Helmet replacement?

[gav]

Picked up an entry form for a "have a go day" at Ruapuna and one of the requirements is that helmet must be less than 10 years old. Hmmm, I've got a Shoei RF200 that was manufactured in 1992, but for most of its life it has lived in the original Shoei helmet bag and box in my wardrobe (have two helmets and was bikeless for 7-8 years). I've started using it lately and is basically a brand new helmet, but is it going to be approved for the track? Anyone know? I can understand if a helmet has had 10 years of use how it may no longer be up to scratch, fit wise and safety wise but what do you think? How often should you replace your helmet?

[White trash]

Every five years. Unless you fuck it. Then sooner.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I'd certainly replace a helmet immediately if I'd fucked it..

You'd have to be stupid not to.....

[Cajun]

well for starters you should be fucking helmets, you should go see to a padded cell if you do

[vifferman]

I'd certainly replace a helmet immediately if I'd fucked it..
You'd have to be stupid not to.....What about if.... you crashed your bike, and had the opportunity to replace your 3+ year old helmet, but for some reason you can't remember (like you thought it was alright, and that by the time the insurance company had devalued it, you'd get stuff all, and you really liked it and doubted whether you'd find a decent replacement for the money, and you weren't sure anyway at that time whether you were going to buy another bike [pause for breath] and maybe it just slipped your mind or you made a bad decision), you didn't. Replace it. And subsequently, when you were locking your bike up one day, you put your helmet on the packrack, thinking, "I hope that doesn't fall off - it's a bit precarious", so of course it fell on the concrete. For the second third or fourth time. Or maybe fifth, who knows? WHo can remember these things? And besides the possibility that it's now ferked, it's starting to show the signs of age anyway. As you do. I mean - as helmets do.

Would that be stupid? To not replace it immediately? If not sooner?
Well, would it? Would the person that didn't replace it in these circumstances be stupid, by your yardstick? What about by your metrestick, or any other stick for that matter?
Huh?

[Deano]

Ive had my helmet for over 33 years and it has been fucked quite a lot. Wouldn't dream of replacing it, although I did get rid of the waterproof cover very early on.

[gav]

bit small though isn't it?

[Blakamin]

Ive had my helmet for over 33 years and it has been fucked quite a lot. Wouldn't dream of replacing it, although I did get rid of the waterproof cover very early on.

now THAT would be hard to replace!! :eek5:

[Deano]

bit small though isn't it?

Yeah Gav, thats why I ride a big red throbbing thing to compensate.

Smartass.

[F5 Dave]

What about if.... you crashed your bike, and had the opportunity to replace your 3+ year old helmet, but for some reason you can't remember (like you thought it was alright, and that by the time the insurance company had devalued it, you'd get stuff all, and you really liked it and doubted whether you'd find a decent replacement for the money, and you weren't sure anyway at that time whether you were going to buy another bike [pause for breath] and maybe it just slipped your mind or you made a bad decision), you didn't. Replace it. And subsequently, when you were locking your bike up one day, you put your helmet on the packrack, thinking, "I hope that doesn't fall off - it's a bit precarious", so of course it fell on the concrete. For the second third or fourth time. Or maybe fifth, who knows? WHo can remember these things? And besides the possibility that it's now ferked, it's starting to show the signs of age anyway. As you do. I mean - as helmets do.

Would that be stupid? To not replace it immediately? If not sooner?
Well, would it? Would the person that didn't replace it in these circumstances be stupid, by your yardstick? What about by your metrestick, or any other stick for that matter?
Huh?


What the hell are you on about?? :mellow:

Helmets are degraded by any structural damage to the outside shell of course, that part is obvious. The shell is meant to spread the load so if it is damaged it will localise it.

The most important part of the helmet is the polystyrene. This is supposed to compress, absorbing the energy & decelerating the brain as gently as possible. Damage to this & the shell through age, sunlight, sweat, dropping it etc will of course make it less effective. By how much? It’s hard to determine, (well if it has been compressed then it is toast) but if it’s your only head (Deano’s wedding tackle aside) then why take the chance?

I’ve recently had to pull someone out of a car with head injuries (well he ran out not knowing where he was) & it makes you think your noggin is worth the best protection. Economics don’t really come into it. Can’t earn much when you are f*d up.

[Posh Tourer :P]

Would that be stupid?

The odd drop can't be avoided. And like you say, you can't tell. I suppose that is why it is recommended that you replace a helmet regularly. If your helmet is fucked and you don't know it, then you get around it by replacing it regularly. Normally if a helmet is fucked you ought to be able to see the marks anyway though....

[NC]

I thought it was every 2 years! :mellow:

[F5 Dave]

Won’t see the damage on the inside. This is a damn good reason never to buy a second hand helmet (& the fact it will have conformed to someone else’s head shape).

Many people seem to encourage drops by resting their helmets on the seat of the bike while filling up or something. Put it on the ground, where it won’t get kicked though. If you must, put it on the mirror, but be aware that if a sharp edge is poking into the liner that is not a cool thing.

[F5 Dave]

I thought it was every 2 years! :mellow:

Or as fashion dictates?

[NC]

Or as fashion dictates?

:moon:
:wacko:

[vifferman]

What the hell are you on about?? :mellow:
I don't know!! :wacko:
BTW - dropping a helmet is not going to damage the polystyrene inside, unless you drop it with your head inside it. Mine wasn't in it when I dropped it. It was when I crashed each time, but apart from scratches on the visor cover, and marks from lying on the road, there were no marks indicating contact with the road surface. There are no cracks, soft spots, etc. to indicate that future crash protection has been compromised, but according to jrandom, because it's an AGV, it is useless anyway.
Beats me why guys like The Doctor wear them then...

Anyhoo, my brain is wrecked, so I dunno that it matters much what I wear to protect it. A "dew rag" would probably be sufficient... You know what they say: "$50 helmet for a $50 head" so I've over-capitalised.

My big problem is my wife grumbles about ANY bike-related spending, so I need to carefully choose my opportunity to replace it. Maybe diving head-first off the seat next time I take her for a ride would be helpful?

[F5 Dave]

:moon:
:wacko:
Sorry, couldn’t help myself, [eyes looking at floor, shuffling feet]

[F5 Dave]

. . .
My big problem is my wife grumbles about ANY bike-related spending, so I need to carefully choose my opportunity to replace it. Maybe diving head-first off the seat next time I take her for a ride would be helpful?

Ask her if she wants to spend the next few decades spoon feeding you & wiping your behind while you dribble. Emotional blackmail works for them so feed it back in spades.

It is easy to be a brand snob & make sweeping statements like AGVs are no good. I’m sure protection-wise they are as good as anything else, but there are entry level units & hi price jobbies in every line.

I’d take a new AGV over a 10yr old Shoei anyday

Make no mistake the ‘better’ brands are more comfortable (though different headshapes suit different types) & have better Visors etc. Yrs back when I traded my Nolan for a Shoei I could never go back, then I got an Arai for the same reason.

My Touring Helmet is a new HJC AC11 I think, though that may be the dirt one I get confused (Last one was an older HJC). They are pretty much a Shoei copy & every model is better & better (there is a rumour that the contract make Shoeis at any rate).

Light weight is also a factor to decrease possible neck damage.

[NC]

Sorry, couldn’t help myself, [eyes looking at floor, shuffling feet]


You're a bad man! :sly:

[Dodgyiti]

I thought fibreglass had a lifespan of around 10-12 years, shortened by exposure to sunlight etc?
Don't know about plastic though.
My 30 year old [ yes 30 year old ] Shuberth survived a big head butt into the median barrier, with only minimal brain damage occouring. The worst thing is, no one has ever noticed. :banana:

[F5 Dave]

Time to upgrade to one of those 20yr old golfball comedy helmets

[Motoracer]

Or as fashion dictates?

It's all about style baby! :niceone:

Can't wait to get me new Aria :cool2:

[gav]

I figure that my Shoei has probably only seen daylight approx 30 days since I've owned it, seems a waste that I am required to buy a new helmet just for a track day.

[Dodgyiti]

Time to upgrade to one of those 20yr old golfball comedy helmets
I have always wanted one of those, they are arodynamic ya know. And if anyone ever tries to whack you over the head with a number 3 wood, your head will just sail through the air with very little wind resistance at all.

[F5 Dave]

Gav. I suspect you are right. But helmets don't come with dataloggers or even trip meters & I guess in this day & age with OSH etc the club is trying to protect themselves from negligence claims.
Guess you could contact the club.

Dodgy. How well does an irregular shape spread the load? (golfballs are filled with rubber banding so it doesn’t count). How much heavier were they? More momentum isn’t a good thing for the neck.

More-so when a helmet slids down the road, if it catches it could give the head a nasty twist, perhaps breaking the neck. Smooth slippery shapes, no rubber coating or stick on Mohawks please.

[Kickaha]

My Touring Helmet is a new HJC AC11 I think, though that may be the dirt one I get confused (Last one was an older HJC). They are pretty much a Shoei copy & every model is better & better (there is a rumour that the contract make Shoeis at any rate).

.

AC11 is the On Road helmet just looking at getting one of those myself,how do you find it,wind noise etc? unfortunately they dont appear to bring the AC11 in my favourite colour into the country (matt black)

[F5 Dave]

AC11 is the On Road helmet just looking at getting one of those myself,how do you find it,wind noise etc? unfortunately they dont appear to bring the AC11 in my favourite colour into the country (matt black)

Spraycan will fix that (after you remove the visor so you can wear shades & pull out the lining, that's for wimps).

I have the AC10 for racing & that is brilliant. The AC11 I've just got for touring & it is better still. Visor change system works well after you've sussed it (bit scary, but practise on clear visor till you can see what you are doing). Seems quiet & is approaching my beloved Arai in comfort levels.

[gav]

OK, so whats a HJC AC11 worth? Looked at a KBC umm VB1 tonight $450-, There are some cheap Arai's on Trademe, brand new
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets/auction-14752264.htm
I like this Arai ReEntry
http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail_expired.asp?id=14651544

[Blakamin]

Spraycan will fix that (after you remove the visor so you can wear shades & pull out the lining, that's for wimps).

LOL...you know about painting helmets dont ya???

[F5 Dave]

LOL...you know about painting helmets dont ya???

They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. I disagree. :cool:

[Bob]

Spraycan? I'm guessing you are joking, right?

Depending on the solvents etc in the paint, you could be turning your helmet into something about as protective as eggshell (and I don't mean the colour)!

As for the track, I'd guess they are protecting themselves from a legal standpoint as well.

Although the rule of thumb as I understand it is replace every 5 years - reason being that sunlight etc causes a gradual chemical reaction that weakens the integrity of the materials.

As someone else said, if you have an accident (on the bike, wearing the helmet of course), then you should cut the straps off the helmet, give it to your local accident training people (don't know if you have a volunteer ambulance force like our St. Johns Ambulance) for practicing treating bikers and buy yourself a new one. As has been said here, the inner layer (which is the bit that saves your brain from being smashed about) will compact, meaning that the protection it provides is reduced, possibly even negated.

I know when I've hit the floor due to some dumb car driver, I have claimed the cost of a new lid as part of the process... and bought one.

Dropping it from a short height? Personally I don't think I'd be over worried, as long as the outer shell wasn't cracked in any way, as the inner wouldn't have been compacted - but then I've never dropped one, so I can't say what my reaction would be. If it was from 10 foot or something, I think the lid would hit the bin/get given to the training people and I'd buy a new one.

As for new ones, I love my Arai RV (which is in plain black - think I want a white one next time... psyche out car drivers if nothing else), but if I can't afford one, I'll go for something cheaper that fits and is comfortable.

As long as it has the correct safety stickers, it will do the job of protecting your head - it just won't be as good at other things like being quiet, not misting up every time the temperature drops below boiling point and so on.

In the UK (not sure about anywhere else), I believe the only helmets allowed on the road without the relevent EU/BSA approved stickers are the old cork-lined ones... but I think you have to be able to show that you were the original purchaser/owner!

[F5 Dave]

Just to clear it up YES I WAS JOKING

Just in the bad old days Bikies (gang members) after the law changed begrudgingly donned helmets, but took the visors off them, pulled the lining out (including the polystyrene, maybe it interfered with their hairstyle?) & painted them matt black. ‘cause it’s tough!

I wonder if any of them ever tried the original helmet (in secret of course) & thought, ‘Ooohh, this is comfy’ “& I can see where I am going & it’s warmer with this visor’.

[Jess]

:buggerd: the idea of some 'tough' ol' harley rider giving in to his softer side and enjoying a nice comfy helmet is amusing - would be even more fun to catch one of them at it...