Helmets

M

mcfoo

Well-known member
Anybody currently using a ZAMP?..and what do think about it.?
I considered one a while back when they were made in Italy....now made in China.
Discovered yesterday that BELL has or is moving its production to Behrain...don't know if I understand that.
Apparently IMPACT is the only US manufacturer left standing.
Sparco and Stillo are still in Italy , I think.
In looking for a helmet I find it interesting that few, if any reveal the country of origin. You either have to ask or wait until you receive the product.
According to Bob at Driving Impressions almost all are now China. Very disappointing but not surprising.
Many of the dealers still don't have much inventory of the SA 2015's and are suggesting it might be mid summer before they do..

Tom B.
 
They're just about all made in China nowadays.

Another one you may look at is Black Armor helmets. their sales office is based in Austin, but I know they're made "overseas."
 
mcfoo said:
(EDITED) ...
In looking for a helmet I find it interesting that few, if any reveal the country of origin. You either have to ask or wait until you receive the product.
Click to expand...

Simpson still makes helmets in the US. I have been using iterations of the Speedway Shark for years as I found the anti-lift of the helmet nice to have.

http://simpsonraceproducts.com/snell-sa2015/speedway-shark-snell-2015/

POST EDIT: I suspect the helmets without a designation of where it is made is probably not USA. However, a number of them on the Simpson site state: Made in USA
 
ive used a ZAMP for quite a few years now and its fine. Works in GT car and the ALMS and other open cockpit stuff I've run. Sometimes hard to locate a dealer/parts because they're not widely marketed. i would get one again (and will probably have to because the snell is out of date next year)
 
Tom, Zamp helmets are Bell. Although my Zamp helmet and neck brace was given to me I echo Mikes comments except the dealer thing. Light helmet, good fit, removable interior, and very comfortable if you measure your head correctly with hood on. When I first received mine I drove 9.5hrs of a 24 hr event at VIR in 103 degrees and had no problems with comfort or pressure points. I have had no problems with getting anything from the manufacturer for spares shields, padding, fastners. As you most likely figured out by now good product with a better price point than most.
 
Michael and David

Thanks guys for your response.

I'd like to buy a ZAMP but that China connection bothers the heck out of me..and now BELL has a Behrain connection.

I'd almost bet that the Zamp's you guys have are made in Italy. We know they can make some pretty decent stuff but like so many other things ,bottom line profits trump quality and off to some third world country it goes.
I found a couple of Simpson models made right here in Texas..they are actually made on a custom basis these days
and take 5-7 days with a choice of five (5) colors. They are more expensive than the ZAMPS but I'm trying to be a "made in the USA" guy when possible.

I'll continue to do some more research. By the time I have it painted and helmet electronics installed probably looking at $1,000.
You have to convince yourself that your head is worth it and amortization really works in the long run.

Thanks,

Tom B.
 
What's it matter if it's China, Italy, USA, etc.? QA/QC is QA/QC. Some of your most modern manufacturing machines in the world are in China - they just succumb to the pressure of US business men telling them "I want you to make this as cheap as you can so I can make $$$ profit".

From a historical QA/QC standpoint, maybe we should be glad the British never built helmets 88-o :lol:
 
hoffman900 said:
What's it matter if it's China, Italy, USA, etc.? QA/QC is QA/QC. Some of your most modern manufacturing machines in the world are in China - they just succumb to the pressure of US business men telling them "I want you to make this as cheap as you can so I can make $$$ profit".
Click to expand...

Bob,
Its your last sentence that bothers me a bit. It's what's made after the Snell approval. I doubt if Snell does a "secret shopper" and randomly pulls units off the shelf for compliance at a later date. Would be great if they did. Five (5) years in between approvals is a long time.

Can you spell "Hoverboard"? :) Just say'n

I try to "never" say "never" but if I can find a suitable helmet not made in China I'm gonna buy it.

Tom B.
 
Most of the recent stuff from China has been really nice. But if you have to have a USA built helmet you may have to step upscale to the carbon versions. Call the company/ ask .
 
I used a Zamp for a few years. I have no complaints, held up very well. I think they were made in the same factory as Bell for a while?

I just bought a new SA2015 Black Armor, I haven't worn it yet in a car but it feels nice and the quality is good for the price. Plus carbon fiber just looks cool. Hehe
 
mcfoo said:
hoffman900 said:
What's it matter if it's China, Italy, USA, etc.? QA/QC is QA/QC. Some of your most modern manufacturing machines in the world are in China - they just succumb to the pressure of US business men telling them "I want you to make this as cheap as you can so I can make $$$ profit".
Click to expand...

Bob,
Its your last sentence that bothers me a bit. It's what's made after the Snell approval. I doubt if Snell does a "secret shopper" and randomly pulls units off the shelf for compliance at a later date. Would be great if they did. Five (5) years in between approvals is a long time.

Can you spell "Hoverboard"? :) Just say'n

I try to "never" say "never" but if I can find a suitable helmet not made in China I'm gonna buy it.

Tom B.
Click to expand...
http://www.smf.org/standards/sa/2015/SA2015Final3252014.php#_RST

It's at least in Snell's PLAN to perform random production sample testing..
 
hoffman900 said:
maybe we should be glad the British never built helmets 88-o :lol:
Click to expand...

Now THAT'S funny!

I've been very happy with my Stilo (Italian made).

One thing that was mentioned that I dont agree with is the cost/quality notion. Although there is no direct relationship, in practical terms in the helmet industry you do seem to get what you pay for. And mostly the difference is weight, build quality, and ventilation. More $$ gets you lighter weight. Not much lighter, a pound or so. I've seen some visors that are just awful in low cost helmets.

The thing about helmets is it has to fit YOU. You need to try them on before you buy them. Or at the least, buy from a vendor with a good return policy. Every manufacturer fits differently. Bells fit wide short heads. Simpsons fit narrow long heads. And so on. Some companies are offering replaceable inserts in their higher end stuff. But again, you need to be in a showroom with an assortment to make that work for you.

-Kyle
 
The Bell thing is an annoyance simply because it was completely avoidable.

"Hey a new Snell rating is out, that means a bunch of racers will be ordering helmets with the new rating this year, and we will have a spike in demand for Q1 2016"
"I know, sounds like a great time to blow up our supply chain, and move production to the other side of the world doesn't it?"
"Brilliant!"

I just pulled the old helmet out and drilled it for the mounts for my new Hybrid Pro-Rage. Would have preferred not to have to do that, but just an annoyance really.
 
You should try being a Bell dealer like we are :cry:

chois said:
The Bell thing is an annoyance simply because it was completely avoidable.

"Hey a new Snell rating is out, that means a bunch of racers will be ordering helmets with the new rating this year, and we will have a spike in demand for Q1 2016"
"I know, sounds like a great time to blow up our supply chain, and move production to the other side of the world doesn't it?"
"Brilliant!"

I just pulled the old helmet out and drilled it for the mounts for my new Hybrid Pro-Rage. Would have preferred not to have to do that, but just an annoyance really.
Click to expand...
 
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