I'm a sport bike rider (RC-51) and am impressed with the motorcycle helmets on the market now. They are functional, safer than ever, artistic and make a statement about who's wearing them. But since buying one can be a bit difficult - what with riding around town seeing which dealer has which brands and styles - I've posted links to a couple of helmet retailers in order to make helmet shopping a little bit easier. Both the Cycle Gear Helmet Page and Motorcycle Superstore's Helmet Page will have any helmet or related item you need. They both carry a complete inventory, are reputable and knowlegeable. They both also have seven-day return helmet return policies in case it doesn't fit right.
I've also posted links to articles and sites about motorcycle helmets that may be of interest. Some of the articles are very helpful and informative. You should seriously check out the Motorcylistonline article. You'll be surprised at what you learn. If you're going to spend the big bucks on a helmet, you may as well know enough to have some confidence in it.
Feel free to post your opinions or reviews on whatever brand you wear or have experience with. Your knowledge and experience will be useful to somebody else. The purpose of this blog is to inform, and the more info on it the better.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Full Face Helmets - Why I Wear Them
Below you will see a diagram of a full face helmet showing what percentage of all impacts each area gets. The front of the helmet from the forehead down gets 63.6% of all hits. In other words, 2 out of 3 helmet strikes are to the front. Furthermore, 44.5% of impacts are on the face shield or chin bar.
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These number happen to match my experience quite closely. In 37 years of motorcyle riding, I've had three get-offs. In one of them my forehead hit fist, once my chin bar hit first and in the third, the back of my head hit first. Even in the third instance I left the bike going forward (face first). By the time I landed, however, I was about 2/3's of the way through a front loop. I did a nice, two-point landing on the back of my head and upper-left shoulder blade. My head was fine but but my collar bone needed to be wired back together.
With two of my three helmet strikes being to the front, I seem to be a fairly average crasher. Which means if I crash again, I'll have an almost 50/50 chance of landing on my face. And so, by the way, will you.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Cleaning Your Face Shield
When to Clean Your Face Shield
Your visor is by far the part of your helmet you’ll clean the most often. Simply because it’s what you see through. You clean it after (or while) riding in any condition which puts it contact with any substance or object. Rain, dust, mud and bugs are the most likely problems. Even if you never encounter any of these, usage and handling will cause the shield to become difficult to see through if it’s not cleaned occasionally.
Any time visibility becomes compromised, the shield needs to be cleaned. Even if it’s just a little smear over to the side, you should clean it as soon as reasonably possible. If not for the safety aspect of having a blurred spot in your vision, then because the longer that spot in there, the harder it will be to get off. The harder it is to get off, the more likely it is that the face shield will be left will very small scratches which will cause it to become cloudy. This is an irritating and unsafe condition which you definitely need to avoid.
If you’ve cleaned the shield and vision through it still isn’t good, then it’s probably scratched and you should seriously think about replacing it. Riding with impaired vision is really a bad plan.
How to Clean it
Because manufacturers vary in the materials they use to produce their face shield, the first thing you should do is follow their instructions or recommendations. If you don’t have that information, the safest thing to use will be water and a very soft cloth. If there is a heavy accumulation of dirt or bugs, you might try a soft brush (like a very soft tooth brush) or cotton swab. Unless specifically called for by the manufacturer, you should not use any solvent-based cleaners on your shield as they can be absorbed into the material which may reduce vision, cause discoloration and weaken the shield.
If you’re looking for something a bit more than just water, there are specialty products available. In my opinion, their biggest advantage is that many of them have anti-fogging benefits also.
Tear-Offs
A tear-off is simply a thin film of plastic used to cover and protect you face shield. They are made to be easily torn off, one at a time, when they become dirty. A pack of 10 tear offs will probably cost under $15. You shouldn’t put more than 3 or 4 on at a time, however, because they will tend to distort your vision.
If you ride in conditions which require frequent cleaning during a ride, you may want to consider using tear-offs. That way instead of pulling over to clean your face shield, you simply pull of the outer layer and, like magic; you have a nice clean shield you can see through again.
Your visor is by far the part of your helmet you’ll clean the most often. Simply because it’s what you see through. You clean it after (or while) riding in any condition which puts it contact with any substance or object. Rain, dust, mud and bugs are the most likely problems. Even if you never encounter any of these, usage and handling will cause the shield to become difficult to see through if it’s not cleaned occasionally.
Any time visibility becomes compromised, the shield needs to be cleaned. Even if it’s just a little smear over to the side, you should clean it as soon as reasonably possible. If not for the safety aspect of having a blurred spot in your vision, then because the longer that spot in there, the harder it will be to get off. The harder it is to get off, the more likely it is that the face shield will be left will very small scratches which will cause it to become cloudy. This is an irritating and unsafe condition which you definitely need to avoid.
If you’ve cleaned the shield and vision through it still isn’t good, then it’s probably scratched and you should seriously think about replacing it. Riding with impaired vision is really a bad plan.
How to Clean it
Because manufacturers vary in the materials they use to produce their face shield, the first thing you should do is follow their instructions or recommendations. If you don’t have that information, the safest thing to use will be water and a very soft cloth. If there is a heavy accumulation of dirt or bugs, you might try a soft brush (like a very soft tooth brush) or cotton swab. Unless specifically called for by the manufacturer, you should not use any solvent-based cleaners on your shield as they can be absorbed into the material which may reduce vision, cause discoloration and weaken the shield.
If you’re looking for something a bit more than just water, there are specialty products available. In my opinion, their biggest advantage is that many of them have anti-fogging benefits also.
Tear-Offs
A tear-off is simply a thin film of plastic used to cover and protect you face shield. They are made to be easily torn off, one at a time, when they become dirty. A pack of 10 tear offs will probably cost under $15. You shouldn’t put more than 3 or 4 on at a time, however, because they will tend to distort your vision.
If you ride in conditions which require frequent cleaning during a ride, you may want to consider using tear-offs. That way instead of pulling over to clean your face shield, you simply pull of the outer layer and, like magic; you have a nice clean shield you can see through again.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Taking Care of Your Helmet Lining
Every manufacturer I’m aware of recommends replacing your helmet every five years. However, the accumulation of sweat, humidity, and dust can deteriorate the liners fabric and stitching much sooner than that. They may also cause an odor you won’t enjoy.
If your helmet lining pads aren’t removable, most manufacturers will recommend a product like Helmet Fresh. It will get rid of any bacteria or mildew that is good for neither the helmet nor you.
For helmets with removable pads, you can toss them in the washing machine (personally, I use a mild soap) and then let them air dry. If you’re in a hurry you can use a blow dryer, but only if you can turn the heat off.
If your helmet lining pads aren’t removable, most manufacturers will recommend a product like Helmet Fresh. It will get rid of any bacteria or mildew that is good for neither the helmet nor you.
For helmets with removable pads, you can toss them in the washing machine (personally, I use a mild soap) and then let them air dry. If you’re in a hurry you can use a blow dryer, but only if you can turn the heat off.
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