Helmets, you need to know this

[NorthernPete]

Gross.

[centerstand65]

Gross.

I know where you're coming from, but it really isn't gross. The most comfortable motorcycle riding gear (gloves, helmets, jackets, leathers, and boots) is well-worn. This also goes for gear not related to motorcycling, like down jackets.

Well-worn outerwear fits like a second skin.

"Gross" is a state of mind, IMO.

If you lived nearby, I'd let you try on my used gear. I seriously think that if you spent a day in some of my sweaty well-worm gear, you would change your mind.

[centerstand65]

Gross.

Buying a well worn pair of gloves is a great way to learn about used gear. Heavy insulated leather racing gloves worn by another guy through a couple of summers should feel great. The way they smell and feel will give you an idea of what it's like to get in a used lid. Try the gloves out for a month. I bet you'll like the them. From there, buy a nice well-worn Arai or Icon for $50 and wear that for a month.

I bet you'll change your mind.

[centerstand65]

By the way, I am very serious about what I write in this forum. I am not trolling. I've been riding motorcycles since 1991. When I first got into it, I bought only new gear. In 2002, I took a motorcycle safety class. I didn't bring my own helmet to the class, instead opting to wear one provided by the instructor. It was extremely sweaty. At first, I was grossed out, but within an hour of being in it, I was like, wow! So comfortable. Ever since then, I've never spent more than $70 for tier-1 headgear. I've bought full-body racing leathers, boots, and gloves for 90% off the original price. In all cases, previous use added comfort to the gear.

[NorthernPete]

Nope. Other people’s sweat smell? Ain’t my fetish. Lol. But power to you though!

[centerstand65]

Nope. Other people’s sweat smell? Ain’t my fetish. Lol. But power to you though!

Defining my preference as a fetish is reasonable. A choice of words does not change the fact that I did not know what gear was right for me until I was actually in it. Also, there are many valid reasons for wearing previously sweated-in gear. Sweat washes away allergens that are part of the manufacturing process. Sweat is a natural conditioner. The oils found in dirty hair lubricate helmet padding, making it very soft. Therefore, it is preferable that the original owner of a helmet only rarely washes his hair so that his essential oils soak deep into the helmet padding, seasoning it for the next rider. Also, it takes at least three years to break in a helmet. I prefer getting in helmets that have been used every day for at least five years in hot weather by guys who don't often wash their hair. Right now, my Icon Alliance (as pictured, above) is sitting on a table about five feet away from me, with the visor closed, and I can smell it from where I am sitting. For me, helmet stink is an important indicator of comfort. The more a helmet stinks, the more comfortable it will be, not only to get in, but to stay in for an entire day. I keep an assortment of used helmets, each with its unique feel and smell.

You should give used gear a try. It's the only way to know if it's right for you.

[NorthernPete]

Well, to be fair, I have bought a used jacket before. But the smell wasn’t really anything I thought about (it was very new seeming to me. But who knows with jackets) as for a helmet, I just would rather break it in myself and not have to worry about possible foam damage from previous owners or the degradation of the liner from said previous owners sweat. Just my preference.

[centerstand65]

Well, to be fair, I have bought a used jacket before. But the smell wasn’t really anything I thought about (it was very new seeming to me. But who knows with jackets) as for a helmet, I just would rather break it in myself and not have to worry about possible foam damage from previous owners or the degradation of the liner from said previous owners sweat. Just my preference.

As far as Styrofoam degradation is concerned, it can be an issue. However, most motorcycle accidents happen at a relatively slow speed. They tend not to involve extreme impact to the head. That doesn't mean one would avoid a head injury, if not wearing a helmet. I had one parking lot incident where I opened up the throttle as I entered a turn. Rain had just begun to sprinkle, and there was something slick on the rounded portion of my rear tire tread. So, the motorcycle went out from under me, and it happened really fast. The speed the motorcycle was traveling when I lost control was less than fifteen miles per hour. In fact, I don't think I was traveling more than seven miles per hour, but when the motorcycle flipped, the fall was quite rapid, and the mass of the motorcycle contributed to momentum at impact so that if I had not been wearing a helmet, if I'd survived at all, I'd probably be drooling and unable to write this message, right now. Would a compromised helmet have protected me? Yes, definitely. (BTW, on impact, my head felt absolutely nothing, even though I hit the ground pretty hard. I was totally surprised at how well the helmet took the impact, and transmitted the momentum energy around my head. It didn't even feel like I'd been hit with a feather pillow.)

A freeway incident could be a whole different story. Even there, head impact with the ground would be about the same as a 10mph accident, because most of the energy from a ground impact comes from downward force, and not horizontal force. More likely, sliding down the freeway would break the rest of one's body, but not the head, not even with a compromised helmet. Then, there's the last kind of impact on a normal road surface. That's the sort where one strikes an oncoming vehicle or a stationary object. That's when helmet performance may matter the most. Forward (horizontal) momentum would be determined by whatever the combined velocity is between the two objects (the head and whatever the head hits). Obviously, even a horizontal impact may cause a rapid horizontal stop. For example, as one slides down a roadway, there may be a curb that suddenly stops the rider. I knew someone, once, who was riding a moped without a helmet (late 1970s / early 1980s). He was hit from behind and thrown several yards. His head struck a curb. He was in a coma for several weeks. Fortunately, he came out of it and aced Accounting 201 while I struggled. So, that's an example of what happens with no helmet and where vertical and horizontal forces combine to cause injury.

Oh well, that's enough of that. I think you get the picture. For most accidents, even a questionable helmet will provide appropriate protection. There are cases, however, where only the best will do. One must weigh all of the factors and make a decision, accordingly. For the crowd who worries about dropping a helmet on pavement from shoulder-high, only the best will do, period. (I roll my eyes when I hear someone say that one drop is one drop too many. That’s just F’ing ridiculous.)

I definitely do prefer how comfortably a well-worn helmet goes on and stays on, and I’d rather another guy literally sweat the details so I don’t have to!

[centerstand65]

IMG_20190312_074353510-480x640.jpg (77.97 KiB) Viewed 41382 times

I received my new lid. As you can see, the inside is much less sweaty than the other two that I shared in this thread. It is nowhere near as comfortable as my other two Icons because it's not as worn-in. It will serve as a backup.

[centerstand65]

I'm looking at buying worn-in Arai. Total cost will be about $50. It will be great, this summer, getting in a new used lid. There is nothing like getting in another guy's well worn motorcycle helmet. I always feel awesome when I buy a new one from eBay.