#1 Overlooked fitting step.

While I've been fitting motorcycle helmets @ The Helmet Harbor, LLC for almost 14 years, it still amazes me how many riders have "bowling ball" round heads, but are running around town in a "submarine" oval helmet.

After a few questions, it's apparent that they were sold the wrong bill of goods.  Swamp land in Florida...  You get the idea; they were given the wrong advise.  Some customers are so convinced, they start to argue their case.  Not smart; they loose that battle every time...

Now, you would think that something like shape would be easy.  We all know what round is, so anything other than that would be oval, right?  Well, there is some truth to this way of thinking.  Round can't be oval, and vice-verse a.  However, for some reason many of us don't start at truly round, it's somewhere closer to oval.

When I ask, "is your head basketball round?" I get a funny look, followed by "of course not.."  Slowly, it starts to make sense.  Round is round, even when talking human heads.

A quick rant on shape, and how what Country you live in can matter.  Europeans (on average) have ROUNDER heads than we do here in the USA.  If a company is a European brand, odds are they have a different perspective of what shape fits best.  Companies focusing on the USA are typically longer oval, because we're their primary market.

Match up the shape of your helmet, with those that buy your stuff...

The simple truth is, if your head is basketball round, you'll NEVER find a helmet to match your shape, but we can get close.  The same goes for super long oval shapes.  In these cases it's not about perfection.  My goal as a helmet sales guy is to get you into something that matches your shape the closest  and doesn't interfere with the FUN of riding a motorcycle.

I would say only 10% of those that walk into my store fall into this category.  Everyone else (the other 90%) should walk out with a helmet that's spot on.

Many factors can screw this up, to include wallet thickness.  If the only helmet that fits is an Arai RX-Q, but you have a Scorpion EXO-500 budget, perfection is rare.  In this case I'm shooting for 90% of perfect.  Which is 100% better than what most people get in a typical Dealership.

So, if you're on the hunt for a new helmet, DON'T focus on just size.  Pay attention to the shape.  Do you get ANY pressure on your forehead?  Does it feel like you're wearing a vice grip?  Against popular belief, you don't need to wear a helmet for an hour to figure out if it fits.  Most know in the first 5 second if they're tuned into the SHAPE.

What NOT to DO.

1. Move up a size to make a helmet "work".
2. Ignore fit issues, thinking they will go away after "Break-In"

What TO DO.

1. Try on the helmet WITHOUT the cheek pads installed.
2. Go right off the sizing chart.  If it doesn't feel right, it's the wrong shape.
3. Walk out of a store thinking the fit will improve.  A bad fitting helmet, only becomes "less" uncomfortable.
4. Take the salesman's "word" for anything.  Do your own research.

The answer is YES..!  Oh, that's the answer to "can helmets be purchased online?"  If you're talking to someone who understands the fitting process, you can buy a helmet with 100% confidence.  However, if you're talking to someone who doesn't have a clue, expect bad results.  There's a SHAPE out there for EVERYONE.  You just need to know where to buy...