Snell Vs. DOT helmet for motorcycle use?

Anyone here use a Snell helmet on the street? I know it's not a DOT unit but they are used in automotive racing so they will have to be able to withstand an impact. I have an older Snell (out of date) helmet that cannot be used for car racing, and was trying to think of another use.

Just asking. Paul B

Snell "M2010" is the standard you want.

New motorcycle helmets protect far, far better than any old helmet will.

Try on any new, $150 helmet. You'll be surprised at what that gets you now. I like my Bell Vortex.

My Scorpion EXO was about $130, and I'm pretty sure it is both DOT and SNELL rated.

How fast do you expect your crashes to be? If you like to keep your crotch rocket moving at near-triple digit speeds, Snell may be the way to go. If you just sedately cruse the boulevard, you may be safer with a "lesser" helmet because it will give more.

http://www.westcoastweasels.com/archives/PDF/Blowing_the_Lid_Off.pdf

"The Snell sticker," continued Newman, "has become a marketing gimmick. By spending 60 cents [paid to the Snell foundation], a manufacturer puts that sticker in his helmet and he can increase the price by $30 or $40. Or even $60 or $100. "Because there's this allure, this charisma, this image associated with a Snell sticker that says, 'Hey, this is a better helmet, and therefore must be worth a whole lot more money.' And in spite of the very best intentions of everybody at Snell, they did not have the field data [on actual accidents] that we have now [when they devised the standard]. And although that data has been around a long time, they have chosen, at this point, not to take it into consideration." A World Of Hurt Dr. Hurt sees the Snell standard in pretty much the same light. "What should the [G] limit on helmets be? Just as helmet designs should be rounder, smoother and safer, they should also be softer, softer, softer. Because people are wearing these so-called high-performance helmets and are getting diffused [brain] injuries ... well, they're screwed up for life. Taking 300 Gs is not a safe thing. "We've got people that we've replicated helmet [impacts] on that took 250, 230 Gs [in their accidents]. And they've got a diffuse injury they're not gonna get rid of. The helmet has a good whack on it, but so what? If they'd had a softer helmet they'd have been better off."

Oh, and the guy who wrote the article got canned for it
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/sprockets/motorcyclist-magazine-caves-to-advertiser-pressure/23959/page1/

The Snell M2010 standard actually incorporated a lot of what they learned in the "Blowing the Lid Off" test. The acceptable decelerations are a lot lower.

chaparral wrote: The Snell M2010 standard actually incorporated a lot of what they learned in the "Blowing the Lid Off" test. The acceptable decelerations are a lot lower.

Thank you. I was unaware of that. I have an SA2005 that I won't use for autocross because of that article. It is good to know that the 2010 standards are better for low speed crashes.

Thanks guys I will have to read the Snell link later. Since we are taking about helmets what is general thoughts on Bell full face motorcycle helmets? I found one I like, it fits well and is in my price range Good or bad?

As for use I plan to buy a cruiser bike so no high speed adventures.

Thanks Paul B

Having been in a head-impacting motorcycle crash, I dont think I'd risk using an out-of-date auto helmet. Snell rated motorcycle helments are so cheap these days, why not go for the extra protection?

Osterkraut wrote: Having been in a head-impacting motorcycle crash, I dont think I'd risk using an out-of-date auto helmet. Snell rated motorcycle helments are so cheap these days, why not go for the extra protection?

Truth. Buy one online on closeout.

Checkout www.motorcyclegear.com for some great deals on closeout helmets and other stuff. Excellent service too.

Though I didn't buy there, Dennis Kirk has some good closeouts on odd sizes and weird colors also. I just got my second helmet, an HJC that only cost around $125 at the local snowmobile shop. All I had to do was switch out the visor. I researched helmets a LOT and brand or price doesn't mean squat. The FIT is the important thing. More money generally only buys increased comfort, not protection.

More comfort, and less noise. Unless you of bar hop, this is important.

I got a Scorpion EXO-400 on closeout for $60 at the local motorcycle shop. It has an decal scheme but nothing a repaint won't fix. Snell and DOT rated.