Got Your ‘Check Your Helmet Month’ Check List?
Harley heavyweight & road safety expert Ozzie Giglio gives us his six best tips for proper helmet maintenance.
“It’s just not enough to wear a helmet. You have to make sure that is functional, well-fitting and able to do its job properly,” says Ozzie Giglio, a long-time Harley rider and principal owner of the Windy City Motorcycle Company, which encompasses 10 Harley dealerships in two states. “Additionally, it’s important to be sure that riders properly maintain their helmets, otherwise they could greatly diminish its life-span and performance ability.”
Giglio’s advice is sound, and considering that April is national “Check Your Helmet Month,” it’s also timely. Unfortunately, many riders neglect helmet maintenance or falsely assume that if it “looks okay,” then there is no reason to worry. And since the average life cycle of a helmet is three to five years, now is the time to check your headgear.
“The number of motorcycle-crash fatalities has more than doubled since 1997,” adds Giglio. “We know that helmets save lives and reduce health care costs. In fact, according to Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety, motorcycle helmets are currently preventing $17 billion in societal harm annually,” he adds, “but $8 billion in harm could be prevented if all motorcyclists wore helmets.”
‘It’s just not enough to wear a helmet. You have to make sure that is functional, well-fitting and able to do its job properly.’
Spring is the ideal time for this reminder because, as Giglio points out, many riders start to make unsafe choices about their helmets as the weather gets better. “Many people leave their helmets in their garage, but if you live in a place like the Midwest that has fluctuating climates, that can be terrible for your helmet. We can swing from 100 degrees in summer to -20 in the winter, and a helmet’s integrity gets questioned as it swells and shrinks in the Midwest weather pattern.
“It is strongly recommended to always keep your helmet indoors, where the temperature stays more constant,” continues Giglio.
Here are some of Gigli’s other tips for how to check your helmet’s functionality and perform maintenance:
1. Make sure that your helmet is not older than five years old.
“Check the ‘date of birth’ inside your helmet’s EPS liner. If it’s older than five years, it’s in need of replacement.”
2. Consider the state of your liner.
“Make sure that you are cleaning it appropriately. Follow the instructions for care and make sure to wash it after long rides. Sweat, rain and the elements can make your liner warp or lose its shape, which in turn will impact the fit of your helmet.”
3. Look at your EPS.
“Check out the EPS foam on the top of your inner helmet. This foam is basically plastic beads with air bubbles, packed together very tightly. Even an ‘insignificant’ hit can cause some of these beads to pop, which will then impact the all-over safety of your helmet. So check out the EPS regularly. How is it holding up? Does it show wear or tear? Is it cracking, ripping or does it otherwise appear compromised? If so, it’s time for a new helmet.”
4. Talk to a true Harley-Davidson professional.
“At our locations, we take our time and truly pay attention to your specific needs,” says Giglio, who owns and operates 13 Harley-Davidson dealerships in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, including 10 dealerships and three retail centers. “We won’t just measure you, we want to know the type of riding you do, as well as the way you plan to care for your helmet. The simplest thing like hanging your helmet from a hook can impact the quality of your lining, so at Windy City Motorcycle Company, we pride ourselves on not just sizing the customer, but educating them and empowering them to make safer choices. We can also work with you if you have neck pain, shoulder injuries, or other physical ailments that might impact the fit and feel of a helmet.”
5. Consider your hair products.
“This sounds strange, but if you use a lot of hair product, over time the grease and oils can impact your inner lining. Again, washing it will help with this issue, but overall, just keep in mind that someone with longer hair or someone who uses lots of hair gel might need to replace their helmet more regularly. Your lifestyle will impact your helmet.”
6. Keep up with evolving helmet technology.
“Sometimes riders complain that buying a new helmet every few years is an annoyance, yet most people don’t think twice about upgrading their phones or buying a new laptop. Not only is buying a new helmet a life-saving necessity, but the technology surrounding helmet construction is improving every year. Hence, the new helmets on the market offer much better protection and comfort than what was offered even just a few years ago.”