Fiberglass modular helmet

[r77toy]

Who makes a laminated (fiberglass, carbonfiber, etc.) flip-up helmet?

[johnlt]

I think Schuberth does

[NonComp]

This looks like a good one :

 

Bomb disposal helmet

 

 

[ltljohn]

This looks like a good one :

 

Bomb disposal helmet

 

It didn't have a DOT sticker

[r77toy]

IT looks like the Shoei Multitec does, any others?

[Dennis_n1kcl]

IT looks like the Shoei Multitec does, any others?

 

Nolan XLite

[Skywagon]

not exactly sure what you are asking but HJC makes a flip carbon...

[r77toy]

I won't wear a polycarbonate helmet. What model is the HJC carbon flip-up?

[mswanton]

HJC SY-Max II

[brianbmw]

SY Max II is a great helmet but not carbon fiber.

[ragtoplvr]

The OP asked about fiberglass, and the SyMax 2 is Fiberglass.

 

The IS Max is polycarbonite and looks the same, they are often confused.

 

Rod

[jaytee]

I won't wear a polycarbonate helmet.

 

Out of curiosity, why? I've been given to understand that polycarbonate is a very good material for this application. Are there some drawbacks that aren't obvious?

 

JT

[motoguy128]

I'm curious too. In a Motorcyclist Magaine (I thik that was the one) test a few years back, they compared cheap and expensive helmet. The more expensive helmet has fiberglass or kevlar and actually scored WORSE in the testing because they were more regid and therefore transferred more energy. Th echeaper polycarb helmets scored better. Although all still pass the required test standards and provided good coverage and showed improvement from helmets tested a decade earlier.

 

The more rigid fiberglass helmets were tested to a more strict SNELL standard, whci hsi designed more for racing where high speed impacts are possible. So to survive the high speed impacts, they sacrificed absorbtion at lwoer speeds. But in real life an impact at a speed over even 80mph is very rare.

 

Just a thought. I think Polycarbonate helmets may be a little heavier too.

[r77toy]

I may be biased, I built Bell helmets in the 1980's, and worked in m/c accessory sales during that era. It is MY OPINION that a laminated helmet will spread the impact force as it travels thruogh the layers. I have seen polycarb helmet shells break in half after falling on a carpeted floor. Go to your local Karate studio when they are breaking Pine boards and slip in a piece of plywood, get the idea? I know technology has changed in the past 30 years, but I'll stick with 'glass.

[motoguy128]

It is MY OPINION that a laminated helmet will spread the impact force as it travels thruogh the layers. I have seen polycarb helmet shells break in half after falling on a carpeted floor.

 

I would be suprised if that was poycarbonate. IF it was, it was possibly old, or of poor quality or used a poor mfg techique that made it brittle durign hte moding process. I can only point toward objective test results. But both type of construction do provide good protection. Subjective options from isolated events tend to create lots of urban myths. I have a co-worker that swear helmets are dangerous because he knew somebody, who knew somebody that crashed and supposedly the helmet "caught" the edge of the pavement is such a way that it snapped their neck. Of course if that's even true, I suspect that person would not have survived either way and I question of the helmet was sized properly or being worn properly.

 

I think you're misunderstanding the material properties of materials with a "grain". I'm not a materials science expert, but materials like natural wood, and composite materials have a "grain" in that the tensile strength of the material in one axis is much different than another. A wood board is very each to split in one orientation, but trun it 90 degrees, and it's will be much more difficult. If the fiberglas or kevlar is laid in the same orentation in multiple layers, you will see forces spread unevenely across the material. There's a second way multiple layers strengthen a material. Further layers are added depending on the rigidity and/or strength needed. The same is done with injection molded lastics by changing it's thickness. Plastics still have multiple layers in a molecular level. plastics are long polymer chains which makes them pliable, but still have good tensile strength. It's the pliability and deformability that give ploycarbonate helmet an advantage in some ways. Energy can be absorbed by the plastic as it stretches. At hte sme time it acts as a spring the same way a composite helmet does and spreads the forces across a larger area. According to the tests, polycarb helmets spread te ofrces better than similar composite helmets. Its' not a huge difference, but there is one.

 

 

Like hte article said, if you think yu're going ot slide headfirst into a wall or curb at high speed, you may want a composite helmet. If it's like 90% of street accidents, and you're simple falling form a height of about 5-7', a polycarb helmet has the advantage.

[brianbmw]

The three posts previous to mine were suggestiong it was carbon.

 

 

The OP asked about fiberglass, and the SyMax 2 is Fiberglass.

 

The IS Max is polycarbonite and looks the same, they are often confused.

 

Rod

[japachap]

Similar thread going on HERE

Polycarb lids are typically heavier. You also need to bear in mind that if the shell flexes to absorb some of the impact, theres a good chance that the foam padding inside will actually be compressed more locally (ie- you are creating indents from both sides, whereas a ridgid shell allows only the indent from your head inside to act on the foam- errr, is that understandable?).

[Linz]

The Symax II is Fiberglass but the section which lifts is polycarbonate. Very flimsy.

 

Linz