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Should I throw out my old helmet

4K views 33 replies 14 participants last post by  KennyPowers 
#1 ·
I bought my scorpion exo 400 used 2 years ago cause it didn't have much use/no scratches. But I have unfortunately neglected it... No bag, has quite a few scratches on the helmet, never been in an accident or major damage but it's been bumped against things from carrying it, rolling around in the trunk of my car a few times, stuff like that : /

I have it listed for fifty bucks (not selling anyway) so should I just throw it out and buy a new helmet today? And of course I am going to be more responsible with my new one.
 
#4 ·
Just bought the R410 xs
Reading the manual I never realized how tight it had to be, now im really worried. It's hard to get the helmet on, but it told me to shake my head from left to right, and the helmet moved loosely... I can not pull it off any way, but pulling it forward I can put my fingers between my forehead and liner. It's already an extra small so what do I do now : ( have to take it back and try on a freaking kids helmet?
 
#12 ·
Cheap doesn't necessarily mean it lacks the same protection as a $500 helmet, you just don't get the same features like quick release visors or multiple airflow channels, etc. If it's DOT rated then it's passed the same tests as any other helmet.

Try going to a site like Revzilla where they have a huge selection of helmets. You can tell the staff what fit best and they can make recommendations. If it doesn't fit you can return it, and shipping is free, including on the exchange (return shipping is not). Just an option rather than your local motorcycle store.

I'd throw the helmet away.

Also, there are people on this forum that have an illness where they are either close or past the life expectancy they were given. I know at least one of them wears good gear, and I'm sure that's true for most. I don't know what your illness is but maybe you'll end up living for a long time, and why waste that chance by not protecting yourself on a motorcycle?
 
#13 ·
Cheap doesn't necessarily mean it lacks the same protection as a $500 helmet, you just don't get the same features like quick release visors or multiple airflow channels, etc. If it's DOT rated then it's passed the same tests as any other helmet.

Try going to a site like Revzilla where they have a huge selection of helmets. You can tell the staff what fit best and they can make recommendations. If it doesn't fit you can return it, and shipping is free, including on the exchange (return shipping is not). Just an option rather than your local motorcycle store.

I'd throw the helmet away.

Also, there are people on this forum that have an illness where they are either close or past the life expectancy they were given. I know at least one of them wears good gear, and I'm sure that's true for most. I don't know what your illness is but maybe you'll end up living for a long time, and why waste that chance by not protecting yourself on a motorcycle?
There's a difference between meeting minimum standards for a test, and exceeding those standards. After owning a Scorpion, a Shoei and an AGV I can tell you first hand that there's a big difference in quality.
 
#20 ·
I never said price is an accurate measurement of quality; stop putting words in my mouth. What I said was that yes, helmets that have the same test stamps (DOT, SNELL, etc) pass the same tests, but that doesn't mean the cheapest one is as good as the most expensive one. Is the $800 helmet 8x better than the $100 helmet? No, probably not. But you can't argue that they're going to be better. After seeing ICON and HCJ helmet shells splitting in half after relatively tame crashes, and after having owned (and crashed) several helmets on all areas of the "cost spectrum", I can offer personal experience to back my claims.

You're welcome to think what you'd like and buy whatever you'd like, but my initial comment to the OP was meant to have her at least branch out and TRY some other brands of helmets, especially since she mentioned that the one she had didn't fit her too well. She seemed to have the horse-blinders on Scorpion brand, and that was that.
 
#21 ·
What I said was that yes, helmets that have the same test stamps (DOT, SNELL, etc) pass the same tests, but that doesn't mean the cheapest one is as good as the most expensive one. Is the $800 helmet 8x better than the $100 helmet? No, probably not. But you can't argue that they're going to be better. After seeing ICON and HCJ helmet shells splitting in half after relatively tame crashes, and after having owned (and crashed) several helmets on all areas of the "cost spectrum", I can offer personal experience to back my claims.
Has anyone in this thread tried to argue that a $100 helmet is going to be just as good as an $800 helmet in every category (safety and features)?

You're welcome to think what you'd like and buy whatever you'd like, but my initial comment to the OP was meant to have her at least branch out and TRY some other brands of helmets, especially since she mentioned that the one she had didn't fit her too well. She seemed to have the horse-blinders on Scorpion brand, and that was that.
I'm just trying to make it clear that the $100 helmet isn't necessarily going to protect someone any less than the $800 helmet, which I think is a misconception that some people have. That $800 helmet is going to be lighter, with better airflow, a better visor removal system, quick cheek-pad removal for emergencies, nicer graphics, etc.
 
#24 ·
I am actually quite skeptical of the claims that a helmet lasts only 5 years. I can see no reason whatsoever for chemical breakdown of the core components, though I could see the padding loose a bit of effectiveness getting tamped down year after year. I still doubt strongly that such would compromise a helmet's functionality. If the thing still fits tightly I'd say keep using it.
 
#25 ·
That one kinda got me too.. I'm sure there's a limit on how long they're good for (for example, the POS helmet from the mid-90s my Dad still has is definitely no good), but 5 years seems like a ploy to sell more helmets. Especially when the people telling you to replace them every 5 years are the ones selling the helmets.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Ignore away. I just don't have the patience to open the can of worms that would mean discussing whether a government-funded project (SHARP was a .gov address, right?) is truly unbiased.


EDIT: although the website is fairly compelling. It's interesting to compare different helmets with approximately the same retail value of different brands and see how it stacks up.
 
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