HJC Helmets banned at Loudon

[Red Rider]

This may be considered old news (5/18/06), but very relevant nonetheless...

Updated: Serious Head Injuries Lead To LRRS Ban On Certain HJC Helmets News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

[nhfirefighter13]

Yup, and HJC is pisssssssssssed.

Originally Posted by Red Rider

This may be considered old news (5/18/06), but very relevant nonetheless...

Updated: Serious Head Injuries Lead To LRRS Ban On Certain HJC Helmets News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Very interesting. I am wondering if it is time to switch helmets myself?

I can't wait to see what comes out of this.

That's not the encouraging news I like to hear. I currently wear a CL-14. It's really true what the guys at Bell Helmets say, you only put a 10 dollar head in a 10 dollar helmet...

I'm glad I got an AC-12 then...

[ND4SPD]

We all know there really is no difference between a $100 helmet and a $500 helmet. It's just brand name and graphics.

I guess one good information would be how many riders that day where wearing HJC helmet.....

I'm not a HJC fan cause they just don't fit me but if they meet the standard why not? I don't like the "you only put a 10 dollar head in a 10 dollar helmet" thing.... I guess it's good for an actual 10$ helmet but if you get something that meets the standard an fits your head the price should not matter. If that saying was true then we would be all wearing THE top of the line Arai.

So if I find a better price for a helmet does that mean I value my head less?

If they are not happy with the standard than make it more difficult

Originally Posted by jetbdude

I don't like the "you only put a 10 dollar head in a 10 dollar helmet" thing.... I guess it's good for an actual 10$ helmet but if you get something that meets the standard an fits your head the price should not matter. If that saying was true then we would be all wearing THE top of the line Arai.

Good point.

Originally Posted by jetbdude

I guess one good information would be how many riders that day where wearing HJC helmet.....

I'm not a HJC fan cause they just don't fit me but if they meet the standard why not? I don't like the "you only put a 10 dollar head in a 10 dollar helmet" thing.... I guess it's good for an actual 10$ helmet but if you get something that meets the standard an fits your head the price should not matter. If that saying was true then we would be all wearing THE top of the line Vemar.

fixed that for you. - former Arai owner, waaaaaaaaayy back.



But I agree totally. And what if you get a $500 helmet for $10? What if your helmet is rebadged (HJC/ Icon) or like Sidi's "set-up" boots?

What about a new company, like Scorpian, who have all the features and safety endorsements at half the price of premium?

...and how pissed is HJC at this guy:

Massachusetts HJC distributor told him that the models in question were not recommend for competition use.

Oh, and does Blakeney live under a rock? What about BSA and ECE?

DOT & SNELL -What testing can we do beyond that? There’s no guidelines for it.

always knew I'd have to buy a new helmet eventually... now I have an excuse...

oh wait... when am I going to be at loudon? shhhh. details.

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Scout

...and how pissed is HJC at this guy:

Massachusetts HJC distributor told him that the models in question were not recommend for competition use.

Oh, and does Blakeney live under a rock? What about BSA and ECE?

DOT & SNELL -What testing can we do beyond that? There’s no guidelines for it.

BSI and ECE are European Organizations and don't have a "US" base or even a US approved standard in place in this country.

When in Rome . . .

Originally Posted by abtech

BSI and ECE are European Organizations and don't have a "US" base or even a US approved standard in place in this country.

When in Rome . . .

You're right, but when helmets get imported here, there are submissions for US standards, so Mr. Blakeney could theoretically submit his helmets for the BSI (lol, not BSA - duh) and ECE standards for racing outside the US.

You'd think the "HJC Product Development Coordinator" might look outside the box so to speak, and since this is an overseas race organizations issue, and HJC looks to have a foothold with racers there, that he would be less shortsighted and pursue that option?

And, since this is an overseas issue, and he's speaking to an international crowd, who knows nothing about Snell and DOT, that he would recognize his target audience concerning this issue and not make the typical naive remarks concerning our standards and theirs?

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Scout

You're right, but when helmets get imported here, there are submissions for US standards, so Mr. Blakeney could theoretically submit his helmets for the BSI (lol, not BSA - duh) and ECE standards for racing outside the US.

You'd think the "HJC Product Development Coordinator" might look outside the box so to speak, and since this is an overseas race organizations issue, and HJC looks to have a foothold with racers there, that he would be less shortsighted and pursue that option?

And, since this is an overseas issue, and he's speaking to an international crowd, who knows nothing about Snell and DOT, that he would recognize his target audience concerning this issue and not make the typical naive remarks concerning our standards and theirs?

Loudon is in New Hampshire, so I'm not certain what you mean about this being an overseas race organizations issue. I should also point out that Snell is in Europe big time and they have a full testing center in England where they certify helmets to the same standards used in the U.S.

[luvtolean]

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

We all know there really is no difference between a $100 helmet and a $500 helmet. It's just brand name and graphics.

And we all know if a helmet is DOT and SNELL, they're all the same.

Bravo to Loudon's balls on this one.

Time to raise awareness on cheap shitty helmets...like plastic HJCs.

Originally Posted by abtech

Loudon is in New Hampshire, so I'm not certain what you mean about this being an overseas race organizations issue. I should also point out that Snell is in Europe big time and they have a full testing center in England where they certify helmets to the same standards used in the U.S.

I believe they used to be, but no more. I think the inception of the EU standard(ECE22/05) greatly affected their demand there. Too bad really, same thing ahappened in the bicycle helmet industry with the incpetion of the CPSC backwards-moving, but mandatory label.

The rep doesn't specify why the ACseries is recommended for racing, or atl east doesn;t stress it enough or was taken out of context, but in every piece of info you will ever see relating to the needs of racers, it's in lightweight and aerodynamic features in regard ot everything, not jsut helmets. The reason fiberglass helmets are used or made to be sold to racers are for reasons of weight, aerodynamics, and typically ventilation characteristics. It has zero to do with any impact managment-related issues. THe track safety director there at Loudon showed some real ignorance of the issues and aspects of helmet design and performance standards in his letter, and the Road Racing World article author didn't seem to know how to digest and present the info very well either. It's been highly discussed, but plastic-shelled equivalents of helmets almost always show lower acceleration values than fiberglass-shelled models under the same test conditions. If it was defect-related info, that would be one thing, but what has seemed to spur the action was a complete lack of understanding of what issues are at work and improtant within crash helmet design and use.

[luvtolean]

Originally Posted by license2ill

...but what has seemed to spur the action was a complete lack of understanding of what issues are at work and improtant within crash helmet design and use.

Understanding of helmet anything had nothing to do with it.

They knew they had 5 seriously injured racers in relatively minor incidents, and they decided to do something about it.

I applaud them for it.

Originally Posted by luvtolean

Understanding of helmet anything had nothing to do with it.

They knew they had 5 seriously injured racers in relatively minor incidents, and they decided to do something about it.

I applaud them for it.

Problem is, their action didn't address the issuee whatsoever, because they didn't understnad what the heck they were looking for or at. I don't applaud well-intioned idiots, ever, and especially when it comes to the safety of others.