Five-year helmet lifespan?

[Brasco]

Curious to know what others think about the general recommendation to replace your helmet every five years. Can understand that helmet manufacturers recommend this for obvious $$$$ reasons but you'll see this advice from motorcycle safety foundations too, and they wouldn't have any direct financial interest in seeing more helmets sold. There's so many variables involved -- seems like the key thing here is miles ridden versus age of helmet sitting on a shelf. In fact, who knows how long a helmet has been in a store before you buy it, which makes the five-year rule of thumb kind of a crap shoot. Any thoughts out there on this?

[Steve 0080]

I call BS on this one.... others may disagree .... unless you drop it or store it in the sun not sure what can go wrong with it...JMHO

[Ixol Phaane]

I call BS on this one.... others may disagree .... unless you drop it or store it in the sun not sure what can go wrong with it...JMHO

+1

Maybe I'm just ignorant of the facts here, but I agree w Steve... BS... unless the helmet has been stressed (dropped, crashed or otherwise).
Having said that, we do know that some materials will deteriorate in UV and heat... glues, plastics and laminates, for example. So maybe that's the rub. :shrug:

[Phantom]

Just curious …. How do Body Oils from your scalp over time effect the styrofoam material in the helmet?

[SimonTemplar]

Just curious …. How do Body Oils from your scalp over time effect the styrofoam material in the helmet?

Might cause a breakdown of the softer foam padding of the liner (in extreme cases)......but the actual styrofoam impact absorption filler, naaah.




....sT

[shooter]

I agree with Simon. They put that Styrofoam under a boat dock in a nasty lake and its still there 20 years later. What's my scalp gonna do to it. I could see Stro. He only takes a bath on the even number Saturdays.

[jm21ddd15]

I agree with Simon. They put that Styrofoam under a boat dock in a nasty lake and its still there 20 years later. What's my scalp gonna do to it. I could see Stro. He only takes a bath on the even number Saturdays.

:lolup: Good one! Hope you and Stro are good buddies.

[shooter]

Step cousin , twice removed. You can't pick family.

[Nero]

I usually change my helmets out every 3 or 4 years. Unless of course it was dropped. I live in Arizona and for many years I kept my helmets in my garage. I had a beautiful Suomi that I wore for many years, after 5 years the interior of the helmet was just crumbling. I now keep my helmets indoors, tremendous heat build up just destroys the inner liner, don't know about the styrofoam however.

[TailGunner]

it boils down to liability

[shooter]

My Shoei's are factory warranted for five years. Might have something to do with that.

[willtill]

I usually change my helmets out every 3 or 4 years. Unless of course it was dropped. I live in Arizona and for many years I kept my helmets in my garage. I had a beautiful Suomi that I wore for many years, after 5 years the interior of the helmet was just crumbling. I now keep my helmets indoors, tremendous heat build up just destroys the inner liner, don't know about the styrofoam however.


I have dropped my helmets very infrequently over the years. Normally it doesn't ever seem to be a hard impact with the ground. I know many of you will say that you cannot see the interior of the helmet's Styrofoam structure and inspect for damage; but if the exterior of the shell itself shows no signs of damage; I wager that the inside components are fine. There was nothing in the helmet itself (such as a head) which would've compressed the Styrofoam structure from within during the drop... so IMHO the helmet is most likely still serviceable.

As was remarked... replacing helmets every 5 years or due to a drop.... is mainly liability on the manufacturers interests.

[seadog]

It depends largely on what your helmet is constructed of, fiber glass does dry out and become brittle over the years, the new helmets with polycarbonate and all these exotic concoctions are probably going to go a lot further in safe protection. I am guilty of hanging on to a comfortable helmet like the rest of us, as a matter of fact I am just replacing a helmet I bought when I got my M109R back in 07. But it was a nice helmet and still is for that matter of fact but it was a cheaper one and its way past it time.

[opas ride]

I read an article in the Motorcycle Consumer News, I think, a few years back, that indicated if your involved in a crash and suffer some type of head injury, that the manufacturer of your helmet cannot be held liable if it is over 5 years old....Assuming your wearing one and the lawyers can prove that the helmet was over the 5 year limit...Seems like a lot of legal BS to me, but I do not have or wear any helmets over 5/6 years old....I did have an older HJC several years ago that I dropped off a higher shelf in my garage and it did crack the top surface for whatever reason....Heads are pretty "damn" important so do what ever you feel safe/comfortable doing as it is your choice!!!

[3Chief]

It may have changed but years ago I did a safety paper on helmets and what I found at the time was only 2 or 3 % difference in survival at speeds over 25 mph. It's mostly the difference between an open or closed casket funeral if you impact your head.

[wjduke]

It may have changed but years ago I did a safety paper on helmets and what I found at the time was only 2 or 3 % difference in survival at speeds over 25 mph. It's mostly the difference between an open or closed casket funeral if you impact your head.

Surprising stat....mine at least "helped" when it hit the road. I will not admit to any dame bramage.

[3Chief]

Surprising stat....mine at least "helped" when it hit the road. I will not admit to any dame bramage.

Not saying they don't help with glancing blows, it's the direct shots that it doesn't seem to matter much. However, every little bit helps...

[shooter]

I personally think Duke had previous unrelated damage.

[Old Ryder]

There is a lot of legal crap going on right now. While at bike week, one of the helmet retailers told me of a story of an older man and woman on a Harley when somebody ran a light and T Boned them. The man dies and the wife lives. The insurance company--did not say who's or what company--was fighting the case because neither were wearing a DOT approved helmet. They were wearing cheap novelty helmets and because the state did not require helmets at all. However, because they WERE wearing A helmet and it was NOT approved, they were saying they did not have to pay. Not sure of the outcome or just where it was---I was eavesdropping as I was buying my own helmet. After dealing with reptiles at GEICO in an auto injury in which my wife was a passenger, it sounds very familiar. They are now looking for every reason to deny a claim.

[53driver]

MSF recommends every 5 years because the "average" rider (no one on this forum of course :icon_mrgreen:) stores their helmets in a non-climate controlled environment and the "frequent" rider has theirs out in the sun a lot, riding and on the bike in-between stops.

But the big reason cited: advances in technology and comfort should be employed to keep the head as safe & comfortable (i.e. you'll wear the dang thing) as possible.

Cheers,
Steve

[Steve 0080]

Cannot remember the source but I read somewhere that any impact over about 18 MPH and your pumpkin will not fair well. This is one of the reasons for soft barriers on tracks. I believe it is the sudden stop that is the issue. Of course a helmet is better than no helmet but...

Funny to me story, I'm riding with one of our members and I remark that his brain is far better than mine, ( DR. ) and I have a $700 helmet ... while he only has a $180 because it has a cute light on the back.... he thought about for a while and bought a Shoei 1100..

[ff73148]

Even if the helmet companies are full of crap I'm not taking any chances with my head. I've have high sided a bike with no head damage. Broken collar bone and ribs though.

[shooter]

I've got a lot of people that love me and depend on me. Ditto on that $700 Shoei. My grandkids need me.

[53driver]

I've got a lot of people that love me and depend on me. Ditto on that $700 Shoei. My grandkids need me.

+2 on the Shoei.

[tinkerman]

I have cheaped out on helmets all my life and used the old things till they looked like crap. Just recently have been thinking about investing in a good helmet. Will likely make it last more than five years. As long as it doesn't receive any bad knocks I would use it indifinietly.

[jmohme]

This originates from when quality helmets were all constructed of fiberglass.
The hardening of fiberglass resin is a chemical reaction that never really stops. So with time, the fiberglass does weaken and become brittle.

Many of todays helmets are different types of plastics and I don't think that the 5 year rule applies to them.
Now if the foam gets compressed, then the deceleration effect of it is reduced, so that may still be a reason to replace periodically.

[Winston]

sun has a lot of impact. After 5 years my schuberth sounded hollow when knocked on it and I don't mean my head with this :crackup:

[Pap]

I don't know about you guys, but after 5 years, my helmet has an odor that makes me want to get rid of it. Even if I wash the liner, after 5 yrs of sweating in the summer, it is time to get a new one.

[willtill]

I don't know about you guys, but after 5 years, my helmet has an odor that makes me want to get rid of it. Even if I wash the liner, after 5 yrs of sweating in the summer, it is time to get a new one.

Then it is time. Your nose "knows".....

[Brewdog]

I just washed the liner on my harley half helmet from a years worth of sweating. It's three years old now. I don't get the dreaded "helmet head itch" with it, so it will make the cut for another year or so.

[53driver]

Somewhere in this thread I erroneously reiterated the MSF position on the 5 year rule for helmet replacement.

I'm doing prep work for my Florida MSF certification and here is their latest on helmet lifespan:

"A helmet will not last forever and should be replaced after several years of use."

[willtill]

Somewhere in this thread I erroneously reiterated the MSF position on the 5 year rule for helmet replacement.

I'm doing prep work for my Florida MSF certification and here is their latest on helmet lifespan:

"A helmet will not last forever and should be replaced after several years of use."

That is vague. Even they do not know for sure. There are too many variables involved.

[Old Ryder]

That is vague. Even they do not know for sure. There are too many variables involved.

Given a choice---If I knew for sure I was going to crash I would rather be wearing a full face 5 year old cheap helmet, than a brand new carbon fiber $150 WSB half helmet. IMHO--the helmet is the last resort for preservation. Riding style provides much better protection in 99% of instances.

[3Chief]

:yes:

[shooter]

If I knew I was going to crash I wouldn't ride. I always believe I'm better than that. And yeah that's a riding style. And yes that will do more for you than any helmet.

[3Chief]

It's a matter of averages...two types of riders, those who have gone down and those who will...unfortunately nearly every rider falls into one or both of those categories... Best you can hope for is that everything goes your way when your turn comes up...A good helmet, even if it doesn't help much, will hopefully give you the extra edge you need to make it thru.

[willtill]

If I knew I was going to crash I wouldn't ride. I always believe I'm better than that. And yeah that's a riding style. And yes that will do more for you than any helmet.

I award 100 Internets to you Shooter. I believe as you believe, regarding that.


It's a matter of averages...two types of riders, those who have gone down and those who will...unfortunately nearly every rider falls into one or both of those categories... Best you can hope for is that everything goes your way when your turn comes up...A good helmet, even if it doesn't help much, will hopefully give you the extra edge you need to make it thru.

Nope. Nah. Not happening here. To the expectations and the very best of my abilities. :nono:

I do not subscribe to the adage "there are two kinds of motorcyclists; those whom have crashed and those whom will". :nono:

I am a realist. Not a fatalist. :nono:

[53driver]

If I knew I was going to crash I wouldn't ride. I always believe I'm better than that. And yeah that's a riding style. And yes that will do more for you than any helmet.

That's how I knew the CH-53 wouldn't kill me....I was better than it and everyone else in the sky.
Arrogant - you betcha.
Deserved - most thought so and the ones who didn't, didn't matter.
Battle damage - of course, comes with the job.

One important difference though.....there weren't a bunch of morons on 4 wheels turning left in front of me in the sky.
Cheers,
Steve

[3Chief]

I do not subscribe to the adage "there are two kinds of motorcyclists; those whom have crashed and those whom will"

Nope. Nah. Not happening here. To the expectations and the very best of my abilities. :nono:

I don't think any of us intentionally crash...:icon_wink:

[seadog]

The more time you have rolling those roads the more likely you are to see trouble coming before you are involved in it. Experience is worth its weight in gold when it comes to saving you from a bad situation. Everyone told me when I bought that big M109R, your gonna kill yourself, I just told them this is the sixth motorcycle I have owned and never wrecked the first five and the other thing they weren't looking at was the 2.3 million miles behind the wheel of a semi-tractor trailer, that experience has saved me more than I can count. I see situations developing before it happens, so its important. I have heard of first time owner getting killed and it was a lack of the all important experience need to save their life. We had a Priest up north of me who bought his first Harley and on his first ride went into a corner to hot, drifted over the center line and hit a car head-on and died right there with less than 75 miles on the bike. Experience will save you more times than any helmet ever thought of doing. Never ride faster than your guardian angel!

[shooter]

That's how I knew the CH-53 wouldn't kill me....I was better than it and everyone else in the sky.
Arrogant - you betcha.
Deserved - most thought so and the ones who didn't, didn't matter.
Battle damage - of course, comes with the job.

One important difference though.....there weren't a bunch of morons on 4 wheels turning left in front of me in the sky.
Cheers,
Steve

I hear you 53. I don't think I'm any better than anyone else. I just try to live up to my ability and make the most of what god given talent I have . I probably don't have quite as much fun riding as some others because of hyper awareness while I'm riding. And that multiplies tenfold when Sharon is on the back. I owe it to our kids to bring her home safe. I still enjoy myself but man I am busy processing what's going on around me at all times.

[53driver]

I hear you 53. I don't think I'm any better than anyone else. I just try to live up to my ability and make the most of what god given talent I have . I probably don't have quite as much fun riding as some others because of hyper awareness while I'm riding. And that multiplies tenfold when Sharon is on the back. I owe it to our kids to bring her home safe. I still enjoy myself but man I am busy processing what's going on around me at all times.

Am I really better than anyone else in the sky? Don't know - doesn't matter. As you wrote, it's the riding/driving/flying style.
Hyper awareness...oh man. My daughters still get a kick out of watching me in a mall or walking down a street.
Beauty is? Now they do it too. Every person is assessed and categorized as a threat or non-threat.
When they drive they now admit they do it there as well.

When loved ones are along for the ride? Yes, I owe it to their loved ones to bring them back safely and God help anyone who impedes that mission.

"Don't let the bike take you where your brain hasn't already been for at least 5 minutes."
Tough when MSF teaches a max 12 second rider radar....
Lol.

Cheers mate.

[GaTeach]

I've got a lot of people that love me and depend on me. Ditto on that $700 Shoei. My grandkids need me.

In my world, helmet=compliance. Period. :) And I'm rolling with a $25 helmet Steve 0080 sold me at the auction for the rally. :)

And about five hours from now, I'll be at the GA/FL line, shedding my helmet.

Dead>vegetable

[GaTeach]

Then it is time. Your nose "knows".....

my other helmet was hanging in the garage and I had to remove a bird's nest. Didn't think to smell it. Ewwww.

[willtill]

my other helmet was hanging in the garage and I had to remove a bird's nest. Didn't think to smell it. Ewwww.

That is a huge problem here as well. I normally hang my helmets up in the shed; and if I leave the doors open all day... birds will start nesting in them; especially in the springtime.

[shooter]

We have a dedicated bench for helmets and coats. I have a small fan that we put on the bench and turn on the helmets. Got it on a timer for 1 hour. Works great.

[3Chief]

Usually hang it on the floor jack handle...I also have an attachment on my boot/glove drier for it...It rains a wee bit in the Puget Sound region :icon_wink: