ALT-4 Buyers Guide to Motorcycle Helmets
"You MUST get this right, because it could save your LIFE."
The importance of buying a motorcycle helmet can not be underestimated. Even in countries and states where it isn't a legal requirement to wear a helmet, I would strongly suggest that you not only buy a helmet but you use it whenever you venture out on your motorcycle. Even if you're in a warm climate or want to look cool on your motorbike and you are telling yourself that you're only going to be riding slowly, just think about the level of protection a driver of a car has and remember that even if you're a highly accomplished rider, it's other users of the road who could make an error which even at low speed could take your life, if you don't wear a helmet.
With the safety lecture over there are some important points for your consideration and deliberation when you are buying a motorcycle helmet. Putting aside for a moment the color and graphic design of helmets, you must be sure that any helmet you consider buying meets safety regulations. In the UK this is easily done as it signified by a British safety 'Kite Mark' but in other countries you should buy a well known, reputable make of helmet and read the specifications of the helmet or use the Internet to do a little research on the brands of helmet. Once you are happy with the safety information of a brand you'll find that they come in a choice of different style types to choose from like:
- Full face helmets
- Open face helmets
- Hybrid helmets
- Half helmets, or 'Shorty' helmets
- Motor Cross helmets
Each of these helmet types are generally suited to different styles and types of motorcycle. A hybrid helmet is a great alternative for riders who work as couriers or for whatever reason, need to put their helmet on and off several times in a journey, because they can simply flip the full face and chin guard up without removing the full helmet. Apart from the hybrid each helmet really does suit and match a specific motorcycle type although any helmet is always better than none, necessity always winning over style.
Before your final decision on a helmet it is very important that you get the correct size of helmet for your head. Being such an important and a potentially lifesaving piece of equipment, getting the wrong fit could weaken or lessen the lifesaving and safety properties of a helmet. For a helmet to be most effective it must be the right size, fitting you snuggly.
With all of those aspects covered you can search through all of the amazing, kaleidescope of colors and graphic designs which are found on helmets these days to find the perfect motorcycle helmet to either fit your own personal style or to match the color scheme of your motorbike and other equipment.
