A J.D. Power and Associates survey confirms what the rest of the world knew already: Icon and Arai helmets are popular, and more and more riders are buying their motorcycle helmets online.
The company’s 2011 helmet satisfaction survey was released last week, and it brought several interesting statistics to light. One of the most noteworthy points was the fact that 23 per cent of helmet buyers are buying their headgear from a website. That’s up from 20 per cent the year before; going back to 2002, only four per cent of helmet buyers purchased online. That’s some pretty tremendous growth, and it’s not good news for brick-and-mortar dealers.
Helmet maker Arai topped the list in customer satisfaction for the 13th straight year, but this time around they shared the title with Icon. Shoei’s helmets came in third place.
The survey looked at riders’ satisfaction with their helmets in 11 attributes: quietness, ventilation and air flow,  de-fogging performance, face shield effectiveness at keeping wind out, face shield resistance to scratching, ease of replacing face shield, scratch resistance of shell, color/graphic design, weight, ease of fastening the strap, and fit and comfort.
The average rider’s satisfaction with their helmet increased again this year, to its highest point since the study started in 1999. The study also found that the average helmet purchase price was $209 for 2011, barely up from $206 the year before.
