Trackday helmet

[dub-disaster]

looking to get a track day helmet, don't realy wanna spend loads under a ton would be nice as Im going to only using it 3-4 times a year i know that people say how much is your head worth but so i seriously need to spend hundreds for occasional use. What does every one else use ?

[hayesey]

have a read of this and make sure whatever you buy has the necessary regulatory marks on it:

https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-helmet-law

In theory they'll only let you use a helmet on a track day that has one or more recognised marks on it.  Although I've never seen anyone check at any track day.  It's just piece of mind.

I was using a £30 Ebay Caberg one till recently when I've acquired an Arai helmet.  The Caberg seems an OK budget job.  The arai fits round your head more (although it makes it harder to take off).  

I wouldn't worry too much about spending loads in an enclosed car.  If you get a 2nd hand one just check it has no marks such as dents or scratches on it and it could have cracks inside it that you can't see.

[samg40]

I got an old motorbike helmet off a mate for free. I think id prefer an open face one if I bought one but they obviously don't offer as much protection.

[Andy]

I bought an OMP go-karting helmet, mainly on the basis that if I epically crash a Polo without roll cage, I'm fucked anyway.

Ended up with a high-spec Bell open-face lid through work though, thanks to a colleague spec'ing some tests that needed a cage putting in an engineering car and thus we had to have helmets.

[samg40]

Actually Andy that's a good point I was probably thinking along the same lines, but now I've got a cage a better lid might be in order. If I have a big off seems silly having the cage and having a big injury anyway because of a crap helmet.

[Robin]

I have one these which I've had for a couple of years now and use it on all the track days I have done.

http://bit.ly/10Vsk9L

[hayesey]

personally I don't like open face ones.  Purely for the reason that people look completely stupid wearing one

[hayesey]

plus, if you like to do go karting, they normally specify closed face with visor down in my experience.  And then you can wear your own instead of the manky loaner ones at the go karting place

[dub-disaster]

interesting stuff thanks for the advise guys ill probably get a sub 100 bs or snell marked full face after reading all those links.

Is there a massive difference in visibility between open face and full face? Also does any one bother with a balaclava or are they a waste of time and money??

[PeteG40]

I wear a balaclava, but they are essential to avoid being seen by the post office cctv with my shooter.

[hayesey]

I don't have a balaclava I never really saw the point.  I've never had issues with visibility with a full face helmet either.

[samg40]

I'd wear a balaclava with a rented lid but not my own. I've removed the visor from mine too as you dont need it in a car. No massive issues with visibility either but I can imagine an open face would feel more open.

[hayesey]

an open face would feel more open.

insightful wisdom there from the wooly headed one.

I don't use the visor in the car either.  My cheap helmet fogs up really easily where as my arai helmet has a special coating which means it doesnt fog up as much.  But it's fairly irrelevant for track days anyway since I dont use the visor then.

[vwmk3jon]

I got a free motorbike helmet from someone who was just gonna bin it. nothing wrong with it either. not that i have any trackdays planned soon....

[NeilG40]

I don't have a balaclava I never really saw the point.  I've never had issues with visibility with a full face helmet either.

Depends how big your ears are, balaclava stops your ears being bent down when puttin the helmet on.