Hi there, I am going to be doing this in May:

http://autocross.com/texasregion/may52002.shtml

It has taken quite a while for me to find out where an auto-cross is held, but I found out about this one.

I want to get a helmet, as it says that it is required and I am probably going to go more than once. I says that a Snell type M or SA ('95 up) are good ... I think that is a rating though, not a brand.

I want to get something that isn't going to break the bank, but also isn't complete crap. I am sure you can spend $200-600 on a helmet, but that is kind of out of my price range. Am I dreaming here? If so let me know and I will cross the AutoX off the calender for a while. If not what kind of helmet can I get in the $50-100 price range that will work?

I tried doing a search but only a couple of posts came up and they weren't that helpful.

Thanks!

 

I had a Cyber Brand helmet, i got it from a local motorcyle shop, i paid $55 for it. It was M95 approved.

 

You're correct. SA, "Special Applications", helmets must meet stricter requirements and are required for most auto racing. M helmets are motorcycle helmets but are acceptable for autox (and usually cheaper if you're on a budget).
Check out your local motorcycle shop and see what they have. You should be able to pick one up for less than $100.

Texas Region does have some loaner helmets, so if you don't buy one before the event, don't worry. Come out and have fun.
You can also check out Equipe Rapide, autocross.com/er . It's another club in your area.

Chris
#55 GS
94 Integra LS

 

ok I looked around for a while and I found this:

http://www.mxsouth.com/cyber/cybhlmstr4.htm

Is this the type of helmet you got? That price looks reasonable.

 

Great! I just bookmarked that. The Pennington Field is really close to my apartment. My wife and I live in the Mid-Cities, but I put Dallas so people don't get confused.

 

ok, with all these ma, sa, ratings and such, will a standard motorcycle helmet be fine for most autocross/track events?

 

At least Snell M2000 (not just DOT) and you're set.

 

I purchased my Arai plain white helmet (M2000) with a visor for $115. Pretty cheap to me

 

The only other consideration is: What will you be doing in the future?

Helmets are usually good for 5-10 years, hence the Snell 95 still being acceptable. I am just autoxing right now, but I purchased a SA2000 full-face because I hope to be involved in track events within 5 years. So, I figured it would be worth the money to buy a helmet that covers the gamut rather than having to buy a new one later.

Most people say open-face is better for autox for visibility reasons, but I guess I want the challenge

 

That looks like it

 

Like the others have said, check out a local motorcycle shop and try on some helmets to see what you like. I ended up getting a nice used M95 rated KBC TK-7 for under $90.00 and I also bought a blue polarized shield for for about $20 since the deal was so good on that helmet... If you wear glasses (or even if you don't wear glasses) get a polarized shield for the bright Texas days....you won't need sunglasses and everthing looks nice and sharp. Also looks really cool on the helmet....


[Modified by Vracer111, 10:56 AM 4/23/2002]

 

besides, open faced helmets make j00 l00k gh3y!!

 

Well, I was thinking about that (future plans) ... and I have no idea what I will think of auto-cross. I may hate it ... although I doubt it. My true goal will be to race on a road course one day, but information on road racing is hard to find, and it seems very expensive. I just got married recently and my wife is still in school, so I can't go out and dump a ton of cash, but I don't think $100 for a helmet and $25 for a day of auto-cross is unreasonable.

Occasionally I will go and drag race my car at the local quater mile, although I am so horribly out-classed it is ridiculous, so I thought this might be fun to try.

There is a post in the ITR forum about the May 5th TMS auto-X for any of the Texans reading this thread.

 

this site http://www.mxsouth.com/cyber/cybhlmstr4.htm does not list a snell or m rating for their helmet. DOT approved is not enough to be used in autocross...


this is what you want:
http://www.ridegear.com/cgi-bin/Soft...38d+1019657493

snell 2000 and only $54.00 i personally went with a more expensive helmet, but this should do if you're on a budget.


[Modified by JohnEX, 10:47 PM 4/23/2002]

 

Well anything snell SA95 should be legal in most cases.

 

Thanks a lot John, that is a nice price.

 

I would recommend going to a motorcycle shop and trying on different helmets. The different brands are all shaped off different molds, thus not all will fit your head with equal comfort.

Don't let the lack of a helmet keep you from attending events though. Getting the loaner helmet for each run can be an annoyance, but it's definately better than staying home.

Good luck and have fun,
Phil

 

Thanks. I will probably drag a camera out there to take some pictures. I will post them in here after the event.

 

Is racerwholesale.com the only place people get helmets from here? Who has better prices on Bell? BTW, I am looking at the Sport II, M2, and XFM-1. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

try:
http://www.daveturner.com/

call to see what the prices are like on Bell. They had the lowest I could find on the Beiffe Predator, which is similarly priced to the Sport II/M2. I found the Bieffes to fit my head better and were more comfortable. A local shop has supposedly been in the process of getting the Preadator for me, but it's been almost a month now and I'm beginning to feel if they don't have anything new to report by the end of the week, I'll just order it from daveturner.

 

okay, I will. Thanks for the suggestion. Any others?

 

so...SA2000 (SA00) will work for any track event...

what about M2000? is there a big difference between the two ratings (SA2000 vs M2000)

will they care?

i have a helmet i'd like to get...but i need to confirm this now

 

i could be wrong, but...
i think the major difference between "SA" and "M" is the testing procedure. SA helmets are designed to take multiple hits. M helmets are designed to take one big hit.

an M or SA helmet should be ok for any SOLO2 event. for lapping days or other track events, you will most likely have to have an SA helmet.

 

SA rated helmet are also lined with a fireproof material called Nomex (or something comparable), not just nylon.

 

Here's some info... http://www.soloracer.com/helmettech.html

Bell Sport II is what I wear...