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THE HELMET THREAD


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1 minute ago, /Dev/Null said:

I think the description saId overlean....requesting more power than the wheel can provide.  THere are entire threads on avoiding overlean, but TLDR:

- No sudden hard acceleration at high speeds
- Don't ride the wheel to it's limit (exceeding that limit is overlean)
- Make sure you have enough "reserve power" if you hit a bump
- Reduce your speed at low battery

I've been riding for 3 years and never experienced it (knock on wood).  My wheels  are rated for 40km/h (V10) and roughly 60km/h (Nik+).  I ride the V10 with a tiltback at 32km/h and don't go under ~ 40% battery.  I ride the Nik+ at tiltback of about 42km/h and typically ride 35-40km/h and keep the battery above 30%.  No sudden acceleration near my top speeds either.  

THis is the helmet thread so probably better discussed in detail in another thread.  

My bad I was watching the vid in preview so didn’t even think about reading the description. I had an idea it was cutout of some kind. Thanks for your response! 

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  • 1 month later...

Ok, I have officially made the switch from bicycle helmet to MC helmet. Dusted off my old MC helmet and probably should have been wearing this the whole time.

For anyone that is considering a MC helmet, I really like Scorpion. My old MC helmet (out of production EXO 500 ) has a built in sun visor. 

Check em out;
https://www.scorpionusa.com/product-category/helmets/new-helmets/

 

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https://www.headsdontbounce.com/motorcycle-helmets/do-motorcycle-helmets-expire/

 

Helmet manufacturers recommend that you replace your helmet 3 to 5 years from the ‘date of manufacture’. Helmet replacement is also endorsed by the Snell Memorial Foundation which recommends that “motorcycle helmets be replaced after five (5) years of first use, or less if the manufacturer so recommends.”

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17 minutes ago, Paul A said:

https://www.headsdontbounce.com/motorcycle-helmets/do-motorcycle-helmets-expire/

 

Helmet manufacturers recommend that you replace your helmet 3 to 5 years from the ‘date of manufacture’. Helmet replacement is also endorsed by the Snell Memorial Foundation which recommends that “motorcycle helmets be replaced after five (5) years of first use, or less if the manufacturer so recommends.”

Haha, yeah right. I'll replace my $500+ helmet every 3 yrs, when Shoei decided its going to be free(its about 8 yrs old now, looks and feels nearly new). Hell, I have 20 yr old helmets here that feel similar to the day they were new. I also have a couple that are falling to mush from simply sitting. Perhaps a combo deal can be made. Replace a gotway battery pack every year, get a free helmet replacement. My MTB helmet is going on 3 yrs. Its quality is much less, so I can see how it would fall apart within the decade.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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$500 for five years.

$100 for one year.

That is about 27 cents a day.

Seems reasonable price to protect the head and buy a new one every five years.

 

Shoei seems to recommend:

According to Shoei, its helmets should be replaced five years after the purchase date, or seven years after the production date. The production date is on a sticker inside the helmet under the padding near the ear.9 Jan 2013

 

For seven years, the daily cost is about 20 cents.

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Fortnine has some great videos explaining why helmet standards can be worthless. 

Standards: DOT, Snell, ECE, FIM.

DOT and Snell seem to be nonsense.

FIM standard seems to be the best.

 

Manufacturing to standards compliance is self regulated, bit of a joke. 

Random sample testing of helmets showed many failed to meet standards.  

A sticker on a helmet of meeting standards is just a sticker.

 

Fortnine's channel has a great video showing cut in half quality helmets and why they are good.

 

Video of rudimentary test of cheap vs quality helmet.

 

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If there is an impact to head, extremely important to attend hospital for evaluation and observation.

Might seem OK initially.

Brain can swell like a bruise in short time.

Surgery may be required to cut the skull and temporarily remove a section in order to provide room.

Actress Natasha Richardson died from a blow to the head that didn't receive medical attention.

Michael Schumacher, even with helmet, has terrible injury.

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23 hours ago, Paul A said:

$500 for five years.

$100 for one year.

That is about 27 cents a day.

Seems reasonable price to protect the head and buy a new one every five years.

 

Shoei seems to recommend:

According to Shoei, its helmets should be replaced five years after the purchase date, or seven years after the production date. The production date is on a sticker inside the helmet under the padding near the ear.9 Jan 2013

 

For seven years, the daily cost is about 20 cents.

OR.... since I've used it twice in 2 years, its $100+ per wear? Until the materials visibly deteriorate or it looks damaged, I keep mine in play. I have a motocross helmet here thats about 20yrs old. Its still holding shape and I wouldnt hesitate to wear it. I have a generic helmet that the rubber is starting to get sticky. Now that one, is probably junk, but the hard parts are still solid. For pennies a day, I could support a starving child and just keep using my 'old' helmet that wears and looks like new :) Is it obvious I don't make a living selling helmets?Buying new euc batteries each year and an expensive helmet every 5 (per manufacture suggest), I'd be throwing away good parts and money at too fast a rate. This damn helmet cost me over 2 weeks salary! I've also been told to replace a helmet ANYTIME it gets dropped or hit dirt with a head in it. Um... that means I'd be using a 6 pack of helmets for every off road adventure. Reccomendations or reality.... which should I choose? Fwiw, I do enjoy haggling with you @Paul A, you seem like a pretty decent dude :thumbup:. Got any 5yr and 1 day old helmets to sell? Oh wait, is selling used helmets intended for use, legal in the states? You're in Aussie tho, maybe its all good.

DSCN7841.jpg

 

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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Maybe cumulative degradation to helmet from oxidation, UV light, ageing of glues/adhesives, acids in sweat.

The Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) itself seems to be very inert though.

EPS does not degrade or deteriorate throughout its life.

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11 minutes ago, Paul A said:

Maybe cumulative degradation to helmet from oxidation, UV light, ageing of glues/adhesives, acids in sweat.

The Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) itself seems to be very inert though.

EPS does not degrade or deteriorate throughout its life.

I'm assuming the reccomendations are to cover a manufacturers ass. There probably is a slight degredation of impact abosrbtion over time. For legal reasons, the manufacturers adhere to a tight replace schedule. It also doesnt hurt their sales! Some materials are shit after day 3, thats for sure. Then some materials last nearly forever. They also suggest replace if you ever drop a helmet. I prefer to inspect mine and make the decision myself. It took me to the ago of 30, to buy a good helmet. Reality is that I would CRY if i had to throw away an expensive helmet, merely because it sat in its helmet bag for 5 years.  At the end of the day, I would imagine a worn out and half degraded helmet, is still better than nothing. Fwiw, I store my good one in a bag out of the sun in a climate controlled area. Helmets I've had in the past (cheap dirtbike), typically got left laying in dirt and yeah, those got nasty and beat to shit regular. It was a race... will I sweat it out and destroy it with impact and mud first, or will the shit materials simply turn to mush. I wonder how many bike shops are throwing away their 5yr old inventory at a total loss? Ironically, my $20 flea market helmet (looks like a bowl) intended for costume use, looks the same after 25yrs. Granted its just for show, but it still keeps the cops from pulling me over. Priorities man! Worry over a stupid ticket always comes before the worry of actual road protection. I guess my $20 'helmet' protects me from police, which is more likely to be a problem than crashing, or at least more often a problem. Reminds me, I need to print another dot sticker for it, as the other fake one has already worn off.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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Shoei helmet is top end quality, worth the money.

Sorry Shane, wouldn't sell anyone a used helmet.  Everyone's head needs the best protection available.

Everyone's points of view and opinions are important.  Lots of valuable contributions from all members, great forum.:)

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3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Of note, different manufacturers helmets are different shapes. Some are round, some are oval and some fit my egg head. It wasnt until I got older and had a little money to burn, did I realize what a fitting helmet even was. I do like my Shoei, as its the first helmet (and only) I've ever had that actually fits. ignoring  total garbage brands, I think fitment is most important. Finding a great helmet for an euc is kind of tough tho. Moto helmets are bulky and heavy. Without the wind speed to help stabilize them, they can be pretty obtrusive and tiring on the neck. My Shoei is perfect at speed but a damn burden at euc speeds. My wife's helmet is also a Shoei, but she had to go with a different flavor. Her head is like a pumpkin and her seated posture is more upright than mine (as a passenger). Yeah, can't forget about the detail of expected 'riding' posture. "good" helmets have considered posture during wind tunnel testing.

In the end, helmets are like shoes. Finding a good fit is paramount.  Its most important to find one that fits and doesnt impair your vision. Its an added benefit when you feel comfy and they dont create too much wind noise or resistance. I always suggest to go to a store (if there's even such thing as a store anymore), and be ready to try on quite a few.

I totally agree. I've tried a few and settled with the lightest one from Leatt. It's not a winter helmet, but it's really comfortable! 

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On the motorcycle forums I was a part of, helmet discussions were always banned because there was always some guy that said buying a $1k helmet was worth it because your brain was important while others, who weren't quite so rich, understood that nearly all helmets were made to similar standards. I used to always ride bikes with an open face helmet and people would tell me I'd lose my face in a crash yet after nearly 2 dozen crashes (yeah I know) I can still smile. I think the main issue was, that while it was interesting to read what helmets were available, it was always a bit boring to hear people evangelise to others about their life choices. Can we just hear about helmets that people think are good for EUC and that others might be interested in?

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I just ordered a Bell Full-9 fusion in a ridiculous color because it was on clearance on the Bell website.  I’ve had a few Bell helmets and like how they fit. 
 

I got t-boned on my motorcycle 10 years ago and my helmet saved my jaw and face.  I like helmets. :)

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41 minutes ago, The Brahan Seer said:

PROS: Cheap, Well made. SHARP 4Star rating

Wear a £30 helmet if you like, something is better than nothing. Aside from any safety considerations though, I find that helmets in this sort of price range just feel and fit terribly (for me). A bit like the Steelbird Air which I really, really wanted to like, but it's fit and comfort is just awful. Regarding SHARP safety standards:

"Recently Dr. Nigel Mills, a safety engineer from Birmingham University who has worked on helmet testing and designs for 30 years, called for the scrapping of the SHARP rating system on the basis that it was seriously flawed. He cited three key criticisms, and concluded that the current test regime is too simplistic. One of his key criticisms was that headforms used by SHARP don’t accurately simulate the human scalp.

One of the most significant factors was that SHARP decided to use solid headforms for its testing rather than the far more expensive biometric headforms that were recommended by the COST 327 report. The biometric headforms reflect the composition of real heads more accurately, and allow far more realistic measurement of impact absorption.

One of the problems for us with the SHARP regime is that one of the first helmets it tested was a £50 Lazer helmet, to which it awarded its highest accolade of five stars.

Now, we would not wish to be disrespectful to Lazer, and this helmet might truly have been capable of punching well above its weight in terms of safety. But again if a budget helmet scored five stars, then it kind of suggested that this was as good and as safe as a motorcycle helmet could get. And this doesn’t seem credible to us.

At the same time as Sharp tested the Lazer, some much more expensive helmets from brands that were well known in racing circles scored less well. Were these helmets really less safe to wear than the Lazer? Or was there something about the testing methodology that caused it to favour some forms of construction over others?"

Edit: I just re-read this post and realised it may sound a bit sarky which wasn't my intention at all. Just wanted to highlight that many in the industry do not care much for SHARP ratings. But at the minimum it sounds like the helmet fits you well and you are happy with it overall, so all good :)

Edited by Planemo
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It does seem very cloudy. So the upshot is the results from SHARP are meaningless because they don't use the correct methodology. But the methodology they used actually over emphasised the impacts used. Does this sound right?

https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/critical-evaluation-of-the-sharp-motorcycle-helmet-rating(280d89b4-7f74-4b4a-b5b0-a0bf029d7989).html

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I just bought an XL TSG Pass, and while it's just the tiniest bit bigger, it makes all the difference. Now, instead of feeling like it may rip off my ears and face when I put it on, I only feel uncomfortable pressure. 

In related news... anyone want to buy a like-new L TSG Pass in Matte Orange? 

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