I need a new helmet for tracking and karting. My current Arai helmet does not meet the new requirements.

What helmets do you like in the $500 to $600 range?

Also where do you recommend buying in the Los Angeles area?

Thanks for any info.

 

i just got a suomy to supplement my arai. i really like it. how is it an arai would not meeting carting requirements, as it is definatley one of the premium helmets out there. i'm not sure which arai you have, but i thought they all had a minimum safety rating.

 

Wherever you end up going, try on a few different brands to see which fits your head shape best, make sure you get a snug fit (the liner will compress over time and you don't want a loose helmet), and try to get a Snell 2005 rated helmet for track so you have a long time before having to update it. Also, for karting, I'd recommend a motorcycle helmet, since they're cheap and generally 3/4lb to 1lb lighter than all but the most expensive auto racing helmets. Not to mention that you'll get pelted by debris in karting, so it's nicer to trash a cheap helmet than an expensive one.

 

i don't know if i'd call motorcycle helmets cheap. unless $500-800 is cheap to you?

arai is good for rounder heads, shoei is good for pointier heads.

just remember, you get what you pay for. buy a cheap helmet if you have a cheap head

 

get the best one you can afford! and then spend a little more. dont forget your head in there. if it brakes cant fix it.

John

ps. someone told me this before and it really stuck to me.

 

Deputy,

My Arai is M rated and I need a SA rating for the track. That's the reason I need a different helmet.

 

Don't forget the paint! (Stand 21 and Simpson Vudo helmets)

 

i'm not familiar with kart helmet ratings. is that a label that the kart community puts on that particular helmet?

you would think if it's good enough for a motorcyle on a racetrack, it would be good enough to kart in.

what model of arai do you have?

 

Deputy,

The SA rating is for helmets that use fire resistant materials which is mandatory at many race tracks. Most kart tracks do accept M rated helmets but I plan to track my car with the same helmet so I need a SA rated helmet.

 

The 05 rating in October by Snell forces the older helmets out too. This year they have to be at least SA or M 00, or K98.
http://www.smf.org/

There are new 05 helmets with multiple ratings...Arai.
Personally, I'll likely go with a full aero Bell Kart Pro2 for the open air, and something simpler for in car.

 

Sparco and Stand21 are the leaders in the industry..

Dont skimp on a helmet- And dont limit yourself to 600.00 bucks- Whats your head worth..?????

I have used both and have been very happy with both brands..

Look for a helmet that has good visibility- and one that is lightweight after an hour of driving - with g -forces involved your head will get heavy you probably want the lightest one you can get ...

 

get an Arai GP5, it's one of the best helmets out there... it's over your budget though...

 

There is a reputable vendor of Suomy helmets on this forum. His name here is Origyns973 or something similar to that. Search his username here and drop him a PM. He has top end helmets for a decent price. Tell him I steered you in his direction. I have purchased from him before and probably will again.

 

Fit and protection are equally important, for 500+ dollars you will get a safe helmut so my advice is to visit a shop with a good selection of lids and find one that is comfy, I wound up with an AGV for whatever that is worth, it matched my kart which put me in the double bonus round.

 

I got my custom karting helmet from ....

www.customhelmets.com

They do some cool stuff there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!