May 18th, 2016, 08:23 AM | #1 |
Just sittin on my stool..
Name: Amanda
Location: Bloomington, IN
Join Date: May 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250 Posts: 429
|
helmet question
So I just read somewhere that if you drop your helmet AT ALL you have to replace it. I sat my helmet on my bike at a gas station and the wind knocked it off and sent it roiling a bit. there is a scratch on the top and the visor is scratched but i don't see any other damage. I have an EXO 500 helmet
|
|
May 18th, 2016, 08:42 AM | #2 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
|
A helmet is designed to take a single hit with max protection, but love taps do not really count. I am sure there are some links that provide some numbers of the amount of lbs psi that invalidates the safety ability of a helmet, but in all honesty and reality... if there isn't a fairly decent amount of ninjette members who have dropped their helmet or it fell and used it anyway, then I would be surprised. I have seen many helmets fall from bikes, chairs, benches, car/truck hoods, ect, while at the track. They wear them anyway and.......... they still do their job.
Visually inspect it, take the padding out and check the inner foam layer, be mindful of the fitment over the next few rides. If it, starts to feel different "all of a sudden", then it is junk. There is no real way we can definitively tell you if you need a new one or not, it's gunna be your call based on the inspection and feel. But, if there is a doubt about your gear... ANY of it, helmet or not. Replace it! It's YOUR head.
__________________________________________________
Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
|
May 18th, 2016, 08:45 AM | #3 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Aaron
Location: Winder, GA
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 Posts: 718
|
If there are no cracks in the outer shell and the EPS looks intact, I would agree with Chris that it's likely fine. Helmets are designed to take impacts with a head inside, so small impact like you've described, while not necessarily inconsequential, are typically nothing to worry about beyond a close inspection afterward.
__________________________________________________
DISCLAIMER: I generally have no idea what I'm talking about. |
|
May 18th, 2016, 08:46 AM | #4 | |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Tom
Location: Northern Virginia
Join Date: Jul 2015 Motorcycle(s): 2001 Ninja 250, 2019 Harley Ultra Classic, 2001 Suzuki SV650 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jan '16
|
Snell Foundation says:
Quote:
|
|
2 out of 2 members found this post helpful. |
May 18th, 2016, 09:31 AM | #5 | |
Slower than you.
Name: toEleven
Location: NoVA
Join Date: Oct 2015 Motorcycle(s): CBR600RR, CB750, EX300 (半蔵) Posts: 667
MOTM - May '16
|
Quote:
__________________________________________________
DISCLAIMERv1.0: There may be more info on the topic than this forum post. Conduct your own research. If another thread is linked or quoted, go read it yourself. |
|
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
May 18th, 2016, 09:31 AM | #6 |
Rev Limiter
Name: Jay
Location: WI
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16
|
Damage to the outer shell is one thing, damage to the inner liner is something else.
When a helmet gets an impact with your head inside the liner absorbs the impact by crushing down. When that happens the helmet is junk. With a drop the outer shell takes some impact, but the inner liner does not. I personally think a helmet is fine after a drop, but it's up to you. I absolutely never, ever, set my helmet on the seat or tank. It always sits on the ground or a helmet hook if I take it off. |
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
May 18th, 2016, 11:11 AM | #7 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Jacob
Location: Stockton, CA
Join Date: Dec 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2011 250R SE Posts: 326
|
I believe that Arai's stand is that unless there is a head in the helmet when it falls you're in the clear.
The big concept has already been covered above, it's the EPS foam that saves your head and it doesn't compress when your helmet falls off your bike. On a side note, don't leave your helmet on your bike or hanging from the handle bar. |
|
May 18th, 2016, 02:32 PM | #8 | |
Daily Ninjette rider
Name: Hernan
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16
|
Quote:
Carefully check the pivot points, see if they firmly keep the visor attached to the shell when in the closed position. The top of the tank is a bad spot due to the fumes of gasoline emanating from the vent of the gas cap. See what is inside the helmet, besides your head: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207260
__________________________________________________
Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
|
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
May 19th, 2016, 01:53 PM | #9 |
Old and slow
Name: Lohman
Location: Aiken, S.C.
Join Date: May 2014 Motorcycle(s): Suzuki TL1000R, Honda CBR600F3, Ninja 250 Posts: 889
|
Short answer is no, one drop from gas tank high onto a hard surface does not render the helmet useless.
longer answer. In ages past some people would reuse their helmet after a crash or impact. Most often seen in non-professional racing where bangs and wacks were a normal part of racing and if you didn't have a helmet sponsor... replacing a helmet after every race or few races got expensive. Helmet construction 411. Outer shell, inner expanded foam (super simple). Outer shell protected against penetration of sharp objects, inner foam absorbed energy of the crash and spread the impact over a much larger area of your skull. the outer shells have gone from hard plastic like a foot ball helmet, through a fiber glass type shell, to a Kevlar epoxy resin composite. Modern helmets may use any and all of the above today. My GT-Air has hard plastic with a resin composite under that. EPS (expanded poly styrene) inner shell. This is the same stuff those foam coffee cups are made out of. It absorbs energy and spreads out an impact. so the things that can go wrong... this includes a full on head impacting crash, to... you guessed it, dropping your helmet in the drive way. Outer shell will de-laminate, during an impact. It will be seen as the traditional "spider web" at the impact site. the helmet did it's job, took the wack, it busted instead of your head. Any crack, split, spider web means the helmet has done it's job, but will not be able to do it properly a second or third time... replace. It is also assumed that over time, putting the helmet on and taking it off will apply stress to the outer shell that will de-laminate it a little, reducing it's ability to protect. Manufactures recommend replacement of a helmet after 5 years even if it hasn't sustained an crash impact. (they also like to sell as many $800 helmets as they can) inner shell. EPS will be affected by things like gas fumes, cleaning chemicals, even sweat and that weird hair jell stuff Corksil uses. However EPS can be crushed a little at a time by hard things being placed in your helmet. Putting your helmet on a rear view mirror will put little dents in the EPS over time. Gloves with hard armor on the fingers or knuckles that are stuffed in the helmet over and over again can dent the EPS. As has been said, setting the helmet on the tank (right over the fill/vent) will allow gas fumes to attack the EPS. the better and more expensive the helmet, the more those types of damage over time have been engineered out of the helmet. Hard plastic shell over a composite protect the composite from little dings. Inner liners and comfort pads protect the EPS from dings and damage. that being said... ANY HELMET THAT HAS ACTUALLY SUSTAINED CRASH DAMAGE MUST BE REPLACED. now go and ride safe.
__________________________________________________
|
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
May 19th, 2016, 02:05 PM | #10 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
|
quoted for an achievement later...
i am so behind
__________________________________________________
Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
|
May 19th, 2016, 03:46 PM | #11 |
Old and slow
Name: Lohman
Location: Aiken, S.C.
Join Date: May 2014 Motorcycle(s): Suzuki TL1000R, Honda CBR600F3, Ninja 250 Posts: 889
|
1. I didn't think anyone would actually read all that and... 2. I really didn't think anyone would catch my little Corksil funny. csmith, good eyes and grey cells.
__________________________________________________
|
|
May 19th, 2016, 04:52 PM | #12 | |
I'm crazy,your excuse is?
Name: Winston
Location: Connecticut
Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 250 2007 ninja Posts: A lot.
|
Quote:
|
|
|
May 20th, 2016, 01:09 PM | #13 | |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
|
Quote:
__________________________________________________
Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
|
|
May 20th, 2016, 01:37 PM | #14 |
ninjette.org dude
Name: 1 guess :-)
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 7
|
/moved to Gear
__________________________________________________
Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered) |
|
May 21st, 2016, 07:46 AM | #15 |
I'm crazy,your excuse is?
Name: Winston
Location: Connecticut
Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): 250 2007 ninja Posts: A lot.
|
Here you go and congrats!
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
AFX FX-39 helmet question | rabies | Motorcycle Gear | 4 | October 24th, 2012 06:38 AM |
Helmet Fit Question | miss_syn | Motorcycle Gear | 17 | June 21st, 2012 04:18 AM |
quick helmet question | fenwaynomar45 | Motorcycle Gear | 6 | May 14th, 2010 09:42 AM |
Question about my helmet | tabogon | Motorcycle Gear | 4 | April 20th, 2010 08:53 AM |
Total newb helmet question | ARF07 | Motorcycle Gear | 16 | March 19th, 2009 07:01 PM |
|
|