Are you a motorcycle owner who lives in Illinois, Iowa, or New Hampshire?
If so, there aren’t any motorcycle helmet laws in place that you’ll need to abide by. You can get away with not wearing a helmet while you’re riding around on your motorcycle in these states if you want.
But almost every other U.S. state has some kind of motorcycle helmet laws on the books. So you’ll need to make sure that you follow the law by putting motorcycle helmets on when you’re riding around on your motorcycle in most places.
By investing in the best motorcycle helmet money can buy, you’ll protect yourself in the event of a motorcycle accident. You’ll dramatically reduce the chances of you suffering a serious head injury if you’re ever involved in an accident on your motorcycle.
Want to be sure you end up with the best motorcycle helmet on your head? Here are some tips that will help you when you’re in the process of shopping for motorcycle helmets.
Start Your Search Off by Learning All About Motorcycle Helmets
If you’ve purchased motorcycle helmets in the past, you’re probably familiar with them and know what they entail. But if you’re shopping for a motorcycle helmet for the first time, you might not know exactly what makes up a motorcycle helmet.
In this case, it’s a good idea to start your search for a motorcycle helmet by learning all about the different parts of one. It’ll give you a much better understanding as far as what you should look out for when considering different helmets.
Here are all of the parts that make up the average motorcycle helmet:
- Helmet shell
- Ventilation
- Shield
- EPS liner
- Interior system
- Chinstrap
A good motorcycle helmet will have each and every one of these parts, and they’ll all be made up of the best materials possible. You should always make sure that a helmet has everything you’re going to need to protect your head while you’re driving around on your motorcycle.
Practicing road safety and driving safe is going to be so much easier for you when you have a motorcycle helmet that’s equipped with state-of-the-art features.
Take a Look at the Different Types of Motorcycle Helmets
When you close your eyes and imagine a motorcycle helmet in your head, you probably think about one very specific type of helmet. But it’s worth noting that there are actually quite a few different types of motorcycle helmets on the market today.
Your job is going to be to take a look around at the different kinds of motorcycle helmets so that you’re able to find the one that will fit your specific needs. Some of your options are going to be:
- Full-face motorcycle helmets
- Flip-up motorcycle helmets
- Open-face motorcycle helmets
- Half motorcycle helmets
- Off-road motorcycle helmets
- Dual-sport motorcycle helmets
If you’re planning on taking cross-country trips on your motorcycle, you might want to invest in a heavy-duty, full-face motorcycle helmet. But if you’re only planning on using your motorcycle while riding around in your town, you may be able to get away with a half motorcycle helmet. It all depends on what your motorcycle driving habits are going to be.
Find Out About the Various Motorcycle Helmet Manufacturers
In recent years, motorcycle ownership has gone up quite a bit. There are about 13 million motorcycle riders in the U.S. at this time.
As a result of this, there are a lot more companies producing motorcycle helmets and other motorcycle accessories than there used to be. With this in mind, you’re going to want to find out about all the different companies manufacturing motorcycle helmets as of right now.
Some of the companies that make the best motorcycle helmets in the business are:
- Shoei
- HJC
- Bell
- Arai
- Nolan
You want to be confident in your motorcycle helmet’s ability to provide your head with the protection it needs. Therefore, you should only buy a helmet from a company that you trust. You shouldn’t purchase one from a no-name company that only appears to be interested in cashing in on the country’s motorcycle craze.
Read Reviews for the Motorcycle Helmets You’re Considering
Once you know what kind of motorcycle helmet you want to buy and which companies you want to consider buying it from, you should start to sift through the different options that are out there. You should come across at least several options that you really like.
You should read about the specifics for each individual motorcycle helmet on your list. Then, you should use the internet to browse through reviews for each of them.
The last thing you want to do is buy a motorcycle helmet that has racked up nothing but bad reviews over the years. You’ll be asking for trouble if you stick a helmet like this on your head.
Instead, you should try to track down motorcycle helmets that have accumulated a large number of positive reviews from people who have used them in the past. There is a good chance that you’re going to enjoy using a motorcycle helmet if it’s made a lot of other people out there happy.
Shop Around for the Motorcycle Helmets With the Best Price Tags on Them
One of the things that you’re going to notice about motorcycle helmets while shopping around for them is that they come in a wide range of prices. You can find some half helmets from just a couple hundred dollars and some full-face helmets for well over $1,000.
It’s why it’s important for you to create a budget for a motorcycle helmet from the start so that you don’t get carried away and overspend on one. Try to come up with a price that you feel comfortable paying for a motorcycle helmet—and stick to that price while shopping for one!
You don’t necessarily want to skimp on a motorcycle helmet and buy a bargain-bin helmet that’s not going to fit right or provide the protection you’re looking for. But at the same time, you don’t want to break the bank on a helmet that’s way more advanced than you need it to be.
Your goal should be to find something in your price range that you love. You won’t mind spending money on it when you know that it’ll work well without putting you deep into debt.
Test Out the Motorcycle Helmets You Like Most Prior to Purchasing One
In this day and age, people buy almost everything online. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that you can purchase a motorcycle helmet on the internet if you want.
But it’s usually not a good idea to take this approach to shopping for motorcycle helmets. While you’re free to do it if you so choose, you won’t get the opportunity to test a motorcycle out by trying it on if you buy it online.
Rather than shopping for motorcycle helmets on the internet, you should do it in-store where you’ll be able to put them on and see how they feel. You won’t have to worry about a motorcycle helmet not fitting you right or not covering up your head in the right places when you take the time to test a bunch of them out.
Pair Your New Motorcycle Helmet With Other Protective Gear
If you’re ever involved in a motorcycle accident that is caused by another driver, you might have to go to court to try and have any medical bills stemming from the accident paid off by someone else. You’ll need to hire a lawyer to help you fight your case in court.
They’ll have a much easier time doing it—and you’ll have a much better chance of being awarded a cash settlement—if you’re able to prove that you took every step possible to protect yourself out on the road. And while wearing a motorcycle helmet is one way to do this, there are also other accessories you can put on to protect yourself.
For example, you should always wear motorcycle gloves. You should also wear a motorcycle jacket, motorcycle pants, and even motorcycle boots. By doing this, you’ll give your body the protection it needs and be able to prove that you took the proper precautions prior to climbing on your motorcycle.
Doing this could help you earn a legal victory in court and prevent you from having to pay for your medical bills following a motorcycle accident.
Look Around at a Bunch of Motorcycle Helmets Before Settling on One
It’s very easy to get overwhelmed when you first start shopping for motorcycle helmets. There are so many options to choose from, which is why some people pick the first decent one they can find and buy it.
You should resist the urge to do this and look around at as many motorcycle helmets as you can before buying one. It’ll ensure that you end up with the right helmet on your head when you’re riding around on your motorcycle.
Read the rest of our blog for more great motorcycle-related content.