I am planning on getting a helmet really soon and I wanted to ask if anyone know the real difference between Hjc and arai for safety and comfort. Thanks

 

ARAI > HJC

 

The price says it all.
In this case you really do get what you pay for. But that doesn't mean HJC are crappy helmets. Just means they're cheaper. You should look at Shoeis too.

 

How much better is shoei than hjc or are they close

 

The best helmet for you is the one that fits your head the best. Try them all on and see which one is most comfortable.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://roadracingworld.com/new...25781

Basically,
LRRS (Loudon Road Race Series) has banned, until investigated by HJC, the CL and CS models because the last 5 racers to sustain head injuries in their events were wearing those particular models.

HJC states that they've passed all the U.S. safety standards so they're not sure what they should do to test them further.

HJC also states that their helmet is the number 1 selling brand in the U.S. so therefore, the likelyhood of someone crashing with their helmet on is consequently higher.

Only 2 of the 4 CL line is Snell Approved. The CS line are DOT only.

Snell has 2 standards. M standard basically designed around motorcycling and SA standard basically designed around cars. The SA standard involves flammability so polycarbonate plastic helmets do not meet those standards. ie the CL and CS as well as many other makes and models. </TD></TR></TABLE>



..and this is probably the most important helmet article ever. http://www.motorcyclistonline....eview/

 

Thanks for the reply. I will check them out soon.

 

you can really tell the difference just when trying them on. i have an HJC CL-Max because that's what i could afford at the time. I go into my local cycle shop every once in a while and try on some other helmets, and the Arai feels much lighter and less bulky. I feel like i can move my head around much more freely. If you can afford the ~$400 i would def. go with a better brand than HJC.

 

generally speaking, the arais and shoeis are lighter, have better venting, and are more aerodynamic. But all of this means nothing if they do not fit comfortably on your head.

 

Arai = Gucci

HJC = Walmart

 

I have both an HJC CL-14 (starter helmet) and a Arai RX-7. There is no comparison between the two, the Arai is more confortable in terms of fit and ventilation. Also it's lighter and more aerodynamic (it doesn't feel like the helmet is going to rip off when i turn my head on the highway). Of course this is what you'd expect when comparing a 130$ helmet vs a 650$ helmet.

I would also recommend the Shoei brand...just go to the store and try them on and see which one fits your head shape the best.

 

The HJC snell approved ones are very safe. What you're paying all that extra cash for is the comfort, noise reduction, graphics and most of all name. The noise reduction on the HJC helmets, mainly the CL-14 have gotten a lot better over the years. Its funny, in San Diego so many people ride around with a $700 arai but don't even pony up for a decent riding jacket.

 

a personal observation:

the difference between my shoei rf1000($$$) and my shoei x-11($$$$) is night and day.

the rf1000 is comfortable, and has a better liner (more comfortable over a long period of time than the checkerboard lining used on the x11) but the venting and aero on the x11 is much much better. It's to the point where in colder weather, i can't wear the x11 because it's almost too cold for my face. I really like the dual visor vents on the X11 for defogging and venting reasons, whereas the RF will fog much easier and take longer to clear up.

 

If you are considering Arai, look into Suomy too, they fit me better

 

If your looking for good deals on arai, try ebay. That's where I got my arai tommygun for a bit cheaper then at the stores At first, I thought about getting the HJC ac-12 carbon fiber helmet, but after doing some reading I went with arai instead. You can also try looking into suomy.