by Liane Laskoske

Created on: August 25, 2008

Motorcycle helmets protect your head in the event of a fall. Snell and DOT standards dictate the standards they must meet, and manufacturers introduce new designs yearly, if not more often. There are helmets with radios and stereos in for those long rides. There is even a helmet with Blue Tooth capacity so you can answer your cell phone while riding.

You may not need all the bells and whistles of the new helmets, and may be tempted to save money and buy a used helmet. Some of them look quite new. No scuffs tell you the helmet was not dropped, or hit. So why not save your hard-earned cash and buy that shiny used helmet?

PLASTIC DETERIORATES
Even the roughest, toughest plastic gets brittle as it gets older and a sharp rap may be all it takes to split it wide open. Do you really want the helmet on your head when that happens? Slight scuffmarks explained away by the seller as "knocked it off my work bench", could be the product of a nasty fall. Our PA Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor told us, "even if you drop it on the floor, replace it". Any time a helmet is dropped, no matter how hard, it stresses the plastic and leaves it more vulnerable for cracks later on. Though Snell and some other manufacturers may stamp a date of manufacture on the inside of the shell, it is hard to get to. If there was no date stamped, you have no way of knowing exactly how old the helmet is.

LINING COMPRESSES
The lining of a motorcycle helmet is made from something called "expanded polystyrene", or EPS. EPS compresses to absorb the force of the blow. Because of the lining material and the padding, you cannot tell by looking if the EPS is compressed from a previous blow. If it is compressed, it does not have as much, or possibly ANY, shock absorbing quality left. The next blow may be directly to your head instead of compressing the EPS as designed.

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
If a helmet is stored where sunlight can hit it, as my helmet is when I lock it to the bike, or even when you ride in sunlight, the rays damage the plastic of the helmet. If you set your helmet on the gas tank, gas fumes may be eating at the petroleum based plastic of both the helmet shell and the EPS. Helmets painted to match the bike may be damaged by the paint that was used. If someone put stickers on it, the adhesive can also compromise the plastic or even hide damage the seller does not want you to see.

HEADSHAPES VARY
A helmet's interior will adapt to the head shape of the wearer. If you've ever worn someone else's helmet, you may have noticed it feels funny. Although it may adapt and conform to your head, bear in mind that conforming means some of the shock absorption quality has already been used to do it once.

NEW HELMETS ARE WORTH THE PRICE
Since helmet prices start from less than $100, the money saved by buying a used helmet is just not worth the risk. Shop around for the best deal on one. You may be able to pick up a last year's model or a discontinued one for a great price.

For more information, look through these sites and make up your own mind if a used motorcycle helmet is really worth the risk. It's your head.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
ht tp://www.smf.org/internet_helmets.htm
http://www.msf- usa.org/
http://www.pamsp.com/

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