Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always heard that if you drop your helmet, especially hard enough to knock a big chip of paint off, you should get a new helmet. You could have small cracks that won't hold up in a wreck.

 

you might be right, but it only fell from arms length to ground so maybe 2.5 feet...must have been a ****ty paint job, because I was going to tape off the flames on it and repaint the other, but when I took the tape off it pulled more paint, and I used the proper tape....

I have seen others drop helmets and absolutely nothing happens to them...

 

Mine fell off the seat, not a scratch on it,.............I'm not rich but I still replaced it.
I didn't want to take the chance, you never know?

 

I have been told many times that a helmet is good for ONE impact and anythnig more than 3 feet counts, so you may want to think about replacing rather than painting. same rules apply to the age of a helmet, replace after 5 years as the interior can start to break down and there is no way of knowing until it is tested in an impact.


Better safe than dead.

 

Check this out, decals:
Streetglo Reflective Helmet flame decal and helmet flame decal kits in reflective helmet sticker graphics.

 

As much as you don't want to hear it, you really ought to go purchase a new helmet... unless you are one of those guys who rides in a t-shirt, sandals and shorts; in that case there isn't much more damage to be done.
Check your state as the MSF may accept dropped helmets for use as loaners while doing the rider training.

 

I'm not trying to be a smart A**, and I'm surely not an expert on helmets by any means, but replace a helmet after dropping it 3 feet, or arms length??!!! Did you guys ever see a video of the testing labs where a helmet is subjected to repeated blows by a machine to test it's strength??? Do you really think that a helmet would get DOT approval if it couldn't take more than one impact? Think about what you are saying. If you hit the pavement and your head bounces off the ground a couple of times, do you really think the helmet will break after the first hit? Have you ever seen a helmet break after falling from 3 feet? Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that you should just throw helmets around..... and I wouldn't reuse one that was involved in a hard impact like an accident where it is slammed against the pavement but to replace it after dropping it from 3 feet ONE time seems pretty paranoid to me unless you dropped it on a steel spike!! Gee, I wonder if the helmet manufacturers/ retailers/ distributers had anything to do with this paranoia? Sounds like it would make a good episode for Myth Busters! ..................I'll bet you guys buy extended warranties too!
Again I apologize if I'm sounding like a skeptic...but to each their own, If it makes you feel safer...it's your money!!

 

Check this video link of testing af a Snell Helmet and draw your own conclusions:
YouTube - Snell Helmet Testing with LabVIEW and CompactDAQ

 

More information on replacing a helmet. Again draw your own conclusions.
Questions

 

Many, many years ago, in a state called PA, it was illegal to paint a helmet as it may diminish the shell. Of course that was before polycarbonate.

 

Yep, I would never advocate painting a helmet without consulting the manufacturer, or State laws. Too many different types of paint out there with different chemical compositions which could be detrimental to the helmet...not a good thing. But I wouldn't throw one away because I scratched it either. Besides, scratches give it character!

 

Sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you Don. Aside from helmet laws requiring its use and certification, the condition of protective gear is up to each individual. I look at it from this perspective- I would rather be out a couple hundred bucks than risk having a helmet fail when I needed it most. My sport/racing leathers on the other hand have more than a few scuffs and scratches for character... Like you said, draw your own conclusions.

For the record, I don't buy extended warranties.

 

Dang going by what you guys are saying I should of replaced mine 7 times last year.
1st time for the cat knocking it off the kitchen table
2nd n 3rd for falling off my bike seat
4th for when it slipped out of my hand and fell the 2-1/2 ft to the ground
5th n 6th when my daughter dropped it putting it away for me
7th when at school a guy knocked it off the table with his back pack
would of been one expensive as heck year for me!!
Sorry but if it can't take that little bit of knocking around and still keep its integrity then it must not be as safe a devise as they say and there would be no point to wearing it then:roll:

 

They are in fact designed for a single major impact to one specific location.

What is the grey area is the definition of major.

Off roaders have a ritual where every new lid is intentionally dropped on the garage floor. The general feeling is that an impact great enough to cause a concussion, however minor, warrants replacement of the lid.

Minor concussion? When it "rings your bell"... any kind of ear ringing (I should say abnormal ear ringing for those of us who live with it from too many years of rock and roll) is indicative of a concussive event.


Dropping your lid from a tabletop is not likely to damage it in a way that would reduce it's level of protection to the point that it would make a difference between "walking away" and serious injury/death.

 

You can always have a helmet tested to see if the integerity is still there after a minor drop. Arai will do their helmets for free, and I'm sure other manufactures do it as well, some may charge for the test. At least you'll have the piece of mind that your lid is still safe, of course you'll need a secondary helmet while it's away being tested.

 

They are in fact designed for a single major impact to one specific location.

What is the grey area is the definition of major.

Off roaders have a ritual where every new lid is intentionally dropped on the garage floor. The general feeling is that an impact great enough to cause a concussion, however minor, warrants replacement of the lid.

Minor concussion? When it "rings your bell"... any kind of ear ringing (I should say abnormal ear ringing for those of us who live with it from too many years of rock and roll) is indicative of a concussive event.


Dropping your lid from a tabletop is not likely to damage it in a way that would reduce it's level of protection to the point that it would make a difference between "walking away" and serious injury/death.

Well all I can say to that is, "You can drop your helmet from a table all you want". Heck you can even play soccer with it.
I'm talking "Full Face" helmet, not these little "Bennie" things.
For me, a drop is a drop and I will replace it.

 

Dang going by what you guys are saying I should of replaced mine 7 times last year.
1st time for the cat knocking it off the kitchen table
2nd n 3rd for falling off my bike seat
4th for when it slipped out of my hand and fell the 2-1/2 ft to the ground
5th n 6th when my daughter dropped it putting it away for me
7th when at school a guy knocked it off the table with his back pack
would of been one expensive as heck year for me!!
Sorry but if it can't take that little bit of knocking around and still keep its integrity then it must not be as safe a devise as they say and there would be no point to wearing it then:roll:

Well all I can say to that is, "You can drop your helmet from a table all you want". Heck you can even play soccer with it.
I'm talking "Full Face" helmet, not these little "Bennie" things.
For me, a drop is a drop and I will replace it.

So...Pooker, if your helmet had been dropped 7 times in one season as SpectreMan1's had then you would have purchased a new one each time? Just curious is all.

How many times have we all hit those sharp edged potholes, steel edges etc., with our bikes and cars and never even bothered to look at what possible damage could have been done. There may have been some damage done but even if we looked we might not notice anything. Some of us might have those tires changed...most would not. Would we have our tires tested? Perhaps there is a way to do that, I don't know but I have a hard time believing any tire dealer would take a look at a used tire and guarantee you it is safe. Hitting these edges only 7 times in one season would probably be a dream come true for those who put lots of miles on every year. It can be expensive to feel as safe as possible. Some folks are able to do that but a good number of us have to do the best we can with good maintenance and try and practise good riding/driving techniques.

 

So...Pooker, if your helmet had been dropped 7 times in one season as SpectreMan1's had then you would have purchased a new one each time? Just curious is all.

How many times have we all hit those sharp edged potholes, steel edges etc., with our bikes and cars and never even bothered to look at what possible damage could have been done. There may have been some damage done but even if we looked we might not notice anything. Some of us might have those tires changed...most would not. Would we have our tires tested? Perhaps there is a way to do that, I don't know but I have a hard time believing any tire dealer would take a look at a used tire and guarantee you it is safe. Hitting these edges only 7 times in one season would probably be a dream come true for those who put lots of miles on every year. It can be expensive to feel as safe as possible. Some folks are able to do that but a good number of us have to do the best we can with good maintenance and try and practise good riding/driving techniques.

Well if you must know, for starters Yes I would replace the helmet, even 7 times.(bad luck is bad luck)
My car, if I run over a nail I replace the tire. Yes, if I ran over 10 nails then I would buy ten tires.(again bad luck). If a shock needs replacing, I replace all 4.
Bottom line; I don't paint my helmet, I replace it.
I don't plug a tire I replace it.
My stuff is well maintained and so is my gear.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always heard that if you drop your helmet, especially hard enough to knock a big chip of paint off, you should get a new helmet. You could have small cracks that won't hold up in a wreck.

same here

 

Well if you must know, for starters Yes I would replace the helmet, even 7 times.(bad luck is bad luck)
My car, if I run over a nail I replace the tire. Yes, if I ran over 10 nails then I would buy ten tires.(again bad luck). If a shock needs replacing, I replace all 4.
Bottom line; I don't paint my helmet, I replace it.
I don't plug a tire I replace it.
My stuff is well maintained and so is my gear.

Wow.... replace a tire instead of plugging!!!!......Where do you work? I want your job!!!!! Luck??.............there is no such thing!

 

Dropped the Helmet

Very interesting discussion and I've thought about this myself, when my ARAI FF helmet fell from my bike. With the way it fell, it looked like it did not do any damage and luckily it fell in the garage concrete - no scratches.

Personally, I decided not to replace the helmet since the fall did not look very significant to me.

 

Pirate,
Upset me?.....I'm not upset in the least. I'm just offering my 2 cents on the issue as the people who posted before me had. I guess I rubbed a couple of people the wrong way as I'm not always as tactful as I should be. But telling a guy he ".......really ought to go purchase a new helmet....." because of a paint chip is not exactly what I would call good advice. Telling him to make sure there is no structural damage and if he's not sure to send it back to the manufacturer for inspection would have been better advise. Like I said earlier... if it makes you feel safer, go for it. It's your money. Meanwhile, I'll have my opinion based on information from the manufacturers, (not paranoia) and feel safe too knowing that I'm also using safe gear. A paint chip is a paint chip...structural damage is structural damage.. when in doubt send it back to the manufacturer for evaluation. Or if you have Pookers money, buy a new one! Oh and by the way....I do ride in a T-Shirt (but not sandals and shorts) so I guess in your opinion "there isn't much more damage that can be done". Oh, and by the way I live in a helmet free state (PA) but choose to wear one anyway (Fullface). For some strange reason, I value my head and face more than the skin on my arms and torso. The only reason I wear long pants is so I don't get exhaust burn or a wayward stinging insect up my shorts leg!!! Not because I am afraid of road rash. I dress for the ride, not the slide. BUT THATS MY CHOICE and I don't need preached to about safety gear anymore than someone telling me I ought to replace a helmet just because I dropped it from 3 feet!!!!!

 

deleted, don't want to go there!

I will say better to not have an accident then depend on a helmet. Its false security. You want safe, buy a Volvo.

Tj

 

Wow.... replace a tire instead of plugging!!!!......Where do you work? I want your job!!!!! Luck??.............there is no such thing!

Plugging tires is a bit different. Even based on the most liberal advice, the tire should never be plugged more than twice, and never more than once in any given quadrant.
With the installation of ONE plug, the tire should not be taken over 80mph.

There's just too much of a risk of belt damage that could cause the tire to fail.
In the case of a lid, there's no belts, and we're not talking about a pucture. It's a shell with foam. The foam is what is protecting you and if it is not compressed, it'll do it's job.

 

deleted, don't want to go there!

I thought it was a very good response and right on the money.