Thai Motorcycle Helmets !

[duckyousucker]

Me finks the way forward is to bring my own cheap £40 open face lid (together with a supply of donkey sized condoms). Not sure what will take up the most room yet lol.

[Welbeck]

I think this says it all.

 

 

Taken in Lotus Tesco on Pattaya Nua (where I bought an Index helmet)

Edited November 30, 2015 by Welbeck

[duckyousucker]

Hilarious!!!!!!!

[Harry Brown]

Are the Index helmets  safety rated to a high standard?

[Lloydies]

Me finks the way forward is to bring my own cheap £40 open face lid (together with a supply of donkey sized condoms). Not sure what will take up the most room yet lol.

Are the donkey sized condoms to cover your head?

 

[duckyousucker]

Of course they are heeee heeee

[Lloydies]

Of course they are heeee heeee

It will stop you getting flies in you mouth as you have an open face helmet

[davethailand]

Are the Index helmets  safety rated to a high standard?

They are rated but to what standard I don't know.

 

[Mr Wombat]

Can't really see the difference between a cheap or expensive helmet in terms of heat retention. I think an open faced helmet in town is the way to go though.

The expensive ones tend to have more padding and are snug fitting. The cheap ones are loose

[likeaking]

Bought an Index full face off road helmet last year for a tour of Laos. I'd never use an open face helmet, even on city streets, as I've crashed enough helmets to see where the chin bar saved my hansum face. When I got home I saw a YouTube video of a cheap helmet being hit with a hammer and breaking like an egg shell. Wanting to know if the Index would do the same, I whacked it several times with a two pound (32 ounce) short-handled sledge hammer. It survived with nary a mark. 

 

Granted, when at home I have a high end Shoei but transporting a helmet overseas R/T is a PIA and there's the ever present worry of loss by theft, more so for an expensive helmet. So I have an Index helmet when going on excursions while overseas. It's doesn't meet any high safety standard but won't break like an egg, either. I also like the off road type helmet in SE Asia as they provide more ventilation than the usual full face road type helmets. IMO

Edited December 1, 2015 by likeaking

[likeaking]

duckyousucker, on 30 Nov 2015 - 12:40 AM, said:

"The expensive ones tend to have more padding and are snug fitting. The cheap ones are loose"

 

For traveling 70 kph, a 10,000+ baht helmet may be overkill. IMO Please don't ask how much my head is worth, I used to sell helmets. You buy a helmet that fits slightly snug, not tight, at first in anticipation of it loosening with time and break in. If too loose, just fold some paper towel behind the perimeter foam and you're good to go. Even if the price of an EU certified helmet doesn't phase you, do you want to be constantly thinking about it's security while you are off the bike on holiday?  I don't sweat losing a 1000 baht helmet. 

Edited December 1, 2015 by likeaking

[JAI DEE MAK]

Don't know if it still does but the Kawasaki bike shop on sukhumvit (between Klang and Tai) used to do a large range of helmets, Index, shark etc.

 

 

Yes I remember seeing some very nice flip up with an internal dark dropdown visor and an external clear visor many sizes and looked very good quality I think the price was about 3,500tb.

 

I was not looking for a lid it so did not take a good look at them. I was looking for some gloves.

 

I use my Shoei Multitec that I purchased a few years ago in UK when I was riding big bikes there. here I ride mostly my kawasaki 250 trail bike having seen so many accidents here I always use it the only problem is you can never leave a lid that costs over 1,000tb on the bike and expect it to be there when you return !!!.

 

I would not have purchased my lid here as it retails for about 26,000tb and I don't ride fast here and you can buy a good flip up from 2,000tb to 5,000tb.

 

I like the flip up type lid as you can use it open face at low speed in light traffic and then close it down to give better protection in heaver traffic and at higher speeds.

 

My friend uses an ex UK bike police lid he bought on eBay ( it had been dropped lightly) and was sold by a police second hand site. it was cheap yes I know it should not be used having been dropped but it was cheap at 25GBP and miles above the Thai ones.

 

As a side note I have seen many bikers wearing good quality lids with the strap undone WTF.  If you have only just taken to riding a bike please remember if you don't use the strap you wasting your time putting it on as it will come off your head before you hit the ground.

 

JDM

[gming]

Thai helmets are not even as good as a US DOT bike helmet or ski helmet.  If you're planning to ride in Thailand, get an international driver license (IDL) indicating the correct class...ie motorcycle and/or automobile.  Also, get a DOT or Eu motorcycle helmet...may cost US$100 or so, but they are comfortable and will give you a chance if you're hit.  Thai police frequently have road stops to check for the proper license and helmet.  If you have a valid licence for the class you're operating, you might still get a ticket for not having an IDL.  Their first priority is to catch those without a license, then to get those with an improper license...like a foreigner riding a scooter with only a foreign automobile license...payment due, 400 baht.

[likeaking]

On 30/01/2019 at 14:17, gming said:

Thai helmets are not even as good as a US DOT bike helmet or ski helmet.  If you're planning to ride in Thailand, get an international driver license (IDL) indicating the correct class...ie motorcycle and/or automobile.  Also, get a DOT or Eu motorcycle helmet...may cost US$100 or so, but they are comfortable and will give you a chance if you're hit.  Thai police frequently have road stops to check for the proper license and helmet.  If you have a valid licence for the class you're operating, you might still get a ticket for not having an IDL.  Their first priority is to catch those without a license, then to get those with an improper license...like a foreigner riding a scooter with only a foreign automobile license...payment due, 400 baht.

Not entirely an accurate statement regarding quality of Thai helmets. If a Thai helmet company has no intention of selling in the U.S. or Europe then they will not get their helmets certified by DOT or EU standards, but may meet those standards. I believe certification also involve fees.

[bangna]

But the lower end of the price range are more suitable as flower pots, they appear to be made for round heads not oval

[World Traveller]

Reading this I decided that as a passenger on motorcycle taxis (jerry-rigged or very low grade helmets) there is a simpler solution...

Stop using them. If I am in Bangkok, and I am in a hurry, I can walk. There is no safe and comfortable way of riding a motorcycle. As my father warned me when I was 16, 'driving a motorcycle is a death-wish'

[Gary Loei]

I originally tried a full face helmet. I bought that particular helmet because it fit pretty well. I found that it was too hot to be comfortable and worse than that it limited my side to side vision, not to mention that with a bit of rain, the visor steamed up.

I then did a lot of research and concentrated on one that was well ventilated. I took a chance on a mail order helmet with a guaranteed return policy if it didn't fit properly. The model is a Nolan Air. Not the cheapest but it fit perfectly. Lots of controllable air flow vents and a removable chin guard. The visor does not steam up even in heavy rain.