One particular style of gear that remains popular to this day is the German motorcycle helmet. The motorcycle first came to be in the days of WWII during which they were put into use for many of the soldiers so they could get around more easily. Those that rode the motorcycles also wore protective gear, some styles of which still exist today and are quite popular in the motorcycle market.

German motorcycle helmet construction has come a very long way from the WWII-era M35, M40, and M42 combat helmets from which they descend. Typically, bikers choose a helmet based foremost on price, followed by looks, comfort, and safety – in that order. As far as a modern DOT approved German motorcycle helmet goes, the classic shapes of the M35, M40, and M42 combat helmets remains unchanged while both the comfort and safety factors come from a whole new world.

To get an idea of the advancements a modern German style motorcycle helmet, DOT-compliant ones at least, offers today's biker, take a look at these two photos:

As you can see, the original WWII-era German helmet uses a simple leather web liner on the inside. While a leather web liner may offer comfortable wear and easy re-sizing, it obviously isn't going to provide any suitable protection for the rider's noggin during a serious spill.

There are different things that people look for in a motorcycle helmet. Protection, which is the only reason people wear a motorcycle helmet in the first place, often comes second to style and appearance especially where the stereotypical biker is concerned. The helmet should not only protect ones head from the impact of a motorcycle crash, it has to make the biker look cool at the same time.

To this end, there are many cool styles and designs of motorcycle helmets on the market and one of the coolest is the approved DOT German motorcycle helmet, a design that recalls the unique shape and design of the helmets worn by soldiers in the German military during the Second World War.