+1 considering what is at stake here....
CRAAAPP!!
- Thread starter P-Willy
- Start date
el stumpo
Registered
If it's cracked, you've weakened the structure to where it may not provide enough impact protection in the case of another hit.
Look at it this way, if your frame was just a 'little' cracked, would you continue to ride your bike hard (or even ride it at all)? Sooner or later the crack will get bigger until it fails. Same with a helmet.
I would think it's ok, but as Do3 said, How much is your head worth?
cobravenom39
Registered
I think it's junked and you should send it to me.
J/J, I think you're fine, if there's no visual damage.
P.s. If you send it to shoei, don't say you dropped it, say you bought it used and want to have it inspected.
J/J, I think you're fine, if there's no visual damage.
P.s. If you send it to shoei, don't say you dropped it, say you bought it used and want to have it inspected.
Let see if this will help you understand. Most of the protection a helmet has is allowing the head to de-accelerate at a slower rate than the outer shell upon impact. This reduces the amount of "G" forces applied to the brain. Push your finger in a Styrofoam ice chest about a ½ inch and pull it out. The foam will only come part of the way back out. When you go to push it back in the same place it will free travel through the air the first part then hit the foam but that area is not as soft as it was before. So it has not absorbed that energy as well.
The outer shell prevents penetration of the helmet by sharp objects and spreads the force a bit to the outside surface of the inner styrofoam shell. An impact will cause the outer shell to flex pushing on the inner shell. Because we can not see the inner shell we do not know how much of the life the Styrofoam inner shell gave up to absorb first impact. The actual damage is hidden. There may be a void between the outer shell and the inner liner at that one point. I understand one way of checking it is using a sonic device that looks for these voids.
What is the chance the next impact will be in the same spot? There is some controversy over this in the helmet testing standards. Most think two impacts in the same place in the same accident would be unlikely"¦..in a motorcycle accident. Because the standards evolved from auto racing standards where it was more likely to have multiple impacts in the same area"¦ there is some argument on the testing standard.
It takes a pretty good hit to damage one, but it is possible. A 6 foot drop on a smooth surface should result in minimal damage, but there still could be some. Hitting smooth carpeted floor should reduce the chances.
It has been several years but I have sent in a few helmets to Shoei and Bell. Received a free replacement once, a couple back saying they were fine and one cut into two pieces. Back then I don't think they even charged for shipping. I took enough of a hit with one that I saw stars and missed 3 of 7 laps on a cross country race. When I say I missed 3 "¦. I actually ran the 3 laps, I just could not under stand why the checkered flag was there. It only had a small scuff, and it came back in two pieces. Since I quit riding/racing dirt bikes my helmets do not get as much abuse as they used to.
The inner layer can also be damaged by time, chemicals, gas fumes, ozone and other things.
For P-Willy,
All that said"¦ I'm no expert in the field so I'm not going to tell you one way or the other what YOU should do. With what you said here I myself would wear it. However it is your head, you have to decide to accept the risk yourself.
+1 on what Professor said
what GM siad...you will be ok...if not sure call the manufacture and ask them at what impact does it take to crak one of thier helmets they should be able to tell ya or the website might have info on this.
+1000mannn i'd be sic too. i personally baby my lid for the reason i don't want it falling to the ground. i never place it on my seat or handle bar ends, always on the helmet lock, floor if i'm by the bike, or carry it. i never wear my lid half way on my head because i dont want a headache from the snug fit, or stretching out the fit over time.
good idea to send it to shoei to have it checked out.
i'm 50/50 on scrappin' or savin'.
Love my arai sinister...it goes from my head, to a firm grip in my hand, to a nice solid level area only...only 3 places it's ever been.
If no visible damage I'd wear it... but check it very carefully and suspect anything that could be a crack. So, if you have a crack, I would not ride because they say riding while under the influence causes problems.
Seriously, I'd wear it, but the ultimate decision has to be yours.
Seriously, I'd wear it, but the ultimate decision has to be yours.
This almost should have been a poll topic.
I vote for wear it - it's fine.
I vote for wear it - it's fine.
Try this to establish the idea in your head of what one impact does to the next.
Ride your bike at 20 miles per hour while carying a water mellon. It will bounce when dropped than when it hits the ground following the initial impact it will explode.
I did this once to show my son the value of a helmet when he didn't want to wear one during his extreme skating.
He and I both have Arai RX-7 Corsair lids because we are worth the protection they offer for the first impact. Thank god we haven't had to test them.
No matter weather someone is in the business of selling helmets or not, Trust in the lid is ultimately up to the rider.
If you ask the manufacturer you will get the "best to replace" answer for sure. If you research MSF, DOT and Snell recommendations they all say the same, best to replace if dropped. I am a MSF Rider Coach and we teach new riders to place their lids on the ground, not to hang them or set them on a bike.
Safety is the key, wearing it is likely better than wearing nothing, but not as good as replacing it. Just like getting on the bike in the first place, or excepting risk at race track speeds, Risk is the option of the rider acceptance level.
Myself or my son would get another we are worth the $$ most definately.
I've also heard the horror stories of dropped helmets but i could never verify if anyone actually came to harm from a dropped helmet. I know it's easy to say "Yeah, but what if it's broken...." It depends on the circumstance, a drop on a carpeted floor did no damage. Helmets are built better than that.
But, in some small percentage, there is a chance that some damage may a happened. There's always a chance at anything and i agree people are worth the money spent to insure their safety. That is if it really needs to be spent in the first place.
But, in some small percentage, there is a chance that some damage may a happened. There's always a chance at anything and i agree people are worth the money spent to insure their safety. That is if it really needs to be spent in the first place.
Haya01B
Registered
I thought the same thing about if you drop your lid from more than a certain heigt that you would have to replace it. That is crap. Just a trick to get you to run out and buy another $500 lid.
Think of it this way. If that lid can't live through a 4' to 5' or so fall from stand still, what can it do for you if you are tumbling around and repeatedly striking your head on pavement. If that were the case you would be better off with a Wally World lid for around $50.
Think of it this way. If that lid can't live through a 4' to 5' or so fall from stand still, what can it do for you if you are tumbling around and repeatedly striking your head on pavement. If that were the case you would be better off with a Wally World lid for around $50.
I think if you could "hear" what the impact sounded like, it would be easier to "arm chair" this discussion.. what I mean is if it hit hard, you would certainly hear the solid "thud" of the lid landing vs. a lighter hit that might even sound like more of a bounce than a break...
certainly no one here would condone wearing a cracked or damaged helmet.. with that in mind, it is impossible for me to say "wear it" no matter how high it may have fallen from, just not a decision to be made by someone not standing there when it happened..
Helmets do make a sound when they land.(Dropped a few over the years like I am sure many have) guess it is like thumping a mellon and knowing if it is alive or not..
Prudent posters say, inspect.....
certainly no one here would condone wearing a cracked or damaged helmet.. with that in mind, it is impossible for me to say "wear it" no matter how high it may have fallen from, just not a decision to be made by someone not standing there when it happened..
Helmets do make a sound when they land.(Dropped a few over the years like I am sure many have) guess it is like thumping a mellon and knowing if it is alive or not..
Prudent posters say, inspect.....
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