How to Give your Motorcycle Helmet a Safety Inspection

Bad versus good helmets.

The helmet is your most important piece of safety equipment. Is it up to the task of protecting your head? Age, damage, and wear can all affect your lid’s ability to do its job. As you gear up for racing, make sure your helmet is as ready to ride as you are.

 

Step 1
Helmet makers say that lids have a service life of five years from the date of manufacture. Your helmet’s birthday is printed on a label applied to the EPS liner. Arai prints the date of manufacture on one of the chinstrap D-rings.

 

Step 2
Remove the comfort liner and check its condition. Besides getting funky, the liner will compress with time and use and may cause your snug-fitting lid to feel a little loose. Wash or replace the liner as needed.

 

Step 3
Remove the comfort liner and check the EPS for damage. If the foam has any dents or “spider-web” cracks, then it has probably sustained an impact and has been compromised. EPS is one-hit-wonder stuff!

 

Step 4
Inspect the shell for cracks, deep scratches, or other signs of trauma. You might not have dropped or crashed in your helmet, but that doesn’t mean that someone else didn’t accidentally knock it off a shelf without telling you about it.

 

Step 5
Chinstraps wear with use, so inspect the webbing for heavy fraying where the strap passes through D-rings. Check the D-rings and closely examine the stitching that secures them to the strap.

Step 6
Check the visor for cracks or scratches that may obstruct your vision, and also inspect the weather seal around the eyeport for nicks or tears. Verify that the screws securing the hinge mechanism are tight.