Helmet's age

[trickyricky]

Doing a check of my gear, I realized that my helmet is over 5 yrs. old, I've never paid attention to this until I went to the Cornerspeed website and read their tech procedures.
Any thoughts on the matter? Am I shopping for a helmet now?

 

[Dunham]

You will not get through Cornerspeed tech with an old helmet. Time for a new one.

 

[trickyricky]

I wasn't sweating Cornerspeed, just wondering about how safe an over 5 yrs old helmet used only for trackdays is.

 

[TheGrouch]

If you got 5 years out of it, count your blessings, buy a new one, and hope it also retires from old age!

 

[jsin38]

Yep, all helmets expire. Hockey recently caught up and there are now expiration dates on lids as the foams used will harden over time. Motorcycle helmets do the same. Great excuse to buy a new one

 

[Blinky]

My helmet is 7 years old. Called Shoei and the rep said it is still up to safety and said they do the 5 years thing just to keep the helmets up to date on safety code.

The rep guy would send a letter stating the helemt was still up to code.

Guess it might be which helmet you buy. Mines an X-Eleven.

 

[trickyricky]

That sucks! I guess I got my money's worth. Sniff, goodbye to my lucky helmet... Now to find a suitable replacement; were are the best deals around?

Hey! My helmet is also a X-11; You contacted Shoei directly?

 

[sheepofblue]

Most organizations say 5 years. While not all check if they do you are done for the day. Also why push it to the absolute limit? It is your head you are protecting.

 

[shaugdog]

sheepofblue;110066 wrote: It is your head you are protecting.

:agree:

 

[trickyricky]

I still feel like my helmet will protect me in a worst case scenario given the fact that it was not a daily used helmet, that the eps liner is still intact, that there is no nicks or scratches on the finish.
Yes, I do understand that the eps liner will loose its properties with time, but I think that with proper maintenance, that you can extend the life of a top of the line helmet. With that being said, I'll play by the rules of the land, and get a new lid.

 

[RandyO]

hard to tell what is $$ motivated marketing and what is actually true anymore... after seeing the difference between SNELL and Euro ratings and testing?

 

[trickyricky]

RandyO;110091 wrote: hard to tell what is $$ motivated marketing and what is actually true anymore... after seeing the difference between SNELL and Euro ratings and testing?

Very true, additionally, EPS lining, hell, helmet construction as a whole has moved up so much in the last 10 years, I can see now a second, third or lower tier helmet model surparss top of the line models from a few years back. EPS liner is not just packaging foam anymore.
But truth be told, since I haven't read anything concrete towards these two schools of thoughts, I much rather err on the side of caution. Maybe I will send my X-11 back to Shoei to see what the verdict is; put it away in the "I love me" wall or keep on using it, will make a nice back up helmet ....

So I'm eyeballing (in no particular order):
AGV Stealth
Shark RSR / RSI
Vemar VSRE / V1
Arai Vector

Thoughts and/or info on any of these brands and on particular moels?

 

[Blinky]

I had a shoei RF-1000 and crashed with that one. I know I did a complete flip with my head hitting the asphalt directly and it held up good with tiny cracks in the visor. So if my RF-1000 held up for that, my X-11 should be awesome, but I choose not to find out.

I contacted Shoei directly. They can explain why groups are wanting a helmet that is 5 years or less.

Sending a helmet back to just have a piece of mind is always cheaper than buying a new helmet or even brain surgery.

opcorn:

 

[dmb367]

I love my Shark RSR2. Much more comfy than my Suomy Spec 1R. I found one on closeout last year; I should have bought 2.

 

[barry38]

I retire my track helmets after 3 years of use. With the amount of sweat that is absorbed I can't stand the funk anymore. And yeah, I do remove the liner/cheekpads etc and wash them and the inside of the helmet alot. I usually keep them and use them for the little bit of street riding that I still do. My last three helmets have been Arai Corsairs. If you keep an eye out, you can get some great end of year deals on them. I just got a new Corsair, and paid under $450 for a $700 helmet.........

 

[Blinky]

Where did you get your Arai from?

 

[trickyricky]

:agree: Yes, where did you get your Corsair from?

 

[vinny337]

Blinky;110119 wrote: Where did you get your Arai from?

Yeh, where did you get that from...

 

[barry38]

My local dealer. Tucker Rocky (major distributer) put a bunch on special a couple months ago, they seem to do it every year about the same time. Quantities were limited on some, so I'm not sure what all they have left. The one I got was a solid color, the graphic models were about $600 or so.

I'd check with Moon and see what he's got available for members, Arai is a NESBA sponsor, so I'm sure we can ge the same pricing as TR......

 

[trickyricky]

Color, graphics, no matter, protection goes beyond paint/decals. Please let us know when you can;