Stupid old helmet question

[nerrrd]

I have a 2014 Bell RS-1 which I bought in 2018 and have been wearing pretty much every day since then, it’s the most comfortable and best-fitting helmet I’ve ever owned.

Lately I’ve noticed some white cracks are starting to appear in the black polystyrene lining. It’s old and overdue for replacement, but helmet shopping is a real headache when your head apparently doesn’t fit the mean that most manufacturers cater for.

I also have a much cheaper Bell Qualifier bought in 2016, same basic shape (visors interchangeable) but plastic instead of fibreglass and not so comfy, well-fitting or generous with the lining. This one only has about a year’s worth of wear on it, been sitting on a shelf since then.

Another new, proper-fitting helmet is the ideal, but in the meantime which would you keep wearing? The well-used, higher quality but showing its age helmet that still fits really well, or the basic, still quite old but hardly used helmet that fits just OK?

[1/32 man]

Get the credit card out and go shopping now......your head will thank you for it later.

Upon returning to motorcycling I bought a Bell qualifier....it looked the business but the thing squealed like a pig and after a month or two I spent yet more$$ on a replacement and after some more months I bought another helmet, in an attempt to upgrade and quieten things down.
I am still using the latest now after a couple of years.

Go on get down to the motorcycle shop/s and have a bit of fun trying things on.....

[Berries]

Just don't fall off. Problem solved.

[roogazza]

I bought a new Shoei X11 about 15 yrs ago, It'll probably see me out.....????? :rolleyes:

[Moise]

I bought a new Shoei X11 about 15 yrs ago, It'll probably see me out.....????? :rolleyes:Shoei recommend binning a helmet 5 years from purchase or 7 years from DoM. I'm sure that's conservative, but my experience has been that around 5 years is definitely long enough.

I had an X11 Vermeulen but crashed wearing it when it was a year old. Never wore it again but keep it on a shelf in the garage.

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[SPman]

Finally retired the old Shark - I did get it in 2006! I suppose 16 yrs of use was enough ...... Wanted a Bell - none available in WA - ended with a Suomy TX-Pro carbon composite. First Suomy that's ever fitted, light, quieter on a naked than a fared bike -?? - good aeros and affordable.

[jellywrestler]

Shoei recommend binning a helmet 5 years from purchase or 7 years from DoM. I'm sure that's conservative, but my experience has been that around 5 years is definitely long enough

why, what is defective that at five years fails to do it's job?

[Moise]

why, what is defective that at five years fails to do it's job?The EPS liner hardens with age according to Shoei. But they are now saying to replace after 7 years.


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[roogazza]

The EPS liner hardens with age according to Shoei. But they are now saying to replace after 7 years.


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what was the old Bell Ad, If you have a $10 head ,wear a $10 helmet !!!!! lol

My shoei could be degrading naturally I suppose ? But it's never hit the deck. MY usage is maybe once a week in Summer, (3 mths )
Otherwise it's sitting in the garage out of the sun.
I think I paid $1200 for it when new.
A major impact would be the final test I guess,but I don't plan on that....It looks like new !

[jellywrestler]

The EPS liner hardens with age according to Shoei. But they are now saying to replace after 7 years.


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so how good are the manufacturers if they are still using the same defective material 30 years later?

[Moise]

so how good are the manufacturers if they are still using the same defective material 30 years later?There is nothing better than EPS for absorbing impact forces, despite its deficiencies.

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[Moise]

what was the old Bell Ad, If you have a $10 head ,wear a $10 helmet !!!!! lol

My shoei could be degrading naturally I suppose ? But it's never hit the deck. MY usage is maybe once a week in Summer, (3 mths )
Otherwise it's sitting in the garage out of the sun.
I think I paid $1200 for it when new.
A major impact would be the final test I guess,but I don't plan on that....It looks like new !You shouldn't keep helmets in the garage, as they may be exposed to solvents. Mine lives in the wardrobe!

You could take the liner out and have a good look at the EPS, Shoei paint it black for a reason... But really, there is no way to know if it's OK or not.

New helmets should meet the revised ECE standard, which is an significant improvement over the previous version.

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[Hoonicorn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sTvakw-mlI

Your old helmet has probably 'broken in' to the shape of your head after 10 years of wear. If you have a round head, look for brands that suit that shape, same goes for oval. Don't be shy asking to order thicker padding for the helmet if you want a snug fit.

[roogazza]

You shouldn't keep helmets in the garage, as they may be exposed to solvents. Mine lives in the wardrobe!

Lol if you saw my garage it's like a bedroom for the car, rideon and the bike ! I have a shed for nasty solvents n shit.

Ps was gunna get out today early for a fang ,but figured its a Holiday so there may be more chicanes on the roads.
Tomoro early then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! G xxxx

[Moise]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sTvakw-mlI

.
He doesn't really deal with myth 1 except to say how it came about. Shoei has recently changed their recommendation to replace every 7 years, so perhaps they have done some research?



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[F5 Dave]

Oh that guy.
Yeah have a lot of skepticism for YouTube 'Experts'

[nerrrd]

Oh that guy.
Yeah have a lot of skepticism for YouTube 'Experts'

Bit harsh on Brett Tkacs, I believe he's been here to speak at the invitation of the motorcycle safety people.

Plus he has an astoundingly smooth helmet-to-cloth cap routine going on in his videos (he's thinning a bit...)

[Moise]

Bit harsh on Brett Tkacs, I believe he's been here to speak at the invitation of the motorcycle safety people.

Plus he has an astoundingly smooth helmet-to-cloth cap routine going on in his videos (he's thinning a bit...)I think he was meant to speak at Shiny Side Up during one of the Covid years? Not sure if it went ahead?

I rarely watch YouTube unless I need to learn how to do something. Life is too short!

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[F5 Dave]

Jordan Peterson gets invites to talk everywhere and Joe Rogan has his own platform. Now I'm not comparing to those two specimens, I'm just saying just because someone gets a platform to talk it doesn't make them an expert.

[nerrrd]

Jordan Peterson gets invites to talk everywhere and Joe Rogan has his own platform. Now I'm not comparing to those two specimens, I'm just saying just because someone gets a platform to talk it doesn't make them an expert.

True, but the guy has been doing motorcycle training since 1996 apparently (was Youtube even a thing back then?)

But I guess everybody is an expert thanks to the the internet these days.

[Berries]

I rarely watch YouTube unless I need to learn how to do something.
Me too.

I can fold a towel into the shape of a dogs head now.

[Moise]

Me too.

I can fold a towel into the shape of a dogs head now.Photo?

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[F5 Dave]

Breed? .

[jellywrestler]

Bit harsh on Brett Tkacs, I believe he's been here to speak at the invitation of the motorcycle safety people.

you mean the people that pay riders to do stunts in singlets, jeans and sneakers at their safety days?

[jellywrestler]

Me too.

I can fold a towel into the shape of a dogs head now.

me too, but the dog has been run over by a steam roller

[nerrrd]

you mean the people that pay riders to do stunts in singlets, jeans and sneakers at their safety days?

Do I? Did they crash and burn, or were they, I don't know, 'experts' at stunt riding, perhaps?

[R650R]

The better Btkacs video to watch is the shoei personal fitnent one.

There’s a couple of gems of information in there that help with good fit.

Any helmet you own now or plan to purchase put on and look in mirror. Your eyes should sit in centre of visor area. I thought my head shape had changed with age and struggled being in between shoei size. Current size is little too tight but next one up too loose.
After watching Bret’s vid I’ve slipped a small soft rage in to lift fitment ever so slightly. Perfect fit and now my glasses go in and out the proper gap easier.
For what it’s worth Bell and AGV are too narrow for my head, shoei and HJC seem only thing that fits. But next time I go kid shopping I’m planning on taking some spacers to experiment.

If the polystyrene “ages” one should consider manufacture date and how long it sits on bike shop shelf as part of lifespan. I think as long as it’s stored in good environment should be fine. I have a ten year old lid I still use for work commute and coffee rides.
The real damage is the impact itself hence authorities obsession with speed. A helmet old or new is just spreading the impact area.in a minor fall there’s prob a diff in performance but in a half decent crash your brain is doing an awful bad wobble inside skull.Apparently brain is consistentlcy of butter and the internal skull bone is quite rough(prob to hold brain steady in normal life).
Just look at the brain damage boxers undergo and they are being walloped with a nice soft padded glove.
Yes but as good as you can and replace often as you like but I think we percieve a greater value of protection than reality. Otherwise by now stats would come out of head injuries from patients with cheap helmets vs expensive helmets and there would be some kind of govt intervention/regulation but there’s only a basic level of regulation on helmets.
We need a Ryan F9 episode of destruction testing on this.

[Berries]

Breed? .
You smooth talking bastard.

[jellywrestler]

Do I? Did they crash and burn, or were they, I don't know, 'experts' at stunt riding, perhaps?

the thing they are trying to tell you is all the gear all the time, you're never too good to crash and need your gear, funny that. And yes, not every one of them stayed on.

[nerrrd]

the thing they are trying to tell you is all the gear all the time, you're never too good to crash and need your gear, funny that. And yes, not every one of them stayed on.

Fair enough, again I think you're being a bit harsh. I've been seeing ads for jeans that are triple A rated lately, none of the gear I wear probably comes close to that.

And I'm still wearing a 10 year old helmet, so I wouldn't recommend listening to anything I say anyway...

[jellywrestler]

Fair enough, again I think you're being a bit harsh. I've been seeing ads for jeans that are triple A rated lately.

and their singlets??

[nerrrd]

and their singlets??

zzz? .....