Dropping helmets

[sauluk]

I was told that if you dropped a helmet you had to replace it, I just dropped mine in the underground car park, combo of dry hands and suede! from about knee height and it landed on the top. D just made a small tarmac scuff do I have to replace it?? I understand if it falls off your bike as its a bit higher but knee height?

[Dangerous Dave]

According to all the guidelines, yes you should, as you can't see if it caused any damage to the impact protection lays. It may not have caused any protection damage, but is that a risk you are willing to take?

[arenalife]

Very unlikely damaged unless it was the crappest helmet ever, I've dropped mine a few times about that far but I'm an idiot so don't even listen to me.

[xXBADGERXx]

Most damage occurs to lids when there is a weight inside it like a head . From knee height you may have scuffed it and not actually done any structural damage to it , But its a grey area to say the least and you have to decide what risk to yourself can be had from not replacing this lid .

[sauluk]

Thought that might be the answer, it's an Arai so i'd certainly hope there'd be no damage to inlays. I'll keep it until after I get new jacket and trousers as at the moment other protection is lacking. Is Hein Gericke textile stuff okay? I'd be wearing for commuting, I doubt I'll be doing any 'spirited' runs, not for a while yet anyway.

[Nobbylad]

I've found Hein Gericke particularly crap at customer service, however I'm sure there's a few on here who have had good experiences.

I've dropped my lid a few times too, I'm hoping it'll still be OK :(

[custard]

alledgedly an arai will take a couple of impacts like that in the same place before it is sturcturally unsound...

if you take it back to where you bought it the can send it back to arai to be checked, unless you bought it from J&S who apparently sell foreign imports...

[sauluk]

I think customer service is very specific to the worker. I went to the one in Cardiff and on two occasions they couldn't have had more time for me, really helpful and gave lots of advice, it was quiet mind. I was asking about how good their gear was really, how does it fair up?

[Biker Biggles]

I thought you could take an Arai into any Arai dealer for inspection and a damage check?
Either way I doubt if your lid wes damaged by a small drop like that.I think one of the mags did a test on a few lids and found none of them were damaged by bigger impacts than that.Was it Ride???

[AmigaNut]

I think customer service is very specific to the worker. I went to the one in Cardiff and on two occasions they couldn't have had more time for me, really helpful and gave lots of advice, it was quiet mind. I was asking about how good their gear was really, how does it fair up?


I found the Leicester Branch very helpful, but then again he was trying to sell me a £500 rain coat!:p

[madness]

I doubt if any damage has occured. To Damage the polystyrene shock absorbing part it would have to be compressed between the head and the shell during impact or the shell would have to deform to damage it. I doubt that dropping it from knee height would deform the shell at all. But having said all that, it's your head and you have to decide whether to carry on using it.

[chasey]

As already said, if you bought it from an Arai dealer then take it in and they will send it away for inspection.

I was taking to a guy in Leeds HG and he said they use some form of Xray type thing. Also went on to say that a Viper GT which had had all the graphic on one side scrapped off in an accident came back as fit for use.

No harm in getting htem to send it in and see what they say. Better to be safe than sorry :)

[jimmy-james]

I thought you could take an Arai into any Arai dealer for inspection and a damage check?
Either way I doubt if your lid wes damaged by a small drop like that.I think one of the mags did a test on a few lids and found none of them were damaged by bigger impacts than that.Was it Ride???

+1 my girlfriends parents had there Arai inspected FOC after a low speed off.

[Dave20046]

arai do free testing on the lids incase you have damaged it if you have the receipt and it's not imported.

[Dave20046]

I hit my a*s bionic back protector when I crashed I think. it was from about the height of the roof of a car to the road - do I need to replace it?

[muffles]

I doubt if any damage has occured. To Damage the polystyrene shock absorbing part it would have to be compressed between the head and the shell during impact or the shell would have to deform to damage it. I doubt that dropping it from knee height would deform the shell at all. But having said all that, it's your head and you have to decide whether to carry on using it.

+1

Think about how the helmet works in a hit - the inner foam part compresses between your head and the hard outer shell. The outer shell doesn't compress in, your head 'compresses' out (or at least, it's not the intention & shouldn't do significantly unless your whole head has been purified).

[Stig]

I have some advice for you. Don't drop it. :wink: Hope that helps...

[AndyL]

I heard that a drop from bike seat height is the equivalent of a crash at 30mph.

[muffles]

I heard that a drop from bike seat height is the equivalent of a crash at 30mph.

You could work it out, you just need to figure out how fast the helmet will be travelling.

Of course that ignores the (very important) fact that nothing is generally inside the helmet when you drop it off your bike...

Who told you this?

[Dangerous Dave]

I heard that a drop from bike seat height is the equivalent of a crash at 30mph.
But the helmet does not have the weight of your head in it, gravity will not replicate that at low height.

Personally I would replace the helmet, two big offs and I have never sustained any serious head injury so I appreciate the importance of a 100% helmet.

[muffles]

Also didn't one of the magazines do a test where they discovered a helment had to be dropped from at least ~3 metres to cause damage to warrant replacement? That's one tall bike ;)

[Dangerous Dave]

Also didn't one of the magazines do a test where they discovered a helment had to be dropped from at least ~3 metres to cause damage to warrant replacement? That's one tall bike ;)
Yeah, think it was Ride.

[AndyL]

You could work it out, you just need to figure out how fast the helmet will be travelling.

Of course that ignores the (very important) fact that nothing is generally inside the helmet when you drop it off your bike...

Who told you this?

The weight of the item does not determine its acceleration due to gravity (this is fixed at 9.81m/s2). The weight does however affect the terminal velocity, but over such a short distance I dont think the helmet would reach its terminal velocity anyway. God damn, thats the first time my physics lesson's have come in handy, lol :D

[Dangerous Dave]

God damn, thats the first time my physics lesson's have come in handy, lol :D
Thought it was common sense?

[AndyL]

But the helmet does not have the weight of your head in it, gravity will not replicate that at low height.

Personally I would replace the helmet, two big offs and I have never sustained any serious head injury so I appreciate the importance of a 100% helmet.

+1, a good helmet is the first and most important bit of protection for the bike rider.



Think about it, you wouldnt jump out of a plane if you werent certain that the paracute worked 100%!!

[AndyL]

Thought it was common sense?


Only for us smart ones, lol. :study:

[muffles]

The weight of the item does not determine its acceleration due to gravity (this is fixed at 9.81m/s2). The weight does however affect the terminal velocity, but over such a short distance I dont think the helmet would reach its terminal velocity anyway. God damn, thats the first time my physics lesson's have come in handy, lol :D

Ignoring air resistance, right?

The main thing I think is the stopping though - that's where the "nothing inside" comes in ;)

I'd definitely agree if you can't get it confirmed good (X-ray) then it's probably a better idea to get a new one...

[AndyL]

Ignoring air resistance, right?


Correct

[muffles]

Correct


I can do science, me!

[jaffacakes]

Get it x-rayed!

[Nicky S]

I was told that if you dropped a helmet you had to replace it, I just dropped mine in the underground car park, combo of dry hands and suede! from about knee height and it landed on the top. D just made a small tarmac scuff do I have to replace it?? I understand if it falls off your bike as its a bit higher but knee height?

rules say yes. but i droped my helmet many a times and it saved me on friday but it is ****ed now so id say no but it is ur call it ur head