That's a good article and it shows that you don't need to spend $500-600 on a helmet. When you get into the expensive helmets you are paying more for graphics, ventilation, and weight...not safety. I would do some serious research on helmets instead of just going out and buying one. Helmets really are the most important piece of safety gear. I would narrow it down to a few that are in your price range and then go try them on. IF you are patient spend the winter searching eBay/internet and you will probably find a good deal. I had a Shoei TZR which is Shoei's entry level helmet ($250-300) and I really liked it accept for the fact it didn't have a removable liner. It has a heavier, fiberglass shell which makes it a very quiet helmet. Ventilation is OK. I found a good deal on a couple Shark RSR2 helmets on eBay after searching for months. They aren't very popular so you can usually find some decent deals on them. I really like the Shark but its considerably louder than my old Shoei. It has good ventilation, a removable liner, F1 spec shield, and nice graphics. Crappy pictures but you get the idea: http://www.ohio-riders.net/showthread.php?t=16563