[Turkish]

good site, not all helmets are listed there but it may just help you when picking new lid,


SHARP - the Department for Transport’s Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme


they also show you how helmets are tested

[Gloggers]

Thats a great site, I wonder how accurate it is? Also, came across a helmet fitting video, Helmet Fitting that answers a lot of questions about fitting a helmet for both newbies and experienced riders.

Hows about making this one a sticky Mods?

Good find Turkish

[Turkish]

should be accurate enough considering operation is under UK Department for Transport. interesting to see how known brands perform in the test .....shocking in some cases:) .....when looking at safety record of 300 quid helmets

[fabio]

I like the idea but a lot of people have found fault with it...there's no perfect helmet test I suppose but it's a good guideline for when you want to buy and even more so imo if you are looking for a budget helmet. At least with this test you know that the helmet is better than the minimum requirements.

Here's a great one actually, a very good read, very objective and takes it from all angles: http://www.motorcycl...view/index.html

This post has been edited by fabio: 28 August 2010 - 02:29 PM

[Claire]

Interesting link Fabio, but it only confuses me more:rolleyes: . I am really not convinced by Sharp tests although they do give one some reassurance.Personally I wear an Arai because it fits my shape head the best (having tried at least 3 other brands in recent years), is a really comfortable fit and if its good enough for many top racers it will do me. The best helmet in the world is useless if its not the right size and shape for the wearer.

[el_lobo]

Nice link, and good to know my helmet is not as bad is it was priced

[eamon]

Claire, on 28 August 2010 - 04:18 PM, said:

Interesting link Fabio, but it only confuses me more:rolleyes: . I am really not convinced by Sharp tests although they do give one some reassurance.Personally I wear an Arai because it fits my shape head the best (having tried at least 3 other brands in recent years), is a really comfortable fit and if its good enough for many top racers it will do me. The best helmet in the world is useless if its not the right size and shape for the wearer.

I too wear an Arai because it fits my head.

When the Sharp test first came out, Arai helmets did not score that well. Even with the poor scores, my next helmet will be another Arai. The Sharp tests, IMHO, cause manufacturers to build helmets whose sole purpose is to get a good score in the test.

This post has been edited by eamon: 28 August 2010 - 10:12 PM

[gardenhero]

Sharp tests are a load of sihte. They have been discredited over and over again. Find a lid you like, use it and look after it. By the way I use a helmet that scores very high on their list so this isn't a bitter post.

[Turkish]

i wouldn't get revved up

like with everything ...we make choices based on certain grounds and Sharp doesn't have to be the holy grail .... its only there to provide extra info and guideline. I like the idea of standard testing procedure, which may not be the best but its a start and provides consistent results, which dont seem to be yet distorted by some amazing marketing team. we build cars to Euro NCAP - same thing ......bit like German TUV where things have to meet certain quality and its your fancy if you want them in pink or dark navy.

choice is all yours ...i like my helmet and prefer them to do these tests

This post has been edited by Turkish: 28 August 2010 - 11:25 PM

[Magnets]

gardenhero, on 28 August 2010 - 10:16 PM, said:

Sharp tests are a load of sihte. They have been discredited over and over again. Find a lid you like, use it and look after it. By the way I use a helmet that scores very high on their list so this isn't a bitter post.

And test it regularly lol

Sharp tests are at best flawed, cheaper helmets are now being made to specifically pass only on the Sharp test points. I have done a wee bit of research on this with some helmet manufacturers and found some helmets that cost €50 ish to have 4/5 star ratings yet their replacement visors cost €25, does that mean the 'lid' is worth €25? I used to be a helmet snob but now have various brands (Shark & Arai), the dearest is best theory isn't always right as the top brand may not fit you correctly thus making it dangerous for the user, all I will say folks is give yourself a fighting chance in an accident, we have little enough protection as it is without lessening the odds.

[Alan]

Why Nolan gets 4 stars

[noob-saibot]

gardenhero, on 28 August 2010 - 10:16 PM, said:

Sharp tests are a load of sihte. They have been discredited over and over again.

+1

+ what magnets says

[valkeire]

"Sharp tests are a load of sihte. They have been discredited over and over again."

Can anyone point me towards an authoritative source to give me some info on this?

I know that when the Sharp test was launched in 2007, there was an outcry from some manufacturers whose expensive helmets did not achieve high ratings.

But, I'm looking for less biased info on how the Sharp test has been discredited, what are the fail points in the test procedure.

But I would have a healthy distrust of info from the aggrieved manufacturers, or a tame specialist who comes up with a supporting report.

After 3 years, I would hope the situation would have become clearer,with better detail on what the problems are.

I could only find this article, which has a bit of balance.

http://www.inter-bik...ety-scheme.html

But then, as someone once said, that other than the certainty that wearing a helmet is better than not wearing one, but after that, in a crash, with all the possible variations of impact, penetration and collision forces, your safety is really in the lap of the Gods.

Valkeire

[Iggy]

Good article from Valk. There is also the Snell Test ( USA ), the mandatory DOT ( US Government ) and the ECE test ( Europe ). And probably some others floating around. We could safely say that ALL these tests are defective as they all have one serious flaw : They do not use real heads for testing. Given the vast differences in the human skull from one individual to the next e.g thickness of skull, shape, size, etc., the best that any testing can do really is to offer guidelines to safety based on certain parameters used in the testing. If you are concerned about any one test, check out the other test results and the helmet which scores highly on all 3 or 4 or whatever, will probably be the safest.
Otherwise, we need loads of volunteers to donate their heads in the interest of the common good.

[Linda]

The Sharps test partially works on impact testing. The points used by the testers are considered by some to be unrealistic. For instance they impact test the top of the helmet the argument being that you don't land on the top of your head. My own feelings are that anything keeps the manufacturers on their toes is to be welcomed.

When your looking for a helmet the Sharps test is an aid, in the end there is a lot of factors come into play but the more impartial info you can get the better.