10 Guide: How to Choose a Good Helmet in India

Useful tips on how to choose a motorcycle helmet.. in India

It’s not possible to distinguish between a good, bad and excellent helmet unless you have used a good quality helmet..

Till about 7-8 years back there were not many helmet options available in the market. But with the booming 2 wheeler sales, these days there are quite many available out there. And believe me most of them are of the “avoidable” type.

When I bought my first (Steelbird-Bieffe GP One) helmet, I did not know how to select a good helmet. In fact it was only after getting my second (Daijya) helmet that I learnt more about helmets. Sharing with you are some tips which I have learnt over the years on how to select the right Motorcycle Helmet in India.

Tip 01. Choosing the Type of Helmet
Tip 02. Choosing the Color
Tip 03. Choosing the Right Size
Tip 04. Checking for Safety Standards
Tip 05. Checking the Outer Shell & Inner EPS foam
Tip 06. Checking the Padding
Tip 07. Checking the Straps
Tip 08. Checking for Correct Fit of the Helmet
Tip 09. Checking the Face Shield
Tip 10. Choosing the Type of Face Shield
Tip 11. Replacing the Helmet

24 Guide: Branded Motorycle Helmets available in India [2011]

A list of the best motorycle helmet brands available in India..

For many Indians, a helmet that costs Rs. 1,000 or above seems to be a preposterous idea. Actually in most cases Indians don’t bother to wear a helmet at all. So even if one decides to get one, he/she mostly opts for something within the range of Rs. 500 (ok maybe Rs. 700), sometimes even resorting to buying from the roadside vendors.

Also in many cases, guys who are new to biking are not aware of which helmet brands are of good quality, and in the process end up buying anything from the market which has a snazzy design.

Yet, I hope that there would be at least a few who wouldn’t mind loosening their purse strings to get the best quality helmet that they can afford. Posted below is a list of a helmet brands (Indian and International) available in India (in 2011). Hopefully one can use this list as a guide to get a decent helmet for himself/herself.

Update 15'th Aug 2011: If anybody has any information about MPA helmets (like its website),please let me know. I am not sure if MPA helmets still exist in India

1. Entry Level Brands (Vega, Studds, Steelbird)

These 3 are Indian brands which have been around for many years. There are umpteen other desi helmet brands available in the market, but among them I have found only these 3 worth talking about. All these 3 brands have the mandatory ISI (Indian standards) certification. If you are just a normal biker who is looking for some decent quality protection at an affordable price, then you could look at these brands.

13 Hero MotoCorp's new corporate logo + New Impulse "Dual purpose" motorcycle unveiled

Dhak Dhak Gone..!! Hero Moto unveils its new corporate identity / logo in London.. also a Dual Purpose bike & christens it "Impulse"..

Just a couple of hours back today (9'th Aug, 2011) Hero MotoCorp officially unveiled its new corporate identity / logo at a glitterting function at London.

A long list of Indian and International celebrities attended the function. Apart from unveiling it's new logo, Hero MotoCorp also showed two new two wheelers, a scooter and an on-off road / dual purpose motorcycle christened as "Impulse".

..the bike has to be priced sensibly to pass off as a 2nd or 3rd vehicle

Complete details of the bike like it's specification, pricing or launch date in India has not been made official so far.

But from the looks of it, the Hero MotoCorp Impulse looks to be based on the 150 cc, Honda NXR 150 Bros.

First photos of the Hero MotoCorp Impulse:



Source: Overdrive Mag's Facebook Page. More photos posted below..

4 New Yamaha R15 confirmed..!!

Another in the series of "Spy Pics".. this time confirming that it's really R15.. not R125, R17 or R25 (whatever)

"Have internet connection, have some free time, will post/blog.. whatever comes to mind."

Better styling, fatter rear tyre, beefier swingarm..

..and "experts" are expecting an altruistic price cut too?

You wish!!

That's what one mostly gets to read on those "expert sites/blogs". I am referring to the wild speculations that has been floating around the net after the "spy pics" of the new Yamaha R15 started to appear since Dec 2010.

"R125", "R17", "R25" / "125 cc", "170 cc", "250cc" / "19 Ps", "21 Ps", "22 Ps".. what not..!!

Why? Well, since Honda had launched the CBR250R therefore the "experts" think that Yamaha "HAS" to have something to counter that CBR250R!

Now for the very first time, a photo of the new bike has surfaced which clearly shows that the new bike indeed is "R15" and not "R125/R17/R25" (whatever)..!!

Photo original source: Facebook

1 Hero Honda becomes Hero MotoCorp. "Passion Plus" officially stopped

Hero gets a new corporate identity.. also the "Passion Plus" no more in its lineup

On July 29, 2011 Hero Honda officially droppped the Honda name and now is known as "Hero Motocorp". News source: IndianExpress

"Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML) was today formally renamed as Hero MotoCorp Ltd. In the run-up to the unveiling of its new global brand identity, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer received the necessary statutory approval from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) today for the changeover to the new name"

Earlier last month, the shareholders of the company had approved the changing of the name. Meanwhile.. Passion Plus removed from the company line up