Gallery: The Super-Specialized Design Behind Motorcycle Helmets
Snell Foundation01Snell Impact Test Stand close up HiRe
Helmets for motorcycles and race cars have been evolving since they were leather caps whose only purpose was to make sure you still had ears at your wake.
Snell Foundation02SA Flame.test
Beneath the similar-looking shells and visors of motorcycle and auto racing helmets are two very specialized ways to armor up.
Snell Foundation03IMG-2298
The voice of authority in all this is the Snell Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit group of scientists, physicians, and engineers who create a new safety standard for auto racing and motorcycle helmets every five years.
Snell Foundation04IMG-2255
Auto helmets are Kevlar or fiberglass because although they’re more labor-intensive to make, the tooling is cheaper.
Snell Foundation05SNELL-Impact-Test-Stand-HiRe
SA2015’s general test impacts at 8.5 m/sec and allows a peak of 300 G’s. The new, additional low-velocity test impacts at 5 m/sec and allows a peak of 200 G’s.
Snell Foundation06Lat clear 2
Since 2010, standards allow slight variation based on helmet size, but the force transmitted to the head is the same regardless.
Snell Foundation07Penetration Test
The result will be helmets more different than ever—and safer because of it.
