Death of a helmet

[outpost22]

So, my Nolan modular helmet was toast from a recent face plant. I won't wear a helmet that has been clunked, and there is no way I want some kid picking it up out of the trash thinking he could wear it safely.

 

So I decided to do a little "impact" test of my own.

 

First the internal liner was removed, as I will keep it for a spare one. Then the Nolan was laid out on a lawn, and I took my wood splitting mall and gave it a big WHACK, blade side down:

 

 

 

The only thing that visibly happened, is that the center styrofoam popped out and the "air vent" piece popped off.

 

 

I gave it 4 more WHACKS and both "blade" side down and "sledge" side down. The only visible damage other than the missing air vent parts was some small creases on top of the helmet. The visor snapped in half after the 3rd whack.

 

 

It finally wore me out, and I resorted to the Sawsall to finish the job.

 

 

I never knew the shell on a helmet was that tough.

[Quinn]

Sounds like it might have been a good deal for that kid to have gotten it before you started on it with the sledge.

 

Okay, not really because the energy absorbing styrofoam inside had already been compromised by the accident.

 

---

 

 

[Kathy R]

Good idea.

 

I'm going to take mine to the gun range.

[Huzband]

 

Next time, use both hands. It's quicker that way.

 

I don't think I could do it. Something about the (my) imaginary noggin in there.

[tallman]

You needed to be going 40 mph when you swung the ax.

Next time drive by in a convertible, I'll hold the helmet for you.

 

[mistercindy]

Great thread!

[elkroeger]

I won't wear a helmet that has been clunked... I never knew the shell on a helmet was that tough...

 

Neat experiment.

 

Just to play devil's advocate - do you still feel that your helmet was compromised in your face plant? What kind of face plant was it? Was it a stumble on the sidewalk, or did you crash the bike too? Were you injured?

 

I hope these helmets can take more abuse than I can. I mean shoot, I ought to be able to knock myself unconscious, and then some, and have the helmet sustain nothing more than cosmetic damage. Numerous times.

 

I'm not saying that I wouldn't repace it, just that they ought to be tougher than you ever dreamed possible. They better be!

[flars]

Two things contributed to your failure to perpetrate mayhem on your helmet:

The ground is soft, and allowed the helmet to gradually react to the impact. Somewhere in China, there is a man complaining of a severe headache that came on suddenly.

The BMW stickers deflected much of the force by redirecting it to your wallet. You may feel a little discomfort the next time you sit down.

[tallman]

elk,

It isn't the outer shell that one might need to worry about.

The inner energy absorption design is what helps minimize energy transfer to the cranium and minimize brain impact.

The outer shell prevents penetration, deflects and dissipates the impact(s) to the inner shell.

The outer shell may appear OK, but there is a chance the inner shell isn't.

Replacement is cheap insurance.

I've has closed head traumatic injuries and the loss of balance, speech, memory, and other qualities such as sense of humor, are sometimes permanently lost.

It took years for me to overcome some of these deficits, and even years later I still have some continuing effects that manifest in my day to day.

IMO, the possible consequences outweigh the cost of a helmet by a factor of X to a power of a thousand.

Best wishes.

[Jerry Johnston]

Have a young friend that went around a corner too fast on his crotch rocket. He was wearing a Shoei that was destroyed.

It badly cracked the outer surface. He is still recovering from this accident that happened 3 yrs ago. He's an engineer for the county and is normal except he has a harder time remembering formulas

[Firefight911]

I am here today thanks to nothing other than the helmet I was wearing. Very fast get off at Willow Springs turn 9. Knocked out and slid for days. Came too, took the helmet off and saw that it was cracked, scraped, and beat to heck.

 

I promptly packaged the destroyed helmet (after I cut off the straps) and sent it back to Shoei with a very detailed letter explaining the circumstance of its demise along with the success of its design. I hope that helmet is sitting in some designer's office or on the production line somewhere with a reminder as to the value and importance of what they are making.

 

Helmets are one time use only, by design. At a minimum, it should be sent in to the manufacturer for their review after an impact. They very rarely show any outward appearance of damage.

 

[elkroeger]

It isn't the outer shell that one might need to worry about.

The inner energy absorption design is what helps minimize energy transfer to the cranium and minimize brain impact.

... Replacement is cheap insurance....

 

Oh, don't get me wrong. I agree. And I certainly understand the difference in purpose of the styrfoam and shell.... I just think that these things are much, much more robust than most people seem to believe. As far as I can tell anyhow...

[outpost22]

 

Next time, use both hands. It's quicker that way.

 

I don't think I could do it. Something about the (my) imaginary noggin in there.

 

Well, this picture is taken just before the actual blows. My wife could not get the "strikes" to coincide with the digital shutter. Believe me, I do know how to use a splitting maul. After burning 8 chords a year in my mountain home, its something that you learn fairly fast when there is no auto log splitter.

 

Several of the blows were delivered while on a soft (lawn) surface. I then moved the helmet to a hard (rock) surface, and it made no difference to the outer shell. It still showed very little sign of damage.

 

For those unfamiliar with what happened to this helmet before this post, here is the LINK

[elkroeger]

...8 chords a year...

 

Sounds nice! maybe you know these guys:

 

http://longplayer.org/what/overview.php