At least that is what we used to call our motorcycle helmets in the 1960s, although possibly that slang is nowadays lesser used?
After a twenty five year break from motorcyling I returned and not surprisingly found bikes to be now crammed with unnecessary technology, and yet missing several basic essentials for example a petrol ‘on’ ‘off’ and ‘reserve’ fuel tap.
No longer can one drive up until the point of fuel starvation and then switch onto your reserve fuel tank and know with confidence that one could make the next fuel station. Nowadays, fuel tap gone, one has to fill up every few miles or become neurotic over petrol reserves!
All that aside, it came as little surprise to discover that motorcycle helmets have also been disadvantaged by modern design. Basic necessities having been replaced with gimmicks. I do appreciate that some bikers will enjoy a secondary visor or even a transfer of Popeye on their pink helmet. But let me consider more basic issues.
Open face helmets: on that score the sides of modern helmets finish far higher (i.e. shorter down the face) than open face helmets of old. So, in safety terms, modern helmets are significantly poorer. Wearing a modern open face helmet feels not dissimilar to a 1950s pudding basin helmet – i.e. the traditional skid lid design. That I find to be remarkable.
Full face helmets: these are generally nowadays offered in six size variations, or so manufacturers would have you believe. Without getting over-technical six helmet sizes requires at least four different shell (outer casing) sizes which some quality helmet manufacturers indeed utilise.
However, the majority of economic helmet manufacturers operate entirely differently. First let me sing their praises insofar as most build to standard ECER 22-05, and regularly use quality materials (some even achieving ‘racing approved’ certification), and indeed one can on occasions struggle to effectively argue that a helmet costing several hundred pounds more is indeed overall ‘better.’
A conventional motorcycle helmet has two principal protective components: a thin, hard, outer shell typically made from polycarbonate plastic, fiberglass, or Kevlar and a soft, thick, inner liner usually made of expanded polystyrene or polypropylene "EPS" foam.
So what is the big downside to buying an economic helmet?
Possibly none if you buy a mid-sized (within their size range) helmet. It may be perfect. But otherwise if you require smaller or larger than middle of the road sizing then expect your helmet to be either too large or too small respectively as only one (possibly two) shell sizes are utilised.
(Manufacturers would have you believe that they adjust size via lining thickness. Alas that is essentially a lie. Just think about it: a manufacturer who reduces tooling costs via variations in shell sizes then goes on to incur increased tooling costs via manufacturing different multi-part liner sizes)?!
On what authority do I state this? On very limited evidence (in science terms) but for my part adequate examination and measuring: returning numerous new helmets of various sizes through the post and today visiting a retailer who offered the full six size choices for two of its brands and physically internally measuring them using a flexible tape measure.
Ironically two manufacturers tried to fob me off with their alleged 63cm. XXL helmets which only measured 58cm! My head size is 59cm.
I eventually settled for an XL ‘Box’ (brand name) helmet (£49.99) which sort of measures 59cm. Although it is labelled 'XL 62cm'.
What exactly do I mean by ‘sort of.’
Well namely that modern design helmets can embrace all manner of unnecessary extra padding eg. over the ears so as to muffle the beautiful roar of your new pipes, or say cheek padding - possibly added to make you look like you are pouting your lips at the pretty female officer who flags you down.
So nowadays a ‘correctly fitting’ helmet will feel much tighter than a ‘correctly fitting’ helmet of yesteryear. In making my observations I have taken that fully into account.
I do not read follow up posts, or reply to such. There are those who write, and those who throw stones at writers.
It's not often you and I agree JP, but this time we do.
Oldelvan, are you here to alienate other members, cos you're doing a good job, or perhaps as an agitator?
This site is full of members who meet in person and have become friends, some of us agree to disagree but we don't usually get anyone quite as arrogant and anti-social as you come across in your postings.
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