Are you also wondering to know how long do motorcycle helmets last?
Although motorcycle helmets do not appear to disintegrate, yet the truth is that they do wear out with time and lose their adequacy. Therefore, you need to replace your bike helmet either after crashing it or not.
Generally, experts recommend replacing your bike helmet after every 3 – 5 years if you go crash-free. But, in case your bike helmet experiences a mishap, you should get a new bike helmet then.
Hence, there is no particular period indicating precisely how long are helmets good for safety.
So, what you need to do is to pick up the best motorcycle helmet since everything relies upon the quality, care, and reliability of your bike helmet.
How Long Do Motorcycle Helmets Last? –A Detailed Guide
Here is the list of the topics available in this article to guide you on how long motorcycle helmets last? You can simply jump to the one you need to know about.
What Do Experts Recommend?
Nearly everything has a restricted life expectancy after which it becomes useless. Likewise, motorcycle helmets also have a somewhat shorter and unpredictable lifespan.
Snell Foundation carried extensive research on bike helmet lifespan and formulated the helmet safety standards for the first time. According to them, you must replace your bike helmet following five years of its first use.
Now, you must be thinking about how to find out the production date of your helmet?
It is very simple as you can check the manufacturer date on your helmet’s sticker. It is normally available under the comfort liner segment within the helmet.
Why Do You Need To Replace Your Helmet?
Replacing a motorcycle helmet at regular intervals is a rule of thumb that everybody advises you to follow. But are you curious to know how do motorcycle helmets go bad? Orwhy do motorcycle helmets expire even without getting damaged?
Although you may have paid enough cost and have taken good care of your helmet that it doesn’t seem to be degraded or old. Yet there are still a couple of things that degrade within your helmet without being noticeable to your naked eyes.
Some of the reasons that will urge you to replace your helmet are the following,
- The consistent use of helmet causes normal wear and tear.
- The internal components of your helmet like the inner lining deteriorate. It might happen because of your sweat, body fluids, hair oil.
- The external shell of your bike helmet degrades due to UV light exposure.
- The helmet’s quality declines due to its contact with petroleum-based items, for example, cleaners, paints, fuels, and others.
What Are Motorcycle Helmets Made Of?
While discussing how long do motorcycle helmets last? The answer usually depends on your helmet’s construction which is responsible to provide extreme sturdiness.
- Outer Shell
Bike helmets contain a robust shell covering them from the outside. Typically, it is made up of reliable plastic, fiberglass, or carbon materials.
This shell serves as the first-line safeguard of your helmet. It keeps up the shape, ensures any infiltration, and delivers high versatility.
Unfortunately, this protective shell also deteriorates with time. It occurs due to continuous exposure to UV light and contact with other substances.
- Inner Comfort Liner
The comfort liner contains polystyrene lining inside your helmet. It incorporates an EPS foam along with a shock-absorbing pad. Thus, it gives your head a soft and comfortable cushioning.
However, comfort liner mostly becomes the reason to replace your helmet. It happens due to its EPS foam which loses its shape or debases over time.
So, we suggest you consider the EPS quality while choosing the best motorcycle helmet with a longer motorcycle helmet life expectancy.
When Should You Replace Your Motorcycle Helmet?
Are you also battling to find out how long is a motorcycle helmet good for you?
Here are some signs that will assist you in determining whether you need to change your helmet or not.
- Helmet’s age
The first thing you need to ask yourself is; how old your helmet is?
If you have worn your helmet for more than five years, then you surely need to replace it. Your helmet becomes weak due to persistent wear and tear for quite a long time.
Consequently, you should renew it to protect yourself while riding in the future.
- Damaged motorcycle helmet
The simple yet easy rule is to replace your helmet whenever you crash it. Your damaged motorcycle helmet loses its defense capability after getting hit.
Thus, experts recommend changing your helmet if you have an accident, or the helmet gets damaged.
- Usage
Do you consistently wear your helmet or not?
If you use your bike helmet routinely, then it is more prone to lose its integrity. So, you may have to replace it more often.
Even if none of these signs show up in your case, yet SHOEI still recommends you replace your bike helmet after five years.
How Often Do You Need To Replace Your Motorcycle Helmet?
The bike helmet lifespan usually differs due to varying riding style and helmet conditions. It further depends on several factors including, how often you use it, where do you store it, and how you take care of your of it.
Therefore, it is critical to know how long do motorcycle helmets last? So,whenever you feel unsure about your helmet’s condition, you must replace it.
Conclusion
While riding a bike, a helmet is the single safety unit to protect yourself. Hence, it should be the best one without any compromise.
Motorcycle helmets seem durable and can be with you for ages. But, the industry prescribes replacing your helmet periodically regardless of whether it goes crash-free.
So, you should never risk your life for the sake of money. You must have heard the quote that it is always better to be safe than sorry.
