Who regularly replaces their helmet?

[TheDemonLord]

I've only replaced my Shoei once, got another Shoei.

I road tested the old one (literally) and decided since I got up and walked away (albeit with a concussion and about 5 seconds of missing memory) that I would get another one.

I lubs mah Qwest

[Big Dog]

I used to clean my liners regularly. Then they started smelling like feet.

Post a bit of experimentation, washing liners too much is just as bad as not enough. If mine looks or smells funky, I wash it. If it smells fresh and looks clean, I leave it.

Things I have learned.
Cleanliness;
Sport wash works best, ordinary detergent leaves buildup. No sport wash? Sink of dish water with a cup or white vinegar, hand wash. Rinse thoroughly. Especially good if your liners don't come out. Just don't use hotter than body temp water or polystyrene can suffer. If dosing your whole helmet some silicone grease for the moving plastic parts like your visor mechanism is recommended.
Easiest way to make your helmet funky? Wear hair product.
Next easiest way, don't condition when you wash your hair.
Dyneema and other specific materials make a difference. Don't be cheap.
Aerosols are a bad idea inside a helmet, lynx or similar is worse. Need to get an odour out? Half an onion in a sealed bag with a tablespoon of baking soda in your helmet overnight.
People with naturally oily hair will need to wash their liners a lot more often than those with dry hair.

Old helmets:
Poly carb helmets may have no external markings while fully destroyed inside. I cut one open after a crash. No signs of impact beyond a mild headache, polystyrene near fully compressed in one spot.
Buying a good helmet for a head that is not s-l can take a while. Shop around before your helmet ages out.
Look after it and your helmet will serve you long beyond the expiry date but your head is worth more than the cost of a new helmet.
Any helmet is only as good as how it had been looked after / stored.
Some riders replace after even a drop from knee height, others store their helmet on the seat of a bike unsecured. Your call, but everyone should after a crash or visible damage.
Age is a good guideline, because it is based on how long it takes the oils in your hair to stiffen the seams in the joins between the polystyrene pieces. Resulting in places that the polystyrene no longer protects because it does not crush as easily.

Current helmet is 5-1/2 years old but because I look after it many people ask me if it is new. I have a replacement. I will swap it out as soon as my whooping cough goes. No point making a new helmet nasty.
Has done around 120-130,000 so it deserves a rest. I expect the next one to do 130-170,000 so 300-1000 is cheap. Certainly cheaper than my head injury as a minor.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[pritch]

I have several helmets of different ages and rotate them. The oldest is about seven years old and needs a wash but will probably get a trip to the dump instead.

The other four are in good nick, the two newest are Arai. They all have different visors fitted so helmet choice depends on the weather.

[Fastmark]

Cant resists any longer

So to summarize

Sliding down the road on your helmet is painful (no shit)

If you don't wash your helmet it will smell (hardly news, should be part of any blokes personnel hygiene routine)

Washing your helmet too much will damage it (similar to the more than three shakes then your wanking)

Multiple helmets, guy in the paper recently had that problem, didn't know it was so wide spread, I feel left out

Replace your helmet every 5 years, you lot are into some serious cosmetic surgery, hope the other half appreciates your sacrifice.



Ah, that's our my system, thanks

[PrincessBandit]

I have three currently, although one gets more use than the others. The only ones I no longer have are my very first, which went to a gf of my son, and my second, which got up close and personal with the motorway a few years back. Tbh, I hadn't given much thought to replacing a helmet short of it taking a knock.

p.s. none of mine smell bad either so that's also not been an issue for me (unlike someone I know whose cat pissed in his)

[swbarnett]

You really don't wash it? Wow that's nasty.

I've had my current helmet for 18 months and it genuinely hasn't needed it yet.

[GrayWolf]

I 'rotate' my helmets, so the oldest is relegated to 'commuting'... after 3yrs max of daily use, I bin it if a 'polycarb'. If fibreglass, when the internal liner foam starts to crumble.

on average 5 yrs would be the life of my helmets.

[nzspokes]

I've had my current helmet for 18 months and it genuinely hasn't needed it yet.

Wow, just wow.

Guess you dont bother to wash your undies or socks either.

[mrchips]

.......... Nope, never.

Had my sheoi qwest 2 yrs & wear everyday. If it's a bit pongy inside i just spray with a healthy dose of the wifes lavender perfume. The outside of the qwest gets a regular coating of pledge.

My work colleagues are always commenting on how lovely i smell

[swbarnett]

Wow, just wow.

Guess you dont bother to wash your undies or socks either.

Mate, you need to accept that you don't know everything.

My wife has had hers for a lot longer and has never had the need to wash hers either.

How do you store your helmet? In a damp cupboard with the visor closed perhaps?

[bogan]

Had the same one for over 5 years now, not washed it once.

I tend to wash my head, seems to work...

Whys should we replace em, does the foam stuff not work well after a long time? I've replaced 2 helmets in my lifetime, one cos I got concussed in it, and one cos some fucker nicked it.

[caspernz]

Helmets with me tend to get to the 4 or 5 year mark and be done. The inner has been cleaned a couple of times a year, I use water and baby shampoo, and heck after 4 or 5 years the whole mechanism of the flip front has seen better days anyway. It's only a helmet isn't it? Hardly a huge expense...use it and replace it when it's done its dash

[scracha]

5 years TOPS and mine are in the skip. Better a 3 year old $150 helmet than a 7 year old $1500 helmet.

[nzspokes]

Mate, you need to accept that you don't know everything.

My wife has had hers for a lot longer and has never had the need to wash hers either.

How do you store your helmet? In a damp cupboard with the visor closed perhaps?

My helmets sit on a shelf in the spare room which is well vented. Shelf is mesh. My everyday Shoei gets a pad wash regularly. My track HJC gets a pad wash after every second track day or every track day if its a hot day like the weekend was. My Carbon Fox offroad helmet gets washed after every use.

Tiz called hygiene.

[Ender EnZed]

My helmets sit on a shelf in the spare room which is well vented. Shelf is mesh. My everyday Shoei gets a pad wash regularly. My track HJC gets a pad wash after every second track day or every track day if its a hot day like the weekend was. My Carbon Fox offroad helmet gets washed after every use.

Tiz called hygiene.

FYI, you're an anal cunt.