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View Full Version : New helmet after its 5 years old LAW.



Postie
5th January 2006, 15:22
I was told the other day that by law, you are supposed to renew your helmet every 5 years. Is this common knowledge or is it news to you too?

its not a problem replacing a helmet after 5 years, as in a 5 year old helmet will probably smell, fit loosely and be well out of fashion anyway, just i have never herd of this before and certainly never had my helmet checked by a copper.

MSTRS
5th January 2006, 15:25
Recommended, rather than a law???
Insurance co's won't replace a damaged helmet after it's 5+ years old

Karma
5th January 2006, 15:26
And soon we'll have to replace all gear after 5 years... and then bikes too...

It's all a plot to make us pay more money!!

madboy
5th January 2006, 15:26
I'd be surprised if it was law. Have you seen some of the shit helmets some idiots wear? I was under the impression that when sold it had to meet a certain standard and that was it... Provided it was still visibly structurally sound.

I haven't been riding for 5 years yet, but I had been told replacing a helmet every 5 years (bins/drops aside) was a good idea and was intending to do it anyway.

Lou Girardin
5th January 2006, 15:45
There's no such law. But it is good sense.

Coyote
5th January 2006, 15:53
Racers have to replace their helmets every 3 years

bugjuice
5th January 2006, 17:38
news to me..
but if it were law, there's obviously no one policing it, cos I've never heard of it being checked. I guess it'd be a good time to get a lid checked at the same time the bike gets it WOF done. Have the lid included at the same time..

I've had mine for 3 years or so, and it needs replacing. Don't need a cop to tell me that. The irony would be, if there were a law, and a fine was issued, that money that you've just put into the fine would be lost from going on a new lid, so you'd either a) not buy one, or b) find the cheapest and hope it fits and does the job ok..

The Beast
5th January 2006, 21:22
Karters have to replace every 5 years aswel.

The_Dover
5th January 2006, 21:27
meh, i replace everything every few months anyway....

Holy Roller
5th January 2006, 23:06
A good source for secondhand helmets from racers/karters. generally never been dinged or dropped, they just can't use them after the use by date. Just replaced my old open face helmet after 25 years or faithful service. Been through a few full face helmets in that time due to unplanned meetings with the black top.

Marmoot
6th January 2006, 00:44
the government should lower the levies first before introducing such law.

XTC
6th January 2006, 08:31
I think a law like that would be good. Also a law like australia's got forbidding the sale of 2nd hand helmets should also be looked at.

Cibby
6th January 2006, 09:20
news to me..



thats the thing buggy, the guy that told us this siad that he got pulled over and fined for it....

MSTRS
6th January 2006, 09:25
Another import cop who doesn't know NZ law??? Like the prick who pinged someone for a tinted visor?

Grahameeboy
6th January 2006, 09:25
thats the thing buggy, the guy that told us this siad that he got pulled over and fined for it....

Possible if cop considered that helmet was so shit that it was classed as 'not wearing a helmet' or is was not an approved helmet.......

buellbabe
6th January 2006, 10:49
Didn't know about the 5 yr thing, always been told to replace after a bin... jeez my old Shoei was definately past its use-by-date. Just replaced it and its bliss having a new lid.

Grahameeboy
6th January 2006, 11:01
Yeah I have just bought a Shoei xr1000, Patriot (no guesses where I come from) and fits fab....old Nolan xr800 was good but loose and Shoei size L......what a difference...and vents work

buellbabe
6th January 2006, 11:07
until you buy a new helmet ya don't realise how crappy yr old one is!:2thumbsup

Grahameeboy
6th January 2006, 11:13
yep.....odd thing is my Nolan cost $900 3 years ago and the Shoei cost $799...so better and cheaper

buellbabe
6th January 2006, 11:17
a win win situation then... the ACC levy has been reduced hence the reduction in Helmet prices... now if they'd just do the same thing with the rego...

Grahameeboy
6th January 2006, 11:26
the other bonus was that Motomail let me test ride it before I bought it..

buellbabe
6th January 2006, 11:33
So I'm guessing you must be a regular customer or you hve a buddy who works there? I get similar treatment at AMPS ... its all good eh

Grahameeboy
6th January 2006, 11:39
Regularish but I think that is the way they are there......Colemans good to me too........mind you it must be what Racheal Aka Cibby puts in their coffee.....!!!

Bob
10th January 2006, 22:35
Rule of thumb as taught to me:

Drop it, then replace it - reason being that the outside might look fine, but the foam inside may well be damaged. Which means that in a genuine accident, it will not protect you properly/at all.

5 years old - replace it. Reason being that daily exposure to the outside world (mainly daylight I believe) causes chemical reactions that gradually affect the composition of the helmet. So after 5 years they're just not as effecive any more (this has been tested in a laboratory). Btw, it is always best to keep your helmet out of direct daylight when not using it for this very reason.

2nd hand? Unless it is "2nd hand, never worn as it was an unwanted present" - DON'T DO IT! The inner foam will mould to the face of the original wearer after about a week. So it will NOT mould properly to yours. So it isn't giving you the same level of protection. OK, pillions will often be wearing a 2nd hand lid, but if they're going to pillion on a regular basis, then I say they should have their own, to be worn by them only, one.

Zapf
11th January 2006, 00:49
Snell also renews their helmet standard every 5 years.... ermm

Korea
11th January 2006, 04:28
Mmmm... for the same reason as Bob said, it's a good idea to get the helmet that fits a little snug when you first buy it. It'll mold to your head like new shoes do. But shop dudes will hopefully help you with this...

Koreans go BIG for helmet size (in my city at least it seems); bobbing around and catching in the wind... or do they genuinely have bigger heads than dumb-arse white guys like me??? Hmmm...

Bob
11th January 2006, 04:34
Mmmm... for the same reason as Bob said, it's a good idea to get the helmet that fits a little snug when you first buy it. It'll mold to your head like new shoes do. But shop dudes will hopefully help you with this...

Koreans go BIG for helmet size (in my city at least it seems); bobbing around and catching in the wind... or do they genuinely have bigger heads than dumb-arse white guys like me??? Hmmm...

Actually, this brings up something that is useful to remember - especially in these days when you can order from the internet. When buying a helmet, it is worth checking where the helmet was made for. The bigger companies have taken into account that, depending on the area of the world, head shapes differ.

So if you buy an Arai intended for the Asian market, it will have a different fit to one made for the European marketplace. Obviously, if you're buying from a pukka dealer in your own country, you will be getting an official import. But well worth remembering if you are on holiday and see a bargain. Just because it is a size 63 Shoei and they fit fine at home, they might not be the right fit whereever it is you are holidaying.

So always try them on and make sure they fit correctly - and comfortably of course.

What?
11th January 2006, 05:31
... the ACC levy has been reduced hence the reduction in Helmet prices... now if they'd just do the same thing with the rego...
I think you will find the price reduction came via removal of import duty - nothing to do with ACC.
As for even the possibility of a 5 year replacement law... I have 4 helmets, none of which appear to have any marking showing when I bought it, so how could anyone possibly tell if it is over 5 years old? Even a "Manufactured on" stamp would be useless, because it would then mean shops would be stuck with any stock more than a month old (assuming they could get it that fresh!)


thats the thing buggy, the guy that told us this siad that he got pulled over and fined for it....
Somewhere else in here is a thread about a guy who says he has got a 408hp bike, too.

bugjuice
11th January 2006, 09:06
do you think the weather would affect the composites of plastic, fibre glass and CF helmets at different rates? Plastic ones are the first to go, without doubt (for a 5 year stint), but would FG and CF last longer? Not saying don't replace them, but just saying that they would be more durable over that period

Sniper
11th January 2006, 09:10
So how do they plan on finding out EXACTLY how old the helmet is?

bugjuice
11th January 2006, 09:13
most lids have a month/year stamp, or some sort of code or batch code. It's just if the codes make sense. But every lid should have some form of ID on it

Beemer
11th January 2006, 12:55
I replaced my helmet last year after seven years - but during those years I wasn't riding every day or even every week at times so the 'old' helmet is still in very good condition.

The padding had worn, of course - it wasn't loose or dangerous but the helmet wasn't as snug as it was in the beginning. It felt fine until I bought the new one and then I realised how lovely that was compared to the old one!

If it had ever received any hard knocks or had been in an accident, it would have been replaced no matter what age it was.

Ixion
11th January 2006, 15:04
do you think the weather would affect the composites of plastic, fibre glass and CF helmets at different rates? Plastic ones are the first to go, without doubt (for a 5 year stint), but would FG and CF last longer? Not saying don't replace them, but just saying that they would be more durable over that period

I don't believe the "deteriorates after 5 years regardless" thing for fibreglass. It is correct for the "plastic" lids (Polycarbonate is it ?) but the fibreglass ones, no. Otherwise there ould be an awful lot of sinking glass boats around. My old FFM Mach1 (which was my spare for years, so it never got used) is still in good nick, and used for commuting.

bugjuice
11th January 2006, 15:05
yeah, good point!

Lou Girardin
14th January 2006, 08:56
It's not just the shell that deteriorates, the interior absorbs sweat and other greebies, the foam loses it's energy absorbtion, the padding compresses and the fit gets loose.
Besides, a helmets requirements are a bit different to boats.

terbang
14th January 2006, 09:17
When my helmets are done and I replace them I cut the straps off them to stop them from remaining in service..

Ixion
14th January 2006, 09:37
It's not just the shell that deteriorates, the interior absorbs sweat and other greebies, the foam loses it's energy absorbtion, the padding compresses and the fit gets loose.
Besides, a helmets requirements are a bit different to boats.

True, but those are only going to happen if a helmet is in use. I agree that a helmet should be replaced once it is tired and worn. But I'm not convinced that a fibreglass helmet (eg a spare one) that is unused deteriorates just in storage

SVrunner
16th January 2006, 13:21
I replace when they get slooppy, usually every 18 months as I use it every day.

Motu
16th January 2006, 14:48
It's not just the shell that deteriorates, the interior absorbs sweat and other greebies, the foam loses it's energy absorbtion, the padding compresses and the fit gets loose.
Besides, a helmets requirements are a bit different to boats.

Well bugger me! And here's me thinking that as my leathers shrunk my head was too! I thought I was going to end up a pin head,nice to know I'm as bigheaded as ever!

Bonez
28th January 2006, 11:06
I'm quite fond of my smelling ol FFM bean protector. Thinking about getting a new pudding basin helmet to replace it with, honest. :p

Pancakes
30th January 2006, 20:42
I think there has been too much emphasis put on "5 years" in this thread. Plastics deteriorate natually in any environment, this includes resins used to hold glass and carbon lids together. They all start as liquids and set (or dry) into solids. They will keep setting or drying out for their whole life as the volatile components keep drying out making the helmet more brittle and less flexible. Variations in the environment can accellerate this and the biggies I'm aware of are solvents (even a "closed" petrol container in the same storage area), UV exposure and ozone (got a fridge or freezer in the garage? Near your helmet and tyres even for that matter?) Obviously this isn't the super scientific lowdown but you get the idea. I am a qualified rock climbing instructor and have been involved in indepth rope testing. So what? Rockclimbing ropes are made from a combination of plastics exposed to the elements and most importantly they are the sole thing, in most cases stopping you dying in a fall. When you go for a ride you don't bin it every time but most climbers fall at least once a day while out climbing and often a few times on each route tried in a day. The rope stops the climber dying by being strong, not brittle during a fall and absorbing impacts by retaining its supple, flexible qualities JUST LIKE A HELMET.

Sorry this was a freekin novel but I haven't been on for ages and it's all pent up! He he he!

FROSTY
1st February 2006, 07:34
Folks I'm thinking postie is getting mixed up with the racing rules.
MNZ doesn't put an age limit as such on our helmets.
They just every year require out helmets to display standards stickers.
The standard required is updated every year(?) so the effect is in reality the lid can't be more than 5 years old.
I think somewhere in the road rules it does say smething about -You must wear an aproved motorcycle helmet --Ie no turbans,tophats,riggers helmets or bicycle helmets

bugjuice
1st February 2006, 08:21
nah, he's not got it mixed up with racing. It was from what someone told him when they were stopped by the fuzz.. i think..

inlinefour
7th February 2006, 00:16
Do we have to provide proof of how old the helmet is? We just get a fine if they think its older? I'd like to see a copper try to give me a ticket for this shyte as I'd drag their arse through the media to proove a point. It never amases me how many laws that are out there but not made appartent to the public. If we are not informed of such laws, why do the authorities expect us to comply with them?:brick: :argh:

pritch
8th February 2006, 10:42
If we are not informed of such laws, why do the authorities expect us to comply with them?:brick: :argh:

When I was going to Tech in Wellington in the early 70s we were told that there were over 7,000 laws in this country . Parliament have been making them flat out ever since and unless you are gay, or a prostitute, or both, you will not have noticed too many being repealed.

God knows how many there are now, but ignorance of the law is no excuse...

skidz
8th February 2006, 14:39
I've only had a few helmets in the 28 years of riding. Only had to get rid of one because when I crashed one of the bikes, it cracked from the top down the right side. My lid I've got is due to get changed as it's pretty stuffed. I'm trying to find a German lid that is legal for NZ. Problem is the American ones are DOT approved, but still not legal here.

inlinefour
8th February 2006, 14:45
ignorance of the law is no excuse...

but it is certianly an explanation...

bugjuice
8th February 2006, 15:16
Do we have to provide proof of how old the helmet is?
most lids have a date stamp somewhere either on the strap or under the foam padding

JWALKER
8th February 2006, 15:17
unforunatlu, i semm to be replacing my helmet every year at the moment and its starting to get expensive