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I recently installed a Sena BT system for my helmet. And I'm fairly pleased with it. It would be nice to have a HUD for driving directions, but relying on jus

by ansible 10y ago

I recently installed a Sena BT system for my helmet. And I'm fairly pleased with it. It would be nice to have a HUD for driving directions, but relying on just the voice prompts is usually sufficient. The Skully design is neat, but I don't see a big enough market for it.

mikestew 10y ago
The Skully design is neat, but I don't see a big enough market for it. How much of a market could there possibly be for a $1500 helmet? I shudder at the thought of a $700 Shuberth hitting the ground. I consider a helmet to be disposable as well. How disposable is a $1500 helmet? And are you a Shoei head or an Arai? IOW, will this helmet even fit my style of head, or is it going to leave hotspots after a few hours? Cool tech, no argument. But it needs to come down to something like a $200 add-on like the Bluetooth unit for my Nolan. As to the ultimate reason for their demise, I have no idea. From what little I've paid attention, I'm guessing a combination of way overpriced and, yeah, hardware is hard.
- cdibona 10y ago
  The article says that there were 3000 units pre-ordered. That's a fair amount of cash, but spinning up a hardware line where there are real safety and fit questions at hand is not trivial. Maybe they would have been better off making something that would replace the visor on a popular model of helmet like a shoei.
  - mikestew 10y ago
    So, 3.5 million to develop safety equipment with electronics that have to endure wind, rain (at 90mph), shock, and general misuse (I don't treat my helmets with nearly the care I do my iPhone)...and still make a profit. My napkin scribbles say that would be a tall order. EDIT: oh, yeah, and DOT/Snell testing. Don't know how much that is.
    - ansible 10y ago
      I don't treat my helmets with nearly the care I do my iPhone Just as a note to everyone: If you drop your helmet, you should throw it away. You can't tell if the foam has been cracked, which reduces its protection.
      - zbun 10y ago
        This is a pretty common misconception. Info from Snell Foundation: http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aDroppedHelmet http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aDroppedHelmet Most manufacturers also offer a free inspection service where you can ship them your helmet and they'll check on the internals/foam.
        ansible 10y ago
        That's good to know.

by ansible 10y ago

mikestew 10y ago

The Skully design is neat, but I don't see a big enough market for it. How much of a market could there possibly be for a $1500 helmet? I shudder at the thought of a $700 Shuberth hitting the ground. I consider a helmet to be disposable as well. How disposable is a $1500 helmet? And are you a Shoei head or an Arai? IOW, will this helmet even fit my style of head, or is it going to leave hotspots after a few hours? Cool tech, no argument. But it needs to come down to something like a $200 add-on like the Bluetooth unit for my Nolan. As to the ultimate reason for their demise, I have no idea. From what little I've paid attention, I'm guessing a combination of way overpriced and, yeah, hardware is hard.

cdibona 10y ago
The article says that there were 3000 units pre-ordered. That's a fair amount of cash, but spinning up a hardware line where there are real safety and fit questions at hand is not trivial. Maybe they would have been better off making something that would replace the visor on a popular model of helmet like a shoei.
- mikestew 10y ago
  So, 3.5 million to develop safety equipment with electronics that have to endure wind, rain (at 90mph), shock, and general misuse (I don't treat my helmets with nearly the care I do my iPhone)...and still make a profit. My napkin scribbles say that would be a tall order. EDIT: oh, yeah, and DOT/Snell testing. Don't know how much that is.
  - ansible 10y ago
    I don't treat my helmets with nearly the care I do my iPhone Just as a note to everyone: If you drop your helmet, you should throw it away. You can't tell if the foam has been cracked, which reduces its protection.
    - zbun 10y ago
      This is a pretty common misconception. Info from Snell Foundation: http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aDroppedHelmet http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aDroppedHelmet Most manufacturers also offer a free inspection service where you can ship them your helmet and they'll check on the internals/foam.
      - ansible 10y ago
        That's good to know.