SHARP adds more helmets

SHARP, the UK government’s Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme, has just evaluated a further 28 motorcycle helmets.

That brings the total number of different models assessed to 247, all of which have been subjected to identical impact tests that exceed the compulsory British Standard BS 6658:1985 or ECE Regulation 22.05 checks.

Out of the 247 helmets rated, thirty were awarded the maximum five stars. The good news is that six of those retail for under £100, so it would appear that the correlation between price and protection can be tenuous.

The results also clearly demonstrate that a particular brand name won’t necessarily ensure a certain level of quality, as some manufacturers have very large score variations within their ranges.

That’s not the case for Bell, though. It has had six helmets go through the programme, from the £165 M1 to the £495 M5X Carbon, and all were given five stars. No other manufacturer with more than one SHARP-assessed helmet has achieved such a perfect score.

Conversely, the consistently least successful manufacturer is CMS. Its two tested helmets - the £60 GP4 and the £159 GP5F - each only managed to get one star.

To visit the SHARP website, click here.

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SHARP helmet rating