Would you buy a second hand motorcycle helmet?

[ninja_butler]

Yes? No? Maybe? There are some dodgy sellers on Ebay who will sell anything to anyone if they can make money out of it but is it over-cautious to say NEVER buy second hand or is it a golden rule never to be broken?

I just bought a Suomy helmet on Ebay for £20 + £7 p&p that would IIRC have cost me around £130 if I'd bought it new, and as far as I can see it's hardly been used at all; no marks on the shell and just the tiniest scratch on the side of the visor. I think the liner is removable so I'll take it out and have a good look inside.

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqZ,!q!E8WZNZl90BPHGM8FmUg~~60_12.JPG

[Bendy]

Have done, gave my reasoning the last time someone asked this.

Still not been killed to death.

[G]

As per above. Have crashed in various second hand helmets and been fine in that regards, at least.

[Mikey3]

Probably from a friend knowing the life of the helmet infact my girlfriend has done and is proving fine.
Not from a stranger though, god knows the persons attitude towards it and what life it could've been through, although it may look okay on the outside.
Obviously sometimes you could get lucky and get a genuine good'un, but I don't think my head's safety can be put to chance

Mike
____________________
'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

[Rogerborg]

<NotThisShitAgain.jpg>

Me? No, almost certainly not. I like a bargain, have bought some decent 2nd hand gear, but my brain is where I live, and a helmet is the last thing I'd skimp on. Heck, I'm currently considering retiring a perfectly good lid just to get one in Day-Glo.

You? Do as you like, you don't need anyone's permission to make your own judgement on the risk vs reward. The chances of suffering from it are infinitesimal, and buying a used helmet in good condition is a perfectly rational decision. Just not one I'd make (probably).
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Raffles]

I'd happily buy a second hand helmet for my wife to use.
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A good loser will always be a loser.

[T.C]

[blurredman]

I would buy a 2nd hand helmet.

I like the design of particularly the older helmets from the 80's/90's. Naturally they're going to be 2nd hand..
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (bored to 295cc) - 38k, 1990 MZ ETZ251 - 49k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1972 MZ ES250/2 - 17k.

[G]

[Sam_Y_93]

It's not the state of it that would worry me, it would be the fact someone elses head had been in there
____________________
Bikes Past: Yamaha Aerox (sold) Yamaha R125 (written off)
Bikes Current: Honda VFR 400 (awaiting restoration) Honda CB600f F-4
Theory passed July 21st Mod1 passed August 3rd Mod 2 passed 26th August

[G]

[UnspeedySam]

I bought a second hand Arai for my girlfriend. Her sister had decided to try on her brand new HJC and proceeded to pull it off her head and catapult it at a wall. This was from a very nice bloke and his wife who had recently retired from biking so I felt fairly safe.
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Riding: Does an Audi estate count?
Fixing: Honda VFR750 RC36 '94 and MZ ETZ 251 '90
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01,Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[G]

[Sam_Y_93]

[G]

[Sam_Y_93]

I know they might have been worn, but as I said, it hasn't been used daily and coughed and sneezed in...
____________________
Bikes Past: Yamaha Aerox (sold) Yamaha R125 (written off)
Bikes Current: Honda VFR 400 (awaiting restoration) Honda CB600f F-4
Theory passed July 21st Mod1 passed August 3rd Mod 2 passed 26th August

[Mikey3]

[T.C]

[G]

[Rogerborg]

[mysterious_rider]

Yeah I have, my craft lid. It was good condition bar a few scratches on the top. New they are £240 ish, I paid £70 with two visors, one clear, one iridium.

[Bendy]

[.Chris.]

I've bought a secondhand lid before, but then again I never intended it to provide any protection in an accident. It was a piss-pot type thing that I wore for nipping around the corner in town, where given the choice I wouldn't have worn one at all.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[G]

Indeed - I'd only really buy a helmet you'd describe as 'mint' pretty much - as a helmet in a such a state generally goes pretty cheaply, doesn't seem any point going for one that's been used decently.

[daemonoid]

No... used helmets smell of other people's sweaty heads. I only like the smell of my own sweaty head.
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current: ducati monster 750
past: hyosung gt250r, bajaj pulsar 180, hyosung gt 125 comet
@thomasgarrard | www.straitjkt.com | www.racingseven.com