Mudrider

Member
Aug 29, 2000
38
0
I've been reading that you should not re-use a helmet after it has
hit the ground hard. I have a 2 month old helmet and crashed hard enough to bruise my forehead. How can you tell if the hemet should be used again or not?
 

Sawblade

Timmy Timmy Timmy!
Sep 24, 2000
1,491
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Contact the manufacture of the helmet you purchased to see if they do safety inspection of helmets.
 

holeshot

Crazy Russian
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 25, 2000
1,823
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.

Originally posted by singletracker500
Do you know any medical people? If you do, have them x-ray it for you. That will show stress cracks.

Interesting suggestion. While you're at it, have 'em x-ray your head too. :)
 
G

GlowMe

Better safe than sorry. Replace the helmet. If you fell on it hard enough to bruise your forehead then you should replace it. Look at what happened to Cobrakid. I have ridden road bikes for many years and I can tell you that my head and life are worth more than $400.00. Yes, an x-ray can tell you the condition of the fiberglass shell, but it cannot tell you the condition of the Styrofoam inside. Even looking at it will not tell you that. Double check by contacting the manufacturer and let them know what happened. But I will bet you that they will tell you to buy a new helmet.
:think ;)
 

crazymike

Member
Aug 10, 2000
92
0
How about kill two birds with one stone and just wear your helmet to the X-ray? ;) Most helmet manufactures will test the helmet for you (Im not sure how biased an opinion it will be) Also, it depends how you landed, if you landed face first and just broke the visor then chances are it didn't suffer any damages. But better safe than sorry.
 
B

biglou

Mudrider-Be safe, man. Don't take a chance. I've got an old Simpson Model 95 that sits on my mantle, opposite my official KC Chiefs helmet. Still has the blood in it from 1985. They make very cool bookends and conversation pieces!
 

SeanATK

Member
Apr 26, 2000
56
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Shell damage is not the reason that you replace a helmet, after a hard impact. Internal compression of the foam/liner is what decreases the impact absorption qualities of a helmet, after an impact. The damage can't be felt or easily detected.

IF you bruised your forehead against the inside of your helmet, then the foam IS compressed and any future impacts to that area will have almost zero cushion effect for your head, possibly resulting in a fractured skull or at the very least a severe concussion.


Frame it, Hang it, or Throw it Away, but DON'T wear it.
 

MX265

Sponsoring Member
Jan 29, 2001
238
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mudrider,

No one has asked this yet, but what were you attempting to do, or clear that you hit your head so hard to bruise it? Just curious.
 

Mudrider

Member
Aug 29, 2000
38
0
Ok, this is what happened.
I was riding my new KTM 200MXC for the second time and practicing at a moto-x track. The bike felt so good and I was riding smooth and fast. I was coming down a fast down hill with a couple of step-off jumps. I hit the first jump and that back end fish tailed. I thought there would be no problem but when I landed I lost control and just thought to myself "this is going to hurt".
Next thing I new that I was nealing on the side of the track and my whole body was in pain. My right arm was broken and my left shoulder was seperated, and my head hurt. I don't know exactly how I hit my head but I had a black eye and my forhead was bruised with a couple of cuts.
The front rim on my bike was wrapped around the forks and sub frame bent.

Ok, I will by a new helmet. I can't wait to race in 5 more weeks!;)
I checked the rebound setting on the rear afterwards and it was about 8 clicks too soft. I think is was part of my problem.
 
Last edited:

IBWFO

Member
Aug 5, 2001
367
0
Like the one guy said, it's the foam insside that matters and you can usually just inspect it to see if the styrofoam is compressed or damaged.
Sad to say but I've retired about 10 of them.:confused:
 

Zoomer

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 17, 2000
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Hey Mudrider, know what your talking about, I crashed hard this summer. when I went to get back on the bike here a couple weeks ago, I finally got around to checking my helmet. It was a new helmet this year,it's basiclly junk.
It looked ok until I took off the visor, big crack across the top of the helmet, under the visor. I didn't think I hit that hard....but the helmet says other wise. $ well spent. There's a new helmet in my near future, like it or not.
don't take a chance, if theres a stress crack in yours, and you hit again, the next crack might be in your scull :(
 

nikki

Moto Junkie
Apr 21, 2000
5,802
1
Has anyone ever heard of a company replacing just the foam shell that is glued in the helmet? I know it says to send the helmet to the manufacturer if you suffer a severe blow... maybe you can just pay to get new foam? I landed on my melon yesterday - cracked my visor and have a lump on the top of my head (no scratches on the helmet by the lump). The helmet/foam visibly looks good - but I wonder if I should send it in to be checked?
 

IBWFO

Member
Aug 5, 2001
367
0
It's been my experience that if you hit hard enough it is relatively easy to see the damage inside the helmet. Also, I would think that due to liability issues, helmet mfgrs wouldn't send out the foam inserts.
Regards
 

MX265

Sponsoring Member
Jan 29, 2001
238
0
Mudrider,

That's a pretty bad crash. I would say beyond a doubt before you plan (or don't plan) on crashing again, swap the helmet out. Funny thing is this weekend I need to heed my own advice. I just endoed on top of the third jump of a triple I was trying to clear. Don't know what the heck I was thinking by even trying this, but I did. Now I have a torn left rotator cuff. Hurt like crazy and my head was spinning. Possible concussion mixed in. That would be my second concussion in 4 months. Defenitly looks like a new helmet for me and I didn't crash half as hard as you. Like you, lookin' forward to the next ride though.

Nikki, just what were you doing that you managed to get an actual bump on your head?

Either way, sounds like a rough weekend for a lot of riders. Just to back up KWJams theory of cut the jumps down track owners, before you kill us all. :silly:

Andy
 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~
Jan 17, 2001
4,112
11
I bought a new Bell Moto7 last year and in the helmet warranty BELL said if I ever had a bad crash with it in the first 5 years I owned it, I could send it to be examined by them for free. They would have a PROFESSIONAL examine and exray the helmet and check for styrofoam compression in addition to checking the shell. See if your helmets manyfacturer will do that, they probably will.

If they don't, buy a BELL MOTO7 I think its the best helmet out there. My opinion of course.
 

KawieKX125

~SPONSOR~
Oct 9, 2000
948
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Well, I guess that I have to replace mine too. Yesterday I crashed hard enough to bruise my brain and get knocked out for 5 minutes. I don't even remember what happened at all. My mom says I was incoherent and a total ******* to everyone that touched me and I cursed out all the docs and paramedics. I guess I really got my bell rung. Time for a new helmet!!!
 

JTT

~SPONSOR~
Aug 25, 2000
1,407
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Originally posted by crazymike
Also, it depends how you landed, if you landed face first and just broke the visor then chances are it didn't suffer any damages.

Don't count on it...I landed on my face, didn't even break the visor. The impact was great enough though to rotate the liner inside the shell several mm.

Mudrider, I feel your pain, I had just purchased this helmet 1 month previous at considerable cost (Arai VX Pro), but replaced it. Not worth the risk.
 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~
Jan 17, 2001
4,112
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Originally posted by KawieKX125
Well, I guess that I have to replace mine too. Yesterday I crashed hard enough to bruise my brain and get knocked out for 5 minutes.


Wow Kawie, I hope you're feeling better.
 

KawieKX125

~SPONSOR~
Oct 9, 2000
948
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YA, I am doing a little better. I am constantly sleepy, have no apitite, have a fever, am slightly dizzy and my head really hurts me when I move it. I just looked at my helmet and the paint is chipped off and the HARD foam inside it is compressed alot! Thank god I had my helmet on!
 
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