Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Helmets and Gear SKID LID?

Hey, folks --

Writing to get some input/info on half helmets. From what I can tell, the best looking helmets with the best price are the Skid Lids... but I can't find a local dealer that sells 'em (i'm in NoVA, outside D.C.)

How do they fit (generally), how's the fit 'n' finish, and (for what it's worth) how well do they protect? (I realize that they dont' provide nearly the coverage of a full face, but I'm looking for something to putt around town, off highwys, etc.)

Thanks for the input!

--Jaeger

They're called "novelty" helmets, meaning that they're not DOT approved.

I just bought one last weekend after weeks of looking at all types of half helmets. It definitely looks better than any of the other DOT helmets, although I still look better with a full face shield. The quality seems very good and it stays on my head at speed with no problems.

As for sizing, my melon is in the 22-in/56-cm range and I bought a Large. Interestingly, I also bought a Medium for my 10-year old daughter and we mistakenly switched helmets at one of our stops. The only reason we noticed was she saw the M on the back of my head once we were underway. There's a fair amount of padding.

I was originally looking for Nexl helmets, but never found a retail outlet. They seem smaller and are DOT, but are way expensive. The Skid Lid was $40 vs $130+ for Nexl.

After riding with a full face helmet, the half is a whole new experience that I'm really enjoying. It's pretty obvious it won't protect me as well though.

I have one that I wear around town or when I feel goofy. My wife hates it and it offers practically zero protection. Proceed at your own risk. I bought mine at the Carlisle Bike event at the swap meet show for $10. I think you could find new ones for around $30 depending on the finish. Mine was flat black, painted it wife and striped it:

i think the 'skid lid' brand is sized largeer than others i've tried. my brother got a large and it was way bigger than my generic large. he shipped it back, exchanging for a medium, and they replaced it no questions asked.

If you are interested in a DOT approved helmet that is not much bigger than most Novelty helmets...look at the NXT...



Other comparisons...

http://twinjugs.com/parts/helmets.htm

Yes, I want to stay within DOT ratings -- the Skid Lids ARE DOT approved, though I cannot help but wonder how or why. *shrug* They are, that's good enough for what I'm looking for.

Jethro -- thanks, that's part of what I wanted to know. I"m probaly going to order online, but I know there's generally a huge deviation in sizes between brands -- a large for one can be a medium for another, or small -- who knows?

I'm used to riding with a full face too, but I find myself more and more riding with the visor up -- which increases drag, looks stupid, and is a pain in the butt. I realize the skid lids and other half helmets don't offer as much protection, but the reason I swapped my sportbike for a Speedmaster was to reduce my likelihood of splatting myself. I've done this effectively, now I want to really enjoy going more slowly.

--Jaeger

here's my brother's exact helmet and it teed me off as it perfectly matches the black/silver tba and not his stoopit goldwing trike!!!

For followup -- so I took a shot in the dark and ordered a plain ol' Skid Lid (size large). Sho'nuff, couple days later a helmet showed up -- and it's smaller than a full face.

1) I really like riding with it. For all my neurotic training about "always wear a full face," I find it to be more comfortable and pleasurable to ride (At least on back roads).

2) Helmet fits very differnetly, but I notice that the Skid Lid has a little chin-cup doohickey that makes it more comfortable to wear than the other shortie helmets I tried on.

3) Wind noise is loud but tolerable. Obvious, I guess, but quite a discovery to me.

4) FWIW, check out Iron City cycles -- they gave me an excellent price online, and their service was top-notch (2 days on standard shipping to DC).

Rubber side down, y'all.

--Jaeger