Put a lid on it! AVG factory visit
Thinking of buying a new helmet? Stan gets an insider’s view on what to look for when choosing a new lid.
Thinking of buying a new helmet? Stan gets an insider’s view on what to look for when choosing a new lid.
The headquarters of Moto Direct, importers of brands such as AGV and Arai, is a rather anonymous-looking industrial unit near Mansfield. Inside it’s a different story though. For Moto GP enthusiasts there’s a mind boggling collection of race bikes and automobilia. Collectors would marvel at the selection of helmets worn by motorsport’s most famous names.
Sadly I wasn’t there as a tourist; my task was to interview brand manager Stuart Millington. A keen biker, Stuart has a lifetime’s experience in the industry and for two weeks of the year escapes the office to act as pit crew for some of the world’s leading TT riders. I’d been promised a frank discussion but was still surprised by his opening remark: “It’s not difficult to make a safe helmet fairly cheaply. The challenge is making one that people want to wear.” Sensing my confusion Stuart changed direction,
“Maybe we should start with what a helmet’s designed to do?”
It’s a simple statement but the answer’s more complex than I’d imagined. “A good helmet offers two types of protection,” Staurt explained, “active safety and passive safety. Active safety is how a helmet performs in a crash and is the area most regulations are concerned with. Obviously this is important but it’s only part of the equation; most of the time it’s passive safety features that keep a rider safe.” This was a new concept to me and when I asked for clarification the list included things such as peripheral vision, which made perfect sense, but also things that I’d considered to be helmet ‘extras,’ such as ventilation.
“People should think about what they’ll use a helmet for,” he explained. “If it’s a short commute, ventilation isn’t a priority but for anyone planning a tour in the south of France it’s vital. Being uncomfortable reduces concentration and puts the rider at risk. Passive safety features make a helmet wearable but they also add cost, widening an open face helmet’s aperture by a few millimetres whilst retaining structural integrity is a huge engineering challenge. Helmets are one area where people really get what they pay for.”
While talking about ventilation I complained that on one of my old helmets the vent caps broke off easily, only for Stuart to correct me: “That’s good design. Most motorcycle accidents involve sliding along the road surface. Things like vents should break off to avoid grabbing the road, preventing something called ‘rotation’. Think of it like shaking a snow globe. In an accident the forces involved can move the skull more quickly than the brain inside, rupturing its membrane and that’s never a good thing. A well designed helmet will minimise this by offering very little drag in the slide. There’s a fashion for helmets covered in leather and that really does grip. Put it this way, I wouldn’t wear one.”
When asked what his ‘must have’ recommendations would be, Stuart paused before answering: “I’d look for a helmet with the widest field of vision. Our Sportmodular is one of very few helmets to offer 180º, the same as a human eye and that makes for a much safer ride. Good ventilation’s important and after that a pinlock visor. Essentially double glazing for your helmet, they aren’t a miracle cure but do reduce fogging. Drop down sun visors are also a fantastic idea, providing it locks in the up position.” He then
laughed and added: “A washable lining should be high on the list. People wouldn’t wear the same socks every day but seem quite happy with a helmet that stinks!”
I’ve been riding for over 30 years and talking to Stuart made me realise that I still don’t know everything I should about buying a helmet. What I’m certain of is that no-one should be buying solely on whether a helmet looks good. There are plenty of resources to help make the correct decision but the best place to start is probably your local motorcycle clothing store.
There are few more important purchases a scooterist will ever make than a helmet. As the old saying goes: ‘If you’ve a £30 head then wear a £30 helmet’.
Words & Photographs: Stan