Deciding on which motorcycle helmet to buy can be one of the
tougher decisions to make for riders.
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008
Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study(SM) released today,
Arai ranks highest in satisfying motorcycle helmet owners
for a tenth consecutive year.
The study measures the overall satisfaction of motorcyclists
with their new helmet by examining 11 key areas: quietness;
ventilation/air flow; de-fogging; face shield ability to
keep wind out; face shield ability to resist scratching;
ease of replacing face shield; scratch resistance of shell;
color/graphic design; weight; ease of fastening the strap;
and comfort/fit.
Arai,
with an overall index score of 819 on a 1,000-point scale,
performs particularly well in comfort/fit and face shield's
ability to keep the wind out. Shoei follows with a score of
816 and receives high ratings in comfort/fit. Icon ranks
third with a score of 806, improving by 71 points from the
2007 study.
The study finds that overall satisfaction with
motorcycle helmets has
increased to an average of 761 in 2008 -- up 26 index points
from 735 in 2007. All 11 measures of satisfaction improve in
2008 and are at their highest levels since the study's
inception in 1999. Comfort/fit, ventilation/air flow and
color/graphic design are the top three measures that most
impact overall satisfaction.
"Manufacturers continue to improve on the key attributes
that have the greatest impact on overall helmet
satisfaction, maintaining the upward trend that began in the
2002 study," said Tim Fox, research manager of the
powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Across
the industry, satisfaction with all 11 attributes improves
by approximately the same amount, indicating consistency in
efforts by manufacturers to enhance overall satisfaction."
The study also finds that the helmet industry as a whole
improves with regard to perceived value for the money spent
on a new helmet, with all brands receiving higher scores in
perceived value in 2008, compared with 2007. Helmet owners
who spend more money for a helmet perceive a higher value
for their money than those who spend less.
The 2008 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study is based on
responses from 5,386 purchasers of new 2007 model-year
motorcycles who provided information about their most recent
helmet purchase experience and helmet use. The study was
fielded in September and October 2007.
The final results for the survey ranked helmets in the
following order; Arai, Shoei, Icon, Scorpion,
Harley-Davidson, Nolan, KBC, Bell and Fulmer.
