Except that Snell amended its standards twice, at least, since then and once BEFORE the "independent" tests in the article using helmets with the 2005 standards. Also, the fact that there is a marketing advantage to having the Snell sticker does not make the standard any less valid.
The problem is that you do not know what you are getting with a DOT helmet--yes, there are cheap DOT helmets that meet or exceed all the best testing standards, but there are clearly many DOT helmets which are inferior, too. At least with Snell/ECE ranked helmets, I know they've been tested and since those standards have been revised since the article was written and now meet or exceed the qualifications of the testing in that article, I think that the Snell/ECE helmets are generally preferable to the DOT-only helmets. GENERALLY. All of these posts have , however, swayed me to the idea that Biltwell Gringo my be a perfectly safe helmet worthy of consideration. An email should be able to determine the types and quality of the materials used so I can make my own judgement/rationalization about its safety.
Still would LOVE to see more information on retro-inspired helmets in this thread, rather than a debate about safety standards. So far I have, Bell, Biltwell, and Davida as the prime players in this space. Any others?
