The Motorcycle Helmets Consumers Like Best

Would you buy a motorcycle helmet online? Nearly a quarter of American riders would.

According to a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, 23% of riders buy their helmets online, up from 4% in 2002.

“It’s clear that customers are continuing to shift to the online channel to purchase their motorcycle helmets,” says Brent Gruber, senior manager of powersports at J.D. Power. “I think that is going to increase exponentially in future years.”

Many riders who buy online visit area dealerships, find the type and size of helmet they want, then go home and order it–sometimes for a cheaper price–off the web. Others take suggestions from friends and family before making the purchase directly from the manufacturer. Either way, online sales have spiked dramatically mostly because consumers are much more educated about the products and their needs than they were even 10 years ago, Gruber says.

But while online buys are way up, dealerships are still the main point of purchase for the majority of helmet sales. John Kundrat, the sales manager at New Roc Harley-Davidson , says that’s still the best way to buy anything motorcycle related.

“I typically don’t quote prices over the phone,” he says. “We can always work on the price–I’d rather have you come down so we can take some time to really help you get the best thing for you.”

As for what the motorcycle cognoscenti are wearing these days, Arai and Icon helmets hold the most sway. This is the 13th consecutive year Arai has topped J.D. Power’s list of the motorcycle helmets consumers like best.

“It’s not a surprise at this point,” Gruber says. “Sometimes companies that perform really well tend to rest on their laurels and competitors catch up, but that’s not the case with Arai.”

The report ranked brands based on 11 attributes: quietness; ventilation; de-fogging; face shield effectiveness; face shield resistance to scratching; ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell; color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap; and fit and comfort. Arai performed well across all attributes, particularly in fit and face-shield effectiveness. Icon got high scores for color/graphic design, while No. 3 Shoei got high scores for ease of replacing the face shield. Fulmer and HJC received the lowest scores of the group that also included Bell, Harley-Davidson , Nolan and Scorpion.

American Motorcyclist

American Motorcyclist

American Motorcyclist

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