For years, riders have gravitated toward the Simpson lineup as they offer several variations to their Bandit series. While Simpson boasts a deep lineup with several looks to choose from, here we'll focus on matching up the Street Bandit and the Lane Splitter as they're two of the closest in terms of style and cost.

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The drag racing style started with Simpson and with its immense popularity, Biltwell was wise to develop a similar helmet. First, let's take a look at a few similarities. At first glance, the helmets have a very similar look. Both feature an enlarged eye port area for optimum visibility and include a clear shield with simple hinge mechanics. In both helmets, the shields can be placed in multiple positions thanks to the detents and are also secured in the down position with a peg and hole system. They're within a couple ounces of weight - with the Street Bandit at 3 lbs 8 oz and the Lane Splitter at 3 lbs 6 oz when weighed in a medium size. Both offer easily swappable shields and they both provide a basic D-Ring closure. The helmets also feature a removable and washable interior. While both are DOT approved, the Lane Splitter is also ECE certified and the Street Bandit carries a Snell M2015 approval. With all that said, let's dive into their main differences and compare each helmet separately.

First up, the Street Bandit - it's been around for years and is currently available in three color choices - gloss black, gloss white and matte black. You can also mix it up with several different replacement shields. Ride in a Street Bandit and you’ll have basic airflow but not much beyond that - for more advanced ventilation, you’ll probably want to bump up to the Ghost Bandit. But overall, the Street Bandit makes for a comfortable ride, especially if you're going to keep things local and you're O K without all the bells and whistles. During our test ride with the Street Bandit we felt the three mouth vents on either side kept the air moving enough to keep things comfortable.

After securing the helmet on your head, Simpson opted for an elastic band to take care of the excess strap. The interior was a soft and comfortable liner, which got the job done.

Recently released for 2017, the Lane Splitter has been introduced in 7 color ways with replacement shields scheduled for availability later in the summer. The front venting more or less equals that of the Simpson with a slight difference in style, but the advantage for this helmet is the cutout vent in the rear which allows for air to escape while you ride. While the lack of a forehead vent compromises top of the head ventilation, we felt the rear exhaust vent along with the front vents still managed to pull the hot air and keep things comfortable. Biltwell also offers shield hardware in a variety of colors to further customize the helmet and make it your own. Turning to the interior of the helmet, you’ll find a red pull-tab for helmet removal, and the Lycra liner with contrast stitching not only looks great, but feels great as well. Biltwell also included internal mesh pockets for riders who want to drop in a communication system as well as a padded chin curtain which can easily be removed depending on a rider's preference. The Lane Splitter uses a snap to secure the excess strap, which we found was much easier to use, especially if you’re wearing gloves.

Overall the Lane Splitter had a comfortable fit and we really felt like Biltwell took their time to design this helmet and the details show that. In our opinion, this is the best helmet Biltwell has produced to date.

Coming in at the $250 price point, the Lane Splitter does beat the $300 Street Bandit for budget-con scious riders. Another bonus for your wallet is the shield pricing. Replacement shields for the Lane Splitter go for $35-$45, where the Simpson shields run from $50-70.

While both helmets have the aggressive styling that many riders are looking for, we think the Lane Splitter has the advantage with a few extra modern features. Plus it's $50 less. That said, if you want the original or if you're looking for something a little more aggressive like the Outlaw Bandit or the Ghost Bandit, Simpson gets the nod for their deeper lineup.