Helmet Questions

[zetapsi827]

The majority of helmets for sale out there do not have an air vent. (for forced air via pumper) Are any of you out there racing without forced air?? Is that comfortable??? I plan on having the helmet i buy wired. Will the forced air affect it in any way??

what are the advantages/disadvantages of forced air helmets vs. non forced air??

thanks.

[OldStroppeTeam]

Check these sites out. Many of the folks on this site use these helmets. Also , search for other helmet threads on here....there are several !!!

http://www.pciraceradios.com/

http://www.parker-pumper.com/

[ShaneR]

I would not race with out filtered and forced air. Most of the helemts that don't come with forced air can have it added to them by PCI. I feel that the newer helmets that are designed to be forced air seem to flow air better into the helmet and on top of your head were it is hot than the ones that it is added on later. Check them both out and then compare the price with it and the cost to add it to a helmet that doesn't have it.

[Pitchit]

UPR.com (http://www.upr.com) has pre-plumbed and wired helmets. They are good, knowledgable guys and they are also supporters of this site and off-road racing.

[zetapsi827]

thanks for the replies, but i'm looking for responses like shane's. i know where to buy the helmets. i am looking at those from pci and upr along with others. The question is not "where" to buy, but "what" and "why".

[C. Bucher]

I would buy an SA rated helmet. There has been talk recently of SCORE making a move sometime in the future towards a rule requiring only SA rated helmets for use in the four-wheel classes. Currently, most manufacturers helmets being used as forced air helmets like SHOEI and HJC are MA rated. I understand HJC was working on an SA rated helmet, or those who were installing the forced air ports were to begin using the SA rated model. Bell, G-FORCE, SIMPSON and a few others including Pyrotect are SA rated.

I dont know the specifics behind the two ratings, though I do know one is geared more torwards motorcycles and the different impacts suffered in accidents of that kind (MA) as well as the different impacts suffered in accidents in vehichles (SA). There was a thread on this topic not too long ago.

I have an SA rated G-FORCE helmet. It isnt much cheaper than any other helmet by the time you add the wiring and the skirt. I think the SA Bell is around $360 and the G-Force is around $330. Mike @ RacerX in Santee, Ca. sells the G-Force helmets wired and ready to go. I like it. It fits really well and isn't too heavy either. Some like the Shoei and claim it's the lightest helmet to go with, but I found them to not be nearly as comfortable as some others I'd tried. Buy one wired. It saves time and usually you're helmet will go back together better than if you do it yourself. IMO.

[zetapsi827]

i'm well aware of the ratings. and yes i plan on buying the SA rated one (already read that thread). I think my question is getting lost in translaton. Did i write it funky or what???

[OldStroppeTeam]

i'm well aware of the ratings. and yes i plan on buying the SA rated one (already read that thread). I think my question is getting lost in translaton. Did i write it funky or what???

I don't think you wrote it wrong.... I think that helmets are like undewear:) I like mine because.... (u fill it in)...I tried on several helmets before I bought my full face air flow helmet from Parker Pumper,It felt comfortable and it seemed to do what I expected it to do...for my other I helmet I wear a Bell s2R, because I like that extra protection for my face, yet I wear sunglasses instead of goggles "because we run a windshield" in our class 3 car. So i suggest you try various helmets on and see which one you like...I would feel real bad if you bought a helmet on what we said, and then you didn't like it.... Good Luck !!

[ShaneR]

The majority of helmets for sale out there do not have an air vent. (for forced air via pumper) Are any of you out there racing without forced air?? Is that comfortable??? I plan on having the helmet i buy wired. Will the forced air affect it in any way??

what are the advantages/disadvantages of forced air helmets vs. non forced air??

thanks.
You can have a kit put on any non forced air helmet to make it a forced air helmet, most helmets sold are done this way.

It is not comfortable at all to not have forced air, if you don't have forced air you breath all the dust all day long. Forced air is filtered air and you will breath less dust than your chase crew and you will be able to breath all the time even thru silt beds with a forced air helmet. Besides that you will get very hot in a full face helmet that is not forced air, no movement and you will sweat into your eyes and get a head ache. Or at least I did 8 or 10 years ago when I tried it.
Wireing a helmet should not affect the forced air part, but in one of the helmets I have, a Simpson that has the forced air on it not as a kit but came that way, when the person added the speakers on my helmet and the wiring they modified the little air ducts by getting the melted hot glue in them.It blocked off the air to the top of my head and made it basically like a side bolt on kit I was not happy! I cleaned them back out and fixed the part that got cut and now they work great. So who ever you have wire it check and make sure they do a good job and don't mess up the little ducts that come in some helmets!

I hope that answers your question clearly?

[C. Bucher]

[QUOTE=zetapsi827;204602]i'm well aware of the ratings. and yes i plan on buying the SA rated one (already read that thread). I think my question is getting lost in translaton. Did i write it funky or what???[/QUOTE

Is this more along the lines of what you're looking for?

http://www.freshairsystems.com/

They wont sell the fitting to you direct. Apparently there is an issue with liability. We condisdered making our own at one point, but like Shane said, a large majority of the helmets out there are made with vents that duct that air throughout the helmet.

You could run a non forced air helmet, but I will say that I do believe the pumper helps to keep the airflow up inside the helmet and does a little to keep the heat down inside the helmet too. The McNeils all run open faced helmets, granted they have a windshield, but still. I've had the pumper filter get so clogged that there was hardly any air coming out of them and that is a nasty time to be in a race car in the dust. I say pop for the forced air. There is a huge difference in the two as far as the ability to breathe goes. Plus, I like to think it cuts the heat down a little.

[pciscott]

Having a pumper not only keeps you cooler it gives your helmet a positive air flow that keeps the dust out. Without forced air I tend to get claustrophobic and loose concentration on the road. I would suggest a forced air type helmet as Stan Parnell from Parker Pumper once said "It is like cheating", when he came up with the idea. When picking out a helmet comfort is very important in off-road and weight is an issue over time. A few ounces will lessen fatigue and keep you at the top of your game. SA will be the case in Score starting in a couple of years so for those of you who do not change your helmets often a SA rated helmet would be a prudent decision. My preference is still Shoei for the comfort and fit, and they are working on an SA model to come out in the second half of 2007. PCI is carrying Pyrotect and HJC SA rated helmets and we have a new 100% carbon fiber SA rated helmet we will have on display at Primm that is over a pound lighter than anything we have ever offered. From a racers prospective go with the technology of a forced air system and you will be much more comfortable which equates to speed and concentration, and again the quote from Stan Parnell the originator of Parker Pumper "IT'S LIKE CHEATING!” Stan gave me my first ride in an off-road car back in 1986 which started my addiction in our great sport.

[zetapsi827]

scott,

i was actually looking at buying that pyrotect helmet you have at pci. I'd like to get it wired. i've read another thread around here about someone using earphones. So, does the wired pyrotect you sell have speakers in it, or ear pieces? The general concensus in the mentioned thread was to go with ear pieces instead of speakers. If the pyrotect you sell has speakers, am i better off not buying the wired helmet and installing the ear pieces?

[HAMSTEAK]

according to scores website "

CR1 HELMETS

Helmets used in four-wheel vehicles must meet the following requirements; Snell memorial foundation, SA2000, SA2005, M2000 or M2005 with a legible Snell sticker attached, FIA Standard 8860-2004, with a legible FIA sticker attached. Motorcycle and ATV’s must meet the following requirements; Snell memorial foundation, M2000 or M2005, with a legible Snell sticker attached, FIA Standard 8860-2004, with a legible FIA sticker attached, or BSI 6658 Type A. SCORE recommends each helmet be labeled (painted) with the driver/riders name, blood type, allergies, or any other medical information. Straps must have "D" rings, no snaps.


now does this mean that regular motorcycle rated helmets will stillbe legal, it says 2006-2010.

what does everyone think of this, cuase i am about to buy a helmet and dont want to buy a moto helmet then not beable to race next year if i need a sa rated helmet

[retroblazer]

[QUOTE=zetapsi827;204602]i'm well aware of the ratings. and yes i plan on buying the SA rated one (already read that thread). I think my question is getting lost in translaton. Did i write it funky or what???[/QUOTE

Is this more along the lines of what you're looking for?

http://www.freshairsystems.com/

They wont sell the fitting to you direct. Apparently there is an issue with liability. We condisdered making our own at one point, but like Shane said, a large majority of the helmets out there are made with vents that duct that air throughout the helmet.

You could run a non forced air helmet, but I will say that I do believe the pumper helps to keep the airflow up inside the helmet and does a little to keep the heat down inside the helmet too. The McNeils all run open faced helmets, granted they have a windshield, but still. I've had the pumper filter get so clogged that there was hardly any air coming out of them and that is a nasty time to be in a race car in the dust. I say pop for the forced air. There is a huge difference in the two as far as the ability to breathe goes. Plus, I like to think it cuts the heat down a little.



As the former owner of Fresh Air Systems, the reason we didn't sell the parts to the racer's directly was we were afraid they'd butch their helmets. All of the guys that supply systems that I know, feel the same way.There is just as much liability for those that put inlets on the helmet than it is to sell the parts directly. I personally would spend two hours- two solild hours to get the duct work in the helmet. I would take the time to shave cheek pads to fit and to balance the air flow between air that was directed at the shield vs. air that came back at your mouth.
The best value in SA rated helmets is the G-Force air helmet. We designed the ducting for them and they incorporated our work into the helmet. It has full upper head air flow. Yes, it can still be tweaked for additional improvement. Personally, I like more air exiting at the base of the shield. For $300 bucks it can't be beat.
A small note, if it wasn't for the likes of Parker Pumper and other helmet modifiers, the OEM helmet mfg's still wouldn't be making air inlet helmets.

[patcsg]

Though not an expert, I have spent many hours with Bell and Simpson trying to give them advice on off-road helmets. I went to the 1000 in November for the first time. I was amazed at the number of racers that will strap in to a vehicle w/out an SA rated helmet.
All of this is floating around on some other threads.

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28945

Raffo, congrats on the 1000. I was on the 302 Endeavor Bronco. Waiting my turn at RM320, never got to drive.