DONE!!!///Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

[BigSherm]

Guys.

I found the Nolan Cruise Outlaw (1st pic). It's the closest thing to a quality cafe helmet I can find in the States that is DOT approved. The Davida is NOT DOT approved, and with a half helmet you never know when a cop is going to want to check.

With some custom checkers and such, I think the Nolan could look ok, but does anyone have a source for a better looking pudding bowl like Mike the Bike in the second pic? Hailwood's the Mike I want to be like!

For all of you that would like to advise me against wearing a half-helmet; thanks, but let's keep the answers to where I could find one.

Sherm

 

[anarki650]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

What size is your head? I've got a HCI, size large, that I wore for less than a month before going back to a full face. It's got the ear flaps and neck skirt on it. It's DOT approved but apparently HCI has yanked them from the shelves. $50 shipped to the U.S.

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Thanks!

How would you describe the quality of the construction of the helmet?

Even though it is a half helmet, I'd still like it to be well made!

Can you post some pics of the interior?

Thanks.
Sherm

 

[anarki650]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Quality is good for a pudding bowl. The interior padding is adequate, it fits well and anchors down without flopping around at speed. I've run up above the ton with it with no issues or movement. Helmet has never been dropped or dinged up at all or anything either. I just didn't like the bugs in the face so I went back to the full face. Here's a shot of the inside

 

[Hoofhearted]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Heres the real deal. Bought in 1967. Hailwood stopped wearing them when he retired. He wore a full face when he made his comeback. Be smart like him. Get a real helmet. You might look cool with a puddin bowl but cool is fleeting. Dead is forever.

By weslake, shot with Canon PowerShot A430 at 2008-01-06

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Hey Hoohfearted.

Thanks for ignoring my respectful request by counseling me. If you want to argue the merits of wearing a half helmet, that's a topic for another thread. Now go give your opinion to someone who gives a shit.

Now, please, again, can anyone help me with a source for a QUALITY half-helmet, styled like a classic pudding bowl?

Sherm

 

[anarki650]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

These HCIs are the closest to capturing the oldschool look that I came across when I was shopping for one. Not to say there's nothing else out there, I'm just not familiar with them.

 

[DrJ]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Hey Hoohfearted.

Thanks for ignoring my respectful request by counseling me. If you want to argue the merits of wearing a half helmet, that's a topic for another thread. Now go give your opinion to someone who gives a shit.

Now, please, again, can anyone help me with a source for a QUALITY half-helmet, styled like a classic pudding bowl?

Sherm

Chill dude. Hoofhearted is a legend with vast motorcycle experience. What you're asking for does not exist. A true pudding bowl lid by it's design can never be made DOT because it fits too close to the head. There's not enough space between your skull and the shell for the amount of expanded polystyrene that's required to make a helmet DOT. A bowl is nothing more than a shell with a canvas webbing that sits on top of your head. The HCI comes the closest but it has too thick to be a pudding bowl and to thin to be DOT. That Nolan is just a half helmet or shorty and is favoured by cruiser riders. If you want a new real bowl than your only choice is the Davida but you already know it's not DOT. So make your choice about what's more important to you, a bowl or a DOT. You can't have both.

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

What I mean to say by pudding bowl is a half helmet with a flat bottom edge. When I say QUALITY construction I mean quality, modern construction. There are tons of these, but almost all have snaps to mount a visor.

I'm just looking for one without snaps, and I don't a discussion about why I would choose that type helmet getting in the way of the info.

Thanks.
Sherm

 

[Flugtechnik]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

I've looked around as well and the only DOT approved ones I could find were the HCIs. Available on Amazon. Never seen one in person though so I don't know about the quality.

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Thanks, Flug. I'll check Amazon.

 

[Represto]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

I have the HCI. I wear it around town...but every time I do, I know I'm rolling the dice. The construction is poor/cheap. I'm sure that dropping it from waist high on to concrete would snap it in two. It IS DOT approved...according to the sticker in the back; however, I've been pulled over once for a helmet inspection and eyeballed by a few other cops.

I didn't know that HCI pulled them from sale...but I'm not surprised.

How about a jet style helmet?

 

[rob in socal]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

http://www.motorcycle-helmets.com/HCI-Helmets-s/18.htm


This is where i got mine, i think. I dont wear it often, but I do wear it once in a while{its on my seat on my profile pic}

 

[Hoofhearted]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Hi Sherm. Sorry if i gave you a wedgie. Its your head not mine so buy what you want. If you were to look closely at a true pudding bowl you would see it really offers little protection. We wore them because thats what was available. If you go back to the 60s you will see that open face "jet" helmets (named after the helmets that fighter pilots of the time wore) were also a hot ticket. Replicas if made the same way will offer about the same protection. The only good thing to say about pudding bowls it they kept your ears warm.

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

No problem. Maybe a thread should be started to discuss that stuff.

I'm just intersted in finding a half helmet with a flat bottom edge and no visor snaps, with decent construction.

Sherm

 

[record_racer]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

there are 20 plus different quality pudding bowl helmets made. you've allready found the best one,none of them are DOT. you can find them using this amazing tool
www.google.com

now you can be a cafe racer!

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Thanks, I never heard of this Google thing.

Problem is, as in the case of the Nolan, no maker of a quality half-helmet lists it as anything having to do with a "pudding bowl" or "cafe racer" helmet. If a guy wants this style, he's going to have to make his own out of a police-style helmet. Either you live with the visor snaps, remove them and do something about the holes, or look at length for one without the snaps, which is what I'm doing by asking for help here.

You should make sure you mention that new Google thing in everyone's post that's looking for something. I bet everyone would really appreciate it!

Sherm

 

[locOleoN]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Chill dude. Hoofhearted is a legend with vast motorcycle experience. What you're asking for does not exist. A true pudding bowl lid by it's design can never be made DOT because it fits too close to the head. There's not enough space between your skull and the shell for the amount of expanded polystyrene that's required to make a helmet DOT. A bowl is nothing more than a shell with a canvas webbing that sits on top of your head. The HCI comes the closest but it has too thick to be a pudding bowl and to thin to be DOT. That Nolan is just a half helmet or shorty and is favoured by cruiser riders. If you want a new real bowl than your only choice is the Davida but you already know it's not DOT. So make your choice about what's more important to you, a bowl or a DOT. You can't have both.

Well Scott...
I gotta say,... for a guy who seems to be begging for info on this then shooting back snarky, and some cases down right insulting remarks to some very respected members who have taken the time to answer your post, its kinda pissing me off.

As DrJ said in the above post, (and I agree with him), you are simply not gonna find it...

 

[Hoofhearted]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Its cool. As I said Hailwood wore pudding bowls up to his retirement in '67When he made his return to the Island in '77 he wore a full face. Pudding bowls were museum pieces by then. Heres the inside of mine. Same as Hailwood wore. Its about as close as I'll get to being like Hailwood Strapping to keep it off your head and a 1/2" of cork for the ultimate protection. I don't think suitable foam was invented them. The few times I went up the road on while wearing it my head didn't hit the ground. On a few other trips along the asphalt I thank the good Lord I had a full face. I'm ugly and didn't need to get uglier.

By weslake, shot with Canon PowerShot A430 at 2008-11-07

 

[BigSherm]

Re: Where can I find a quality pudding bowl cafe racer helmet?

Everyone,

Sorry if I pissed anyone off.

I just read back through all the posts in this thread, and the only people who I got snarky with were the ones who ignored my polite request to keep the post on topic, or who got snarky with me first.

How can I tell someone is a well-respected and experienced member when he jumps right in and offers some opinions after reading my respectful request not to? How is "you can find them using this amazing tool www.google.com now you can be a cafe racer!" someone taking the time to answer a post in any helpful way?

I'm just looking to find a half helmet of QUALITY construction with a flat bottom edge; a bowl shape. To be clear, I probably should have said this from the beginning, instead of saying "pudding bowl." I didn't realize "pudding bowl" means "constructed with 1950's technology" to so many people.

Sherm