Helmet life?
 

My lid is approaching it's tenth year of service. How long is acceptable. It hasn't been droped or abused just used allot. I don't feel the need to replace it as it has been a better helmet than my last Arai, other than noise. Also shields are hard to come by. How long do you guys go before replacement?, thanks.

It's about time for a new lid.....;)

Even if undamaged, the foam liner has started to break down due to age.
While the manufactures say 5-7 yrs, around 10 is a good life span but any more than that and you are starting to push it. Of course that is just my opinion and YMMV.

Most helmet companies say around five years. I don't take chance and change them out if that time comes around. Normally I change them before then.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I just hate to get rid of this helmet no buffering at speed and a small shell so no bobbel head look. Guess i will be giving bell vortec a try since times are kinda tight.

usually I just get bored with my helmet design, or a newer, nicer one comes out and I begin to covet it. Normally about every two years I get the hankering for a new one...Just bought a scorpion exo about a month ago to replace my old helmet.

3 yrs. Not having a $25 head I don't scrimp at all. And it's hard for the family CFO to complain about the cost of safety equipment.

5 years is about a the time to replace. sportbiketrackgear.com has scorpion ex700 on clearance for $99

I don't have a $25 head either, sure it's not the Haga rep I want but is snell 2010 scrimping? After twelve years of running the place the owners son decided my job looked good so now it's his. My farm in west TN is under water so no winter wheat and nothing going in this spring. The guy I lease the land to is homeless so next year isn't looking good. My rentals have six feet of water in them so in a nut shell, It SUCKS to be the CFO this year! But on the bright side Obama says things are getting better.

If you beleve that moron ive got some ocean front property in Arizona you might also be interested in.;)

I own all sorts of gear - helmets included.

When I was drag racing as a teen I wore a Bell helmet. When the Bell Star first came out the price was out of my range but I found one on sale and bought it.

I'm looking at all the morons on the road when I ride so lift everytime I wag around is a real PITA. The Bell Star is rock solid. I think some of their other helmets have the same fin tech that keeps the Star so stable.

All my other helmets want to lift - the Star doesn't. There's also little if any side pushing when you turn your head. My02

Didn't mean to go off on a rant been a shitty month. In 85 I crashed my Intreceptor in a bell held up well might have even saved my egg. Heading into Nashville to try on a bell and a scorpion and any thing else I scope out for around two bills then buy cheap on the net.

Update. Found a scorpion Exo 1000 for $200. at the local bike shop display was the only one they had. Loved it but didn't know how long it had been around or how meany heads it had been squeezed on to so I passed. Made a low ball offer of $145. for the bell on ebay. Got it today, a bit loud and the visor only has two locking notches up and cracked at about an inch and a half. Other than that great for the $. No wobbles or buffeting up to 140.

It would go out of style before it would just become unsafe. Newer helmets have better specs.

I only replace mine if i drop it or get tired of it.

I change around the 3 year mark... I dropped a new helmet recently from about 4 ft. My friend who witnessed the impact laughed and said time for a new helmet.

usaabn

Helmets and underwear...change them before you need to.

I have a 10 year old half helmet if you want to buy it cheap. :)

Thanks for the offer Yeller but I pulled 300 miles yesterday with 20 harlry guys so seen enough pea pots for a wile. Also I still have my JC Whitney 3/4 from my mini bike days back in 75 if I can find it. Black 99's are faster :p :p :cool:

Is that JC Whitney metal flake red or metal flake blue?;)

Tested
 

The Bell I replaced the old helmet has been fully tested. I was jumped by a 230lb lump of velvet and muscle. I'm here so it passed. Nine broken bones and me skull wasn't one of them full and solid impact. Spartan next to the scorpion that replaced it but it did it's job well.

pic

one more

WOW glad you are still around to tell us about it! thats one nice looking rack...:eek:

the helmet sure did its job get well soon and hopefully the bike is still fixable!

I've been told that UV brakes the outer shell down over time so it's a good idea to get a new lid every 5 years or so. A good helmet is worth the money, saved my noggin several times!

When racing they disallow any helmet over 5yrs old, which sucks cuz often you buy a "new" helmet & its already 3 yrs old so you only get 2yrs of racing out of it.

Curious to me is how helmet companies claim the foam starts breaking down in 5-7 years but it takes thousands of years to break down in a landfill. I dunno.. I replace mine every 7-8 years just because I like a fresh lid every now and then.

That's good advice. Besides, the helmet is the #1 comfort item for a rider and they keep making them better and a fresh lid feels nice.

David, you never heard of apply, lather, rinse, repeat? Same reason they always tell you to replace tires instead of repairing. They gotsta get paid!

In my world of racing, to take away that element of unfairness, it is now purchase date that dictates if the helmet is still good or not, and not Homologation year.
As you very well said, someone buying a 2010 Homologated helmet this year, would only get two years life out of it...:shock:

Those Canadiens, what will they come up with next?

That is a way better idea but how do you determine that? You go to tech inspection with a store reciept? How do they know if its for that helmet?

What race org are you talking about?

Well... Probably because there is a difference between breaking down as in becoming separated into it's constituent components as in the landfill, and as in the material starts to change properties, which actually takes place from the time it's moulded, slowly, but accelerating as certain chemicals in the material gets depleted over time...

The foam looses a small amount of elasticity over time, and with wear, you start to make the cavity larger, as you push against it in minute ways... At first, it gives and then restore it's shape... As it starts loosing elasticity, that stops... And compressing the foam ever so slightly, you make it denser... And denser foam plus impact, means head injury in a lot of cases...

Just saying, while 5 years is probably on the money side of the equation, I prefer to err on the side of caution with something like a helmet... I'd say 5-7 years is about done...

I get all that about material breakdown but 5-7 years? Has that been scientifically by someone who doesn't sell helmets?