Carbon Fiber Helmets

Construction of Carbon Fiber Crash Helmets

Carbon Fiber Helmets are made up of very thin carbon filaments woven together into a cloth (or felt). The cloth is then molded with the use of a plastic resin to form the shell and/or structural components of the helmet. Kevlar is another strong, lightweight material that is used in helmets; it is common for carbon fiber and Kevlar to be used together in a helmets construction.

Eclipse Carbon Helmet Vemar Eclipse Carbon Helmet. The Eclipse carbon fiber helmet is made of three separate pieces of carbon fiber laminate, unlike Vemar's lower priced competitors which use a patchwork of 11+ pieces to construct their carbon helmets. Quality has its price. Manufactured to precise military as well as F1 standards for laminating carbon fiber, the Vemar Eclipse carbon helmet is manufactured to the highest possible standards. This low quantity but high quality production method ensures the most consistent finish thickness and density is achieved with the 100 carbon fiber shell material. As such Vemar is one of the few companies to have obtained with the Eclipse carbon helmet the 8860 FIA certification - required for F1 competition. A medium Eclipse carbon fiber helmet weighs only 1410 grams or 3.1 pounds! Click 'Buy' for more information or to purchase this helmet.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Carbon fiber filaments can be woven into structural components which are stronger than steel on a weight by weight basis, this high tensile strength is one of the distinct advantages of carbon fiber. Due to its high strength to weight ratio it can be used to make lighter motorcycle helmets than can be achieved with more traditional plastic or fiberglass materials.

The main disadvantage of carbon fiber helmets is the expense. You can expect a carbon fiber helmet to be significantly more expensive than a similar helmet designs made out of different materials. Carbon fiber helmets are relatively new to the helmet field and as such they are less tried and tested than motobike helmets constructed from more traditional materials.

Where to Buy

Many mainstream motorbike helmet manufacturers now offer carbon fiber helmets in their range. BMW for example offered a carbon fiber version of their popular System 4 helmet, and in their new range there is a carbon fiber 'SportIntegral' helmet which weighs in at under 1kg. AJC make a carbon fiber version of their HJC AC-12 helmet which has had popular reviews and we understand Shoei commonly use a matrix of fibers which is similar to carbon fiber on the shells of certain helmets in their range.

If your interested in the potentail benefits of a carbon fiber helmet, stop by your nearest motorcycle retailer and see what carbon fiber helmets they have available for you to try.