Do I need to get a new helmet?

I fear I do. Here's the situation:

Bike is in a shop halfway between work and home. I left my helmet and gear in the back of my minivan figuring thatI'd pick the bike up on the way home, leave the van and come back for van tonight. Left my office and went to the car. Opened the back hatch of the van to put the briefcase in (which is odd since I always put on the back seat). Well, the crap I keep in the back must have shifted a bit and the helmet must have wound up leaning against the door because, as the hatch opened the helmet rolled out, fell @18-24 inches onto the parking lot, bounced in the air a few inches and I caught it on the bounce. No visisble damage but I've heard you guys talking about any drop as being cause to buy a new one and chucking the old one. Was my 24 inch drop a likely a fatal one for my full-face HJC? And, if so, any recommendations on an affordable yet reliable full-face?

If no visible damage...it is ok imho...no worries, it happens.

Grain of salt...this advice comes from a guy who has only owned one helmet that did not come from a pawn shop or garage sale...ie cheap! :whistle:

I bought a nice, lightly used Shoei recently and love it. First nice helmet I ever owned. :laugh:

It's your head but I'd have no worries about post bounce performance relative to pre bounce.

If get a new one...what size is the old one

the manufacturer will check it out for free ir you ship it to them.
either case, $100-$300 is cheap insurance

i went over the handlebars on the 4-wheeler and put two stress cracks on my $300 shoei.
right where the piece is that goes around your mouth/chin.
i tossed it because i didn't trust it nomore.

my two cents?
get a new one

Post edited by: kawsakiman, at: 2007/05/21 22:06

It's the hairline cracks that can develop in the helmet shell itself and can't be seen that cause a dropped helmet to become useless. And the easiest and best way to find/see them is to have the helmet x-rayed by someone (a helmet manufacturer) who knows how, and what to look for.

FWIW, the paint will flex/stretch slightly further than the material the shells are made of, therefore can hide those hairline cracks.

Like kawsakiman recommended, check with HJC (or any of the larger helmet manufacturers - Shoei, Arai, etc.) and see if they will examine it for damage. Some maufacturers offer this service, some don't. No guarantees it will be free either, but you won't know that until you contact them.

From the Snell site, www.smf.org/faqs.html#15 :

I dropped my helmet! Do I have to go buy a new one?
Generally the answer is probably not. Helmets are one use items, but are quite durable otherwise, at least the ones we certify. Frequent dropping or spiking a helmet on the ground, or other hard surfaces may eventually degrade the helmet's performance. Similarly if the helmet falls to the ground at highway speeds unoccupied the owner must be aware that some degradation may have occurred. In general the real damage comes when the helmet contacts an object with a head inside. The Foundation recommends that if you are participating in an activity that requires that you wear a helmet, that you avoid hitting stuff with your head. It can be difficult to readily determine if a helmet has been damaged, and the protective capabilities compromised without a thorough inspection by a trained professional. Some manufacturers may provide this service or direct you to these others that can perform these inspections. The Foundation recommends that if you suspect your helmet may be compromised, then replace it. If the helmet has been involved in an impact while in use, replace it.

better answer than any or us!
thanks pumps!

The foam inside the helmet is likely to be still intact(not compressed) so its still good. The foam can break down over time though because of sweat and things like that. But the foam is what does all of the bump protection and the plastic shell is for impact dissipation and abrasion resistance.

pumps wrote:

From the Snell site, www.smf.org/faqs.html#15 :

.....The Foundation recommends that if you are participating in an activity that requires that you wear a helmet, that you avoid hitting stuff with your head......

Ya think? :pinch: :S

Sorry, that was just to good of a statement to pass up! :woohoo: :silly: :laugh:

Great link and info pimps! Thanks for posting it.

I did a WHOLE lot of reading when I bought a helmet. :woohoo:

Pumps- Thanks for the post. It's a Snell certified helmet. Without getting into the Snell vs. DOT helmet debate I've seen here a few times, I'll take Snell's word for it. If nothing else they know far better than I do.

To everyone else, thanks for your input. I think I'm going to hold off through the season and buy a new one after the season.

It's probably OK, how old is it? They recommend a new one every five years. Might be a good excuse to start shopping for a new one anyway and wear it in the mean time.