Dropped my helmet

[mercury]

New rider. New 1150r owner (silver, hence the username "Mercury," i.e. quick silver). Really enjoying the message board. I hate for this to be my first posting, but here's the problem:

I dropped my helmet (a Nolan flip-face) onto a hard gravel surface from a height of about four feet. In MSF they told us that if you drop your helmet it is history. I understand the principle of impact absorption, and wish to remain a safe rider, but I am reluctant to toss a brand new helmet. Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks.

[mistercindy]

I'm eager to see the responses to this question. A year ago I had my brand new RF1000 on my saddle when I was filling my bike up with gas and it fell off. That's about a three or four foot drop, too. When it happened I had the same thoughts that you're having.

I have read nothing to back it up, but somehow I suspect a helmet isn't ruined because of a three or four foot drop. If I'm wrong I hope somebody on these boards lets us know.

[socalrob]

The way I understand helmet technology is that the styrafoam inside the shell is what cushions your head. If your head was inside the helmet for that 4 ft. fall I would say it is history. One the foam has had any crushing it is not going to do its job next time. But as your helmet was headless at the time of impact, the inner foam should be ok. Otherwise, talk to the helmet maker/bike dealer & ask their opinion. I have heard that a single drop is not the end.

[arkline]

Ratz!! If the shell isn't cracked, you have no way of knowing if the foam has been smooshed at the foam/shell boundary. Most manufacturers will ask you to return the helmet for inspection if there is any question about headworthyness...I'd err on the side of caution myself, but I'm the sort of worrywart that would...

[Guest]

I've been an MSF instructor for 12 years. I have found that new instructors tend to overreach on the idea of helmet replacement after a drop. You know, err on the side of safety, and all that. Socalrob has it right regarding the interior styrofoam of a helmet. Once it has been compressed it no longer can protect your head as it was designed. Now if the helmet fell on the chin protector I'd make sure that the hinges were not damaged on your flip-up. If the paint has been chipped with no obvious cracking, I would not replace it. If you have any reason to believe that the integrity of the outer shell has been compromised then I would definitely replace it.

NCRoaster

[hotzuk]

Hey everyone,

This is a great topic. Here is a product that I came across that may help if you ever drop your helmet again.

http://helmetharbor.com/streethelmets/s ... pening.htm

[BobFV1]

Mercury -

Welcome to the board!

Don't drop your helmet again! While this is not the textbook answer, what I would do is inspect the shell carefully - if there are no apparent cracks in the outer shell and it was simply a four foot drop, I would not necessarily replace it. If you don't have a spare helmet, you may want to consider relegating the Nolan to spare duties and getting a new one to protect your noggin on a day-to-day basis. I would seriously consider a full face if I were you - better protection IMO.

I'm no helmet expert by any means but that's what I would do.

[NCRoaster]

Hotzuk,

I think that Shok-SpotR is a big gimmick, probably invented by the helmet companies to sell more helmets. The Snell Foundation and the government test drops from 13 feet with a heavy weight. The force of gravity from three or four feet is not enough to cause the shell to indent sufficiently to compress the inner liner or compromise the outer liner as suggested by the Shok-SpotR website. Buyer Beware.

NCRoaster

[collyers]

Was your head in it? If not - don't worry about it. It is designed not to absorb a fall of it's own weight (almost all manufacterers adhere to this standard). Do it again,and you may want to have it inspected. Shelf life is 3-4 years, and zero after a fall in which your noodle IS in the bucket.

[DJ Downunder]

I would not hesitate in continuing to use it....but that's me.

I was outside my local BMW dealer not long ago...a husband and wife rolled up on their new RT...the guy went inside while his wife waited with the bike.

She knocked his helmet off the bike seat twice while I was there...it went clunk on the hard ground.

Each time she picked it up brushed it off and said to me shush..don't tell him..he'll kill me if he finds out.

Sometimes I think people worry too much.

DJ

[mercury]

dear all,

thanks for your kind and informative replies. and no, my head was not in the helmet at the time. that said, my noodle was a little warped to begin with.

[TonyT607]

Perfesser, the lid's fine. Go put it on and ride the crap out of that bike.
Another Jersey guy, cool. Let's get a few guys together and go for a ride sometime.

I'm in Cranford (exit 137 on the GSP).

Check out the Group Rides section.
See ya

[Acacia]

Welcome Murcury!

Opinions are what they are - opinions, and we all have them. There is science/physics somewhere in the helmet discussion that also needs review.

There are 3 parts to a helment. All 3 work together to protect you. The outer layer can be made of several materials., Kevlar, GRP, polycarbonate etc. Without this, its overall integrity and impact resistance, the foam, would be next to useless over walking speed. It holds all together, spreads impact etc. The foam is the major impact absorber. The inner layers of fitting foam help hold the 2 outer layers in a reasonable state about you head. Damage any one of the 3 will compromise your safety.

Looking at a dropped helmet and deciding if it is good is about as accurate as kicking the tires of a vehicle to know if it is good. Tires too can look good on the outside, but inside...?

The point should be made we are probably not qualified to make an appropriate assessment ourselves of what damage might have occurred - by looking at it. Hence the recomendation to send it to the manufacturer.

A friend, one of the, 'I dont need a helmet', cool guys did not like me taking an egg out and dropping it on the floor in front of him. He did get the message though. A weeks later was seen with a full face helmet.

Buy the best helmet you can afford and make sure it is fitted correctly for you own eggshell and handle the helmet as though it is an egg.

[Fossil Fred]

Well, just to put another side to the story. I had a Shoei RF900 that I rather hastily tried to hook over the left side mirror a couple of weeks ago. I didn't hook it too well, and the helmet fell and bounced off the footpeg of the bike next to mine in the parking lot and onto the ground. I had a close look at it, and all looked fine, no scratches, no cracks, no problem. Until, that is I went to put it on next time, only to discover that the visor and the chin guard no longer matched up with each other. The chin guard was several millimetres out of alignment.

I am now sporting a new hat.

Fossil

[Lance1150]

DJ said:

Sometimes I think people worry too much.

Yes, I agree! I'm glad that most responses had the level-headed 'don't worry about it' answer... although most of us are not helmet experts, I think most of us can make some pretty good assumtions here.. styrofoam type stuff inside, covered by hard plastic; takes a fall off a bike, bounces on ground.. scuffs hard plastic. There would have to be something to compress that styrofoam stuff... no head inside, no compression.

I wonder if a manufactuer would actually take the thing all apart and inspect it, or based on the story, just visualize the shell for any crack and call it good?

I can't even IMAGINE being so anal as to toss out a helmet after a little drop and spend hundreds for a new one.. can't even imagine.

[Leno]

The problem with helmets is that they are designed to be a once use item. As mentioned it is made up of several layers each with it's own job. The outer shell stops ingress into the head area and the inside spreads the load. Problem with this are that to absorbe the blow the outer shell distroys it's self. Much like a crumple zone on a car. Other areas of the helmet may be fine but another blow to the same area will meet the resitance of tissue paper. Now people will say look for cracks, which is fine but the outside of the helmet you can see is not the outer shell but the paint which is flexible. So you can't see the cracks untill it's too late. So I would replace because helmets are cheaper than heads. Maybe I am anal but I'm a live thinking anal.

[Acacia]

Lance,
That is what they all say - "I cant imagine..."

We, at least some riders, wear protective gear because imagination, or the lack thereof, was replaced by being mugged by reality when we hit the deck - not fully protected.

Erring on the side of safety being anal? Some of us are too soon old, too late smart. At least like Leno, I hope to continue to use what little smarts I have and keep the egg shell intact as best I can.

[Lance1150]

Acacia:
You think it's being 'smart' to replace a helmet after a little fall off your motorcycle seat... hummm. I have several other words for that mindset, but 'smart' isn't one.

To each his own... but try to imploy a bit of common sense in such matters.

[big papa]

I wear a 6 year old Arai. Probably the best helmet around when I bought it. Now it's past is useful age, and should be replaced, if I listen to the experts. I don't know how long I'll continue to wear it. It's all in what you are comfortable with. I used to ride my Hayabusa w/o a lid, so I guess I'm still at the "anything is better than nothing" stage. If I was in your shoes, I would just keep it and ride on.

[jonothan]

The whole point of a helmet is to absorb energy on impact.

As the amount of kinetic energy involved in the fall you describe is such a tiny fraction of what the helmet is designed to absorb, I cannot see that there will be any styrofoam deformation of the cushioned inner shell.

I'd be happy wearing it.

Welcome to the board!

Jonothan