How long does a helmet last?

[yz250ftony]

After how many years should you replace your helmet?

[solorsix]

its not a matter of years(within reason) its a matter of impacts..

If you bought a new helmet yesterday, and crashed on your head(helmet) today(hard) = buy a new helmet tommorrow.

[Humby]

Easy as that, cracked beaten up helmet, dont use

[yz250ftony]

How about a helmet with 0 crashes, 0 cracks in showroom condition? Does the shell of it wear out eventually?

[the yan]

wear it for about 10 crashes and then if u haven't crashed that much then wear it tell it totally deteriates

[yz250ftony]

I wouldn't ride with a 10 year old helmet. how long does it take to deteriate(years)?

[wft2019]

I wouldn't ride with a 10 year old helmet. how long does it take to deteriate(years)?

That's a figure commonly used by people in the industry. There are different kinds of insulation/impact materials used in different helmets. Some of those materials do degrade over time, particularly when exposed to excess water, high or low temps, etc. And, of course, that would also depend on how often you actually used it. If you use your helmet often you'd probably want to replace between 5-10yrs. It would probably fit a lot looser by then anyway & need replacement.

[commando]

Don't ask my father-in-law... he uses a cracked and dented, from an impact, Bell motorcycle helmet he found in a dumpster

[zgw8]

Ouch... I didn't know you could replace your helmet!

[CRF50Racer]

I've had mine for as long as i've ridden.... so, it seems to last a LOOOOOONG time.... (about 6-8 years)... so far, only about 2 SERIOUS crashes... one involving my head..... i think

[titoheadfaceman]

well, i have had my helmet for 5 years and it is a piece of ****. i have had many nice head hits but it is still in one piece. I've been wanting a new one for a bout 3 years now but have no money. and besides, a blue helmet looks horrible on a suzuki. or at least a yamaha blue one does. I had a yamaha before the suzuki

[RMXC51]

I wouldn't wear a helmet older than 6 years, even if it had never been worn, much less crashed on. One major impact = replacement. I had an HJC that crashed on and got knocked silly for a few seconds. I quit wearing it and used it as a custom painting experiment. Turns out I'm no artist.

[R1der]

ive had a nice one for about a yr now but wrecked on it some. it really dont matter. i personally would switch every 2-3 years.

[JohnRM]

Does the official mx race organisation for your region make a recommendation on time? In UK for example the ACU recommend replacing helmets every two years or earlier if they have suffered major impacts. FRP materials (fibre reinforced plastic) such as fibre glass, kevlar etc.. do break down over time due to heat, humidity, vibration and impact. Did you know that some helmets marketed as "kevlar" only contain a 2cm square of kevlar at the position where impact testing is done to get safety approval

[rtm636]

As my face got fatter and my helmet got tighter I came up with a solution? I just shaved my head.

Now I have head like a cue ball but my lid fits fine.

[yz250ftony]

I've heard to replace them every 3-4 years, no crashes(major).

[RADRick]

After how many years should you replace your helmet?

Despite what you've read here, general industry standard for helmet life is 5 years from date of manufacture or first significant impact (considered to be any that breaches the painted surface). Over time, the many chemicals and textiles used in manufacture can cause the integrity of the helmet to break down thereby decreasing the helmet's ability to do what it was designed for. Resins delaminate, paints cause porosity or softening of substrates, and the fabrics and foams inside stretch or crush from usage. There's no way to tell by looking whether a helmet is beyond its useful life. There can be things going on underneath that can cause it to fail when you need it most.

[btc20mx]

two concussions and just picked up a shoei, done and done simple as that

[yz250ftony]

why don't helmets come with an expiration date on them. as you just read, people are riding with a false sense or security. they think their hear is safe when it isn't. so RMXC51 and titoheadfaceman go buy a new one!

[Supafreak_711]

Mine is 2.5 years old and looks like crap (in my many minor falls it has gotten pretty scratched up) but has no dents in it at all. I will probably keep wearing it because im not sure what brand my next bike will be (and the color will matter for the helmate). So, I'll wait the 4-5 years till I get a new bike.