Simpson Racing vs Bell

[noone986s]

I use a Simpson Voyager at the moment and it is fine. It is quite a large helmet even in the correct size but I have no problems using it with the roof up or down. This is in the UK and I was advised that in the US I would not be able to use it as it is above the roll bar and I would need to use an extension to the roll bar like the BK one.

Something else to check into, or just keep the roof up, or your hardtop on. I love being on the track with the roof down

I really like the look of your car in your avatar picture, my hardtop is being painted now.

Cheers

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

All three brands are very good, but there are differences between even the Model line-up within a single brand.

Fit is important, it must pass the Roll-Off test - should be snug enough not to be able to be rolled off your head.

Comfort is important too as is weight, ventilation, and field of vision. And, you have to be sure that with Helmet ON and Seat adjusted, that you can pass the Broomstick Test for some venues. That is, 2" between the top of your Helmet and a straightedge (broomstick) resting between the Roll Bar and the Windshield Header - not required for all venues - check the Tech rules of whateer venue (DE, SCCA Solo, etc.) you intend to participate in.

I use the Bell M3 and it's an excellent Helmet, but most important, it fits my type of head. I believe it's range is fairly broad.

One suggestion, get together with your buddies and acquaintances who use a Helmet and try theirs to see what you like. Also, consider that the Helmet will loosen up considerably with repeated use, so plan accordingly - it will get more comfortable with time.

A Helmet Sock (or Balaclava) is a good idea to keep the Helmet Fresh. A removable and Washable liner is also a nice feature. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[mts]

Both Bell and Simpson make fine safety equipment so you can't go wrong with either. Imapact Racing (Bill Simpson's new company), Pyrotect (an off-shoot of Bell), Arai, OMP, Sparco and G-Force are also good brands to consider.

As others have mentioned, fitament is the most important thing. If you can try some friends helmets, or find a local shop to test fitament before you buy, that's probably the best option. If you don't have that option you might look here:
http://www.saferacer.com/autrachel.html

I've dealth with that company several times and they are good to work with. They have nice fitting charts so you can always pick one you like, order it and and return it if the fitament is off. I have no affiliation with that company, yada..yada...

Also, as far as ratings, the most important thing is to make sure you get an "SA" rated helmet, not an "M" rated one. Some DE's and most autocrosses will let you run with an "M" helmet, PCA events require the "SA" designation. The "SA" helmets are more expensive, but specifically designed for an automotive application.

Good luck.

[drburton]

I understand that the Bell and Simpson are very comparable in terms of safety and overall quality. I tried on both helmets back to back, and I preferred the Simpson. It fit my head a bit better and I felt the face was more open (the area between the face guard and the top of the helmet).

From what I was told the G-Force helmets are not as good of quality and you may want to steer away from them even though they are cheaper.

It would be nice if you could find someone local who carried both types so you could make a direct comparison, but if the Simpson fits well I say go for it.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

As mentioned, for Auto and Track purposes, be sure to get an SA rated Helmet and be sure it's SA05 rated. The Snell Foundation reviews and upgrades their Testing Protocol every 5 yrs. and some venues require the most current rating. This way, your Helmet will be accepted for the next 2.5 yrs until the SA10 ratings come out. Some venues allow both the current and the last SA ratings to be used. So, you could use an SA05 or SA00 rated Helmet. But, in 2010 the SA00 Rating will no longer be acceptable. So be sure to check the venues you expect to be paticipating in.

The Snell Foundation grants these ratings after randomly buying Helmets on the retail market and testing them in their own labs. If they find a Helmet which fails, the Mfgr is required to make corrective changes to design, materials or manufacturing techniques to maintain their SA rating. DOT, ANSI and ASTM rated Helmets are not independently tested. The Mfgr merely certifies that the Helmet conforms to the DOT requirements. While they may do actual testing, they are not required by the DOT to do on-going, continuous, testing.

An 'M' rated Helmet is for Motorcycle use. An SA rated Helmet is for Motorsports.

The primary differences are:

• SA standard requires flammability test while the M standard does not;
  SA standard allows narrower visual field than M standard (Most SA helmets may not be street legal);
  SA standard has rollbar impact test while M standard does not.

In addition, an 'M' rated Helmet is tested for a single impact. They are generally less robust and easily compromised. If an 'M' rated Helmet is dropped or otherwise severly impacted, it is considered compromised and should be replaced. An SA rated Helmet is subjected to multiple impacts because that's the type of environment it is expected to perform in. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[efahl]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

In addition, an 'M' rated Helmet is tested for a single impact. They are generally less robust and easily compromised.

Jim,

My reading of the specs years ago lead me to believe that the "M" spec helmets weren't "less robust," but suited for different types of impact. The "SA" stuff is meant to take more focused whacks, such as you mention (hitting a rollbar), versus the test protocol for "M" which I believe uses flat plate impacts, to simulate bouncing your head on the pavement. The non-SCCA-approved DOT helmet spec uses yet another impact protocol which, contrary to popular belief, is not less good than the Snell tests, but again emphasizes a different injury mechanism and makes it more suitable for road bikers.

I may be recalling this all wrong, of course, since I haven't read up on it since the early '90s, but that's my impression.

Eric

[Adam]

A few months back I checked into getting a helmet. I only live about an hour and a half away from the Bell plant/office and was in the Rantoul area the other day. I was surprised out how difficult and hesistant they were to sell me a helmet. They said I had to make an appointment to buy a helmet? Anywho, I ended up ordering the helmet from saferacer and it didn't fit very well. I tried a smaller size and that one was too tight. So I ended up going to a local motorcycle shop and they had a snell/dot approved helmet for less than half the price of the automotive helmet! It was the same full face style as the auto helmet, but also had a full face shield that is removable. It looks a lot like that black simpson model listed below. It fit very well and looked good so I went with that one. I think it was $140. Why does Bell and other companies jack the prices up of their auto helmets? I used it at the last two autocrosses and it worked great.

[SC986]

Thanks for all the info guys! There is a Simpson Racing Store up by the racetrack so I can try them on. Bell I would have to order without trying on. The closest vendor to me is about 2 1/2 hours.

My DE is the PCA Carolinas Chapter. Boxsterts must pass the broomstick test, soft top must be up, hard tops are ok. Not sure if it's the chapter or track requirement but helmets must be SA05.

Due to the hours I can't make it after work, this Saturday is opening day for college football, so looks like Saturday the 8th I'll go up to Simpson.

Thanks again for all the info!!

[mts]

Originally Posted by Adam

It fit very well and looked good so I went with that one. I think it was $140. Why does Bell and other companies jack the prices up of their auto helmets? I used it at the last two autocrosses and it worked great.

You most likely got an "M" rated helmet. You can't run any PCA track events with that helmet that I am aware of. I don't know of any manufacturer that sells an "SA" rated helment for $140.