If you own a motorcycle then you know the importance of a helmet and all the riding gears. A helmet not only protects you from accidents but also helps you to ride your bike confidently.
Wearing a helmet is mandatory in India and if you don’t wear it you will be fined for that. Fines for not wearing a helmet in India is different in every state and in some states like Kerala and West Bengal, rider and pillion both have to wear a helmet.
Some people wear a helmet because of the cops which is absolutely wrong our life is precious and we should not take risk.
How to choose a good helmet
When you are buying a helmet always remember to buy ISI certified helmet and the ISI mark should be original with the original 7 digit license number.
The second thing which you should remember is its built quality and which material is used in the helmets like foam, shell material etc. Some helmets are made with carbon fibers and they are very sturdy and expensive.
The remaining things like look design, paint scheme etc are upto your choice.
Hope your doubts are clear about how to choose a good helmet. Now let’s talk about how many types of helmets are available in India.
Types of helmets in India
There are total 6 types of helmets that you can buy in India.
- Full Face Helmet
- Half Face Helmet
- Modular Helmet
- Half Shell Helmet
- Off-Road Helmets
- Dual Sport Helmets
1) Full face Helmet:
Full face helmets provide full safety to your face and head. The full-face helmets are most ideal for your riding because it will save you from sustaining serious injuries to your head and skull.
The full face helmets are bulky as compare to other types of helmets but it is design to keep the weight as minimum as possible.
Most of the people who do long rides prefer these helmets because it gives you the best possible protection and confidence on riding.
2) Half face Helmet:
If you are not comfortable in full face helmet then you can go for Half face helmet. The half face helmets are also called three quarter helmet which covers the head of the rider leaving the face open.
In terms of safety, half face helmets are more prone to facial injuries at the time of an accident. You will also feel lot of wind and noise coming in to the helmet offering more wind resistance.
The half-face helmet offers the ease of riding with sunglasses while communicating with the helmet becomes much easier. The additional benefits of the half-face helmet are that you don’t need to remove the helmet for drinking water and for wiping your face.
3) Half shell helmet
The Half shell helmet offers protection to only the top of head till the ears leaving the face, jaws, neck all open. Half shell helmet is cheaper than any other helmet and it does comply with the law.
The half shell helmet is also known as skull helmet and in terms of safety it least recommended helmet. Half skull helmets are very prone to accidents as they only provide safety to the skull.
Wearing a half shell helmet is like wearing nothing and it is only good for scooter riders who ride slowly.The helmet also offers more wind resistance while riding putting strain on your neck, while your face is open to the elements of wind, heat, water, rain and so on.
If you don’t love your life or want very cheap helmet then you can go for this half shell helmet.
4) Modular helmets or flip helmet
Modular helmets also known as flip helmets as it comes with two in one feature. You can use the modular helmets as a full face helmet and half face helmets as well.
The front of a modular helmet is adjustable and can be moved up to convert your helmet in a half face helmet while riding. These types of helmets are a little heavier than regular helmets because they have extra screws and bolts to make it hybrid.
If you are planning to buy this type of helmet then remember to look for good quality ones with genuine brand and ISI mark, because as the bolts loosen over time and the helmet loses its rigidity.
In this type of helmet you can expect the little wind, noise and rain to creep inside the helmets easily. If you want the full protection of your face with the convenience of opening the front side then you can go for this type of helmet.
5) Off road helmet
Off-road helmets are limited to people who do lots of off-roading and trail riding. These helmets look cool and are specifically designed to counter the dirt and debris that gets kicked towards the face.
Most of these helmets do not come with a visor because the riders prefer to ride it with goggles instead of using the visor to protect their eyes.
Off-road helmets are a good option but will cause straining the rider’s neck because of the more wind resistance.
The dedicated air vents in the helmets are designed to keep the rider’s head cool and make them very comfortable for long rides.
The only drawback of this helmet is that it does not come with a fully covered visor which makes it less comfortable as compared to full-face helmets.
Also see | Top 7 best accessories for bike in monsoon in 2021
6) Dual Sport Helmets
Of all the helmets which are available in India, The dual sport helmets are the most expensive and the first choice of the big bike riders. These helmets cost from Rs 10000/- onwards.
The dual sport helmets are specifically designed to be more aerodynamic and are approved by the DOT rating, which is far higher safety rating system than the Indian ISI mark.
The riders who ride a powerful sports bike and cruiser bike use these helmets considering their protection and aerodynamic design for the high speeds that the bikers cruise at.
Some time this helmets are not available in india and you need to import it from out of india and the popular brands of the dual sports helmets are Arai, Shoei, Bell, SOL etc.
But remember these helmets are not ISI marked which is mandatory for all helmets sold in the country.
Conclusion
When you are buying a helmet do remember one very important thing that you are investing in your life and buy the helmet which provides maximum safety instead of a cheaper one.
Helmets are a one time investment and life saver thing so think thrice before buying and don’t buy any helmets from the road side vendors because they are not original and come with fake ISI certifications.
