Topic: Helmets end of life vs manufacturing date

[PeWe]

I have seen many recommendations to buy a new helmet when the helmet is 5-7 years old.

I can not find any date stamp easy to find as on tires.
It is not nice if there are helmets on sale that are NOS helmets with several years on the shelf, close to by manufacturers recommended end of life.

If the age is more important than use it must be clear information on the helmet like tires DOT stamp.

My favourite helmet  was ordered late 2014, arrived around Christmas. It's graphic was new 2014.
Fiberglass shell.

That helmet fits my head really well. The white EPS foam inside is not hard or falling into pieces, yet.

The  inner lining feels a little aged and dry after 10 seasons. Or ca 55.000 km which might be a better value of use.

I think I will skip the replace helmet recommendation and buy new lining.

I have another helmet, same model, different color but not much used. Bought on sale from France 2020.
Who knows when that was produced?
It fits really tight and good.
The white EPS  foam inside and inner lining feels fresh, like new as it is. Max 5 hours on head.

It had some too tight pain giving spots of the inner EPS foam I have adjusted with a small round shaped hammer.

Manufacturers description:
"The fibreglass fabric combined with a special resin is compressed in a vacuum at high pressure to form an exceptionally sturdy yet uniquely light helmet shell. "

I heard back in the early 80's that cheap polycarbonate helmets were not long lived. Attach stickers or paint on them a big no-no. They were told to act as a ball when hitting the road bouncing too much.

Fiberglass and in a mix with other fibers have been my choice.

So I'll go for a new inner lining on my 10 years old fiberglass helmet since the shock absorbing EPS foam feels OK. Not falling into pieces when poking it with a finger and nail.

The later helmets EPS feels similar.

The helmets end date should be clearly written on the outside  if that is how it works.

It should be possible to test the EPS foam if still OK. Not hardened by age.
If falling into pieces is easy to test

Each riding season is max 6 months anyway.
So 10 years is max 5 years.  So no  problem with another 4 half years then?

I have had several very close moments the last years the helmet should not have helped me

I guess I'm not alone  with these thoughts.
Buy a new $600-1000 US helmet every 5-7 years when it still feels and look fresh ...?

[Don R]

 The helmets I'm familiar with have snell numbers which are changed every few years. For example, SA2015 (expiring this year) or SA 2020 certifications. In Europe I think fia numbers are more common like fia 8859-2015 would be good for 10 years and expiring now. This is for organized racing rules.
 I think they are dated for worst use like one that was left in the sun every day. My new one dropped from hanging by the strap on my throttle grip to my driveway. It left a tiny mark but I certainly didn't throw it away even though they say you should.
 Here is some real-world information,
https://www.citybike.com/stories/motorcycle-helmet-testing/

[Don R]

 We have a shelf in the garage of expired helmets lined up in a row. they would be good fodder for a helmet age test.
 Many are Bell but we got away from them because the trim always seemed to fall apart. We're buying better helmets these days like Impact or Simpson but cheap or expensive they all pass the same tests in the lab.

[PeWe]

Thanks Don for the link to the helmet test.
Very encouraging to use the helmets I have.

I'll check how my not much used Shoei Sarron replica (black/red/blue) I ordered and got 1990 looks inside.

The shell made of 3 different fibers if I remember correctly. Not only fiberglass.
Same helmet in different graphics, different for that time known racers.

If the damping foam is much harder than my 24-30 years newer Schuberth helmets.

Dominique Sarron

[grcamna2]

I just purchased a new(date of manufacture 24' on an inside tag)Biltwell Bonanza 3/4 coverage DOT rated white helmet;it fit's me very good with glasses.
I had also bought a Bell Custom 500 in Jan. 25' which was horribly uncomfortable with glasses,putting pressure on my nose bridge;what a difference in fit and comfort over the Bell,from night to Day Better with the Biltwell. 

I had bought a cheap,used Vega helmet & rode with it for years(from 15'-22'..)and don't know how old it was,which bothered me.
The Vega fit me well.. but: if in doubt,buy fresh/new.

I also own a 3 yr. old Shoei RF1200(bought used from a Facebook seller 10 months ago)which was always kept inside in a cool place;the PO bought it for his wife who only used it maybe 3 times,and the padding was like new inside.
I got a great deal on this RF1200,only it's a strange color combination.
Do folks still paint helmets and is it recommended ??

I looked at & tried-on my barely used helmet,and the condition of the interior padding of this RF1200 is impressive:it feels like a new helmet.
I recently replaced the cheek pads size to fit me & my new glasses;when I did,I noticed the excellent condition of the liner and gained more confidence in the usable life of this helmet.

Edit: I own this Large size Shoei RF800 and loved the fit.
I put it away for a number of years inside a 'Head Case' to store it.
I opened it up again recently to use it and the foam lining had lost it's nice fit.
I removed all the foam and looked at the EVA/EPS protective styrofoam-type material(painted black by the factory)which will protect my head from impact;to my untrained eye,it looks ok.
Does anyone know if there's a place I can bring this helmet to who will install new comfort foam?

I'm looking around online to find a place that will do a interior comfort foam pad restore.
I recently found a place called: Custom Destruction (customdestruction.com) which does vintage helmet restoration.  Don't quite know how they got that name,but the guy's email is: cdhelmetrestoration@gmail.com
I just sent him pictures of my Shoei RF800 in the email;we'll see what he says when he gets back to me.

[spotty]

back in the 80's when polycarbonate helmets we all the rage i had a red one ( whose brand is long one from my brain ) which i was luckily wearing when i went head first into a windscreen. Theres a long story attached to that but suffice to say you can stick sidecars where the sun don't shine

as it was poly, and therefore not painted, you could see the impact zone as the plastic stretches and goes white, so it had lots of white lines radiating from the crown down the sides.

ain't no way i was going to wear it again but one of my mates , who was well aware of its provenance, asked if he could buy it, of course i said yes and promptly spent the money on beer

he left the helmet sitting on a desk under a lamp, apparently it was a bit too hot under the lamp as the plastic shell melted and settled on the white foam liner perfectly flat,  where i'd hit the windscreen it had taken the impact on the white foam liner and left it perfectly flat and the shell sprung back into shape. even after that he still wore the thing, dunno if he was brave or stupid

[Don R]

 I've been wearing a satin black G Force, I think it was around $320. Less wind whistle than my Bell had overall, I have no complaints. At first it fit tight above my eyes but broke in easily.
 It is an SA2020 so I could wear it at the drag strip in our car. Not likely that I'll license again but you never know.

[Tracksnblades1]

PeWe,

My Shoei GTAir 2 indicates 5 years from purchase date or 7 years from manufacture date..

But I agree with DonR. Storage of the helmet matters..A helmet hung on the review mirror or stored in a non temp/humidity controlled storage while not in use may degrade a lot faster.

Likewise a proper and pamperedly stored helmet’s inner shock absorbering layer may last longer too…

Your Shoei should’ve had a stricter under the center pad or by the chin guard/strap with the DOM…?

[HondaMan]

I still remember all the squabling over 'which helmets are better', which was truncated by the government stepping in and (first) requiring Snell-style testing and certain minimum standards. Then the Left came in and demanded that everyone MUST change their helmets every 3 years (remember that one?) or they could be "ticketed and jailed" for a 'substandard' helmet, as determined by the Snell test date on them (also required). This put hundreds of thousands of brand-new helmets in warehouses in the trash. So, after a while, more lawsuits arrived, and in the end, no one believed anyone else about how "good" a given helmet is/was, nor when it "expired" for sitting in the box too long.

I got my helmet in 1976. Still fits good, too.

[scottly]

Then the Left came in and demanded that everyone MUST change their helmets every 3 years (remember that one?)

Politics are not allowed, Mark. Besides, I don't remember any such thing??

[Kevin D]

I got a new HJC in 2022? I took the lining out for cleaning recently and found a manufacture date of 2018?
 I think maybe I should have paid half price.
Sorry I’m 1000 miles away from my helmet… I will double check the dates later, but that’s my story. Old stock helmet much older than old stock tires.

[Don R]

 That reminds me to get my helmet off of the firebirds fender and put it back in the bag.

[PeWe]

I got a new HJC in 2022? I took the lining out for cleaning recently and found a manufacture date of 2018?
 I think maybe I should have paid half price.
Sorry I’m 1000 miles away from my helmet… I will double check the dates later, but that’s my story. Old stock helmet much older than old stock tires.

That is what I suspect. Manufacturers say replace helmet after 3-5 years or 5-7 depending on the brand. Even if only been parked at home.

I read somewhere that the inner damping foam is aging.
But I can not feel much difference between both my Schubert helmets.

They should provide a way to validate the inner foam.

My thought today:
"As long as it does not cause a white snowfall, cracking into pieces it is ok."

[willbird]

I saw on youtube a few fellows had new never used seat belts which had very little useful life left time wise on the day they arrived at their house new.

[HondaMan]

Then the Left came in and demanded that everyone MUST change their helmets every 3 years (remember that one?)

Politics are not allowed, Mark. Besides, I don't remember any such thing??

I'm not trying to be political: here in Colorado in that era (1980-1985) the State Police would check your helmet's DOT or SNELL rating by its model and serial number (and date code, if it had one) if you were stopped. So did all the local racetracks. If your fiberglass helmet was more than 5 years old (polycarbonates only 3 years), you could not ride with it, period, so in a traffic stop your bike was impounded until you had a tow truck bring it to your house again. In 1985 Colorado State also lost a court case over it, and stopped making the gendarmes check your helmet on a stop for any reason (without changing the law): the upshot of it was (and still is) that the State could not enforce such a law on a person as it was an invasion of their rights (to what, I'm not sure?). Colorado also stopped enforcing their [still on the books] must-wear-a-helmet law in that same suit, supposedly prompted to by the State's Tourist Association.

So, the $99 disposable helmet (white polycarbonate) appeared here in every bike shop in that era, and only disappeared around 1990. But every rider in this State who rode then knows all about it.

[PeWe]

I found this which help me to decide 
My worries about the EPS liner is no longer a problem.

[HondaMan]

Great video! I turned the sound off to watch it again, those are some cool rides.

[PeWe]

Great video! I turned the sound off to watch it again, those are some cool rides.

The Youtube comments are very helpful too.

[seanbarney41]

Long time follower of that channel...he does excellent long term equipment reviews of everything from whole motorcycles to safety equipment.  Unfortunate for us that he doesn't really ride much pavement.

[Oddjob]

I just purchased a new(date of manufacture 24' on an inside tag)Biltwell Bonanza 3/4 coverage DOT rated white helmet;it fit's me very good with glasses.
I had also bought a Bell Custom 500 in Jan. 25' which was horribly uncomfortable with glasses,putting pressure on my nose bridge;what a difference in fit and comfort over the Bell,from night to Day Better with the Biltwell. 

I had bought a cheap,used Vega helmet & rode with it for years(from 15'-22'..)and don't know how old it was,which bothered me.
The Vega fit me well.. but: if in doubt,buy fresh/new.

I also own a 3 yr. old Shoei RF1200(bought used from a Facebook seller 10 months ago)which was always kept inside in a cool place;the PO bought it for his wife who only used it maybe 3 times,and the padding was like new inside.
I got a great deal on this RF1200,only it's a strange color combination.
Do folks still paint helmets and is it recommended ??

I looked at & tried-on my barely used helmet,and the condition of the interior padding of this RF1200 is impressive:it feels like a new helmet.
I recently replaced the cheek pads size to fit me & my new glasses;when I did,I noticed the excellent condition of the liner and gained more confidence in the usable life of this helmet.

Edit: I own this Large size Shoei RF800 and loved the fit.
I put it away for a number of years inside a 'Head Case' to store it.
I opened it up again recently to use it and the foam lining had lost it's nice fit.
I removed all the foam and looked at the EVA/EPS protective styrofoam-type material(painted black by the factory)which will protect my head from impact;to my untrained eye,it looks ok.
Does anyone know if there's a place I can bring this helmet to who will install new comfort foam?

I'm looking around online to find a place that will do a interior comfort foam pad restore.
I recently found a place called: Custom Destruction (customdestruction.com) which does vintage helmet restoration.  Don't quite know how they got that name,but the guy's email is: cdhelmetrestoration@gmail.com
I just sent him pictures of my Shoei RF800 in the email;we'll see what he says when he gets back to me.

Shoei sells the pads and foam seperately, I've replaced the ones in my X-Spirit helmets a few times over the years. Maybe try searching for the liner online?

[grcamna2]

I just purchased a new(date of manufacture 24' on an inside tag)Biltwell Bonanza 3/4 coverage DOT rated white helmet;it fit's me very good with glasses.
I had also bought a Bell Custom 500 in Jan. 25' which was horribly uncomfortable with glasses,putting pressure on my nose bridge;what a difference in fit and comfort over the Bell,from night to Day Better with the Biltwell. 

I had bought a cheap,used Vega helmet & rode with it for years(from 15'-22'..)and don't know how old it was,which bothered me.
The Vega fit me well.. but: if in doubt,buy fresh/new.

I also own a 3 yr. old Shoei RF1200(bought used from a Facebook seller 10 months ago)which was always kept inside in a cool place;the PO bought it for his wife who only used it maybe 3 times,and the padding was like new inside.
I got a great deal on this RF1200,only it's a strange color combination.
Do folks still paint helmets and is it recommended ??

I looked at & tried-on my barely used helmet,and the condition of the interior padding of this RF1200 is impressive:it feels like a new helmet.
I recently replaced the cheek pads size to fit me & my new glasses;when I did,I noticed the excellent condition of the liner and gained more confidence in the usable life of this helmet.

Edit: I own this Large size Shoei RF800 and loved the fit.
I put it away for a number of years inside a 'Head Case' to store it.
I opened it up again recently to use it and the foam lining had lost it's nice fit.
I removed all the foam and looked at the EVA/EPS protective styrofoam-type material(painted black by the factory)which will protect my head from impact;to my untrained eye,it looks ok.
Does anyone know if there's a place I can bring this helmet to who will install new comfort foam?

I'm looking around online to find a place that will do a interior comfort foam pad restore.
I recently found a place called: Custom Destruction (customdestruction.com) which does vintage helmet restoration.  Don't quite know how they got that name,but the guy's email is: cdhelmetrestoration@gmail.com
I just sent him pictures of my Shoei RF800 in the email;we'll see what he says when he gets back to me.

Shoei sells the pads and foam seperately, I've replaced the ones in my X-Spirit helmets a few times over the years. Maybe try searching for the liner online?

My Shoei RF1200 has a completely removable foam padding/liner,which is wonderful,imo.
I think even the RF1100 had a non-removable.
I purchased my RF800 back in the 1990's..  and it won't allow me to remove the foam padding w/o cutting it all away,like in the picture above.
I don't think it was meant to be replaceable.

[Oddjob]

Only ever had X-Spirits so I thought they were all like that. My mistake.