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Riders GearHelmets, gloves, jackets, etc. You need to protect yourself from everything and anything. So what should you buy? Check out what others have to say. Riders Gear Forum sponsored by Sportbike Track Gear
I did a search and found a lot of thread talking about what helmet to buy...but very little info on WHEN you should replace your lid.
I have been wearing the same full face helmet for 6 seasons now...and though its still practically scratchless...I figure 6 years is probably long enough to go on the same helmet.
So...when do you guys replace your lids, assuming no wrecks?
What the heck do you do with your old ones? Seems a waste to just throw them in the garbage...is there some kind of recycling program?
I will be visiting my dealer again to try on a bunch of helmets and see which one fits me best...but I was hoping to get this question answered just for my own knowledge (and because I imagine others will do the same search).
Some folks say when it is damaged or "gross" (you know what I mean...inside). Some folks say around 5 years is the life span of a helmet.
I figure every 4-5 years I simply want to buy something new, so that's what I do.
4-5yrs is usually the industry standard...that when adhesives/seals and things of sorts start to breakdown from nature oils from skin & hair. Not all helmets or people are the same but i would change every 5 atleast, but there is always great deal for a new lids every season so no need to worry
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Originally Posted by doggy69
Why is it that people jump on people assuming its their first bike...because they just joined the forum....maybe they just want to converse and ask questions...people can ride for eternity without coming here for our infinite wisdom
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Originally Posted by R.Brosnan
It's better to learn on a 250 for all the same reasons that experts can make a 600 do so much more. The design compromises that make a sportbike so responsive in the hands of an expert also make it amplify the mistakes of a beginner.
Last edited by !!!!!NJ Ride : 05-17-2007 at 03:42 PM.
In Socal...I bet there is no 'cheap' time of year.
Where I live...bikes are cheap in the winter and more expensive in the spring/summer...the gear follows the same pattern, with the exception of the big sales at the start of the riding season.
I guess I will keep my helmet as a trophy of 6 years of accident free riding...and I will go get a new one soon.
Say someone has a helmet...but ride 2 months each year.
That doesn't mean after 5 years they need a new helmet.
The time to replace a helmet is after it is involved with any kind of hard impact.
That could mean after it's been hit in a crash...or dropped too many times in a parking lot.
The outer shell of a helmet is made of very strong, durable, and lasting materials.
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There IS a lifespan for a helmet.
And it has nothing to do with the outer shell. The outer shell keeps things from penetrating into the helmet.
The MOST important part is the energy absorbing EPS layer. This stuff DOES break down from gasoline fumes, oil from the skin, and UV light. It also breaks down from excessive heat.
It has a suggested life of 5 years. Will it last longer under the right conditions? Absolutely. Do you have ANY way to tell if you've met those right conditions? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
The foam in helmets DOES break down. The very stuff that saves your life. It will break down after about 7-10 years, even if the helmet is never removed from the box it comes in.
Replace your helmet every five years.
(and yes, for the record- i have a degree in mechanical engineering/material science)
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That could mean after it's been hit in a crash...or dropped too many times in a parking lot.
from how high? at MSF they said if it was in your hand at knee level, you can get away with it since no weight is inside the helmet to crush any foam, but are you really going to drop your helmet more than two or three times and keep using it?
And it has nothing to do with the outer shell. The outer shell keeps things from penetrating into the helmet.
The MOST important part is the energy absorbing EPS layer. This stuff DOES break down from gasoline fumes, oil from the skin, and UV light. It also breaks down from excessive heat.
It has a suggested life of 5 years. Will it last longer under the right conditions? Absolutely. Do you have ANY way to tell if you've met those right conditions? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
The foam in helmets DOES break down. The very stuff that saves your life. It will break down after about 7-10 years, even if the helmet is never removed from the box it comes in.
Replace your helmet every five years.
(and yes, for the record- i have a degree in mechanical engineering/material science)
Seems I stand corrected...
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“I believe in treating everyone with respect, but, first you have to get their attention.”
The twisties – not the superslabs –separate the riders from the squids.
from how high? at MSF they said if it was in your hand at knee level, you can get away with it since no weight is inside the helmet to crush any foam, but are you really going to drop your helmet more than two or three times and keep using it?
Ron
Over the years I have dropped a helmet or two. Like when pulling into a store lot to have a smoke, and placing my helmet on my mirror stalk...forgetting to close the visor.
DOH!
It hasn't happened since I got back into riding again this past December 2006.
I would not use a helmet once dropped at all onto a hard surface like a parking lot...except to get to the nearest store to buy another one.
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“I believe in treating everyone with respect, but, first you have to get their attention.”
The twisties – not the superslabs –separate the riders from the squids.
Riders Gear Forum sponsored by Sportbike Track Gear
When to replace your helmet?
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