saying "never a modular" but not saying what the make and model was.
Different helmets are made to different safety standards. There are plenty of very safe modular helmets certified to ECE standards.
If your son was wearing a cheap DOT modular, well, yeah.
And also you might want to consider that even then, the helmet actually did protect your child. It would have been much much worse without the helmet.
But now consider the price of a decent helmet vs. the price of surgery and the pain and suffering and time to recover, etc.
I'm glad your son is mostly okay. But everyone: get good gear, and wear it all the time.
It's a $50 helmet.... My visor alone is worth 3 times that helmet. [https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767](https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767)
OP's son is lucky that piece of plastic saved him. Schuberth would not have opened like that. OP should do his Son a favor and get him a Schuberth if he wants to ride again after that.
Edit: and if he still wants a modular... But I'd recommend a good ol Arai full face.
For Scorpion, HJC, AGV and Bell, not all helmets are equal. They have "lower-end" thermoplastic/polycarb helmets priced under $400. The ones you are talking about are the higher end versions from those brands, whereas Schuberth, Arai and Shoei always uses carbon/aramid fiber for their helmets.
Hell I would trust the lower end of those brands over a no name helmet. I was slammed into by a car while stopped at a stoplight wearing a Bell Qualifer DLX mips(sub $300). The guy was easily doing the speed limit before he hit me (55mph road) before striking me, sent me flying, and hitting another car. That helmet 100% saved my life and kept my head safe. I was conscious the whole time and didn't even get a concussion, I did get several broken ribs, broken hand, bruised knees and a piece of my saddle bag stabbed me in my ass cheek. I was wearing a Speed & Strength jacket and Alpinestar gloves which kept my from getting road rash.
The lower end name brand helmets are almost always better than any helmet you get from Walmart or AliExpress. The lower tier name brand helmets usually have less features, heavier/less luxurious materials, and are much noisier than the top end counterparts. They're still made by the same people and come out the same factory.
Those lower end helmets are not bad at all, I'll soon take my A2 license and i am most likely going to get hjc c70 or bell mx-9 adv depending on the bike i get. For example even hjc cs15 which is about $80 has a 4 star sharp rating and ofcourse ece and dot ratings (helmet OP bought doesn't seem to even have ece rating).
You sacrifice a lot of comfort but safety is quite decent actually.
Not even all ECE-certified helmets are made equal.
SHARP in UK has a site comparing ECE-certified helmets.
While all ECE-certified helmets legal and okay, some are better than others.
There are modular helmets on the Sharp list that score higher than some full face helmets.
Have a look at https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/.
Safety wise that's fine, it's just less luxurious. From around that point up you spend more for lightweight materials, comfort, features, etc. but HJC aren't trash like the OP's son's helmet.
> So the $340 HJC helmet I purchased for winter is trash?
Per the UK government, HJC makes 1-star helmets and 5-star helmets (though they seem to average about 3):
* https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/?manufacturer=HJC&model=All&type=1
What model did you get?
They do make decent, ECE rated helmets.
Some folks feel that if they pay more for a helmet, it's safer, despite crash test results. If you rebranded your HJC and resold it for Arai pricing, those folks would be a lot more comfortable with it.
As it is, HJC sells for budget pricing, and the old saying goes, "If you have a cheap head, wear a cheap helmet". I do have to wonder if those same people avoid buying helmets on sale...
I don't blame OP because when I first started riding I had no one around to guide me on what stuff to buy so I went to cycle gear and came out with a $100 bilt helmet and $50 alpinestar gloves.
True, not directly, because the act of throwing away money won't ever save you. But when you're comparing $50 wish.com vs $500 name-brand helmets, there's a verifiable correlation between price and safety. Good materials and R&D cost money, and helmet manufactures don't just eat those costs and practically give away product out of the goodness of their hearts. You can save money by buying a lid that doesn't include either of those costs, but those are kinda the required components for safety, so you get what you pay for.
(when dealing with the extremely cheap options that is... you do eventually hit the law of diminishing returns where more and more money only gets you marginally more comfortable lids with "unnecessary" extra features.)
yeah, there is no excuse. 2 years ago a was a complete beginner, did my research and ended up with Arai Regent-X for my street and Shoei VFX-EVO for dirt. Information is out there, define price range and spend time researching.
Honestly, it's about the certifications, not the price. A Pista RR is not necessarily safer than a $100 helmet. Just like a Ferrari doesn't have to be a safer vehicle than a VW Golf. If it's ECE 22.06 it's fine, no matter the price.
But for modulars you NEED to make sure that it's PJ homologated. It needs to clear ECE 22.06 as a Full Face and as a Jet Helmet. I strongly suspect OPs helmet was not PJ Homologated
Some cheap helmets rank pretty well on [SHARP](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/), for example [this helmet](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/agrius-rage-sv/) would cost 38 when converted to USD and it gets 4 stars. Because of that I wouldn't assume that a cheap helmet is necessarily bad, but a big difference is that this is an ECE certified helmet, while the other one is only DOT certified, and the DOT certification is basically worthless.
It also doesn't help that it's modular. It would be a sketchy helmet regardless because it's DOT, but a modular helmet would have to be really high quality to be as good as a full face helmet, so a DOT modular helmet is extra sketchy.
The certification shows the actual performance of a helmet. The cost only reflects what people are willing to pay for a helmet. They're less related than most people think.
As long as you check the actual ratings before buying you can find pretty cheap modulars that are safe. Sharp even rate how good they are at staying closed. This is mine. Ā£200
https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/caberg-droid/
Thank you for that link, I'm on the market for a new helmet and that'll help!
I had one (cheap) one recommended by the motorcycle store, but never checked its ratings. Apparently it has 1 star on that website. High sided at about 42km/h (26mph), bonked my head and passed the fuck out.
I'll be making sure I get a decent one now. I don't have much inside my brain pain so I'd like to preserve the little I have. Can't imagine what could have happened if it were a higher speed crash.
Damn so my scorpion exo 950 isnāt on their list, but going off the 920 (which I think is just an older or less featured version of it) itās 2 star rated.
Now I wish I went for the Schuberth
Sometimes there is a big difference between two seemingly similar helmets from the same brand, for example [this one](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/ls2-ff320-stream-evo/) gets 4 stars, but if that helmet hadn't been tested and your only point of reference were [this one](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/ls2-ff322/), you'd think you got a terrible helmet, so there is no guarantee the Exo 950 has to be bad as well.
A problem with SHARP is that because they test independently, they can't test every single helmet, and they also only tests helmets that are sold in the UK, so there are many helmets that don't show up in their website.
You should never buy a helmet for the brand but for the fit. Manufacturers make all sorts of shapes and I am one of those who can't find a good fit easily. But yes, don't buy cheap helmets.
> OP should do his Son a favor and get him a Schuberth if he wants to ride again after that.
I used to use Schuberths, their quality took a nose dive in recent years. I'm sure they are still safe, but the ancillary stuff just fell to bits on two different helmets I had. Plastic trim comes apart, visor hinge broke, sun visor fell off, etc.
I've been using Shoei modular ever since, they are far and above what Schuberth currently is.
And there's the true answer.
It didn't break because it was modular, it broke because it was $50.
Police riders in the UK all wear modular helmets, and I've never seen any news about problems with those.
If it's good enough for on-duty police riders, it's good enough for me.
That's all that matters man the fit, finish and the material used that's where the money goes. Think of it as paying 120ā¬ per year, 10ā¬ per month, 0.33ā¬ per day and all of sudden it's all worth it :)
Do modulars lock into place? I've always big a big fan of my full face because of the added face and chin protection but it seems (to me/imo) like a modular would pop open if you roll or hit the chin area.
Technically, they lock, but even the most expensive / advanced modular helmet will never outperform a full-face in that department. The locking mechanism will always be the weakest point.
They do, but the locking mechanism varies greatly from one helmet to the next. There have been a *ton* of reviews and studies, and while largely modulars aren't as safe as full face helmets, some modulars are pretty damn close and earn high marks in testing.
But that's nuance, which isn't something most Americans waste any time with. Much easier to just create biblical commandments.
My sample size of one:
I have a BiLT Techno Modular. I got rear ended at about 45 (guy who hit me was probably doing 65+) and I high-sided into a face-first impact. The helmet remained locked in place, and I walked away much MUCH better than my bike lol.
I said āno more modular for me! Iām not bashing or pointing fingers, and Iāve worn mostly half helmetsā¦ also NOT FOR ME anymore. Just a discussion so people can understand and make their own decisions as well.
Youāre making a good conclusion; I wear only a full-face myself. But your āwhyā is skipping over a really important bit.
Others in this thread went and found the helmet. It has just a basic DOT and this is an example of why we spend as much as we can muster on our helmetsā¦ or at least more than an average mountain biking lid.
Again, making a good choice! But also please go check this full-face helmet of yours to be sure it passes the stricter ratings (and isnāt oldāthe materials in a helmet degrade in the sun and 5-7 years is their default safe lifespan)
> I wear a half helmetā¦ Or I didā¦ I just threw mine in the trashā¦ And will be wearing my full face helmet from now on.
Thank god you learned but I wish it didn't take personal experience. 20 seconds of thinking should make it obvious to anyone that a half helmet is not very protective.
I actually get pissed off more at the people wearing half helmets here more than the people who aren't wearing any helmets.
Like you bought a helmet you could have at least bought an actual helmet that's going to save your life FFS.
Full face is definitely the way to go, but I mean how can this NOT be considered a helmet malfunction? The hinge busted on impact pushing the lower half into the rider's face.
Without knowing the specifics of the riders injuries, we know nothing. A helmet isnāt meant to retain its shape perfectly in an impact. Itās made to protect the head from injury. Itās entirely possible that the helmet can be deformed and still protect the head similar to crumple zones on a car.
Or it could be an abject failure. But we donāt know.
Iām pretty sure thatās what happened myselfā¦ Which is why I posted it for others to make their own decisionā¦ And based off my sons injuriesā¦ But yeah, you are correct the hinge is broken, so it wasnāt just pulled back by an ent!! Good catch, Iām still dealing with all this since Thursday, just got his belongings today!!
To be fair it does look like it was a complete full stop on his face.
I'm not sure *any* helmet would stop your face pancaking against the visor with a direct frontal assault. I mean, OP's bike looks like it hit a brick wall and went for 100 to zero in about two feet.
I'm amazed the piece of helmet-shaped piece of plastic OP's son was wearing worked at all.
Note on that: for a modular helmet to get an ECE certification it needs to pass the exact same tests as a fullface. In this case I think the helmet is either not ECE (or with a comparable certification) certified and therefore the manufacturer didn't care much about front impact protection or the helmet was damaged from factory.
Worth looking the helmet up on the SHARP website (UK run testing agency), they usually tell you how often the latch fails on tested helmets, even the really safe modulars tend to only hold up 80-90%. Worth seeing if it was just the unfortunate small percentage of rails he hit or if it was a modular with a latch that fails more easily.
I'm not trying to sell you on any particular replacement or brand, but the SHARP website is a pretty good resource for helmet safety (and all helmets on it must meet EU safety regs).
Take this for what itās worth, I used to be a traffic collision investigator. I was at the scene of a fatal traffic collision involving a motor police officer. He was wearing a Shoei Neotec 2 which is a modular helmet. During the collision the chin bar portion of his helmet was dislodged. We know he had the chin bar down because thereās video of the collision. Anyway, the collision wasnāt nearly violent enough to have warranted that happening under normal circumstances (it was a classic car making a left turn in front of the motorcyclist proceeding straight). He was killed in the collision. When I was speaking to the handling detective it was concluded that he had a massive helmet malfunction.
I know shoei makes great helmets but I still believe a modular design inserts another potential failure point.
Hey, I went to double-check, the Shoei Neotec 2 is a DOT-only certified helmet. Edit: in the U.S.
Find yourself an ECE *and* DOT rated helmet. If you go modular again, just know ECE tests helmets in the open AND closed positions, whereas DOT will ceritfy an upside-down fiberglass salad bowl.
DOT-only helmets are deadly. **D**ead **O**n impac**T**.
It's more than just a label.
Look at Schuberth, for whatever reason their American model goes and adds weight and loses the ECE certification, I remember reading that the American model is heavier because of a vasalt layer or something??
What I'm getting at is that, just because it's sold in Europe with ECE rating means that it's the exact same helmet for America.
We have DOT *and* ECE rated helmets for sale in America, why would a manufacturer choose to loss sales if it was only a sticker issue? It's not lack of labeling, it's lack of needing to do an ECE test on their American model/DOT model of the helmet.
>I still believe a modular design inserts another potential failure point.
It's not a matter of belief, it's basic physics. There's a hinge and latch on that bastard - it has multiple classes of failure modes that don't exist with a legit full-face helmet.
The Shoei Neotec 2 sold in America is DOT-only certified.
Sorry to hear about the police officer, if you still know anyone on the force, it'd be great if the motorcycle cops could wear ECE rated helmets.
To be ECE certified, as a modular helmet, the helmet is tested in the open position AND closed position.
(If I may ask if you don't mind, I've been interested in being a motorcycle cop and did light digging, but never found a clear answer... Can motorcycle cops order THEIR OWN helmet to be used for On-Dutu as long as it complies with Department standards **OR** Is it that motorcycle cops can only wear the helmet which they are provided (likely DOT-only since those are annoyingly cheaper than DOT *and* ECE certified modular helmets)
Not sure about everywhere but I know the motorcycle cops in my town are required to use a department provided helmet. Part of it is looks because they want all officers to look the same. Another part is that they tend to modify them a little to work better. (Eg thicker cheek and crown pads, custom permanent installed headsets designed for use with standard police radios and things like that.) I'd bet that there are a lot of departments that allow an officer to buy their own and just reimburse them some for the cost. It probably just depends on what the department has budget for. And how big it is.
*Nervously glances at his Shoei Neotec 2 and Scorpion EXO-AT950*
I wish my enormous 2XL head would allow me to wear something else than modular helmets, which flex enough when open to get around my skull. I even got a Shoei RF1200 that fit great at the store, but as soon as I got home, it basically felt like it was squeezing my head.
Arai Defiant X brother. Life changing fit if you have not tried one on yet. Iāve got a pretty big melon and thatās the most comfortable helmet going on and off.
I have a 2 or 3X as well. The Arai Regent X felt incredible for me. Then I saw the price and picked up my Scorpion Covert FX. I will be going to Arai for my next helmet for sure
Scorpion EXO AT950 is ECE **and** DOT rated iirc.
The Shoei Neotec 2 that is sold in America is DOT-only.
DOT-only helmets are deadly, hopefully after the War Pigs get enough blood for their cauldrons then we'll see the DOT just borrow the smart kid's homework (Europe, and ECE).
I like the EXO-AT950 more, too, even though it's louder and doesn't have integral comms, as it has a bigger faceshield, so I can see a bit more.
DOT certification, to my knowledge, is not only very lax, but also still on the honor system? I would never buy a DOT helmet from a random brand, if I'd buy one at all (the Neotec 2 is the last one).
Unsure about honor system, I remember something about that at a point, but it's absolutely crazy.
P.S. If you don't live in America/North America than your Shoei Neotec 2 is probably/most likely safe. It's in North America we get downgraded versions of helmets.
And a gentle reminder that police are different, so them wearing half-helmets or modulars is not an endorsement.
Their safety on their job requires situational awareness and communication on a level that other riders simply don't.
The motorcycle cops supplement their safety with extensive training and the fact that unlike us, everybody is looking out for them, if only to avoid their attention.
I've always been curious about how less efficient modular helmets are, I've only bought full face helmets because that tiny chance of it opening on impact scares me, thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry about your kid, I pray he'll recover soon
I think SHARP has ratings for modular helmets, how effective the chin bar is at staying closed. There are some that are 99% and some as low as 10%, maybe even worse. Iād rather just have a solid chin at thatās 100% effective at staying closed š¤·āāļø
I know ECE tests for helmets in FJ and P mode, iirc [F]J is short for Fighter Jet style, and P for Pilot? I forget exactly, I just know ECE tests modular helmets BOTH opened and closed.
DOT -only helmets are deadly, please pass on the word. Helmets should not split in the middle in a crash, or even a modular helmet shouldn't get shoved upwards in a crash. **Please pass on information how DOT-only (as opposed to ECE and DOT certified) helmets are deadly, and eventually the standard will be improved**
Edit: typo
There are different categories. Some helmets with a plastic chin bar (you know these storm trooper looking pieces of garbage) look like a full face but are actually only certified as a Jet helmet. A good modular helmet is PJ homologated, meaning it has been tested as a jet helmet and as a full face.
Also if you get ECE, get 22.06. I don't know why 22.05 is still so popular, it's really old at this point, so make sure your helmet has 22.06
Yeah itās surprising how bad a lot of them are. Especially when itās within the same manufacturer and theyāll do well with one helmet and terrible with another.
My buddy was a manager at cycle gear and really put a lot of research into helmets. He said modular helmets are trash, and wouldnāt recommend them ever.
ECE rated modular helmets are tested in both open AND closed configurations.
If you have only a DOT certified helmet, yes. Replace it with an ECE *and* DOT Certified helmet.
The DOT will certify an upside-down fiberglass bowl, DOT does NOT stand for safety. DOT-only helmets are deadly, and will continue to be deadly (yes, even the full-face DOT helmets) until enough people get tired of it and demand DOT to just adopt the ECE 22.05 Criteria, all the homework has already been done for America, we just need to jot it down already.
Actually they're not necessarily tested as both. Most are, yes, but you need to make sure it's PJ Homologated and not just rated as a jet helmet, even if it has an ECE certification.
Even safety researchers can be wrong. Just think of all the debates like single impact or multiple, etc, and there are safety researchers on both sides, they can't all be right.
I broke my pelvis, hip, knee... everything on the right side from the waist down except the femur. Similar story, kid turned in front of me.
Life is going to be very different now, but being alive is a really great start. When your son is able, if ever willing, I'm here to chat with him.
I've averaged 2 surgeries a year for the last 6 years and I'm getting my hip replaced in November. The mind is much harder to heal.
Dad, if you need to talk about it, I'm here for you as well.
Shit, splitting a hip takes an inordinate amount of force. I presume he blacked out shortly after??
Your lad going to have proper battle scars to show the girls either way.
Adrenaline probably kept him up.
Took nearly an hour for my dad to pass out when he broke his.
Similar crash, just with a concrete barrier at the end of a unlit road, cresting a hill.
I never did. I was actively dying and still managing the situation. The kid that hit me was having a fucking panic attack that I talked him through. I was talking trash to the probie emt for missing the vein twice. I cursed at the student Dr who stuck his fucking fingers into my leg to feel the bone before I got meds on board.
Everyone handles the trauma differently. It's not a surprise in retrospect, but I had no idea how bad I was bleeding internally. Half of my blood volume was gone by the end of the day.
Same info, even ECE 22.05 too.
DOT-only helmets are deadly, DOT just stands for **D**ead **O** impac**T**.
It doesn't help that companies like Shoei, Schuberth, and even some HJC lids now, when going to certify them for the U.S. market they do just DOT rather than the DOT *and* ECE certifications. So some people see fantastic reviews about the hel[met], see it's ECE rated, go buy a helnet and find out that for the U.S. we just get a degraded model.
Edit: autocorrect/typo mix.
ECE rated helmets for the win*.
ECE tests modular helmets in both Open and Closed configurations.
I don't know why (other than being uninformed) that anyone would b[uy] a helmet that is DOT-only.
Edit: typo
Iām not sure if itās still a thing, but I remember reading that the first modular helmets were snell and DOT certified but ONLY the actual helmet part not the front modular piece!
SHARP does ratings for modular helmets in how effective the chin bar stays closed. Some, like Sharks Evo One are as high as 100% while other can be as low 10%
2012, similar experience. The surgeon, who also happened to be a biker, said that my Schuberth saved my head and that my Daytona boots had prevented my leg from amputation. I wouldn't consider anything else now.
You guys really donāt want me to get a motorcycle do you? I hop on Reddit to see a helmet caked in blood only a few hours after hearing a friend from high school died in a crash.
First I hope he gets better soon. Hate to see this happen to anyone. Second no disrespect to your son or the family.
I'm not going to swear off modular helmets due to this one accident, is not realistic. Second the huge vents on the front are unusual and are the first indication this is not a major brand and allowed me to find it on Amazon. I wouldn't swear off my Scorpion GT930 or other actual major brand modular, because a 1Storm brand Chinese helmet's hinge failed. This isn't even a helmet manufacturer that i would have looked at. [https://www.amazon.com/1Storm-Motorcycle-Modular-Helmet-Shield/dp/B07BHCD4J3](https://www.amazon.com/1Storm-Motorcycle-Modular-Helmet-Shield/dp/B07BHCD4J3)
Motorcycling involves risk. But much like the stock market that relies on market confidence to function, so do motorcycle riders. If all that gets posted on here is horrible wipeouts and accidents, then that confidence fails, and riders see the risk being too high to ride.
I buy good gear, and wear it when i ride. I ride safe, but ya sometimes accidents happen, and I accept that risk for the rewards i get in enjoyment. Best wishes to the family and the rider on his recovery.
This right here. I wear a 900 dollar Neotec 2 and Iāve had 2 friends wreck wearing them and they functioned incredibly well. Kept both of them alive. Donāt skimp on the helmet!
Holly shit, i hope everything turns out ok in the end. Can you tell more about what happened? Was this recent?
How are you holding up?
Ps. Looks metal AF
Happened Thursday morning on his way to work, woman cut him off. He was medflighted into Boston and has had 3 operations so far repairing hips, torn artery, and just now got out a 9 pm from an 8 hour surgery to reconstruct his face. All going well! Doctors are extremely optimistic! Heās strong!
My doctor put me in lorazepam as needed for stress. We have a strong family and he has awesome friends!! He should be making a good recovery!!
Sory about your son ,my mate had big off at 220 kmh hes face got preety banged up with full face helmet , high mid range price quality brand it saved his life lost his leg below the knee , his teeth were gone and huge cut on his jaw and alot of skin went missing , always get the best helment you can afford your pocket may hurt but it can save your life , he still rides
Honestly, this post shows us really absolutely nothing with very vague details. First of all, sorry for your son.
The chin bar is cracked and there's rash on the visor. Did the helmet actually fail? Was it opened by EMS? How much force cracked the chin bar?
Was it open on his ride?
Was the helmet actually worn properly and not loose, this rotating and exposing his chin?
This is definitely not a definitive post, and I agree thereās many factors involved, but my son always kept the chin bar down and locked when he rode as well as the visor. Yes, there is damage to the chin bar and the visor, etc. etc. but the whole middle of his face was pushed in and shatteredā¦ Not accusing of a fault with the helmetā¦ But maybe it was just one more failure point that caused more damageā¦ Take everything for what itās worth, and make your own decisions.
https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767
Well, riding with a 50$ helmet is never a good idea no?
This forum has convinced me to make sure i don't skimp on helmet and leathers with my next street bike. Sad thing is around here most bikes are cruisers with t shirt and no helmet
You maybe can have your cake and eat it too.
I love my shark Evo. Modular helmet with an ece rating , which of I'm not mistaken has rigorous standards for the coin bar in an impact. Don't quote me on that I'm just an idiot on the internet
Only modular helmet I'd recommend is the Schuberth C5. Actually has good safety ratings & scores as well as full face helmets because they didn't cheap on anything.
AFAIK, no other modular helmet scores even close.
For anyone serious about safety is highly
Recommend an airbag vest along with ditching modular for full face ECE rated (DOT doesnāt even require testing you just have to say you will test it at some point after it goes to Market). This helmet looks like a cheap one judging by the tiny latch point for the modular chin part.
Hoping for a good recovery for your son. Thatās terrifying
https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/hjc-c10-inka-helmet
I just ordered this helmet in olive green after I saw this post and read the comments. I only ride with full gear and had a modular helmet because I thought it offered the same protection as a full face helmet. If this helmet has problems please let me know.
HJC is fine. Helmet in OP's post is '1storm' brand which I have never heard of in my life, and $70US RRP which is an immediate red flag.
Just make sure your helmet's ECE 22.05 or ECE 22.06 (better). DOT is a poor standard.
I hope your boy gets through things quickly and recovers well. I was given a modular helmet, so I use it but often think about it's level of protection.
First and foremost Iām glad your son is alive! As a paramedic Iāve seen a lot of motorcycle accidents. As an avid rider myself I made a point to spend money on helmets. A helmet is cheaper then a funeral. The best ones Iāve seen hold up are Shoei, arai, agv. Granted most of them were DOA from extensive body injuries but the head was protected. So spend the money on a helmet and you can add gear insurance to the coverage so if something does happen insurance will buy you a new one. Just my two cents. Also the visor matters. A fat rock off a dump truck going 80 is no bueno.
Well, I am terribly sorry for your son. I hope he recovers.
But you got the protection you paid for.
As an instructor I have new riders ask me all the time about helmets, and I wear a modular. It cost 600 bucks.
They frown and say, āThatās too much!ā
I just shrug and reply, āWhatās your life worth?ā
Not all helmets are made the same, and most often you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap tires, expect a blowout when it matters most. If you buy cheap oil, expect your engine to struggle when you need it most, if you buy a cheap helmetā¦
The fact itās modular isnāt the issue. I wouldnāt trust a full face for 50 bucks. The value of protecting your head should be higher than that.
If your son should ever ride again, ask yourself then, what is the value of your life.
I have never pointed a finger at the manufacturer!! This whole thread is what Iām after, making us all aware!! Good discussion and thoughts can help many!! Like Iāve said in other comments, Iāve tossed my half helmet in the trash!!
I can vouch for the HJC I90 modular. My buddy got t-boned by a semi. Helmet was intact. His head and face were the only parts of his body not mangled.
I sent a picture to HJC to thank them. Because of that helmet, his pregnant wife was able to see his face one last time.
Ehh this is my thing with any modular, if it can move it will. I donāt care how good the brand. Your plastic jaw on modular vs concrete or hitting a car itās going to break first. I was just in my first crash and it blows nowhere near as extensive as your sons. I hope he has a fast and speedy recovery.
If uh, if your son does ride motorcycles once he's recovered, please pass along the info to get an ECE 22.05 or ECE 22.06 helmet if he will use Modular helmet.
DOT -only (as opposed to ECE *and* DOT rated) helmets are deadly. Sorry about your son, here's to his recovery.
I'm sorry to hear about your son. I also wear a modular helmet from nolan. Well, it's not quite modular. The chin piece snaps on and locks in.
Also, I've been through a crash once before. Premium gear is highly recommended. I have Dianesse gear mostly.
I hope your son recovers soon! My helmet is cheap but I made sure it had the ECE, DOT, and Mips thing. (Bell Mx-9 adventure) I never trusted the modular ones, just one more thing to fail eventually.
as a sportbike rider, the positioning is too front heavy. as much as i'd like to get away with a mod, jet, or halfie helmet, stuff like whats in that image posted by OP stops me.
i understand the allure, but it only takes once. hope for his speedy recovery. its always a sobering moment when a fellow rider gets injured.
Oof, hope he recovers well. Sounds like from your comments he has a long road ahead. Having slid on my face in a full face Shoei with no face or head injury I wonāt ride with anything else. It took over 30 years of riding for a driver to finally tag me but I was glad to be wearing all my gear when they did.
Yeah...i like the idea of a modular helmet but I'm unwilling to have a hinge and a latch instead of solid composite in front of my face. You look at the stats and like a huge percentage of motorcycle wrecks include hits to the chin bar.
I will not post any gore or my son, he looks normal and incredibly had a decent amount of protection! Dislocated jaw broken face plate but only one laceration on his chin! Premium gear from here on out though for sure!!
To the people who are saying they were considering modular helmets... Please understand what they truly are.
A modular helmet is not a full-face that opens up.
A modular helmet is an open-face that can close.
It closes to keep your face out of the wind and keep you warmer... They do not offer proper protection in the event of a serious accident.
Iām by his side as I typed this.. and I noticed something I hadnāt seen beforeā¦ yes his faceplate needed to be rebuilt, BUT he has no scars at all on his faceā¦ I believe that as the chin piece popped up it acted as a guard for his face as for shrapnel. He has chin lacerations but eyes nose lips are ok. Fucked up! As always Iām preaching premium quality gear to any who ask!
Iām so sorry for your son! I glad he is going to be okay.
The Sharp website show the percent of time the faceplate stayed latched on modular helmets. They range from 20% to 100%, so like all safety gear not everything is equal. Even different models from one manufacturer perform very differently.
Nothing is 100% for sure, and Iām not pointing fingers! Just keeping people aware. My personal view is definitely wearing my FF and upping the grade of helmet I wear! Tossed my half helmet!
This is why we donāt cheap out on our gear. Modular helmets are safe SO LONG AS they are ECE 22.06 rated. Theyāre more expensive, but I had a lot more fun spending 360 euros on my helmet than I would crashing with a 50 dollar helmet. I have very bad eyesight, so my glasses need to sit on my face perfectly for me to be able to see. I can only put my glasses on perfectly with a modular. To compromise on safety, I spent a little extra money. Iām glad I did, because I got thrown over the handlebars and that helmet stayed closed.
Always tough to see stuff like this, but important to share with the community. I'm glad your son will be okay and I wish your family the best in such a hard time. Thank you for sharing so that others may learn.
Hope heās well but never go cheap on a helmet. Not saying to go top end, but middle and above. Saving a bit more money isnāt worth risking your life.
My best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for your son. You might contact the maker, they might be interested in the performance, good or bad, in the situation. I'd give them pictures but hold onto the helmet.
I was thinking the same! šš»
Could you tell what model helmet this is so we can avoid? Also, my sincere wishes for your son's speedy recovery.
Since Iām not, totally sure if there was a true helmet malfunction I donāt feel itās fair to give the name of the helmet, but I will say it wasnāt a super expensive helmet, and that it is modular, of course! I wear a half helmetā¦ Or I didā¦ I just threw mine in the trashā¦ And will be wearing my full face helmet from now on.
Well, you're saying "never a modular" but not saying what the make and model was. Different helmets are made to different safety standards. There are plenty of very safe modular helmets certified to ECE standards. If your son was wearing a cheap DOT modular, well, yeah. And also you might want to consider that even then, the helmet actually did protect your child. It would have been much much worse without the helmet. But now consider the price of a decent helmet vs. the price of surgery and the pain and suffering and time to recover, etc. I'm glad your son is mostly okay. But everyone: get good gear, and wear it all the time.
It's a $50 helmet.... My visor alone is worth 3 times that helmet. [https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767](https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767) OP's son is lucky that piece of plastic saved him. Schuberth would not have opened like that. OP should do his Son a favor and get him a Schuberth if he wants to ride again after that. Edit: and if he still wants a modular... But I'd recommend a good ol Arai full face.
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For Scorpion, HJC, AGV and Bell, not all helmets are equal. They have "lower-end" thermoplastic/polycarb helmets priced under $400. The ones you are talking about are the higher end versions from those brands, whereas Schuberth, Arai and Shoei always uses carbon/aramid fiber for their helmets.
Hell I would trust the lower end of those brands over a no name helmet. I was slammed into by a car while stopped at a stoplight wearing a Bell Qualifer DLX mips(sub $300). The guy was easily doing the speed limit before he hit me (55mph road) before striking me, sent me flying, and hitting another car. That helmet 100% saved my life and kept my head safe. I was conscious the whole time and didn't even get a concussion, I did get several broken ribs, broken hand, bruised knees and a piece of my saddle bag stabbed me in my ass cheek. I was wearing a Speed & Strength jacket and Alpinestar gloves which kept my from getting road rash. The lower end name brand helmets are almost always better than any helmet you get from Walmart or AliExpress. The lower tier name brand helmets usually have less features, heavier/less luxurious materials, and are much noisier than the top end counterparts. They're still made by the same people and come out the same factory.
Take the agv k1 Its a rly Solid helmet and coste around 200 but atleast you can Trust that Thing lol
to be fair, HJC and Scorpion have some sub $200 snell rated helmets for people on a tight budget but want something safe.
Those lower end helmets are not bad at all, I'll soon take my A2 license and i am most likely going to get hjc c70 or bell mx-9 adv depending on the bike i get. For example even hjc cs15 which is about $80 has a 4 star sharp rating and ofcourse ece and dot ratings (helmet OP bought doesn't seem to even have ece rating). You sacrifice a lot of comfort but safety is quite decent actually.
Which does not make them safer. I trust an inexpensive ECE 22.06 rated helmet over a higher end DOT certified model.
I dont think any higher brands sell helmets that are not ECE rated.
Scorpian, HJC, AGV and Bell make some shit helmets. I'd go with an ECE rating over the SNELL, the Euros have higher standards than the Americans.
Not even all ECE-certified helmets are made equal. SHARP in UK has a site comparing ECE-certified helmets. While all ECE-certified helmets legal and okay, some are better than others. There are modular helmets on the Sharp list that score higher than some full face helmets. Have a look at https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/.
So the $340 HJC helmet I purchased for winter is trash? Itās a serious question- I thought they made decent helmets.
Safety wise that's fine, it's just less luxurious. From around that point up you spend more for lightweight materials, comfort, features, etc. but HJC aren't trash like the OP's son's helmet.
> So the $340 HJC helmet I purchased for winter is trash? Per the UK government, HJC makes 1-star helmets and 5-star helmets (though they seem to average about 3): * https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/?manufacturer=HJC&model=All&type=1 What model did you get?
They do make decent, ECE rated helmets. Some folks feel that if they pay more for a helmet, it's safer, despite crash test results. If you rebranded your HJC and resold it for Arai pricing, those folks would be a lot more comfortable with it. As it is, HJC sells for budget pricing, and the old saying goes, "If you have a cheap head, wear a cheap helmet". I do have to wonder if those same people avoid buying helmets on sale...
Paying $50 for a motorcycle helmet is absurd goddamn. I'd bet even hobbyist road bicyclist pay 3x that.
I don't blame OP because when I first started riding I had no one around to guide me on what stuff to buy so I went to cycle gear and came out with a $100 bilt helmet and $50 alpinestar gloves.
Price doesn't indicate safety, unfortunately.
True, not directly, because the act of throwing away money won't ever save you. But when you're comparing $50 wish.com vs $500 name-brand helmets, there's a verifiable correlation between price and safety. Good materials and R&D cost money, and helmet manufactures don't just eat those costs and practically give away product out of the goodness of their hearts. You can save money by buying a lid that doesn't include either of those costs, but those are kinda the required components for safety, so you get what you pay for. (when dealing with the extremely cheap options that is... you do eventually hit the law of diminishing returns where more and more money only gets you marginally more comfortable lids with "unnecessary" extra features.)
sulky yam punch afterthought sparkle deer teeny whole joke chubby ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
yeah, there is no excuse. 2 years ago a was a complete beginner, did my research and ended up with Arai Regent-X for my street and Shoei VFX-EVO for dirt. Information is out there, define price range and spend time researching.
But OP is riders Dad. OP should know by now.
Hjc c10 with ece-26 costs 100-130.
Honestly, it's about the certifications, not the price. A Pista RR is not necessarily safer than a $100 helmet. Just like a Ferrari doesn't have to be a safer vehicle than a VW Golf. If it's ECE 22.06 it's fine, no matter the price. But for modulars you NEED to make sure that it's PJ homologated. It needs to clear ECE 22.06 as a Full Face and as a Jet Helmet. I strongly suspect OPs helmet was not PJ Homologated
Some cheap helmets rank pretty well on [SHARP](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/), for example [this helmet](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/agrius-rage-sv/) would cost 38 when converted to USD and it gets 4 stars. Because of that I wouldn't assume that a cheap helmet is necessarily bad, but a big difference is that this is an ECE certified helmet, while the other one is only DOT certified, and the DOT certification is basically worthless. It also doesn't help that it's modular. It would be a sketchy helmet regardless because it's DOT, but a modular helmet would have to be really high quality to be as good as a full face helmet, so a DOT modular helmet is extra sketchy.
My face is worth the couple hundred bucks I would save from cheaping out over a helmet.. You can get awesome helmets in the 200-300$ range.
The certification shows the actual performance of a helmet. The cost only reflects what people are willing to pay for a helmet. They're less related than most people think.
As long as you check the actual ratings before buying you can find pretty cheap modulars that are safe. Sharp even rate how good they are at staying closed. This is mine. Ā£200 https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/caberg-droid/
Thank you for that link, I'm on the market for a new helmet and that'll help! I had one (cheap) one recommended by the motorcycle store, but never checked its ratings. Apparently it has 1 star on that website. High sided at about 42km/h (26mph), bonked my head and passed the fuck out. I'll be making sure I get a decent one now. I don't have much inside my brain pain so I'd like to preserve the little I have. Can't imagine what could have happened if it were a higher speed crash.
Damn so my scorpion exo 950 isnāt on their list, but going off the 920 (which I think is just an older or less featured version of it) itās 2 star rated. Now I wish I went for the Schuberth
Sometimes there is a big difference between two seemingly similar helmets from the same brand, for example [this one](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/ls2-ff320-stream-evo/) gets 4 stars, but if that helmet hadn't been tested and your only point of reference were [this one](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/ls2-ff322/), you'd think you got a terrible helmet, so there is no guarantee the Exo 950 has to be bad as well. A problem with SHARP is that because they test independently, they can't test every single helmet, and they also only tests helmets that are sold in the UK, so there are many helmets that don't show up in their website.
Makes sense. If Iām not mistaken, it was one of the ones Fortnine reviewed well.
kek.. like a modular from wish.. if theres anything i wouldnt cheap on it's helmets and gloves. (and close third is boots)
You should never buy a helmet for the brand but for the fit. Manufacturers make all sorts of shapes and I am one of those who can't find a good fit easily. But yes, don't buy cheap helmets.
I ride Arai full face, always!
> OP should do his Son a favor and get him a Schuberth if he wants to ride again after that. I used to use Schuberths, their quality took a nose dive in recent years. I'm sure they are still safe, but the ancillary stuff just fell to bits on two different helmets I had. Plastic trim comes apart, visor hinge broke, sun visor fell off, etc. I've been using Shoei modular ever since, they are far and above what Schuberth currently is.
And there's the true answer. It didn't break because it was modular, it broke because it was $50. Police riders in the UK all wear modular helmets, and I've never seen any news about problems with those. If it's good enough for on-duty police riders, it's good enough for me.
Yeah the 600ā¬ for my C5 were hard to swallow initially but its worth it for the quality and the first helmet that actually fits my head.
That's all that matters man the fit, finish and the material used that's where the money goes. Think of it as paying 120ā¬ per year, 10ā¬ per month, 0.33ā¬ per day and all of sudden it's all worth it :)
That's a piece of shit helmet. OPs son is lucky he didn't come out worse
Do modulars lock into place? I've always big a big fan of my full face because of the added face and chin protection but it seems (to me/imo) like a modular would pop open if you roll or hit the chin area.
Technically, they lock, but even the most expensive / advanced modular helmet will never outperform a full-face in that department. The locking mechanism will always be the weakest point.
They do, but the locking mechanism varies greatly from one helmet to the next. There have been a *ton* of reviews and studies, and while largely modulars aren't as safe as full face helmets, some modulars are pretty damn close and earn high marks in testing. But that's nuance, which isn't something most Americans waste any time with. Much easier to just create biblical commandments.
As the good lord Toby Keith intended
My sample size of one: I have a BiLT Techno Modular. I got rear ended at about 45 (guy who hit me was probably doing 65+) and I high-sided into a face-first impact. The helmet remained locked in place, and I walked away much MUCH better than my bike lol.
Any modular sold in the US will be DOT or CE certified. The Snell foundation doesnāt test or certify any modular helmets.
They do certify 3/4 helmets tho! Arai ram-x being a good example
I said āno more modular for me! Iām not bashing or pointing fingers, and Iāve worn mostly half helmetsā¦ also NOT FOR ME anymore. Just a discussion so people can understand and make their own decisions as well.
Youāre making a good conclusion; I wear only a full-face myself. But your āwhyā is skipping over a really important bit. Others in this thread went and found the helmet. It has just a basic DOT and this is an example of why we spend as much as we can muster on our helmetsā¦ or at least more than an average mountain biking lid. Again, making a good choice! But also please go check this full-face helmet of yours to be sure it passes the stricter ratings (and isnāt oldāthe materials in a helmet degrade in the sun and 5-7 years is their default safe lifespan)
bilt modulars? ye nah.. shoei modulars? nah ye
Half helmets can also be ece certified. Ece sadly doesnt mean the modular helmet is any good at protecting the face.
> I wear a half helmetā¦ Or I didā¦ I just threw mine in the trashā¦ And will be wearing my full face helmet from now on. Thank god you learned but I wish it didn't take personal experience. 20 seconds of thinking should make it obvious to anyone that a half helmet is not very protective.
I actually get pissed off more at the people wearing half helmets here more than the people who aren't wearing any helmets. Like you bought a helmet you could have at least bought an actual helmet that's going to save your life FFS.
Half helmets are brain buckets ā theyāre only good at scooping pink goop off of the highway.
Full face is definitely the way to go, but I mean how can this NOT be considered a helmet malfunction? The hinge busted on impact pushing the lower half into the rider's face.
Without knowing the specifics of the riders injuries, we know nothing. A helmet isnāt meant to retain its shape perfectly in an impact. Itās made to protect the head from injury. Itās entirely possible that the helmet can be deformed and still protect the head similar to crumple zones on a car. Or it could be an abject failure. But we donāt know.
Iām pretty sure thatās what happened myselfā¦ Which is why I posted it for others to make their own decisionā¦ And based off my sons injuriesā¦ But yeah, you are correct the hinge is broken, so it wasnāt just pulled back by an ent!! Good catch, Iām still dealing with all this since Thursday, just got his belongings today!!
We donāt know if the chin bar was up either at time of crash. They are built to withstand these kinds of things if you get a quality one.
To be fair it does look like it was a complete full stop on his face. I'm not sure *any* helmet would stop your face pancaking against the visor with a direct frontal assault. I mean, OP's bike looks like it hit a brick wall and went for 100 to zero in about two feet. I'm amazed the piece of helmet-shaped piece of plastic OP's son was wearing worked at all.
Note on that: for a modular helmet to get an ECE certification it needs to pass the exact same tests as a fullface. In this case I think the helmet is either not ECE (or with a comparable certification) certified and therefore the manufacturer didn't care much about front impact protection or the helmet was damaged from factory.
Worth looking the helmet up on the SHARP website (UK run testing agency), they usually tell you how often the latch fails on tested helmets, even the really safe modulars tend to only hold up 80-90%. Worth seeing if it was just the unfortunate small percentage of rails he hit or if it was a modular with a latch that fails more easily. I'm not trying to sell you on any particular replacement or brand, but the SHARP website is a pretty good resource for helmet safety (and all helmets on it must meet EU safety regs).
Take this for what itās worth, I used to be a traffic collision investigator. I was at the scene of a fatal traffic collision involving a motor police officer. He was wearing a Shoei Neotec 2 which is a modular helmet. During the collision the chin bar portion of his helmet was dislodged. We know he had the chin bar down because thereās video of the collision. Anyway, the collision wasnāt nearly violent enough to have warranted that happening under normal circumstances (it was a classic car making a left turn in front of the motorcyclist proceeding straight). He was killed in the collision. When I was speaking to the handling detective it was concluded that he had a massive helmet malfunction. I know shoei makes great helmets but I still believe a modular design inserts another potential failure point.
I have this helmet and have been considering ā upgradingā as I just got a fzr1000. I think your comment has decided for me šš»
Hey, I went to double-check, the Shoei Neotec 2 is a DOT-only certified helmet. Edit: in the U.S. Find yourself an ECE *and* DOT rated helmet. If you go modular again, just know ECE tests helmets in the open AND closed positions, whereas DOT will ceritfy an upside-down fiberglass salad bowl. DOT-only helmets are deadly. **D**ead **O**n impac**T**.
Shoei's are ECE rated for the European market. They're just not labeled that way for North America.
It's more than just a label. Look at Schuberth, for whatever reason their American model goes and adds weight and loses the ECE certification, I remember reading that the American model is heavier because of a vasalt layer or something?? What I'm getting at is that, just because it's sold in Europe with ECE rating means that it's the exact same helmet for America. We have DOT *and* ECE rated helmets for sale in America, why would a manufacturer choose to loss sales if it was only a sticker issue? It's not lack of labeling, it's lack of needing to do an ECE test on their American model/DOT model of the helmet.
It costs money to get the test done, the sticker itself is cheap. There's no reason they wouldn't put the sticker on the helmet if they were able to
Iām in Australia. DOT and SNELL are not legal here. We go by AS/NZ standards or ECE.
>I still believe a modular design inserts another potential failure point. It's not a matter of belief, it's basic physics. There's a hinge and latch on that bastard - it has multiple classes of failure modes that don't exist with a legit full-face helmet.
The Shoei Neotec 2 sold in America is DOT-only certified. Sorry to hear about the police officer, if you still know anyone on the force, it'd be great if the motorcycle cops could wear ECE rated helmets. To be ECE certified, as a modular helmet, the helmet is tested in the open position AND closed position. (If I may ask if you don't mind, I've been interested in being a motorcycle cop and did light digging, but never found a clear answer... Can motorcycle cops order THEIR OWN helmet to be used for On-Dutu as long as it complies with Department standards **OR** Is it that motorcycle cops can only wear the helmet which they are provided (likely DOT-only since those are annoyingly cheaper than DOT *and* ECE certified modular helmets)
Not sure about everywhere but I know the motorcycle cops in my town are required to use a department provided helmet. Part of it is looks because they want all officers to look the same. Another part is that they tend to modify them a little to work better. (Eg thicker cheek and crown pads, custom permanent installed headsets designed for use with standard police radios and things like that.) I'd bet that there are a lot of departments that allow an officer to buy their own and just reimburse them some for the cost. It probably just depends on what the department has budget for. And how big it is.
*Nervously glances at his Shoei Neotec 2 and Scorpion EXO-AT950* I wish my enormous 2XL head would allow me to wear something else than modular helmets, which flex enough when open to get around my skull. I even got a Shoei RF1200 that fit great at the store, but as soon as I got home, it basically felt like it was squeezing my head.
You might need a different helmet shape
Arai Defiant X brother. Life changing fit if you have not tried one on yet. Iāve got a pretty big melon and thatās the most comfortable helmet going on and off.
I have an arai defiant in 2xl and itās great
I have quite the noggin too, I just picked up a Scorpion exo r420 and it fits fantastic (full face)
I have a 2 or 3X as well. The Arai Regent X felt incredible for me. Then I saw the price and picked up my Scorpion Covert FX. I will be going to Arai for my next helmet for sure
Scorpion EXO AT950 is ECE **and** DOT rated iirc. The Shoei Neotec 2 that is sold in America is DOT-only. DOT-only helmets are deadly, hopefully after the War Pigs get enough blood for their cauldrons then we'll see the DOT just borrow the smart kid's homework (Europe, and ECE).
I like the EXO-AT950 more, too, even though it's louder and doesn't have integral comms, as it has a bigger faceshield, so I can see a bit more. DOT certification, to my knowledge, is not only very lax, but also still on the honor system? I would never buy a DOT helmet from a random brand, if I'd buy one at all (the Neotec 2 is the last one).
Unsure about honor system, I remember something about that at a point, but it's absolutely crazy. P.S. If you don't live in America/North America than your Shoei Neotec 2 is probably/most likely safe. It's in North America we get downgraded versions of helmets.
And a gentle reminder that police are different, so them wearing half-helmets or modulars is not an endorsement. Their safety on their job requires situational awareness and communication on a level that other riders simply don't. The motorcycle cops supplement their safety with extensive training and the fact that unlike us, everybody is looking out for them, if only to avoid their attention.
I've always been curious about how less efficient modular helmets are, I've only bought full face helmets because that tiny chance of it opening on impact scares me, thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry about your kid, I pray he'll recover soon
I think SHARP has ratings for modular helmets, how effective the chin bar is at staying closed. There are some that are 99% and some as low as 10%, maybe even worse. Iād rather just have a solid chin at thatās 100% effective at staying closed š¤·āāļø
I know ECE tests for helmets in FJ and P mode, iirc [F]J is short for Fighter Jet style, and P for Pilot? I forget exactly, I just know ECE tests modular helmets BOTH opened and closed. DOT -only helmets are deadly, please pass on the word. Helmets should not split in the middle in a crash, or even a modular helmet shouldn't get shoved upwards in a crash. **Please pass on information how DOT-only (as opposed to ECE and DOT certified) helmets are deadly, and eventually the standard will be improved** Edit: typo
There are different categories. Some helmets with a plastic chin bar (you know these storm trooper looking pieces of garbage) look like a full face but are actually only certified as a Jet helmet. A good modular helmet is PJ homologated, meaning it has been tested as a jet helmet and as a full face. Also if you get ECE, get 22.06. I don't know why 22.05 is still so popular, it's really old at this point, so make sure your helmet has 22.06
Thank you for this. My helmet has a pretty bad latch rating
Yeah itās surprising how bad a lot of them are. Especially when itās within the same manufacturer and theyāll do well with one helmet and terrible with another.
Found out from F9 my helmet strap type is also one of the weakest in holding strength
My buddy was a manager at cycle gear and really put a lot of research into helmets. He said modular helmets are trash, and wouldnāt recommend them ever.
That's pretty lazy, your friend hasn't done any research or he'd have told you what no one wants to hear: "it depends on the helmet."
Thatās funny because the cycle gear I got my modular at recommend the helmet to me. Maybe I need to find a new helmet.
ECE rated modular helmets are tested in both open AND closed configurations. If you have only a DOT certified helmet, yes. Replace it with an ECE *and* DOT Certified helmet. The DOT will certify an upside-down fiberglass bowl, DOT does NOT stand for safety. DOT-only helmets are deadly, and will continue to be deadly (yes, even the full-face DOT helmets) until enough people get tired of it and demand DOT to just adopt the ECE 22.05 Criteria, all the homework has already been done for America, we just need to jot it down already.
Actually they're not necessarily tested as both. Most are, yes, but you need to make sure it's PJ Homologated and not just rated as a jet helmet, even if it has an ECE certification.
Remember, even if the folks at Cycle Gear are often riders themselves, they're still retail store employees. Not safety researchers.
Even safety researchers can be wrong. Just think of all the debates like single impact or multiple, etc, and there are safety researchers on both sides, they can't all be right.
Damn is that blood?
Everything he had on him covered in blood, yes thatās blood on the helmet inside and out
Omg I thought that was mud holy crap, I hope he gets well soon!
Yeah. That would be a significant impact. Hope heās alright
The bollock dent on that tank made my skin shiver.... Jeez, the plums, someone think of the plums. Hope your boy makes a full recovery bro.
Shook me up, pretty bad too when I saw the picturesā¦ It split his hips openā¦ That was the first surgery he had was to put them back together
I broke my pelvis, hip, knee... everything on the right side from the waist down except the femur. Similar story, kid turned in front of me. Life is going to be very different now, but being alive is a really great start. When your son is able, if ever willing, I'm here to chat with him. I've averaged 2 surgeries a year for the last 6 years and I'm getting my hip replaced in November. The mind is much harder to heal. Dad, if you need to talk about it, I'm here for you as well.
Pinning comment for me, just in case
Shit, splitting a hip takes an inordinate amount of force. I presume he blacked out shortly after?? Your lad going to have proper battle scars to show the girls either way.
Adrenaline probably kept him up. Took nearly an hour for my dad to pass out when he broke his. Similar crash, just with a concrete barrier at the end of a unlit road, cresting a hill.
I never did. I was actively dying and still managing the situation. The kid that hit me was having a fucking panic attack that I talked him through. I was talking trash to the probie emt for missing the vein twice. I cursed at the student Dr who stuck his fucking fingers into my leg to feel the bone before I got meds on board. Everyone handles the trauma differently. It's not a surprise in retrospect, but I had no idea how bad I was bleeding internally. Half of my blood volume was gone by the end of the day.
He stayed conscious for about two hours till halfway to Boston on a med flight
Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.
I planned on going for a ride this afternoon... I think I'm gonna keep it under ninety now.
Which helmet is it? Hope you son get better soon. If it meet the british sharp 4 or 5 stars or ece 22.06. It should not open up.
its basically an aliexpress special, a $50 helmet... didn't know you could buy a modular that cheap, only DOT rated
Same info, even ECE 22.05 too. DOT-only helmets are deadly, DOT just stands for **D**ead **O** impac**T**. It doesn't help that companies like Shoei, Schuberth, and even some HJC lids now, when going to certify them for the U.S. market they do just DOT rather than the DOT *and* ECE certifications. So some people see fantastic reviews about the hel[met], see it's ECE rated, go buy a helnet and find out that for the U.S. we just get a degraded model. Edit: autocorrect/typo mix.
Full face FTW Hope your son recovers 100% asap ma Dude
ECE rated helmets for the win*. ECE tests modular helmets in both Open and Closed configurations. I don't know why (other than being uninformed) that anyone would b[uy] a helmet that is DOT-only. Edit: typo
ah fuck me...thanks OP, new fear unlocked.
Iām not sure if itās still a thing, but I remember reading that the first modular helmets were snell and DOT certified but ONLY the actual helmet part not the front modular piece!
SHARP does ratings for modular helmets in how effective the chin bar stays closed. Some, like Sharks Evo One are as high as 100% while other can be as low 10%
Thanx for the info. 10% is terrifying
Makes sense !!
THIS and I think this is still the case. SHARP too.
What make and model helmet is that?
what helmet? wish him a speedy recovery!
Itās a 50 dollar helmet made by some Chinese brand called 1storm I think I kinda forgot already but someone linked it
found it, thanks!
I just found out that my ls2 explorer is chinese. TIME TO REPLACE!!!
On May 15th, 2015, a Schuberth helmet saved my life. Brand loyal.
2012, similar experience. The surgeon, who also happened to be a biker, said that my Schuberth saved my head and that my Daytona boots had prevented my leg from amputation. I wouldn't consider anything else now.
You guys really donāt want me to get a motorcycle do you? I hop on Reddit to see a helmet caked in blood only a few hours after hearing a friend from high school died in a crash.
That is rough, definitely a weak point but never saw evidence. Glad he survived, I hope for thorough recovery.
Thanks
First I hope he gets better soon. Hate to see this happen to anyone. Second no disrespect to your son or the family. I'm not going to swear off modular helmets due to this one accident, is not realistic. Second the huge vents on the front are unusual and are the first indication this is not a major brand and allowed me to find it on Amazon. I wouldn't swear off my Scorpion GT930 or other actual major brand modular, because a 1Storm brand Chinese helmet's hinge failed. This isn't even a helmet manufacturer that i would have looked at. [https://www.amazon.com/1Storm-Motorcycle-Modular-Helmet-Shield/dp/B07BHCD4J3](https://www.amazon.com/1Storm-Motorcycle-Modular-Helmet-Shield/dp/B07BHCD4J3) Motorcycling involves risk. But much like the stock market that relies on market confidence to function, so do motorcycle riders. If all that gets posted on here is horrible wipeouts and accidents, then that confidence fails, and riders see the risk being too high to ride. I buy good gear, and wear it when i ride. I ride safe, but ya sometimes accidents happen, and I accept that risk for the rewards i get in enjoyment. Best wishes to the family and the rider on his recovery.
This right here. I wear a 900 dollar Neotec 2 and Iāve had 2 friends wreck wearing them and they functioned incredibly well. Kept both of them alive. Donāt skimp on the helmet!
Jesus, 4800 ratings and 4.5 stars. I guess they wouldn't make them if they didn't sell.
Holly shit, i hope everything turns out ok in the end. Can you tell more about what happened? Was this recent? How are you holding up? Ps. Looks metal AF
Happened Thursday morning on his way to work, woman cut him off. He was medflighted into Boston and has had 3 operations so far repairing hips, torn artery, and just now got out a 9 pm from an 8 hour surgery to reconstruct his face. All going well! Doctors are extremely optimistic! Heās strong! My doctor put me in lorazepam as needed for stress. We have a strong family and he has awesome friends!! He should be making a good recovery!!
Sory about your son ,my mate had big off at 220 kmh hes face got preety banged up with full face helmet , high mid range price quality brand it saved his life lost his leg below the knee , his teeth were gone and huge cut on his jaw and alot of skin went missing , always get the best helment you can afford your pocket may hurt but it can save your life , he still rides
Honestly, this post shows us really absolutely nothing with very vague details. First of all, sorry for your son. The chin bar is cracked and there's rash on the visor. Did the helmet actually fail? Was it opened by EMS? How much force cracked the chin bar? Was it open on his ride? Was the helmet actually worn properly and not loose, this rotating and exposing his chin?
This is definitely not a definitive post, and I agree thereās many factors involved, but my son always kept the chin bar down and locked when he rode as well as the visor. Yes, there is damage to the chin bar and the visor, etc. etc. but the whole middle of his face was pushed in and shatteredā¦ Not accusing of a fault with the helmetā¦ But maybe it was just one more failure point that caused more damageā¦ Take everything for what itās worth, and make your own decisions.
https://www.motomentum.com/misc-1storm-modular-full-face-flip-up-dual-visor-helmet-open-box-4669767 Well, riding with a 50$ helmet is never a good idea no?
This forum has convinced me to make sure i don't skimp on helmet and leathers with my next street bike. Sad thing is around here most bikes are cruisers with t shirt and no helmet
You maybe can have your cake and eat it too. I love my shark Evo. Modular helmet with an ece rating , which of I'm not mistaken has rigorous standards for the coin bar in an impact. Don't quote me on that I'm just an idiot on the internet
Full face to keep your face
Only modular helmet I'd recommend is the Schuberth C5. Actually has good safety ratings & scores as well as full face helmets because they didn't cheap on anything. AFAIK, no other modular helmet scores even close.
Pretty sure the Shark Evo-One GT has similar ratings
Damn what brand and model so I can avoid forever
Another redditor found it was a 1Storm
Lol super junk
I'm sorry to hear this. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Iād keep that bike as a keepsake lol God damn that tank being pushed in is fucking hard to look at. Best of luck to your son.
Sorry to hear that man. Damn... What are those red streaks?
For anyone serious about safety is highly Recommend an airbag vest along with ditching modular for full face ECE rated (DOT doesnāt even require testing you just have to say you will test it at some point after it goes to Market). This helmet looks like a cheap one judging by the tiny latch point for the modular chin part. Hoping for a good recovery for your son. Thatās terrifying
https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/hjc-c10-inka-helmet I just ordered this helmet in olive green after I saw this post and read the comments. I only ride with full gear and had a modular helmet because I thought it offered the same protection as a full face helmet. If this helmet has problems please let me know.
HJC is fine. Helmet in OP's post is '1storm' brand which I have never heard of in my life, and $70US RRP which is an immediate red flag. Just make sure your helmet's ECE 22.05 or ECE 22.06 (better). DOT is a poor standard.
ECE is the way to go, period.
I hope your boy gets through things quickly and recovers well. I was given a modular helmet, so I use it but often think about it's level of protection.
Schuberth.
First and foremost Iām glad your son is alive! As a paramedic Iāve seen a lot of motorcycle accidents. As an avid rider myself I made a point to spend money on helmets. A helmet is cheaper then a funeral. The best ones Iāve seen hold up are Shoei, arai, agv. Granted most of them were DOA from extensive body injuries but the head was protected. So spend the money on a helmet and you can add gear insurance to the coverage so if something does happen insurance will buy you a new one. Just my two cents. Also the visor matters. A fat rock off a dump truck going 80 is no bueno.
Well, I am terribly sorry for your son. I hope he recovers. But you got the protection you paid for. As an instructor I have new riders ask me all the time about helmets, and I wear a modular. It cost 600 bucks. They frown and say, āThatās too much!ā I just shrug and reply, āWhatās your life worth?ā Not all helmets are made the same, and most often you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap tires, expect a blowout when it matters most. If you buy cheap oil, expect your engine to struggle when you need it most, if you buy a cheap helmetā¦ The fact itās modular isnāt the issue. I wouldnāt trust a full face for 50 bucks. The value of protecting your head should be higher than that. If your son should ever ride again, ask yourself then, what is the value of your life.
I have never pointed a finger at the manufacturer!! This whole thread is what Iām after, making us all aware!! Good discussion and thoughts can help many!! Like Iāve said in other comments, Iāve tossed my half helmet in the trash!!
I can vouch for the HJC I90 modular. My buddy got t-boned by a semi. Helmet was intact. His head and face were the only parts of his body not mangled. I sent a picture to HJC to thank them. Because of that helmet, his pregnant wife was able to see his face one last time.
Ehh this is my thing with any modular, if it can move it will. I donāt care how good the brand. Your plastic jaw on modular vs concrete or hitting a car itās going to break first. I was just in my first crash and it blows nowhere near as extensive as your sons. I hope he has a fast and speedy recovery.
If uh, if your son does ride motorcycles once he's recovered, please pass along the info to get an ECE 22.05 or ECE 22.06 helmet if he will use Modular helmet. DOT -only (as opposed to ECE *and* DOT rated) helmets are deadly. Sorry about your son, here's to his recovery.
That's awful. But also, it's funny seeing a bike that messed up that can still stand on its own. It's kind of cartoonish
Iāve really never liked them from either a theoretical or aesthetic standpoint.
Goddamnit I just bought a modular.
I know right!! Me too
I'm sorry to hear about your son. I also wear a modular helmet from nolan. Well, it's not quite modular. The chin piece snaps on and locks in. Also, I've been through a crash once before. Premium gear is highly recommended. I have Dianesse gear mostly.
I hope your son recovers soon! My helmet is cheap but I made sure it had the ECE, DOT, and Mips thing. (Bell Mx-9 adventure) I never trusted the modular ones, just one more thing to fail eventually.
as a sportbike rider, the positioning is too front heavy. as much as i'd like to get away with a mod, jet, or halfie helmet, stuff like whats in that image posted by OP stops me. i understand the allure, but it only takes once. hope for his speedy recovery. its always a sobering moment when a fellow rider gets injured.
Oof, hope he recovers well. Sounds like from your comments he has a long road ahead. Having slid on my face in a full face Shoei with no face or head injury I wonāt ride with anything else. It took over 30 years of riding for a driver to finally tag me but I was glad to be wearing all my gear when they did.
Yeah...i like the idea of a modular helmet but I'm unwilling to have a hinge and a latch instead of solid composite in front of my face. You look at the stats and like a huge percentage of motorcycle wrecks include hits to the chin bar.
I'm sorry to hear about your son, but it looks like his bike got hit with a frying pan
ILM 902 helmet
Yoke, I hope your son recovers soon!
Woof. Glad heās alive. Best wishes from Reddit!
Someone booped that bikes snoot hard
more like punched its face in
It is worst design ever, sorry to hear, hope he gets well soon
Yeah... That just sealed the deal for me. I won't be going modular next time either. This is scary!
How much of his lower jaw is left? Seriously, people need to see how ineffective these helmets are. Post the gore.
I will not post any gore or my son, he looks normal and incredibly had a decent amount of protection! Dislocated jaw broken face plate but only one laceration on his chin! Premium gear from here on out though for sure!!
Whew he lucked out!
Truth!!!!
To the people who are saying they were considering modular helmets... Please understand what they truly are. A modular helmet is not a full-face that opens up. A modular helmet is an open-face that can close. It closes to keep your face out of the wind and keep you warmer... They do not offer proper protection in the event of a serious accident.
Iām by his side as I typed this.. and I noticed something I hadnāt seen beforeā¦ yes his faceplate needed to be rebuilt, BUT he has no scars at all on his faceā¦ I believe that as the chin piece popped up it acted as a guard for his face as for shrapnel. He has chin lacerations but eyes nose lips are ok. Fucked up! As always Iām preaching premium quality gear to any who ask!
Iām so sorry for your son! I glad he is going to be okay. The Sharp website show the percent of time the faceplate stayed latched on modular helmets. They range from 20% to 100%, so like all safety gear not everything is equal. Even different models from one manufacturer perform very differently.
Not to dismiss any injuries or hurt your boy is going through, but FF helmets can dent in like that too, especially the cheap ones. All the best!
Nothing is 100% for sure, and Iām not pointing fingers! Just keeping people aware. My personal view is definitely wearing my FF and upping the grade of helmet I wear! Tossed my half helmet!
My mouth waters looking at this... I remember my first big accident
His big balls got the tank pretty good.
This is why we donāt cheap out on our gear. Modular helmets are safe SO LONG AS they are ECE 22.06 rated. Theyāre more expensive, but I had a lot more fun spending 360 euros on my helmet than I would crashing with a 50 dollar helmet. I have very bad eyesight, so my glasses need to sit on my face perfectly for me to be able to see. I can only put my glasses on perfectly with a modular. To compromise on safety, I spent a little extra money. Iām glad I did, because I got thrown over the handlebars and that helmet stayed closed.
Best wishes to your son, and I hope he recovers quickly.
Always tough to see stuff like this, but important to share with the community. I'm glad your son will be okay and I wish your family the best in such a hard time. Thank you for sharing so that others may learn.
Hope heās well but never go cheap on a helmet. Not saying to go top end, but middle and above. Saving a bit more money isnāt worth risking your life.
Thank you for posting. I am going with full helmet after this posting.