I’ve basically nothing left to say on this subject. I am hoping against hope that the 4 per cent who don’t use their helmet when touring basically never go touring and that the 35 per cent who prefer not to ride with a helmet in town essentially use public transport or their cages. As for the 14 per cent who never use a lid, my fingers are crossed that they aren’t riders at all, just web traffic, passing through.

Here’s this awesome quote on the Arai website. Neatly says everything I try to explain when someone asks me why my helmet costs nearly Rs 20,000

What to pay?
“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money…that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the things it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot…it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better. There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell for a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only, are this man’s lawful prey”
John Ruskin(1819-1900), Economist

The innovative new British helmet rating system is moving forward. Actually, it isn’t as much innovative as it is overdue. In any case, they recently out this missive…

Thank you for registering your interest in SHARP – the new safety rating for motorcycle helmets in the UK.

Sorry we have been so quiet since SHARP was announced in November last year. We’ve been very busy testing helmets and the first ratings will be announced very soon. Ratings will include helmets from AGV, Airoh, Arai, Arashi, Bell, Box, HJC, KBC, Lazer, Nitro, Nolan, Premier, Roof, RST, Shark, Shoei, Suomy, Takachi, Urban, X-Lite and Vemar.

We recently added the SHARP presentational video (right-click to download 10Mb video) to our website, which you may find of interest. We’ve also introduced a ‘news’ page and added the ’search’ tools we hope you’ll use when considering your next helmet purchase.

We will keep you informed of all the SHARP news as it happens.

Best regards,
The SHARP Team

Okay, this is a bit of a rant, so bear with me.

I am more than a little surprised by this. In the recent past, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting three people who read this blog on a regular basis. One of them asked me a question about helmets which I posted here not so long ago. You know, the one about dropping a lid and ‘denting’ it.

Recently, I met this chap again for a drink at a lounge bar close to both our houses. The second member of the reader troika joined us there. Since Gentleman 2 turned up in an auto and that’s how he went back, so how many drinks he had does not, in the least, concern me. What does concern me is that Gentleman Number 1, who lives ten minutes away, took the precaution of carrying the selfsame dented lid to the bar, and here’s where it becomes a the equivalent of sand in a swimsuit… he rode back home when we were done bantering about bikes.

The third gentleman and I also met at a watering hole, and yes, we watered. I, again, was off the motorcycle for obvious reasons and cabbed it home. Gentleman 3 person rode home, wearing a helmet. And I must – I’m OCD remember – point out that this lid is the exactly the sort of item that we like to laugh at – an imitation hard hat.

Now, I know from this person’s photographs that he is in possession of a fine helmet and from what I’ve heard from him, and read about him, sound judgement as well. On the face of it, the former was obviously missing, and the latter chose not to make an appearance. The watering hole and the cab stand are, at this watering hole, separated by a yawning gap. So the gentleman thoughtfully offered to let me ride pillion to the cab stand. Ah but you see, I’ve not got my kit. That’s condition one and it means I cannot get on a motorcycle, in either seat. Besides, not only am I well-watered (far from inebriated, I must freely admit though), you’re three drinks down as well. Forget me riding pillion, you shouldn’t be riding either. You, my friend, should have left the bike at your place and cabbed it as well. If nothing else, the walk to the cab stand would have been very pleasant. And it would have given us another twenty minutes to prolong the lovely bike banter.

It strikes me as strange that two motorcyclists, both seriously into two wheels and both deeply in love with our countersteered world would make such an obvious error in judgement. As far as I can tell, both ride safely and within their limits. Both are aware enough to either already (or aspire to) own good riding kit. Both are good men, nice to chat with, knowledgeable about motorcycling and have clear logical and rational thought processes. And yet.

I don’t know if Gentleman 2 cabbed it home because he planned to drink, or it just turned out that way. But the point is, that this is a serious, even potentially fatal mistake. One that shouldn’t be taken lightly. That alcohol impairs your judgement and slows your reaction time is known beyond any hint of a doubt. That alcohol in your bloodstream causes other problems is public knowledge too.

Statistically, you should already know that it close to your origin or destination that you are more likely to crash. You should also know that short, routine rides figure in far greater numbers in all manner of crash stats than the odd long tour (related links: 1 | 2| 3).

But more important is the fact that the chap driving blissfully while yakking away on his handphone doesn’t care. When he hits you, the damage is the same. But if there’s alcohol in your blood, it becomes your fault (see this. Look at point #7 in the Claims section). If you die, your family loses all hope of getting any aid from insurance. If you live, the car driver, who was probably at fault skips away scot free because you tippled.

A long time ago, I was a lot more militant about motorcycle safety. Oh yeah, I mean that in the past tense. I used to tell everyone to be careful, to wear helmets and so forth. I used to insist, insist and when I could, I would force people into line.

I don’t do that no more. It isn’t worth my time and effort. I like you, and if something were to happen to you, I’d be sorry – no matter who was at fault. But I will only try to ensure that you have all the information you need to make your own decisions. I will hope that you make the right decision.

But at the end of the day, it’s your life. You can strive to preserve and enrich it. Or you can throw it away.

I just wore my KBC helmet (VR-2 Mat Mladin Replica) the first time. First impression? Impressed. The fit-finish levels are really very good and so are the graphics designs. There’s some really striking ones around, so hunt a bit. If the Vega dealer you’re at shows you a helmet or two and says that’s all KBC is offering, that’s BS. There’s a huge range of lids on offer from the KBC range. The one I have got is a VR-2, which is the top of the line helmet that KBC makes (in 2007. For 2008, the VR-2R is the top model). If your read their brochures, you will understand that the shell if made of a kevlar-aramid-frp composite, which means a light, pretty strong shell. That’s a good place to start, right? The interiors of all of their helmets are removable (Sparx range included) which means stinky helmets should be a thing of the past if you’re willing to put in the effort.

All the helmets come with D-rings. This has been an issue for some people I know. However, trust me, its for the better. D-rings take about two times of use to get used to, after that you won’t fumble. More importantly, its nigh impossible to wear a helmet with a loose strap if you have D-rings. Which makes your helmet a whole bunch safer. Every single big name helmet model will usually use D-rings. The loose end of the D-rings snaps on to a fixed tab on the side to stop it flapping. Shoei builds this snap into the strap itself, which is a more elegant way to do it, (as do Arai) in my opinion. All three are equally functional, but I think having a short nylon flap with the snap closure is one more added to the mix, no?

The interior material feels really smooth to the skin, and the printed labels that came with the lid say they’re some sort of a pseudo-suede. Whatever it is, it feels very cool. And since it is easily removable, the levels of cleaniless possible (there’s always native laziness, right?) are very high.

On the move, its a pretty quiet helmet, and venting works. Not like my Shoei X-11, of course, but you’ll feel it. The visor quality is pretty good (yes, it does feel a bit plasticky, but that’s all right, it won’t scratch easily (and don’t ask how I know)) and as usual, I personally think you guys should buy a clear and a dark shield (as in one of the lid, plus one; Rs 1500 per shield) at the time of purchase itself. However, the mechanism is a pain to operate when it comes time to replace shields. The problem is, first, that the notches in the mechanism for your fingers to operate it are triangular, so they hurt. Especially because the metal spring they use is plenty stiff. I’ve been using my Yamaha pen knife’s screwdriver to operate it!

Putting the new shield back is imposing too. While the circular pivot bit goes in easy, the notch that slots into the teeth and holds the shield in one of six or seven open positions never does. You have to force it in. I can’t see a better way of doing it, but like the breaking noise that comes with taking AGV shields off, this is a bit of a bother. Especially because I have to do this twice daily. Maybe it gets easier with time, eh?

Perhaps the biggest bother I’ve had with the lid, surprisingly, is fogging. All the shields are supposedly anti-fog coated and stuff. But sit still in the morning for ten minutes on a muggy Mumbai morning and you’ll see the work disappear rapidly into a misty haze. This happens on my mirror-finish shield, the dark shield as well as the clear one. On the move there isn’t any trouble, but in the same situation, for the record, my Shoei shields (all three – mirror, dark and clear) remain crystal clear.

On the whole, I am thrilled to bits that the KBC lid is on offer in India. I already posted here, that I have issues with blindly trusting ISI marked helmets. So I am glad to say that all of KBC’s range meets DOT and most crucially ECE 22.05 standards. Better still, the KBC branded helmets also meet SNELL’s exacting and thoroughly implemented M2005 standard. Which does wonders for how much I am willing to trust the helmet.

The helmet I have costs Rs 12,500, while the spare shield has cost me Rs 1,500. But if there is one piece of kit on a motorcycle that I think should be above wallet constraints, it is the helmet. I think the Rs 14,000 is money well spent.

Swung by the Joe Rocket shop in Mumbai today and laid eyes on a rather cool looking helmet. So decided to post up some pics. Say hello, ladies and gentlemen, to the KBC Beast. Rs 11,000 + VAT. The one in stock in size Large 59-60 cm. Available here

Swung by the Joe Rocket shop in Mumbai today and laid eyes on a rather cool looking helmet. So decided to post up some pics. Say hello, ladies and gentlemen, to the KBC Beast. Rs 11,000 + VAT. The one in stock in size Large 59-60 cm. Available here

So, 56 per cent of those who voted have bikes that range from 150cc to 250cc. That’s amazing. Another 15 per cent have even bigger ones! I do feel a bit sorry for the 15 people who voted saying they don’t have bikes. I just hope y’all are between bikes, or about to turn a lucky, lucky 18.

Now I want to know about what kind of kit you own. This poll is in parts. The first part simply wants to know what protective gear you own. This is irrespective of whether you use it or not (which should give you a clue about what is coming up in future polls)

I came through the right hander and went over the bridge that formed the apex, just like the six Bullets ahead of me. In a perfectly timed dance, the row of Bullets leaned over again after the bridge, ready to take on the interrupted corner. Then, on the brakes into the next left, I found the space I needed to promote myself up the order. The red Thunderbird rumbled down the revs as I braked hard, hard, hard. The weird handlebars responded easily and in a fraction of an instant, we flicked left, right on to the bike’s ear. I felt the footpeg rubber transmit a brief vibratory good bye as it was chewed up by the merciless tarmac. Up to number six, then.

Then going into the next sweeping right hander, I made a mistake. Aiming for a promotion to number four, I entered the turn a little faster than I would normally have. A yellow warning light went off in my head along with a strident alarm. For a long moment, I was conscious only of the blank wall of rock blurring by on the outside edging ever closer, the concrete lined gutter that marked the edge of grip and the fact that I was in it too hot. Already I the Tbird was edging closer to the wall. The rubber on the metal peg was almost all gone and any moment now, I was ready for the harsh grinding of metal on tarmac. Throttle closed, leaned fully over and waiting. Relief? Or a big bang and then earth-sky-earth-sky-earth-hospital?

Uncommon sense prevailed. I tore my eyes from the wall and looked up through the corner. The bike, almost magically, began to tighten the line. I think I missed touching the concrete gutter by a few inches. As Bullets are won’t to do, I laid a desperate footpeg darkie. The road seemed to on turning right forever in my head, but under that chain of dancing Bullets, it lasted a mere instant.
With my heart throbbing wildly, I smiled inside my helmet knowing that taking number five had been special. It carried the thrill of having been to edge and returned in one piece. That skill, today, had luck on its side. That the newly demoted number six would take a few corners before he started thinking about passing me.

Then, as I flicked into the next left hander, I began to wonder how number three would feel like.

Take a moment now, to look closely at your helmet’s visor or faceshield. Can you remember that last time you lathered up your hands and gently scrubbed it clean with your palms? Can you remember taking a cloth and wiping off the bits of the mechanism that help the thing go up and down? No? Well, take a good long look. If it’s scratched, doesn’t work or is usually flipped all the way over to the back of your helmet, you probably need to think about replacing it. So, think about it.