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dropping your helmet - 8/14/2007 11:43:38 PM

suicidal

Posts: 496
Joined: 2/3/2007
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I have an HJC CL-15... its been dropped a few times, it fell off my bike today, and knocked the padding lose... Is it still good? No cracks or anything.

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Post #: 1

RE: dropping your helmet - 8/15/2007 12:15:12 AM

Vermino

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yeah probbly - i had mine dropped once or twice.. it's still a good helmet, but too many times and yea it will be garbage..

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Post #: 2

RE: dropping your helmet - 8/15/2007 2:44:29 PM

krash

Posts: 1234
Joined: 5/9/2006
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some will say no, as soon as it hits the ground its done. I'm not quite that extreme. If you drop if several times, I would get a new one.
but dropping it by itself with no weight in it, only does minor damage to the shell, depending on how far it has dropped. Its when it has weight in it, like your head,
and its dropped to ground that the does the damage. The foam absorbs the impact and is destroyed.

(in reply to Vermino)

Post #: 3

RE: dropping your helmet - 8/16/2007 6:14:16 AM

tomc1965

Posts: 238
Joined: 7/14/2007
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If you are worried about it just get something new and keep this one as a back up helmet. Several drops is starting to push your luck. Any drops over 4 feet and the helmet manufacturers say to replace it. Depends on what it was dropped on also. Your carpeted floor and you are probably ok. Concrete or blacktop I say replace it. Why risk your safety.

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Post #: 4

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/9/2007 11:08:04 AM

halik008

Posts: 259
Joined: 8/21/2007
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your helmet is fine. Absolutely nothing happens to the foam when you drop the helmet. Foam is so light it does not have enoght inertia on it's own to collapse on itself.

People are paranoid.

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Post #: 5

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/9/2007 11:16:35 AM

FFCBRf4i

Posts: 1299
Joined: 8/31/2006
From: Los Angeles, CA
Status: offline

Better to be paranoid than to risk it and die. I say it's probably ok though. As stated before, it depends on the height of the drop, impact, frequency of drops, etc.

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Post #: 6

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/10/2007 2:00:58 PM

CBRYDR

Posts: 81
Joined: 8/23/2007
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Change the helmet...I would do that...I am paranoid, but my life is on the line...Some people would disagree...my $0.02

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Post #: 7

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/12/2007 8:55:19 AM

halik008

Posts: 259
Joined: 8/21/2007
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i'll buy everybody's dropped helmet :D

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Post #: 8

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/12/2007 11:15:10 AM

CxBXR

Posts: 25
Joined: 9/9/2007
Status: offline

Buy, another when dropped on hard surfaces they will develop microscopic crack's in the shell.
I also recently dropped my helmet while getting gas it hit the concrete quit hard & will need replacing also.

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Post #: 9

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 8:38:51 AM

halik008

Posts: 259
Joined: 8/21/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: CxBXR

Buy, another when dropped on hard surfaces they will develop microscopic crack's in the shell.

wrong

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Post #: 10

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 9:25:33 AM

Lrn2Go

Posts: 1331
Joined: 8/2/2007
From: Oklahoma City
Status: offline

Just going off the different manuals that have come with all the different types of helmets I've purchased in my lifetime and most all of them claim to be no-longer good, and should be discarded (or sent back to the factory for testing) if dropped from a height of 4 feet or more. FOUR feet... that's not much, especially if you drop it on a hard surface. And by your own admission, it fell hard enough to "knock the padding loose".

They also continue to say that "The damage may not be evident to the eye." The shell could look fine, but the shell isn't the only thing that absorbs an impact. The material (usually foam or some hybrid of it), compacts to absorb a blow. Notice I said "A" blow... as in one. Helmets, though it sucks that they cost so much for being like this, are designed to be a one crash/impact then pitch-em safety item. Helmets are one of the only pieces of your gear, designed specifically to absorb a semi-large impact and not transfer the energy to the underlying human parts. Your pads in your jackets and pants can be used several times, and absorb SOME energy, but they do not absorb the energy and shock like a helmet does, because, frankly, it's too expensive. Imagine $600+ worth of just armor, times each individual pad (elbows, knees, hips, back, etc etc).

That's just my two cents from the information I can gather from the people whom DESIGN the helmet... whom I trust more than those who bounce their helmets off things, dust em off, put them back on and convince themselves that (and pray it doesn't happen) if and when they get into a wreck, frankly don't have time to study the "effects of a used helmet in a secondary collision resulting in greater force and the difference between what would have happened if the helmet was not previously dropped" in a non-first hand manner.

Helmets are expensive... and hey, to everyone who thinks they're fine without having them tested, cool. I don't care to argue. That's the good thing about it, since it's your head in the helmet and not mine.

My "opinion" (and we all know how much weight that has

), is that if you drop it from a distance higher than the manufacturers stated "maximum", get a new one. Until you get a new one, keep wearing your current one, because some protection is better than none, and a helmet that sits on your head will soak more asphault impact and abrassion than your face alone.

< Message edited by Lrn2Go -- 9/13/2007 9:37:21 AM >

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RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 9:33:18 AM

Lrn2Go

Posts: 1331
Joined: 8/2/2007
From: Oklahoma City
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quote:

ORIGINAL: halik008

your helmet is fine. Absolutely nothing happens to the foam when you drop the helmet. Foam is so light it does not have enoght inertia on it's own to collapse on itself.

People are paranoid.

Haha, awsome. The sheer fact that you said these sentences has brightened my work-day. "Foam is so light it does not have enoght inertia on it's own to collapse on itself"

Maybe if you took the foam out and dropped it, sure. But add the REST of the weight from a full-on helmet, then yes, the foam CAN collapse, cause it's not JUST the foam... hope ya followed me there. Oh, and also, unless you've got yourself a Microscope... I wouldn't say someone is "wrong" in saying that if you drop a helmet, there can be "microscopic" cracks in the shell.

< Message edited by Lrn2Go -- 9/13/2007 9:39:34 AM >

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Post #: 12

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 11:13:09 AM

halik008

Posts: 259
Joined: 8/21/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lrn2Go

Haha, awsome. The sheer fact that you said these sentences has brightened my work-day. "Foam is so light it does not have enoght inertia on it's own to collapse on itself" Maybe if you took the foam out and dropped it, sure. But add the REST of the weight from a full-on helmet, then yes, the foam CAN collapse, cause it's not JUST the foam... hope ya followed me there. Oh, and also, unless you've got yourself a Microscope... I wouldn't say someone is "wrong" in saying that if you drop a helmet, there can be "microscopic" cracks in the shell.

hah wow somebody needs to look up the difference between mass and weight and their relation to inerita. not to mention the weight of the helmet is completely irrelevant lol. The only way the helmet shells ineria could play a role in the crushing of the foam is in fact if the shell itelf somehow crushed.....the shell remians rigid *light bulb*

< Message edited by halik008 -- 9/13/2007 11:22:36 AM >

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Post #: 13

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 11:20:37 AM

halik008

Posts: 259
Joined: 8/21/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lrn2Go

Just going off the different manuals that have come with all the different types of helmets I've purchased in my lifetime and most all of them claim to be no-longer good, and should be discarded (or sent back to the factory for testing) if dropped from a height of 4 feet or more. FOUR feet... that's not much, especially if you drop it on a hard surface. And by your own admission, it fell hard enough to "knock the padding loose".

They also continue to say that "The damage may not be evident to the eye." The shell could look fine, but the shell isn't the only thing that absorbs an impact. The material (usually foam or some hybrid of it), compacts to absorb a blow. Notice I said "A" blow... as in one. Helmets, though it sucks that they cost so much for being like this, are designed to be a one crash/impact then pitch-em safety item. Helmets are one of the only pieces of your gear, designed specifically to absorb a semi-large impact and not transfer the energy to the underlying human parts. Your pads in your jackets and pants can be used several times, and absorb SOME energy, but they do not absorb the energy and shock like a helmet does, because, frankly, it's too expensive. Imagine $600+ worth of just armor, times each individual pad (elbows, knees, hips, back, etc etc).

That's just my two cents from the information I can gather from the people whom DESIGN the helmet... whom I trust more than those who bounce their helmets off things, dust em off, put them back on and convince themselves that (and pray it doesn't happen) if and when they get into a wreck, frankly don't have time to study the "effects of a used helmet in a secondary collision resulting in greater force and the difference between what would have happened if the helmet was not previously dropped" in a non-first hand manner.

Helmets are expensive... and hey, to everyone who thinks they're fine without having them tested, cool. I don't care to argue. That's the good thing about it, since it's your head in the helmet and not mine. My "opinion" (and we all know how much weight that has), is that if you drop it from a distance higher than the manufacturers stated "maximum", get a new one. Until you get a new one, keep wearing your current one, because some protection is better than none, and a helmet that sits on your head will soak more asphault impact and abrassion than your face alone.

A. The shell absorbs minimal energy, it's there purely to stop object protrusion. Majority of the energy is absorbed my the foam.

B. Look up the SNELL spec if you believe helmets are designed to only withstand one hit.

C. You are sucker for marketing. :P

(in reply to Lrn2Go)

Post #: 14

RE: dropping your helmet - 9/13/2007 12:50:17 PM

Lrn2Go

Posts: 1331
Joined: 8/2/2007
From: Oklahoma City
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: halik008

A. The shell absorbs minimal energy, it's there purely to stop object protrusion. Majority of the energy is absorbed my the foam.

B. Look up the SNELL spec if you believe helmets are designed to only withstand one hit.

C. You are sucker for marketing. :P

Hey man, it's your head, your life. You can rock that "safe or not" line all you want. I'm no sucker for marketing, I'm a sucker for "better safe than sorry". And... to prove we're BOTH right, I copy this directly from SNELL's website....

dropped my helmet! Do I have to go buy a new one?Generally the answer is probably not. (Score a point for Halik008) Helmets are one use items (Score a point for me), but are quite durable otherwise, at least the ones we certify. Frequent dropping or spiking a helmet on the ground, or other hard surfaces may eventually degrade the helmet's performance (Depending on how you read that, could be a point for either one of us). Similarly if the helmet falls to the ground at highway speeds unoccupied the owner must be aware that some degradation may have occurred. In general the real damage comes when the helmet contacts an object with a head inside (Point for Halik008). The Foundation recommends that if you are participating in an activity that requires that you wear a helmet, that you avoid hitting stuff with your head. It can be difficult to readily determine if a helmet has been damaged, and the protective capabilities compromised without a thorough inspection by a trained professional (Score a point for Me). Some manufacturers may provide this service or direct you to these others that can perform these inspections. The Foundation recommends that if you suspect your helmet may be compromised, then replace it (Point for Me again). If the helmet has been involved in an impact while in use, replace it. (Point for Halik008)So there you have it... make your choice and take your head in your own hands... haha!

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Post #: 15