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Short advice and information about Helmet selection and care
This information is aimed as a guide to give you useful information when you choose the equipment that best fits your demand and your budget. It’s aim is to give you some general info as a bike rider when chosing your gear.
When considering the type of clothing to wear on your motorcycle, you need to think about several issues:
Starting from the top: Helmet
Selecting the helmet for you:
There are a lot of helmets on the market to choose from, which off course makes it hard for you to choose which one to buy. The most important is that it fits your head and of an approved make. Every head is slightly different and all helmets don’t fit all shapes of head.
Only if it fits correctly will you be able to buy one that sits tight enough.
Equally important is it that the helmet is new. Never buy second hand. The helmet is your crash absorption zone and you need to know the history of it since it only works once! Once it has been involved in a crash, change it.
The outer shell might look fine but the inner absorbing polystyrene might be damaged or compressed.
If you buy your helmet via internet it's recommended to test it in a shop beforehand to ensure that it fits to 100%. If you buy it on e-bay, or similar, can you then be sure that it is new and not second hand?
It is also recommended to buy the helmet first before you buy your bike. In that way you ensure that you can afford the best helmet and protective clothing for you and your pillion.
Helmet Approvals:
All road legal UK motorcycle helmets must conform to the European safety standard ECE 22-05 or the older British Standard 6658. There should also be a “E” mark on the inside of the helmet or on the strap. This is a proof of that the helmet is approved. The number after the “E” only identifies the country where the approval was issued.
The ECE 22-05 is one of the toughest standards in the world. To obtain the ECE 22-05 approval it is not only the first samples that are tested. It requires a continuous test of x% of the produced helmets to ensure that standards are met through out the models life cycle.
In addition to the ECE 22-05 most helmets sold in the UK are type approved by ACU (Auto Cycle Union). There are ACU gold and ACU silver badges. The ACU gold badge mean that the helmet reaches higher and better values then ACU silver. This testing is a destructive test performed in the UK. Basically what it means is that if your helmet carries an ACU gold or silver badge the helmet it full fills the highest standards and it is approved for use in motor sport in the UK (Excluding Ireland). It will also ensure that the helmet will give you the best available protection in the case of an accident.
What model/style to buy?
Again this will depend on your budget and on what kind of riding you intend to use the helmet for.
“Full face”, “Open face” (Jet-helmet) or “Flip up” helmets are all approved in the UK. The flit up helmet is the type where you can open the whole front of the helmet to basically turn it from a full face helmet to an open face helmet.
The full face helmet and the combined helmet (providing you have the front down and in locked position) provide you with the best protection.
An open face helmet is mostly used for riding in the city where the speed is not that high. Typically a model used by scoter riders in the City.
The use of off-road helmets for on-road riding is getting more and more popular, especially amongst young scoter riders. A full face motocross helmet and a full face road helmet basically provide the same protection. But an on road helmet normally comes with a visor as standard to protect your eyes. If you use a motocross type helmet it is strongly recommended that you also use motocross type goggles to protect your eyes from flies, dust and other particles.
From a safety point of view it is always recommended to ride with a full face helmet.
One important factor when buying your helmet is the helmet weight. The energy created by every gram of the helmets weight during a serious deceleration will have to be absorbed by your neck. The more energy your neck will have to absorb the greater is the chance that you will suffer a neck injury during an accident.
Irrespective of what material the helmet is made of all materials age and with age they become more brittle and will manage to absorb less energy. Therefore you should change your helmet every three to five years.
Comfort and Fit:
As mentioned above, one of the most important features of your helmet is that it fits your head as good as possible. It is better to spend more money on a comfortable and light helmet then a less comfy helmet but with cool looking graphics. Make sure you try on different sizes to find the correct one for you.Sizes vary from one make and model to the next. But as a general guide the below can be used.
XXS = 52 cm, XS = 53/54 cm, S = 55/56 cm, M = 57/58, cm L = 59/60 cm, XL = 61/62 cm, XXL = 63/64 cm.
When checking comfort and fit you should make sure that you have no uncomfortable pressure points, especially on forehead and ears as these will only get worse and worse during riding. Make sure to keep the helmet on for at least a few minutes, before you buy it, as this will enable you to decide if it is a good comfortable fit or not. This is another reason why you should not buy online. Your helmet will, to some extent mould and take the shape of your head so you should apply the same policy as with your precious bike, to never lend it to someone else. On the other hand if it is just that little bit tight as new it will probably be perfect after a little bit of use. And opposite, if it is just that little bit lose when you buy it, then it will likely feel a bit large after some time. It is not easy, but take your time because it is important.
When the strap is fastened, which it always should be whilst riding, you should not be able to roll the helmet of your head, see picture. If you can do this while standing still, the energy in the helmet during an accident is likely to do the same.
Most helmets are fitted with vents to allow air to circulate while riding. These help to ventilate your head and keep your visor from misting up. You will normally find vents on the front and on the back of the helmet (exhaust) to allow air to flow. They will also, if correctly designed, help to ventilate out the humid air around your head.
Removable lining is also an advantage so that you can wash it after a long hot summer.
Helmet Care & Storage:
Irrespective of how much you spend on your helmet you need to care for it. The thing is not that it might have cost you a lot of money, but that you one day might need it to protect you from injury.
To clean the helmet it is enough to use a moist clean cloth with a very small amount of washing up liquid. A couple of drops are enough. Then wipe it clean with the wet cloth rinsed from any liquids, and then dry it with a dry cloth. If the lining gets wet, then allow it to dry before you store it away. Make it a habit to clean the visor after each use. This will make sure that you have the maximum visibility, especially if you go out riding after or during sun set.
When storing the helmet for a short or long period, make sure to cover it. If you have a helmet bag then use that (make sure it is clean). If you have not got a helmet bag then you can use any fabric (a towel, a blanket or a pillow case) that is large enough to do the same job.
NEVER:
- Never paint your helmet.
- Never put any stickers on the helmet (apart from the peak on an off-road helmet).
- Never use any solvents to clean the helmet.
- Never sit on it or use it as a foot rest.
- Never hang the helmet on any pointy object like wing mirrors, fence poles or pointy back rests since this in worst case might initiate a crack in the chock absorbing polystyrene layer.
- Never place it on any unsteady surface since it can fall and get damaged. It should normally survive a fall from low height, especially if it is empty. A high fall, from seat height up, might cause such damage to the helmet so that you have to replace it. Especially if you have something in side the helmet increasing the weight and the energy
Finally, Make sure to take good care of the helmet and it will look after you to the best of its ability…
Have a safe Ride! | 
