Are you cheaparses really going to keep wearing old helmets even though they are no good anymore?

Boggles the mind that you can pay tens of thousands for a bike, but when it comes to simple safety gear you won't spend 100. Misers.

 

Get a white helmet and never wipe it down. If you're lucky the bird **** may add another layer of protection.

My take is replace the helmet at least every 5 years max due to UV and the elements. Its not just the foam, its the shell. Sunshine, acid rain, other pollutants have to take a toll.

 

The amount of stupidity you will find on a Harley forum is astounding.

The DOM is on your helmet somewhere... look for it. Snell, not the god damn helmet manufacturers, recommends that you replace your helmet every 5 years due to deterioration. Yes, the foam and polycarbonates may be around forever, but they degrade enough to start delivering more ft.lbs. of pressure to your skull/brain in a crash. Why is that so hard to believe? I'm glad you people have thick skulls, because you're going to need them.

 

I don’t even wear a helmet but if I did I would not wear a 20 year old one. I don’t even wear socks or underwear that old. If I was to go with the discomfort of wearing one I would want to be sure that it did its job.

Well, maybe some of my underwear is that old and I admit that some of them have holes in them, but the holes are in the right places and frankly they feel like old friends to me so I am keeping them.

It is less important that the foam and padding is in tact, as that mostly holds the lid against your head while riding. What is important is that the outer layer that absorbs the impact is meant to be sacrificial so your skull is protected. Conceivably you could make one out of webbed titanium that would be light weight but would not yield to an impact but your skull would.

Helmets are meant to give way so your head doesn’t. Imagine, if weight was not an issue they could make helmets made of the hardest material known to man but that would not be much different than hitting a car head-on.

Helmets are designed to break so how long do you want to keep something that is designed to break?

I understand that some manufactures will X-ray your helmet to assess its condition and styrofoam and padding does not X-ray well.

One of the DOT tests is the spike test where they mechanically ‘drop’ a spike on the helmet to measure its resistance to penetration as a condition of approval. I am thinking that styrofoam and padding is not not tested under this condition.

Think about the advancement in technology over decades.

 

Just for argument's sake, I am wondering how you put a chronological "expiration date" with so many variables involved?
What if one guy wears his helmet every day, several hours a day, in say...south Florida. Another guy wears same model helmet once a year to go visit his grandma, who lives in a helmet-law state, and it otherwise stays in a velour-lined helmet bag in his closet.
Are they both trash at the 5 year mark?

 

Yes, because it is better to error on the side of saftey then to calculate or prorate the anual cost of a helmet.

 

Helmets are like toilet paper, once you wipe, you throw it out.

 

I found that interesting so I went to the Snell website. After a bit of reading I found these two paragraphs interesting. The first one:

Why should you replace your helmet every five years?

The five-year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other materials used in helmet production can affect liner materials. Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints, fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used in many helmets possibly degrading performance. Additionally, experience indicates there will be a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five-year period due to advances in materials, designs, production methods and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five-year helmet replacement is a judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy.



And then there was this one:


How much does Snell certification cost and who pays?

Snell-direct-cost is only a small part of cost related to making Snell certified helmets. Once a helmet has been accepted into the Snell certification program, the Foundation charges the manufacturer for test fees, acquisition cost of random samples, and for each Snell Certification label that goes into each certified helmet. The majority of the cost is what a manufacturer must invest in a good quality system in terms of hardware, equipment, and personnel to maintain the consistency and reliability of producing good helmets. However, these costs along with every other production cost get passed along to you the consumer.


Ok, so Snell gets paid for their certification. The more helmets they certify, the more money they make.


I'll say it again. If someone has a link from an INDEPENDENT source that documents the degradation of helmets over a given period of time I would like to read it.

 

Yes, I am going to wear my old helmet it is just getting broke in. LOL!

I'm really not a cheap azz I buy my wife a new helmet whenever she wants a new one. I have a pair of Arai helmets(about 2 years old) with headsets that we wear on trips sometimes but I really don't like the feel of mine. I also have various other newer helmets full face and 3/4s my wife has bought me but I just usually grab my old 1/2 that is broke in and comfy or my old bell 3/4, We've covered a lot of ground together.
I am confident it is as safe as going without or wearing a novelty. If someone else wants to buy a new one every 5 years or 6 months go for it, it doesn't concern me.

 

Snell is an independant source and is the INDUSTRY STANDARD for helmets. They have thoroughly tested this through and through, better than anyone else. It is through their research and testing that they have made the conclusion of 5 years... they do extensive impact testing at their facility.