Replace helmet or keep? (part 2)

[DEATH_INC.]

Just thought I'd throw this out there (as a follow on from mowgli's thread), say you have a nice fairly new (arai or Shoei) helmet. You have a minor bin in which the helmet hits the ground. There is no sign of damage apart from very minor scratching. Your budget doesn't allow for another expensive helmet.
The question is, do you bin it and buy a cheapie ( like a $120 special from cycletreads or similar) or keep it? What would YOU do?
This scenario happens in the real world quite often....
Edit: lets take insurance out of the equation too, think young fellas in a flat at uni or something....

[FROSTY]

For me there can only be one answer-New lid quality etc.
But Im a paranoid old B$#$%#

[NZsarge]

When insuring your bike look into an insurance company that will insure your riding gear too.
Not answering your question but that's what i'm gonna do once my current policy expires that way at least you don't have to go under household insurance and have to pay a second excess.

By a cheapie until you can afford to replace it with something better.

[boomer]

i replaced mine straight away and claimed on teh house Insurance, which reminds me.. i should call them :)

[Jantar]

boomer got it. Claim on your house and contents insurance. The excess is about the same as a cheepie helmet, so you get to replace a quality helmet with a quality one at a very low cost.

[DEATH_INC.]

Ok, but not everyone has house and contents....hard to get in a flatting situation for example...

[NZsarge]

Claim on your house and contents insurance. The excess is about the same as a cheepie helmet, so you get to replace a quality helmet with a quality one at a very low cost.

Depends on your policy, my household excess is $500 (lower premiums)

[DEATH_INC.]

When insuring your bike look into an insurance company that will insure your riding gear too.
Hmmm, Insurance companies laugh at some people when they ask for cover :whistle:

[boomer]

Depends on your policy, my household excess is $500 (lower premiums)

i dont have an excess, however if the cost is less than $500 i cant make a claim.

Andy, rob the post office bro ( wear a full face ski mask tho.. there cant many many gingas in S aucks ;) )

[NZsarge]

Hmmm, Insurance companies laugh at some people when they ask for cover :whistle:

If they laugh at you just say that's ok, i'm taking my money elsewhere.
Some insurance companies just won't insure gear but there are a few out there that will.
Yes your premiums will be higher but you rarely get something for nothing there days, the more expensive your gear the more it would be worth it to pay that extra in premiums.

[Hitcher]

If Dot Snell says a helmet is OK, then I'm not going to argue with her, irrespective of price.

[mowgli]

Take it to a shop that specialises in your helmet brand and ask them to do an assessment. There may be allowable damage limits that only those trained to service that brand are aware of. It works a bit like that with our flying helmets when they suffer knocks.

[Swoop]

...think young fellas in a flat at uni or something....
Simple. Stop drinking piss for a week and they'll have enough saved for a new one (probably an Arai in $$$'s saved).:whistle::drinkup::drinknsin:puke:

[vifferman]

I've crashed a few times, but only once hit my helmet on the road. It appeared undamaged - just a mark on the visor. I replaced it not because of that, but because even though my head hit the road at practically standstill (about the same as sitting on your bike, then toppling sideways and just barely hitting the ground), I ended up with mild concussion.

One other time wearing a different helmet, I did a faceplant onto the footpath at walking pace. The helmet barely touched the concrete, and then only put a slight scrape into the very top of the visor and the tab on the brow vent. I was 100% sure the helmet's integrity and safety was not compromised, so I didn't even consider replacing it for that.
However, I did replace it a few months later, solely because I got a much better-fitting and constructed helmet for a good price. (I wore the old helmet today for the first time in months - man, it was crap! Noisier (more wind noise) and nowhere near as comfy).

[Toaster]

For me there can only be one answer-New lid quality etc.
But Im a paranoid old B$#$%#

Agreed, we have only one head/brain and it is worth protecting properly. If the helmet is weakened at all it could proive less effective next time around.

I recently had a bin and my Shoei XR1000 helmet saved me from further injury - worth every cent, even though it was not cheap.

[HornetBoy]

I had a fairly big off last november and kept my head from hitting the ground (with the thought that i did not have insureance at the time and my helmet was freakern expensive) and ive not replaced it as of yet ,despite people telling me i should bin it ,i disagree.As Im confident that it did not make impact with anything ,i dont need to pay any professional to tell me this ,i was the guy that slid along the tarmac :doctor:


May be "risky" to some, but in my case i dont have any doubts in the helmet and its structural ability and protection...But if i had hit me head on the ground what so ever with the helmet i wouldve replaced it fyi:yes:

[CHOPPA]

a couple of light scuffs is fine! i love new helmets so it would be an excuse to get another one haha

[CHOPPA]

looking at the poll results most people would recommend getting a shitty plastic helmet if there arai has a few scuffs not actually impact damage just scuffing? im thinking you guys prob have the shit helmet in the first place!

[BOGAR]

I try and replace my helmet every few years no matter what condition it looks like and thinking back to the good old days a cheep one was all i could afford. but you will find going from a good helmet to a cheep one will be hard to do. they are just not the same.

[Monobrow]

I wore mine after it was in a scrape, until the house and contents paid up and I got a replacement. $150 excess on my H&C so no big expense.