What You Didn't Know About Helmet Laws
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 4,534
Likes: 5,855
From: Syracuse NY
For the topic of this thread:
The one thing I don't agree on is the shelf life of the helmet. Who decides this? All of my helmets are better than 10 years old, and all in good to excellent condition as in never have been dropped or in a crash. So no cracks anywhere. I'll be damned if I'm just going to toss them just because someone thinks i should. "Oh no, it's past it's expiration date. it needs to be replaced!" type of BS. If your not going to buy me a new one, shut your pie hole.[/QUOTE] - Bonnie Storm
Just an FYI- it's the interior foam, under the shell, that deteriorates with time.
I'll buy a new one around 7-years, give or take, because I don't do the dew rag.
I cover my helmet hair with a ball cap. It's your choice though.
The one thing I don't agree on is the shelf life of the helmet. Who decides this? All of my helmets are better than 10 years old, and all in good to excellent condition as in never have been dropped or in a crash. So no cracks anywhere. I'll be damned if I'm just going to toss them just because someone thinks i should. "Oh no, it's past it's expiration date. it needs to be replaced!" type of BS. If your not going to buy me a new one, shut your pie hole.[/QUOTE] - Bonnie Storm
Just an FYI- it's the interior foam, under the shell, that deteriorates with time.
I'll buy a new one around 7-years, give or take, because I don't do the dew rag.
I cover my helmet hair with a ball cap. It's your choice though.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 2,441
Likes: 1,231
From: The mountains of SW Virginia
But of course it is a personal choice. Throw away your helmet that you spent several hundred on because of someone who has probably never owned a helmet, let alone ridden a motorcycle says so? The thing is, who stands to gain if I toss my perfectly good helmets and purchase more? Just something to think about.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,193
Likes: 494
From: Richmond, VA
I don't think many will argue that in the event of a crash, your better off if your wearing a helmet. The issue for me has ALWAYS been, no government should EVER tell me what I should attach to my body. That is not and has never been the purpose of government.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 6,076
Likes: 6,424
From: East TN
While I have 100% that the rider should chose, just like the gear, jacket and so on. I often do not wear a helmet, I wear sleeveless t-shirts.
My wife, who spent several years as a MSF instructor wears all her gear all the time. She never tells me what to wear.
It saved her a lot of pain and agony Last March. An 18 wheeler passed her on I-75. The drive shaft came out of his truck. My wife hit it at a little over 70 MPH on her Road Glide. Impact broke the front rim, bent the forks back, tire was on frame, the rear rim was bent so bad my are could go between the tire and rim. She slide 50 yards down the interstate, the bike went farther than she did.
She went into the hospital at 2:45 pm. I took her home from the hospital at 0115. She had a broke left wrist from the handle bars snapping back, she had 3 broken ribs on her left side, a broken left shoulder and a sprained right ankle. She had road rash the size of a quarter on her wrist. She had no other road rash, her coat and chaps were destroyed. Her Full face helmet had a friction hole rubbed though it.
She was back on a new bike in May. Trucking company has had to pay for everything. I am sure my wife rides more miles a year than most guys on this forum. She put 15K on her new bike, after the wreck last year.
She still does not say a word when I chose to wear what I want. Makes me think a little more no though.
Last edited by FLSTFI Dave; Feb 13, 2018 at 02:11 AM.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,682
Likes: 9,162
From: Snow Hill, NC
I should have said the interior foam is in excellent shape as well. No cracks, no crumbling, no signs of age. I also have a couple of helmets that date back to the early 70s where the foam liner is in excellent shape. The shell too! That's besides the other helmets I mentioned.
But of course it is a personal choice. Throw away your helmet that you spent several hundred on because of someone who has probably never owned a helmet, let alone ridden a motorcycle says so? The thing is, who stands to gain if I toss my perfectly good helmets and purchase more? Just something to think about.
But of course it is a personal choice. Throw away your helmet that you spent several hundred on because of someone who has probably never owned a helmet, let alone ridden a motorcycle says so? The thing is, who stands to gain if I toss my perfectly good helmets and purchase more? Just something to think about.
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 4,534
Likes: 5,855
From: Syracuse NY
I've never wanted a black leather vest and wear a baseball cap over my helmet hair.