Best Motorcycle Helmets

By Alan Dowds, Motorcycle Expert

A good helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment for any motorcycle rider – fact! Sure, you need a nice pair of boots, some smart leathers, and flashy gloves – and these are all vital to keep you in one piece should the worst happen. But, to put it simply, your head is your brain is you. Serious head injuries are the number one killer in motorcycle accidents – you can break a leg or an arm and survive, even major damage to your body can be fixed up in the ER. But damage your brain, even slightly, and that can be the end of you. But a well-chosen, high-quality helmet can protect you from injury in many crashes. Helmets are generally made from a tough outer shell, usually of fibreglass, carbon fibre or Kevlar weave, with a softer liner. This liner – usually expanded polystyrene – protects your skull by absorbing the energy of an impact, slowing down the deceleration of your head inside the outer shell, and preventing the bruising, swelling, and skull fractures which are so often fatal. The outer shell also serves to prevent penetration injuries from such items as motorcycle footpegs and roadside fence poles.

A helmet's primary purpose is protection, but they also have a number of secondary functions. A movable visor is essential, to provide eye protection, while many helmets have quick-release systems to allow a dark visor to be swapped in for riding in bright sunshine. Vents are important to allow cooling airflow into the helmet, and there are a variety of fastening systems available, including ‘seatbelt-type' buckles for easy fastening...

Read this and more as Alan Dowds reviews the top 10 motorcylce helmets...