Looking for the Best Motorcycle Helmet
To Be The Best You Have To Aim High
Just as in life, to be the best in sport, athletes, sportsmen, and women set the highest standards for themselves and aim for the highest prizes, depending on their talents, abilities and determination. Most track and field athletes aim for the Olympic Gold Medal while most professional marathoners, competing weekly for lucrative purses, set their sights on the Boston or New York City Marathons. In motor racing, the Grand Prix World Championship is the pinnacle of every professional driver’s dream, while motorcyclists aim for their class equivalents; the Moto GP. For these drivers, racing the best bikes and using the best equipment, including the best motorcycle helmet with all its performance and safety features accounted for, is non-negotiable.
This article directs readers to just a few of the wide range of professional recommendations and preferences in motorcycle helmets. It is also a brief introduction for new riders towards making the best choices.
Before talking about helmets, we also take a peek at some selections made by experts based on their personal preferences. Things usually taken into account by professional, experienced and regular bike riders are power, performance, ergonomics, economy, and safety. While the motorcycle is the main engine driver of its enthusiast, other key components such as footwear and motorcycle helmets are also important. Writing for Popular Mechanics and Road and Track last year, Ben Stewart suggested that motorbikes have short shelf lives and came up with a definitive list of new choices for the next season.
But his guide does not tell readers too much about the bikes’ engineering and performance capabilities. It is left to commenters to make their own remarks. Top of his list is the Honda Grom 125cc, the Japanese Star Bolt, the Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS, and the Indian Chief Classic. Earlier, Cycle World shared their enthusiasm for their best choices but also wanted to know which motorcycles their readers preferred. The Harley Davidson Street 750 and 500 are on their list.
The Best Pro Riders
Curious to learn what the top professional riders are racing and wearing these days, specifically the all-important helmet? While the world is a small place these days, the list of top pro riders is long, not forgetting that there are a number of racing categories to factor in. Like their car counterparts, Moto GP is possibly the most prestigious category.
Already on every motorcycling enthusiast’s lips are the names of two multiple world champions; Italian Valentino Rossi and Australian Casey Stoner. While Jorge Lorenzo is considered to be the best Spanish racer of all time, and I have not forgotten the UK’s Barry Sheen, who due to a crash is a real-life iron man, by the way, most bets are placed on Max Biaggi being the best Moto GP driver of all time. These days, Valentino Rossi is coasting along on a Yamaha while the trade in motorcycle helmets to which Rossi has given his name has become a billion dollar industry.
Let’s Also Look For The Best Motorcycle Helmet
A website dedicated entirely to the helmets worn by Valentino Rossi over the years. When you measure the ferocious work rate of the modern Moto GP racer against the more casual drivers, it should come as no surprise that Rossi and his challengers have worn out quite a few. The names are eclectic and all quite technical at this stage. Here is just a sample wore by the Italian; Sepang AGV Prototype, Marco Simoncelli Tribute, Elements, The Eye and, wait for it, WTF!
Yup, that’s its name. At the time he wore this custom-designed helmet in 2011, Rossi was showcasing his frustration with manhandling the Ducati he was saddled with that season. Now, Rossi’s Australian nemesis, Casey Stoner, famously wore the Nolan X802 Casey Stoner Phillip Island before finally hanging up his motorcycling gloves. Its predecessors all have similar names, such as the; Nolan X-802R Casey Stoner, Nolan N63 Gemini Casey Stoner and the X802 Casey Stoner replica.
The Best Choices
And while the famous racers have both worn replicas of their own tool of the trade, their best motorcycle helmet, replicas are also available for the less talented, shall we say, racers. Champion Helmets have a long list of their own from which budding champions can choose from. Name your favorite Moto GP racer and you have your own version of his helmet. And while a museum could very well hold the helmets that Stoner and Rossi have worn during their long racing careers, Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo offers his fans over ten replica choices.
Whether riding a heavy cylindered bike or a 125cc scooter, the motorcyclist still needs to make a sound choice taking into account the factors mentioned. By trying out a few helmets for size, riders will find a helmet which suits them best. Most recommended helmets are Full Face designs, and half helmets, unless taking advantage of some riders’ vanity and ignorance, are rarely mentioned. Helmet Advisor favors the Arai range, while Ben Stewart seems to prefer Shoei.
Look, Feel And Be Your Best
Taking into account all things important such as make/model, color, size and safety you can place yourself a step closer to being your absolute best by wearing the best motorcycle helmet which, since you’ve tried on a few, should fit like a glove. Compare motorcycle helmet options on Amazon.
