Choose the safestThe Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets CRASH website provides independent and consistent information on the levels of protection from injury provided by motorcycle helmets in a crash, as well as the comfort level of helmets.CRASH is run by a consortium of government agencies and a motorist organisation, which all share a common interest in improving motorcycle rider safety. The program is supported by the Centre for Road Safety, the National Roads & Motorist's Association, and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).Helmet lawThe NSW Road Rules 2014 require that:The rider of a motorcycle must wear an approved motorcycle helmet securely fitted and fastened on the rider’s head,The rider of a motorcycle must not ride with a passenger unless the passenger is wearing an approved motorcycle helmet.Helmet standardAn approved motorcycle helmet is a protective helmet for motorcycle riders of a type that complies with:Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1698:2006 Protective Helmets For Vehicle Users, as amended by Amendment No. 1 of 28 September 2007 and Amendment No. 2 of 27 May 2009;

orAn earlier version of Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1698 or Australian Standard 1698-1988 that was in force at the time of manufacture or importation; orUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No 22 (UNECE22.05) as amended; And has a mark certifying compliance with an above standard.Motorcycle helmets manufactured after 31 March 2011 to meet AS/NZS 1698 must have an identifying mark from a body accredited or approved by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) certifying compliance with an above standard.Accredited companiesAccredited companies that certify motorcycle helmets can be found on the JAS-ANZ website. As of December 2015, there are four JAS-ANZ accredited bodies that can certify motorcycle helmets to comply with AS/NZS 1698. Information printed on the labels includes:BSI: Certified Product. Australian & NZ Standard. .auSAI Global: Certified Product. Australian Standard AS/NZS 1698. Issued by SAI Global. TUV RA: AUS Certified Product.

Compliance of this product with AS/NZS 1698-2006 is monitored by TUV Rheinland.ID. A motorcycle helmet that complies with UNECE22.05 must carry the UNECE ‘E’ approval mark, with a number which represents the country in which the testing and certification was approved. It must also have information confirming the actual standard with which it complies, the type of helmet and its production serial number. What to look forAll helmets sold in Australia must comply with the Australian or UNECE22.05 Standard and are marked accordinglyConsider the protection and comfort of the helmetIt is important that the helmet fits properly. Try the helmet on for size and comfort before you buy it. Do not buy a helmet online unless you are sure it fits you correctly.Choose a light-coloured helmet that will offer better visibility to other vehicle drivers day and nightYou should not buy a second-hand helmet, as it may have been involved in a crash or have experienced UV degradation, nor should you lend your helmet to others, as it can affect how the helmet fits your head when returned.

Remember – helmets are produced in a range of sizes to satisfy a mass market. Your head shape and size are unique to you, so take the time to follow these steps when buying your new helmet. Have your head measuredStep 1 Measure around the largest part of your head just above the ears, taking the measurement at the forehead. The measurement will correspond to a particular size in the model range you are interested in. motorcycle shops murfreesboroThis is a good starting point. harley davidson for sale cumbriaIf you want a particular brand or model, do not be tempted to go for another size if yours is out of stock – wait and get the correct size.florida motorcycle helmet law 2013

Step 2 Once you have the helmet in the recommended size, place it firmly on your head and secure the  chin-strap. If the helmet has a quick release buckle, take time to adjust the strap. Once fitted, you should be able to feel the inside of the helmet against all parts of your head. Once you are happy, wear the helmet for a few minutes to make sure it is comfortable.Step 3 Try to rotate the helmet from side to side with the strap secured. motorcycles for sale in baguio cityMake sure the helmet does not rotate on your head. motorcycle gear mckinney txThe cheek-pads should provide a firm, comfortable fit. motorcycle parts boca ratonTilt the helmet forward and back. used goldwing motorcycles for sale in california

It should stay in position and not move. If it slips forward or back it is the wrong size and you will need to choose a different helmet.Step 4 The final thing to check is that the helmet is secure and won’t come off easily. Tilt your head forward and have someone try to roll the helmet off your head by carefully applying an upward force to the rear of the helmet at its base. If it can be rolled off in the showroom with the chin-strap done up, it will most likely come off in a crash.The Schuberth C3 Pro is the best motorcycle helmet you can buy. Sure, there are caveats. I haven't worn that many helmets. There's really no such thing as a "best" helmet, considering individual needs and applications—an open-faced off-road helmet isn't going to be great on the track—but for the average rider looking for the best all-around, well-crafted, space-aged materials helmet with all the latest technology stuffed inside, I can't see anything besting the C3 Pro. But after three months of riding with the Schuberth exclusively, I'm still not sure you should buy one, because a cheap pair of earbuds and a smartphone almost obviates every factor at which the Schuberth excels.

It all comes down to noise. Some riders, your big chopper guys or café nouveau racers wearing sunglasses and open-faced skull savers, aren't really worried about noise. For them, it's part of the experience. Engine noise, wind noise—that's it. That's not my style, typically, but all power to them. I like the inside of my helmet to be as quiet as possible, especially on long trips, peeling off three or four hundred miles of slab a day at 80 miles per hour, fast enough that the wind noise against your helmet is enough to give you a headache after a day's ride.That means ear plugs at a minimum. It's incredible how much a soft foam ear plug can take the edge off a long ride. I've got mild tinnitus from a childhood misjudgment, but if I ride all day without ear plugs, my ears will be ringing for at least a day afterwards. But my standard riding gear now includes a pair of foam-tipped earbuds—Etymotic MC3 for me—which pull triple duty as earplugs, entertainment, and navigation.

With no music playing, I can still hear traffic well enough. With music playing I can't really hear anything but car horns, to be honest, but on the highway speeds it's not like I can hear much but the bike's engine and the wind off my helmet anyway. Those earbuds and a Shoei RF-1100 helmet have kept me in good nick for a couple of years. But I wanted to know if I was missing something by not using a helmet as fully integrated as the Schuberth. Not only does the $760 C3 Pro have remarkably low wind resistance (which you can read more about in Ride Apart's more technical review), it also can be equipped with an optional "SRC" boom microphone and radio package ($400) that adds Bluetooth, in-helmet speakers, and a voice communication system that operates with other Cardo-brand helmet radios. A helmet that slips through the air quietly while wirelessly connecting to my phone? The whole package is great. It's engineered in all the ways you expect from a German motorcycling brand—and note I don't say "overengineered," because that would imply that Schuberth has added a lot of superfluous touches, which isn't the case at all.

It has a simple, but secure latching mechanism for the chin strap instead of a standard D-ring. It has a flip-up face that makes it really simple to take on and off, or pop open for a quick conversation or a sip of water. (You can't ride with it open, though.) That same flip-open face makes it fit even tighter around the neck than most helmets, making it really secure and comfortable (if you have the right shaped head, which I do). The face shield doesn't have a lock, but instead just snaps closed or stays half open on its own. The included Pinlock anti-fog layer works amazingly well, staying clear even in a cold rain storm in the mountains of West Virginia. If I have any quibble about the C3 Pro as helmet at all, it's that it fits perhaps too well, making airflow inside the helmet on hot days a little low for my tastes. (I rode in 105-degree heat for a couple of hours in California with the C3 Pro, though, and was fine, if a bit sweaty.) Early this summer, I rode a couple of thousand miles with the C3 Pro on my motorcycle, a BMW F800GS.

I've got a touring screen, but it's still a windy motorcycle at highway speeds. That's why I borrowed a Honda Goldwing, the epitome of a wind-blocking highway cruiser, before passing any final judgement on the C3 Pro. I wanted to know what it would be like to use such a wind-slippery helmet while slung low behind a giant plastic windshield. (Plus, I've always wanted to try a Goldwing, just because.)What I discovered was sort of what I was expecting: riding a bike with great wind protection makes the C3 Pro even better. I could use the in-helmet speakers at a reasonable volume, while on the F800GS I'd have to have the volume at maximum to be able to make out music or voice at highway speeds. But by the same token, I could have used earbuds or the Goldwing's built-in sound system, as well. A quieter road profile makes everything sound better, not just the C3 Pro. The only real exception is the C3 Pro's built-in noise cancelling microphone boom, which works so well even in high winds that I could take telephone calls while on noisey bikes that people on the other side of the line said sounded clear and crisp.

(Many people questioned that I was on a motorcycle at all, except for the fact that I tended to speak more loudly so I could hear myself talk, despite that not really being necessary.) A quick aside about the Goldwing for fellow nerds: What a hilariously great cruising machine. It's nimble (once it's moving), and festooned with buttons both on the handlebar control pods and all around the front fairing. It has built-in navigation, heated seats, and surround sound. It's completely the antithesis of what some people look for in a motorcycle, but it's about as posh as they come. And still a hoot to ride—it's got a 1.8-liter flat six and great riding geometry, and still feels very much like a motorcycle, not a car. I completely understand why people looking to peel off long stretches of road for weeks at a time stick with the Goldwing. If I have any criticism, it's that it's still kind of homely: all that plastic could be made more attractive, I think, both visually and in the way that it all fits together.

But I think anybody who rides should try one out once if they can, just to experience riding at the chillest extreme. Perhaps my favorite feature on the C3 Pro is the flip-down sun visor, which replaces the need for sunglasses. That means going through a dark mountain tunnel during the bright light of day doesn't have to be a scary, dim experience while you wait for your eyes to adjust. Just flip down the visor when you need it. (Some other helmets have this, too.) You're not supposed to ride with the face shield up and the visor down, but in town I'd often do it, as the visor gives just enough wind protection for your eyes while keeping air moving through your helmet. A tab on the face shield actually catches wind and forces the shield closed at high enough wind speed, which I took as a helpful cue. (On the Goldwing, I could ride up to around 80 MPH before I'd get enough wind to shut it closed, while on the BMW I could barely get over 40 MPH before it would snap down.)The buttons on the Cardo Scala radio insert around the neck of the C3 Pro are relatively easy to find, with ridges in between to make it easier—but not easy, really—to figure out which button you're hitting without looking.

I think there's room for improvement there; if not bigger buttons, perhaps a rocker/slider instead of buttons that ultimately all feel the same.At the end of the day, the C3 Pro is easily the best helmet I've ever worn, but as a solo rider I'm still left with wanting more for the price. A minijack option to let me use my own earbuds instead of the directly wired speakers (like Cardo has on their newer headsets) would be very welcome, even if the whole getup wouldn't be cordless. (And would probably end up hurting my ears more, since for my head shape, the Schuberth doesn't have as much lateral space around my ears.) And it's probably a bit ridiculous to request, but I think there is a market for a built-in camera option, as well; something like a dash cam or a GoPro, but built into the helmet to minimize wind jutter. I'll leave aside musings about a built-in display, but suffice it to say that there are plenty of people wearing Google Glass while riding motorcycles, and I expect that eventually helmet manufacturers are going to have to start thinking about that, too.

For those that ride in groups or 2-up, however, the intercom functions are hard to beat. Since the intercom system is built by and compatible with Cardo's other bike radio systems, it's easy to pair up with other units for helmet-to-helmet intercom systems, something that's just not possible with phones in a practical way over Bluetooth. (You can always call each other using the voice-activation systems of your phones, but it's not as elegant or timely as just using the voice-activated intercom functions of a proper intercom.) And because the C3 Pro has its antenna built into the helmet under the outer plastic, you won't have any aerials sticking up to catch the wind.Moreover, Schuberth offers a "Mobility Program" that lets you buy a replacement helmet for one third of the retail price if you have an accident within the first three years of buying your helmet. That alleviates a lot of the worry about money if you happen to crash. (And unless you were in a really bad wreck, you'd probably be able to swap the Cardo system from one helmet to another, saving more money.)