Helmets K or SA + Fit

[Jeff Rosenberg]

New to karting need advice. I've been told not to buy a SA2010 helmet because the nomex falls apart easily and won't be approved. There seems to be very few K2010 options. What is a good choice that won't break the bank and be fairly roomy in the ear area?

[Ted Hamilton]

Sounds like bogus advice to me... Helmets are like any other piece of clothing or safety equipment -- take care of it, and it will take care of you. My SA2010 helmets have held up better than my Snell motorcycle helmet, under rougher conditions. Is SA necessary for karts? Not unless you're in a champ kart or such, but they do provide some extra peace of mind for oddball situations and let you do double duty in cars too. As far as fit, DO make sure you try 'em on and see. Any helmet should sit very snug, to the point of not wiggling around and disturbing you while shaking your head with it unbuckled. Good luck!
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Owner, www.hamiltonhelmets.com // UAS Racer #76 // Karting for karting's sake...keep it fun!

[TJ Koyen]

Sounds like someone was trying to sell you a K-rated helmet

Either one works fine. I've never heard of SA rated helmets "falling apart" and "not being approved". They are pricier though because of the Nomex.

The usual recommendations I give for helmets are Bell (GP2, Star GP, GTX2) and Arai (SK6 or GP6). Those are the most common. Other good ones are the Stilo (ST4 line) and the Sparco (WTX line).

Fit is most important so try some one before you buy.
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T.J. Koyen
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Exprit/Leopard

[Paul Makarucha]

Pro Tip: Wear a headsock under your helmet, and be sure to size the helmet with the headsock on. Headsock will soak up the liner eating sweat.

Pro-er Tip: Buy a few of them. In karting we run a bunch of laps and get all sweaty, then stop, then run more, then stop, etc. You might want a few for those hot days or you'll be sliding a wet sock over your head before you hit the track for your next session.
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CKR/KZ
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Do you have any special rituals when the helmet is concerned like many have? - "I wipe it so that I can see better." - Kimi

[Peter Zambos]

Also, most State-side sanctioning bodies allow M rated snell helmets, in other words, motorcycle helmets. I prefer these for a few reasons:

-Most have removable liners. Instead of having to wear a headsock, you can actually remove the entire liner, clean it (or at least rinse it out) and easily put it back.

-Removable liner again: you can install an eject system, like the one manufactured by Shock Doctor or Simpson, under the liner. This will aid the EMS crew in removing the helmet without unwanted movement of the driver's head. The ejection systems are very reasonably priced.

-Some have cheek pads that can be removed in an emergency, again, aiding EMS crew in removing the helmet while reducing movement to the driver's head.

Among the M rated helmets that check those boxes are the Shoei X-twelve and the Arai Corsair-V. If you're interested, a site like Revzilla has a lot of informative videos on their helmets, though I would eventually order from somewhere else, as their actual customer service is lacking. The only difference between a K and M rated helmet is that M helmets don't undergo the rollbar test. We don't have rollbars, so no worries there. Of course, that doesn't mean that the M rated helmets wouldn't pass the rollbar test anyway, they're just not tested for it. The eye ports are larger, and that can be a pro or con depending on your perspective.

M rated helmets in solid colors are often less expensive than S and top level K helmets.

As to roominess in the ear, you don't want anything but a snug fit anywhere in the helmet. I'm not sure why you feel the need extra room around the ear. Granted, you don't want any pressure points, but this will be avoided by trying on a few models/brands of helmets to find what fits you best, as heads come in many sizes.

[Jeff Rosenberg]

Thanks for all the advise. Big problem is finding a helmet you can try on. I live east of Atlanta and I'm not finding anywhere that stocks car or kart. The shop up at the motor sports park has very little inventory. Mostly Vega. The medium is comfortable but I believe to loose + no venting. Went to a bike shop, no snell only dot. I need to find something fairly quick. Did my break in ride yesterday and borrowed theirs. I'm sure they would do another loaner but I would like my own. Again thanks for the help and if anyone knows of a good gear shop in my area, please let me know.

[TJ Koyen]