[alanmcorcoran]

Hottie,

In addition to the above...

Here's some other things to consider:

1) Full face, 3/4 or less. I like the 3/4 for in-town, non-freeway, short distances. I have a full face for longer/faster rides.
2) As you are aware, it gets hot here - make sure you get a well ventilated lid.
3) The padding compresses a little in some helmets. I bought my Spyder a little extra snug and it fits good now. Was a little tight for the first few weeks. Not sure if this happens in the real expensive ones.
4) Do you want a tinted visor? It also gets kind of sunny. Many helmets let you pop the visors out. I wear glasses so this is not important to me.
5) Read up on the DOT and the SNELL (they aren't the same. You need a DOT, many people like to have SNELL too, some don't)

Not sure where you are in So Cal, but Mission Motorsports in Mission Viejo and Hahm Motorsports in Orange both have pretty large selection. I think you can save money if you buy online, but you better know your size first. I think I have also seen HJC at the Pep Boys and WalMart - but with less selection (cheap though!) Figure on spending between $100 and $200 depending.