Choosing the right motorcycle helmet
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Choosing a Motorcycle Helmet
The legal information
Probably the most important of all your purchases will be a safety helmet. The UK law requires you to wear a helmet at all times when riding your motorbike. New helmets for road use must meet EITHER the British Standard BS6658:85 and be kitemarked OR the European ECE205 standard. The helmet may also have a RAC/ACU sticker which indicates that it has been approved for competitive racing use.
When riding the bike the chin strap must be properly secured, and you are asking for trouble if your chin strap is undone, not only with the law, but in the event of an accident the helmet will most likely come off!
Motorcycle safety experts are in agreement that one of the most important factors in choosing a helmet is choosing one that fits properly. Since a new helmet can cost several hundred pounds, it is worth taking a little extra time to make certain that your shiny new lid fits as well as possible.
How to go about selecting your motorcycle helmet
In my opinion it is wise to choose a full face helmet and not a “decorative” helmet. A “brain bucket” or open face helmet will NOT provide the protection you need to keep everything where it should be. If the unfortunate should happen and you do come off, i know i would rather have all of my head protected and not just the top!
The first step is to measure your head. Even if you think you know what size helmet you need, it’s worthwhile to take the time to double-check. Get someone to help and a small measuring tape. Measure the circumference of your head from about one inch above your eyebrows in front to the point at the back of your head that gives you the largest measurement. Measure several times just to make sure you’ve got it. Now match the measurement with the helmet sizes on the chart provided by producers, rounding up to the next largest number if your measurement falls between sizes.
Next, it’s time to try on a few helmets. Your first concern is finding the right fit, so don’t worry about colours and graphics just yet. The helmet should go on with some resistance if it’s in the proper size range. Unfortunately, most people tend to choose helmets that are too large, so if the helmet feels snug at first, you’re probably close to the proper size. Don’t reach for a larger size unless you can’t get the helmet on at all. Now that you have the helmet on, go find a mirror for a quick visual check. The helmet should sit squarely on your head, neither tipped forward nor backward.
With a full-face helmet, your eyes should be centered in the opening with the padding of the liner fitting just above your eyebrows. While you’re looking in the mirror, check for gaps between the padding and your head. The cheek and brow pads should be in firm contact with your face, without causing excessive pressure. Now put one hand on each side of the helmet and hold your head still while trying to rotate the helmet from side to side and front to back. The helmet should not slide around on your head without a lot of resistance. In fact, your skin and scalp should move with the helmet. Remember that helmets will “break in” just like hats, so the helmet that’s just right for you may feel overly-snug at first.
Before you take the helmet off, think about pressure points. Do there seem to be spots where the pressure feels excessive? Remember pressure that may be only mildly irritating at first, can cause a raging headache after an hour on the bike. Stay close to the mirror while you take the helmet off, then look for any areas of reddened skin that signal pressure points. If you find any, put the helmet back on and see if you feel extra pressure in the reddened area. When you think you’ve found the perfect fit, try on the same make and model of helmet in the next larger and smaller sizes, going through all the same tests.
Before you make the final decision, put the helmet back on and wear it for at least ten minutes just to make sure you haven’t missed any pressure points. Helmet manufacturers have different ideas about the general size and shape of the human head. If you have trouble finding the proper fit, try a different manufacturer of helmet, or even a different model by the same manfacturer. Be patient, finding the right helmet is essential for any rider and not area to rush over.
How long will a helmet last? It is impossible to give a definitive answer. With prolonged use, the interior of the helmet will be an increasingly poor fit as the liner compresses, and the chinstrap and fittings will wear out. At this point it should be disgarded regardless of age. If looked after and undamaged, a glassfibre or composite helmet could last 2-5 years. By contrast, 18 months - 2 years is a usually regarded as a sensible limit for polycarbonate helmets because the general opinion is that even the latest plastics used in the outer shell gradually degrade as a result of UV light from the sun.
Used Helmets?
So you saw a Rossi replica AGV helmet for £30 on ebay and are considering buying it ? Is it wise to buy such an important piece of equipment not knowing how it’s been treat or what it’s been through in the past?
Since you don’t know how the previous owner handled the helmet you are taking a risk on whether it will provide the proper safety for you. Even if the previous owner didn’t come off his/her bike with it on, they may have dropped it hard enough at one time to create a stress crack in the helmet. Impossible for you to know until it’s too late.
At the end of the day it’s your decision, but my advice to you is save up your money, put the squeeze on parents/partners etc. and buy that Rossi replica new from a reputable dealer.
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