How long does a helmet last?

[DouglasR]

I've got a Shoei helmet that I just love, but darned if it doesn't smell a lot like my Labrador retriever after a nice swim..... I tried some Parks Helmet and Gear Freshener, good stuff, it smells a lot better but I think the issue goes beyond the liner fabric and padding .

 

It got me to wondering:

 

How long does a good quality helmet last? I've had this one for about three years and have done about 25,000 miles with it parked on my sweaty head. It's never been dropped or been in an accident. Do the materials it's made of break down and become less effective over time from exposure to moisture, sunlight, heat, cold, etc.?

 

I've never put that many hours/miles on with a dirtbike helmet and they usually get beat up pretty fast anyway by their nature, so I don't have a lot of experience with owning a helmet that has seen this much wear in three years.

 

Thanks in advance for your insight!

 

Doug

[Les is more]

Here are the thoughts of the folks at the Snell Foundation.

 

http://www.smf.org/faqs.html

 

"Why replace helmet every five years?

The five year replacement recommendation is a consensus position from both the helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other materials used in helmet production can affect liner materials, and general liner deterioration as a function of hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics, and normal "wear and tear" all contribute to helmet degradation. Additionally, experience indicates there will be a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over a five year period due to advances in materials, design and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five year helmet replacement is a judgment call stemming from prudent safety philosophy. "

[DouglasR]

Five years??? Maybe I need some noseplugs to go along with my ear plugs .

 

Thanks for the link, Les!

[jgrant]

You might get a helmet with a removable liner next. Mine has one and I love the fact that I can take it out, wash it, put it back in, and it smells like new!

[bes]

GIVE IT A BATH per our fearless mod (Fernando) CLEAN washbasin filled with gently warmed water and cap-full of woolite. Soak and swish, drain multiple times with fresh water, put outside to dry. Worked like a charm on my Shoei.

[RFW]

Here are the thoughts of the folks at the Snell Foundation. [snipped]

 

Fairly weak CYA arguments as far as I'm concerned. Time has little to do with it. Amount of use may, however. The expanded polystyrene liner is actually quite resistant to most of the stuff they refer to. The Lexan shell is much more solvent sensitive, but usually it sees no expposure to anything significant.

 

This is a little like the "slow to.." signs in a curve. They are usually intended for the worst case situation (grandma rounding the curve in a Model-T, in a rainstorm).

 

Similarly, I'll bet this recommendation of replacement every 5 years "just to be safe" is also based on the worst case scenario of someone with really greasy hair using the helmet for hours a day.

 

Further, the Snell Foundation's single-minded emphasis on protecting riders from high speed impacts that are only a near-insignificant proportion of all accidents, resulting in more danger to the vast majority of riders involved in more normal collisions, makes their opinions a bit suspect.

 

Bob.

[russell_bynum]

Further, the Snell Foundation's single-minded emphasis on protecting riders from high speed impacts that are only a near-insignificant proportion of all accidents, resulting in more danger to the vast majority of riders involved in more normal collisions, makes their opinions a bit suspect.

 

Huh?

[Dave McReynolds]

Quote:

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Further, the Snell Foundation's single-minded emphasis on protecting riders from high speed impacts that are only a near-insignificant proportion of all accidents, resulting in more danger to the vast majority of riders involved in more normal collisions, makes their opinions a bit suspect.

 

 

 

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Huh?

 

 

 

I think what he means is that the Snell standards aim to protect against a maximum impact accident, which means that the structure of the helmet may not be optimal for lesser impacts. In other words, you may not get as high a level of protection from a Snell rated helmet in lower impact crashes as you would from a DOT rated helmet because the higher impact resistance of the Snell rated helmets transmits more of the shock to your head. As an extreme example, imagine covering your head with a pillow and having someone lightly tap you on the head; you would feel it less than you would in a Snell rated helmet.

 

I have read arguments in the motorcycle press about what would be the optimal level of protection from the most likely motorcycle crashes, and the opinion of some is that protecting against exteme impact is not optimal, in that more head trauma is likely from such a helmet in lesser crashes, and you would be likely to die from other causes in the more extreme crashes anyway.

 

I really haven't formed an opinion about this myself.

[Mike O]

Doug,

 

Here's the Best way to wash a helmet thread.

 

I have a Shoei and this works well. I do this several times during the summer. I also use a product, I believe is called Helmet Fresh.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[russell_bynum]

I think what he means is that the Snell standards aim to protect against a maximum impact accident, which means that the structure of the helmet may not be optimal for lesser impacts. In other words, you may not get as high a level of protection from a Snell rated helmet in lower impact crashes as you would from a DOT rated helmet because the higher impact resistance of the Snell rated helmets transmits more of the shock to your head. As an extreme example, imagine covering your head with a pillow and having someone lightly tap you on the head; you would feel it less than you would in a Snell rated helmet.

 

I have read arguments in the motorcycle press about what would be the optimal level of protection from the most likely motorcycle crashes, and the opinion of some is that protecting against exteme impact is not optimal, in that more head trauma is likely from such a helmet in lesser crashes, and you would be likely to die from other causes in the more extreme crashes anyway.

 

I really haven't formed an opinion about this myself.

 

Ah. That's a logical argument.

[Robp]

I just replaced one after 6 years - just thought it was time...that and that it reeked...