Time fer a new 'elmet methinks.

[MementoMori]

Right then. I have had my Caberg Justissimo for around 4 years. It's been dropped a couple of times, is scratched as feck and even worse according to the Arai guys at the NEC, I always shove my gloves in it when I'm not using it. (apparently it stretches the shell or something...)

My parents don't want me to buy one as I 'already have one and it's fine' and they believe it's a waste of money to get another. The teeth on the visor mechanism have worn away so it's impossible to ride with it open which I like to do.

Plus it makes me look like a giant lollipop.

It sounds like I've already answered my own question but I can't tell if the helmet should be good for another couple of years (I thought you should replace them after every 5 years or something?) or if the only reason I want a new helmet is because black visors are legal in this country and I want one with a black visor.

What would you do?
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The tiger who came for a pint

[Trip]

Isnt the life of a helmet 3 years... dropped or undropped

Im sure someone slightly more knowledgeable will be along in a minute ...
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Bike: Yamaha XJ600N Mileage: 28500 Miles Rider Mileage: Many Miles
CBT: PASSED Theory: PASSED Test: PASSED
Past-CG125 Present - Yamaha XJ600N Future - WHO KNOWS?

[ZZr]

get a visor insert sticks inside ya visor and is tinted , legal ,cheap

but sounds like u should get a new lid anyhow
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bikers know why dogs stick their heads out of car windows

[m99dws]

[Born2bVile]

No helmet is guarenteed, apart from 'Guarenteed to be shit if you bump it'.

My 30 year old open face has as validated a warrenty as any £500 lid on the market.

Cheers,

Byrnie.
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NABD Treasurer
National Association for Bikers with a Disability
Reg Charity No. 1040907

[iooi]

[ColdInsomnia]

Get a new helmet - ignore the moans of your penny-pinching parents.

Your safety is what is at risk at the end of the day and they can't put a price on that can they?

Apparently just one drop from arm-height is enough to ruin a helmet (though you'd have to be mad / rich to get a new helmet from one or two drops).

You're due for a new helmet anyway simply because of how long you've had that one. The fact that you've dropped it only ADDS to the need to get a new one, fast.
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Yamaha YB100 | Yamaha TZR125 | Yamaha XJ600S | Suzuki GSF600
"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."
John Lennon

[yambabe]

Another vote for a new one here.

Personally I find my helmets tend to last me maybe 2-3 years, I have no idea if this is "right" or not but aroud that time I have always started to notice the fit getting a lot looser as the main problem, also had a couple of visor problems like yours in the past too.

You can't put a price on the safety of your head really, and a new lid doesn't have to be megabucks as long as it is a good fit in my opinion (so none of your "name" helmets arguments in this thread please people!)

However, should you have a couple of megabucks lying around the place waiting to be spent the second consideration after fit should of course be tartworthiness, and a black visor sounds like it would fit the bill nicely on that score!
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[carlmalibu]

[Finglonga]

Should have got a new one the first time you dropped it.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[TheShaggyDA]

There was a test in a magazine a while ago, might have been MCN, where they compared the protective abilities of various helmets. I think a 20 year old helmet faired as well as a brand new £500 jobbie. I gave an old Lazer I had to a friend when I bought a new one, about a year later he came off, hit the road and slid along on it. The chin piece was worn down where it had run along the road, doing it's job of saving his face. That was a 7(ish) year old helmet.

I think there's a certain amount of paranoia about when you should change helmets. No doubt there's tales of coming off with a 30 year old helmet and it saved you, and coming off with a brand new expensive one and it was crap, with every flavour in between.

I tend to replace helmets when I feel like it, this works out to be between 4 and 5 years. Given your description of the teeth of the visor mechanism being worn, that would be enough for me to change it.

My gloves live in my helmet too.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[pa_broon74]

My gloves live my helmet along with sugar and milk sachets from the canteen when I get in to work in the morning, its just so handy for carrying things.

That said; its draftyer than hooker's groin on a busy saturday night (Hey, its not easy thinking these metaphors up...) So i'm getting a new one next month, one with a chin up thing so I can stop for a smoke without completely undressing.

I just replaced all my clothing, £200 for a Spada get up (saw my new helmet then...) Does anyone else feel like a comedy sumo wrestler with all their gear on? I do...

[Black Knight]

I change mine around once a year. Overkill but I just like the feel of a new lid. One less thing to be thinking about when riding.
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Where does a turn end? 'Where you can do anything with the gas you want to, where you are brave again, where your attention is free from the turn, where you are sure you can do it better next time; that's the end' - Keith Code.

[MementoMori]

OK, nice one, I think I'm definitely due for a new one then.

To whoever told me I should have replaced it the first time I dropped it, does anyone honestly do that? I hadn't had it very long and it was a drop from where your arms are when you're walking.

There's no way I was gonna chuck away a 150 quid helmet almost straight away because of that.

Now I just have to decide which tarty new helmet I want. Thank god for the strong pound and exchange rates!
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The tiger who came for a pint

[h00dwink]

helmets are made to stand up to much more powerful impacts than just a wee bump on the floor.
unless you toe punt it against a wall there isn't really much concern.

it's a nice idea, but i don't really think many people are going to have that much money that they can just piss it away on a new one over the slightest of knocks.
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https://bikepics.com/members/h00dwink/00sv650s/
www.youtube.com/h00dwink updated regularly

[chris-red]

I read somewhere that, if you drop your lid it doesn't matter too much, the problem arrises when your head is in the helmet as it has more momentum when it hits. Not to sure on how correct that is, but I don't believe it is too far fetched to believe that helmet companies would strongly promote an "if you drop it it's useless" opinion.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Simple]

forget an engagement ring get Matt to buy you a new Lid and bring it over when he visits make sure it's got a dark visor so he can't see you gurning at him
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Insta - FemFeral

[Phil_C]

I was careless one day and dropped my lid onto concrete from relaxed arm length (about 2ft). A little bit of scratching but I'm not going to replace it yet.

I keep my gloves and neck snood in my helm.

[andys675]

for the benefit of doubters, I am arai and shoei trained

a polycarbonate (plastic) helmet should be changed every two years

a fibreglass helmet every 5 years

this is due to the action of UVA/UVB light, making the outer brittle, and modern line of thought that your natural skin oils and sweat soaks into the expanded polystyrene and makes it hard, and will no longer be as shock absorbing in an impact

to drop a helmet on the floor does not render it useless, its an old wives tale designed to sell more helmets, if its a nasty cheap helmet you may have damaged it, any arai or shoei would not be affected, the danger arises when it hits the floor with your head inside and compresses the expanded polystyrene liner, which will not protect you a second time, once compressed its not going to compress again and dissipate the impact force again

keeping your gloves in you helmet, well it doesn't help if your gloves are wet or damp, and the velcro on your gloves will stick to the inside of your helmet and fray the strap or damage the liner over extended periods, and the constant pushing the gloves inside doesn't do them any good, and scratches your visor, and the outside of your gloves are dirty and you're going to stick your head where your dirty gloves have been?

please understand folks, that guys like arai and shoei make helmets with a passion, they don't knock out cheap nasty things that only just pass ECE standards (BSI no longer exists), they make their helmets to their own standards which far surpass ECE test requirements, they use larger weights, dropped from greater heights at higher speeds than ECE tests require, they do this as standard, because they've already researched head trauma and know better, and you still think dropping one on the floor damages it?

oh yea, ACU gold stickers mean bugger all regarding helmet safety, they cost £2 to buy and this puts money into the ACU, it does not mean your £50 arashi or nitro helmet is any better because it has the gold sticker! its just a fund raiser for the ACU

most importantly, a helmet has to fit properly, its no good having a £500 extra large size arai RX7 on a small head, as in an impact your head will hit the inside of the helmet with the same speed as you accident, if you can only afford a £50 helmet at least make sure its a snug fit

any questions?

andy

[Finglonga]

[Simple]

[colin1]

[Simple]

[quote="colin1"]

[trevoriv]

Big bunch o' tarts, if you're in an accident in which your helmet saves your life chances are the rest of you is going to be fooked up anyway.

I crashed my bike at 1 million miles an hour and got no brain damage but oooo look ive got no arms and legs. Awesome.



I buy a new lid every year or so just cause i like the new pretty designs every year.

[Finglonga]