Types of Motorcycle Helmets. There are several types of Motorcycle Helmets. DOT, Snell, full face helmets, motocross helmets, 3/4 helmets, 1/2 shell helmets & novelty helmets.
DOT stands for "Department of Transportation" and is part of the Federal Government. The regulations for setting the standards are often governed by the DOT. Although it is not "required" for helmet manufactures to show proof that the helmets pass certification, helmet manufactures need to submit the helmets to DOT and state that the helmet is certifiable and will succeed in a test. DOT is the minimum standard to have in wearing a helmet on the road.
Snell Memorial Foundation is another organization that regulates helmets for safety. Snell mostly known for testing "race helmets" was founded in 1957 after the death of Pete William Snell. Snell Certification requires independent lab tests with no compromise. They provide certifications for bicyclist, motorcyclist and provide training for many of the health and safety professionals. Snell is recognized in the U.S. and worldwide and is supported by organizations like American Motorcyclist Association (AMA),National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), National Auto Sport Association (NASA), Indianapolis 500, American Power Boat Association (APBA), Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA), Federation International Motorcyclists (FIM), National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and more. Read more about the differences between Full Face Helmets, Motocross helmets, 3/4 helmets, 1/2 shell helmets and Novelty helmets here.
The right style motorcycle helmet could be entirely based off of the fit. While you could potentially buy a great helmet that has plenty of decent graphics or a fun shape, you may not be ending up with a motorcycle helmet that actually suits your needs as a rider. Make sure to try out a few different styles and eventually pick one that is going to suit you over a long riding experience. The problem with choosing a helmet simply for the style or the look is that you can often end up with a helmet that simply isn't comfortable to wear over an extensive amount of time. It may not offer you the correct amount of protection in the event of a crash.
The ideal fit for your helmet will consist of interior pads for your head shape and fits your own head size. When there's a lot of empty space in your helmet it can often sit at a poor angle and potentially even ruin your riding experience or cause you to get a headache. Remember that there are adjustment pads that can be fitted to almost any helmet to help to improve the shape as it is used. The main shell of the helmet however should be designed in such a way to make it fairly comfortable to wear at most times.
Even if you feel as though you've purchased a helmet that will suit your needs quite well as a rider it's very important he take the time to insert foam pads as well as adjust the helmet before going out on the road. Making adjustments in wearing your helmet for around 40 min. before you head out on the road is an excellent way to make sure that the fit and form match particularly well before you put yourself in an emergency situation.
Measuring your head with a cloth tape before going to purchase a helmet is a great way to get one that won't run too large or too small. Trying on a few different helmets at your local motorcycle shop will also help you to find one that feels relatively comfortable with out any type of adjustment.
The liners and check pads of any helmet will compress over time and this can drastically change the fit. Many of the top helmet manufacturers include replaceable cheek pads and various liners that can be replaced as needed. The insulation in cheek pads as well as the foam can often start to compress over time. Be sure to switch out these items with the same materials that are used in the helmet originally. If you aren't using the same manufacturers checkpads for replacement you could potentially void the warranty of the helmet as well as put your safety at risk. Severe alteration to the inside of your helmet beyond the removable features will compromise your safety to make sure that the helmet fits quite snugly around the crown of your head as well as tightly to your cheeks. Usually when purchasing a new helmet it's important to keep it quite snug as after just a few weeks of writing you will start to experience the liners compressed by at least 15 to 20%. Getting a relatively snug style helmet is a great idea especially in the early stages of wearing your helmet. If you find that the helmet is starting to give you various pressure points are causes for headache however, you may want to swap out some of the liners.
There are many different helmet configurations that you could consider as well. Between dual sport, high visibility, touring helmets, modular helmets and racing helmets the configuration in the way that each of the helmets fits will really change. Some of the main factors that you should pick in any type of versatile helmet is the balance, the low sound levels as well as the comfort of the helmet. If you're going to be going on longer rides any small amount of discomfort in a helmet can really detract from the experience that you're going to have.
If you live in a hot climate you also will want to consider ventilation is part of your comfort. Most touring bikes and racing helmets will have extra ventilation to help to improve the amount of air that you can get flowing to your head. In most cases with ventilation on helmets however the rider needs to be sitting straight up in order to use the vents correctly. These types of helmets may be less effective if you ride a sport bike.
Consider some of these top factors and more when you are picking out a brand-new motorcycle helmet for comfort, style and fit. Remember that you should do some experimenting and definitely try out a few different types of motorcycle helmets before finding the everyday helmet that you will wear for safety purposes.