View Full Version : Helmet Damage?
helmet dropped this morning 4ft onto concrete, made hell of a crack nosie when it hit, but no visiable damage in or out, removed inner lining and can't see anything thing amiss. Should i replace it?
i know it sounds obvious but i'm unsure?
Thanks
bobtheimp
10-05-12, 10:09 AM
Yes fella ... always replace it - how much is your head worth ? :)
like i said sounds obvious but finance is tight, will be garaging it for a bit i guess then...
is it possible to have hidden damage that can't be seen by the good old MK1 eyeball?
goz1960
10-05-12, 10:17 AM
As has already been said don't wear it it is not worth the risk, you can get a new helmet in Swindon for little more than the cost of a tank of fuel..
I'd replace.
The damage is to the polystryene lining inside the shell of the helmet. The only way to assess this is with an X-ray of the hat.
goz1960
10-05-12, 10:43 AM
http://www.justhelmets.co.uk/
Dan may be worth a look?.
Mitch9128
10-05-12, 11:13 AM
If it's an Arai, you can have it sent away and tested FOC.
Have a look here
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/
For £70 you can get a 5 star helmet
helmet dropped this morning 4ft onto concrete, made hell of a crack nosie when it hit, but no visiable damage in or out, removed inner lining and can't see anything thing amiss. Should i replace it?
i know it sounds obvious but i'm unsure?
Thanks
If your head had been inside it at the time would you be questioning what to do now? Sorry, but its not worth skimping with regards to brakes and tyres on bikes and the same is true of helmets. Not even a surgeon can diagnose a bone fracture without going for an x-ray - same applies here.
NiteW4tcher
10-05-12, 01:58 PM
replace replace replaceeeeeeeeeeee
wiltshire builders
10-05-12, 03:04 PM
If it was me I wouldn't bother.
The manufacturer will tell you that you should as would the dealer.
If the outside is fine (assuming that it's a composite shell) then so is the inside.
At the end of the day it's your choice.
I'd replace.
The damage is to the polystryene lining inside the shell of the helmet. The only way to assess this is with an X-ray of the hat.
it's a Shark RSF3 if that makes any difference??? you can see the poly lining when i remove the inner padding and looks ok?
dammit, i guess replace is the safest option :-/
helmet Q (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_high_up_can_you_drop_a_motorcycle_helmet_from_ before_it_is_deemed_unsafeAnswer)
It is designed to withstand one impact from over four feet with your head inside. If there is nothing inside the impact absorbing liner (Single or Dual Denisity Foam) would not be compressed by the drop. It might scratch the outer (Painted) shell but as long as the shell is not cracked you would be okay. ALL testing (DOT, SNELL, or EEC) involves a drop with a head shaped weight inside not a empty helmet.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_high_up_can_you_drop_a_motorcycle_helmet_from_ before_it_is_deemed_unsafe#ixzz1uTbkqgyX
wiltshire builders
10-05-12, 03:29 PM
Here's a write up on the subject by MCN writer Kevin Ash:
Ride magazine did a test on helmets being dropped a few years ago and it was something I wrote about too - helmet manufacturers clearly have an interest in encouraging you to buy a new helmet if you drop one, and they also have to cover themselves as it can in theory be damaged in a drop, if it lands on a hard, sharp edge for example. But Ride lobbed helmets out of a first floor window onto a concrete floor then took them apart to assess the damage, and there was none in any of them. Nor should there be, a helmet is designed to take a hard impact while containing a 5kg head, and yes, I know it absorbs the higher forces by permanent collapse, but still when it's dropped while empty the forces are far less, there's much less inertia to deal with. Dropping it is also a very low speed impact for a helmet compared with what it's expected to deal with in a crash, and frankly even if it lands on a sharp edge from half a metre or so it's unlikely to sustain significant damage.
After I wrote about this in my MCN column, naturally there were manufacturers calling me irresponsible etc, but interestingly a few off the record, and Nolan on the record, said this was quite right, a helmet can withstand being dropped from typical bike tank and hand held heights without being damaged enough to need replacing.
I'd replace.
The damage is to the polystryene lining inside the shell of the helmet. The only way to assess this is with an X-ray of the hat.
it's a Shark RSF3 if that makes any difference??? you can see the poly lining when i remove the inner padding and looks ok?
dammit, i guess replace is the safest option :-/
No its where the polystryene meets the glass fibre shell that takes the hit. Impossible to see.
It's your head and your choice at the end of the day. But there are some very good hats out there for very little cash.
This is just one of those choices in life that you have to make and live with the consequences. You will always get contradictory statements and answers when asking these kinds of questions. You would get the same when asking about tyre repairs - some will say yes, others will say no. Both answers are correct because its down to personal choice. There is'nt a law to tell you what to do. Its your head and your life so for everyone else its an easy comment to make because their life is not affected either way.
For the record, if I dropped my helmet and heard a sharp "crack" I would replace it. I'm worth more than £400 which is what I might end up paying. I will however repair a rear tyre puncture myself and ride it until its worn out. I will also repair a front tyre but in that case I will get the tyre replaced at the earliest opportunity. These are my choices and based on my own personal "Risk Assessment". You will need to do the same.
Ducatista
10-05-12, 04:33 PM
I'd get a new one.
Based on the fact that your head is pretty important - I mean you can even live without a limb but not without your head.
I agree with Graeme about different opinions.
I recently had a nail in my tyre.
Loads of people said repair it, some said no way.
In the end I knew I'd be happier replacing it rather then worrying about it all the time, so I replaced it, but plenty of people would have repaired it.
I'm probably risk averse, after all in 14 years of riding I've never had to rely on a helmet - but then you never know when there will be a first time.
But overall "a hell of a crack" would indicate to me that something broke and they are only designed to work once.
Mitch9128
10-05-12, 04:48 PM
If there is no visible damage, it's more than likely there is nothing wrong. I recall Arai saying a 4 foot drop of the helmet was fine, as long as there isn't a head inside it. I would still use it personally, but if you want a new helmet, it's a good excuse.
Shark RSF3 4 star helmet
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/shark-rsf3
Personally after what has been said here I'd risk it.
Mine is only for keeping the flies out of my face, I never intend to have an accident 8-)
But if I was in the market for a new helmet I'd buy one of these
http://formotorbikes.com/nexx-xr1r-carbon-white.html
Personally, i would get a new lid, for the same reason i wouldn't buy a second hand one, it would always be a worry, you just never know, and it isnt worth the risk.
Thanks for the help and detailed explanations, really appreciate it.
Personally, i would get a new lid, for the same reason i wouldn't buy a second hand one, it would always be a worry, you just never know, and it isnt worth the risk.
I'd never buy a second hand helmet, you'd never know what happened to it before you got your head inside.
"Honest guv it's never been dropped" ;)
Who knows what happens to brand new helmets before we get to take extra special care of them.
But if you worried too much you'd never get on a bike in the first place. We all know that you dance with the reaper every time you go out on your bike :D
That's part of the fun 8-)
redken1
10-05-12, 06:38 PM
What about a new Turban? :P
goz1960
10-05-12, 06:50 PM
After reading all the replies I would have thought Dan is more confused than before he put the post up. ::) ::)
After reading all the replies I would have thought Dan is more confused than before he put the post up. ::) ::)
Don't you just love internet advice ;D
redken1
10-05-12, 07:26 PM
Interesting how attitudes change over time.
Can anyone remember why MAG was formed in 1973?
Mitch9128
10-05-12, 07:47 PM
Interesting how attitudes change over time.
Can anyone remember why MAG was formed in 1973?
Somewhere for the HA rejects to go??
goz1960
10-05-12, 07:48 PM
It was introduced to protest about the introduction of compulsory helmets :o
Interesting I never knew that.
Must admit when I've been abroad in countries where you don't have to wear a helmet I don't bother
If we didn't have to wear them here I probably wouldn't bother if just popping to the shop
Don't you just love internet advice ;D
it's why i wanted bikers advice ;)
It was introduced to protest about the introduction of compulsory helmets :o
Not such a bad decision in my book. Funny how some things work out. I went to Spain with some mates in 1979. When we got to Spain we stopped and took our helmets off and sped off down the road with the wind in our faces - something we had been looking forward to. 500yds down the road we stopped, looked at each other sheepishly and all put our helmets back on.
Who would ride their bikes now without a helmet? Not me.
agreed, i'd rather wear one than not.
Mark_Able
10-05-12, 09:11 PM
Of course you should replace your lid. However, I wouldn't be overly concerned if you did use it a few more times. If it couldn't put up with being dropped from 4 feet without disintegrating, it's got no chance of protecting your head. But of course, in this risk-assessed world, it would be irresponsible of me to give you that advice. Just like it's 'bad' advice to have a puncture repaired... ::)
Incidentally, if you do chose to bin your lid, why not do your own experiment to see how strong modern helmets are? We spent a whole afternoon, taking it in turns to throw an old helmet as high in the air as we could, to see what would happen when it landed on tarmac. Bits fell off, lining fell out, but it took all afternoon before we got it to crack. :o
good idea Mark, once it's replaced i might keep as emergency spare or rip it apart, i am seriously in two minds as to what to do :-/
had a proper look now home and can see that when it landed it hit the plastic airvent on top and little scuff on it but can't see anything else out of place.....erm :-/
good idea Mark, once it's replaced i might keep as emergency spare or rip it apart, i am seriously in two minds as to what to do :-/
had a proper look now home and can see that when it landed it hit the plastic airvent on top and little scuff on it but can't see anything else out of place.....erm :-/
The problem is that its what you can't see that's actually the important bit. If you fracture your wrist the only way you know its fractured is with an x-ray. Doesn't matter what anyone thinks or has an opinion on - you just don't know. Your choice. And the likelyhood is that you will never know if you made the right decision or not..... either way :o
fair points, thanks Snowy.
did read on the Snell certification website that my helmet can survive several falls onto a hard surface without affecting the integrity...but like you say you just don't know. time for a new lid then :) thanks for all the input
I would keep the old one as a spare just in case you drop the new one even harder [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
I'd probably replace it, if it were more than five years old.
If you do get rid of your lid, offer it to the paramedics to practice with. They are always after new lids as the ones they have are worn out.
bobf279
12-05-12, 10:08 PM
If you do get rid of your lid, offer it to the paramedics to practice with. They are always after new lids as the ones they have are worn out.
I've got some old helmets to shift do you have any idea who I should contact?
Sorry Bob I can't remember. It was a long time ago. I walked up to a st johns and asked.
Mitch9128
14-05-12, 08:56 AM
Bob, Just drop them in to your local fire station or the ambulance depot at malmesbury road in chippenham, my local fire station took my whacked arai, and that was in bad post crash shape.
I have recently been having the same argument as to if I need to replace my lid. Mine was on my head and I fell of at Snetterton during a track day. I did not hit the helmet on the Tarmac as I fell of in the gravel. The helmet did not take much of an impact but I did manage a few army style rolls through the gravel and the helmet has quit a few stone chips in the paint work. Still not sure what to do or if it needs replaced.
If you can afford a new one then don't take the risk of wearing your old one :)
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