When it comes to buying riding gear, no piece of equipment is
more important than a good motorcycle helmet. Protecting a rider’s head is
serious business, but with so many styles and brands on the market, choosing a
motorcycle helmet can be as difficult as choosing the right motorcycle. Sorting
out the helmet basics and what to look for when making the most critical of
gear purchases can be tough, but MotocycleUSA is here to help.
Helmet Design & Materials
While military helmets have been around for thousands of
years, the notion of a modern crash helmet is relatively new. The necessity of
a new helmet design came once mankind invented two- and four-wheeled vehicles
to propel themselves at unnatural states of velocity. The first helmets used in
motorsports, like car and motorcycle racing, were constructed out of leather.
Similar to the leather caps worn by aviators, these helmets offered little in
the way of serious impact protection.
The breakthrough in modern helmet design occurred after World
War II, when manufacturers began utilizing an energy-absorbing foam liner to
dissipate the force of high-impact trauma. The modern motorcycle helmet in its
most basic form is unchanged since this post-war innovation and features four
different construction components: The hard outer shell, crushable interior
foam lining, comfort lining, and chin strap.
Motorcycle helmets are there for the worst case scenario like this multi-bike crash in the World
Superbike series.
Motorcycle helmets are there for the worst case scenario,
like this multi-bike crash in the World Superbike series.
The outer shell is a strong, rigid layer designed to provide
abrasion resistance and protection from foreign object penetration. Most helmet
designs utilize lightweight plastic or fiberglass composites for this shell.
Some motorcycle helmets make use of high-end materials like Kevlar or carbon
fiber, which are very lightweight and expensive.
The interior foam lining is the most critical ingredient for
helmet safety. Most motorcycle helmets use a thick layer of expanded
polystyrene (EPS) foam, which has properties which make it ideal for helmet
usage. EPS foam is rigid yet lightweight and crushable. During the high-impact
traumas of a crash, the foam liner absorbs and disperses energy that would
otherwise be transferred directly to the skull and
The modern motorcycle helmet delivers its life-saving
protection via the use of expanded polystyrene
EPS foam which dissipates the energy of high-impact
trauma.
The modern motorcycle helmet delivers its life-saving
protection via the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which dissipates the
energy of high-impact trauma.
brain. Many new manufacturers have refined and customized the
foam liner in their models, with some designs featuring dual-foam liners of
various depth and density.
Inside the top two layers is the padded interior liner, which
ensures a comfortable yet snug fit. Many brands feature removable components of
various sizes within this liner to fine tune fit. Some liners are also
washable.
Keeping all this protective material in place is a chin strap
cinched down by a pair of D-rings. The chin strap is a simple yet vital
component of a helmet, as it ensures the life-saving protection remains in
place during a crash.
Helmet Ratings
With all these technical details, how can a consumer know
which helmet is best? Well, there are industrial standards to which motorcycle
helmets must conform. In the United States these two helmet standards are DOT
and Snell.
Developed under the guidelines of the ANSI (American National
Standards Institute) in the 70s, the DOT (Department of Transportation) helmet
standards are mandatory for all motorcycle helmets sold in the United States.
Finding the DOT stamp of approval is a must for a helmet sold
in the United States. Riders will often find helmets which also conform to
other standards like Snell or in this case BSI.
It’s important that your helmet fits properly. This means the helmet
will feel snug and will not slide from side to side or front to back. Your
helmet should not tilt in any direction, but should sit squarely on your head,
slightly covering the top of your forehead. Do not wear a hat underneath your
helmet, as this can cause the helmet to move around while you’re wearing it.
The chinstrap underneath the helmet is what keeps it in place, so it should be
replaced immediately if any of the parts of the buckle begin to malfunction. If
you are looking to buy Helmets visit Allindiayellowpage.com to get complete information about helmet
available stores in your city.