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Helmet reline or purchase new?


Fritzer

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I've had my Nolan 102 helmet for ten years and has worked well except now it is loose on my head.  Thinking that a new liner might be the cheapest way to go.  Has anybody relined their nolan helmets?

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After 10 years my personal opinion is it is time for a new helmet. It isn’t just the liner that deteriorates but the EPS itself compresses over time, lessening its ability to absorb an impact. I know helmets aren’t cheap but it beats the alternative.

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If you have to think about your helmet it’s already in need of a replacement 

 

 

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I would buy a new helmet.  As Philois said above, the shell deteriorates as well as the liner.  I replace my helmet every 4-5 years, though I don't spend a ton on them.  I don't buy el-cheapo crap, but I'm also not spending $500+ on a premium brand, so I don't mind replacing my lid more frequently.

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Had @MaxSwell not seen the (bright orange) light in 2012, chances are he would be no longer amongst us....

 

 

Get a new helmet my friend....

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The main reason the helmet is loose is because the expanded polystyrene has been compressed over time. The

liner protects your head by compressing when needed. If it's already partially compressed, the ability to protect

your melon is compromised.

 

If you like the Nolan helmets, get a new one. The Nolan 105 is a great modular helmet. Whatever you decide to

go with, get a new helmet. That one is past due to be replaced.

 

Just consider that if you need the protection a helmet provides, you don't have much in the one you're using.

And I am curious as to how you would completely remove all the old liner, and replace it while retaining the integrity

of the helmet itself.

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There are some cool helmets out there Fritzer, let us know what you choose.

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On 12/4/2020 at 7:56 AM, Dutchy said:

Had @MaxSwell not seen the (bright orange) light in 2012, chances are he would be no longer amongst us....

 

 

Get a new helmet my friend....

Guilty. I've had several "Close Encounters of the Obliteration Kind".

 

This is the Schuberth C3 after a close encounter with a hooved forest rat at 65MPH on I74 near Urbana Ill.

 

IMG 1325 helmet death blow MaxSwell

 

Old and current helmet.

IMG_0953.thumb.JPG.d37e7120b0c7293661130ac5b5d08f69.JPG

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8 hours ago, MaxSwell said:

Guilty. I've had several "Close Encounters of the Obliteration Kind".

 

This is the Schuberth C3 after a close encounter with a hooved forest rat at 65MPH on I74 near Urbana Ill.

 

IMG 1325 helmet death blow MaxSwell

 

Old and current helmet.

IMG_0953.thumb.JPG.d37e7120b0c7293661130ac5b5d08f69.JPG

Interested to here if you confirm Schubert’s claims that the C3 is significantly quieter than other helmets MaxSwell, I have to be honest and say I have never had or worn a helmet that I would consider quite. Earplugs are the only way I can get the noise levels down to a acceptable level at 100kmh or over. My current Shoei is still too noisy for me with the vents and visor all closed, and I wear my helmets very firm. I find most of the noise enters the helmet around the neck roll. I will be due for a new helmet very shortly I don’t want to fork out the extra $$$ if I still have to wear earplugs.

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Having owned many helmets (FM, Shoei, Arai and a Shuberth C3) and cannot say that the C3 is a "quiet" helmet. Not to be at least. I would still wear custom modled earplugs.

While I like the flip up design and able to buy an orange one when they were still produced only for the Belgiom and Austrian police, I bought one in 2012. Just in time for TMAC :laugh:

 

I did find that the inner lining had an annoying sculpted tiny "spatch section" that imprinted itself on my stern.  Asking Shuberth HQ for advise they answered "fitting is not part of our warranty". I took the bit (0.5" by 1") of foam out from the liner and that solved it. So DO test fit if you are consirdering one and wear it for half an hour.

The SCS bluetooth collar died after 26 months. "Warranty has expired".   So no more Shuberth for me.   I retired it after the T-bone accident in 2016. It served its purpose, albeit not in such dramatic fasion as Terry.

 

post-8974-0-91619000-1437311319.jpg.6156d7c802faf82490afb54f616896fa.jpg

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I also didn't feel the Schuberth C3 was very quiet. And to me, it wasn't as good a fit as the model that came

before the C3. I bought a Nolan 104 after the Schuberth and it was okay. But I now have the Nolan 105 N

and it is noticeably quieter than any of the other helmets I've had. It comes with a "neck shield", for want of

a better description, that makes it pretty quiet.

 

IMO you'll never find a helmet quiet enough to wear without ear plugs. But if you have a short enough

windscreen, and can keep your head in clean air, the noise is much less than when your head is in the turbulent

air coming off a windscreen.

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41 minutes ago, FJ12Ryder said:

IMO you'll never find a helmet quiet enough to wear without ear plugs. But if you have a short enough

windscreen, and can keep your head in clean air, the noise is much less than when your head is in the turbulent

air coming off a windscreen.

 

This.  I can't imagine any helmet being quiet enough that I could ditch my earplugs.  And I'm fine with that, really.  That's one reason I don't pay much attention to noise level ratings when helmet shopping.  Still, a difference of 5-10 decibels would be significant, if that's even possible in a helmet.  (I haven't done the research, so I don't know.)

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FYI I was trying to source some visor pod parts for an older AGV helmet.  The agent's resonse - NLA (as expected) but also a none too sublet rant about the life span of helmets being about 2! years - "if you are in an accident I cannot guarantee the helmet will do it's job. Paramedics will check your helmet to see how old it is" etc.  Followed by a suggested upgrade to their NZ$1200 new model.  Hmm, that's more than I paid for the bike! (yeah, yeah I get the value of a good helmet)

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Two years sounds a bit extreme to me, I draw the line between 4 and 6 years, depends how much use the helmet has. Wearing the helmet is what compresses the EPS lining, maybe it should be rated in hours, but who keeps a track of hours. Kilometres (miles for some) might work better but then some people cover a 100 km much quicker than others.

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I have a top of the line Shoei, X12 or something or other, bought new 4 or 5 years ago maybe? I decided to wash the liner and it disintegrated in the washing machine. I bought a new liner from Shoei for $100 and am happy as a pig in poop. I tried on the latest greatest racing style full face shoei and they changed the shell shape and or chin bar where it does not fit me as well as the older one. Time kills these liners/helmets too, I never throw away my old helmets as I think they are works of art. They sit on a high shelf on a wall unit and look cool. Anyway, I have taken them down periodically and I have to tell you, the liners turned to dust!

 

I have two helmets I switch off between, the Arai flows alot of air and is noisy, the Shoei fits firmer and is quiet and the shield mechanism is nicer. So there you have it, when you need a new brain bucket, just go out and get one. You only get one head and riding around in a crappy helmet affects your disposition LOL

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Schuberth claims the helmet is "quiet" at 82 db. And I find it quiet with earplugs. The C3 and C3 Pro have a soft close-fitting material under the chin which really quiets things a lot. I can hear a small amount of noise when the air vent on top of the helmet is open. If I temporarily put my gloved hand over the open vent it becomes quieter.

 

The medium helmets fit me quite well without squeezing too hard, i.e., perfectly. There was a problem with impingement in the middle of my forehead but there was a tab at the front of the liner that could be folded to eliminate that. 

 

At 5' 6" tall and sitting behind a Givi D200S Touring Windscreen, the wind hits the helmet at the bottom of the face shield; no bugs on the chin bar.

 

I have destroyed two of these helmets. The first destruction was hitting the ground after hitting a deer at 65mph. That is the helmet in the picture. And because it surely saved my life, I have a special feeling for it. The second was destroyed when I went off-road in Arkansas. (Poor technique on my part was the reason for the offing.) When I got up from the ground and undid my chin guard, the chin guard came off in my hand. But it stayed in place throughout the impact.

 

When I called Schuberth to see if they wanted me to send the helmet to them for evaluation, they said they offer a huge discount (less than half price) on replacement if the damaged lid is sent to them within one year. It was beyond one year for the yellow helmet so I'd missed that opportunity and that's why I still have the helmet. The second one I sent to them for the discount. I believe I'm still wearing that replacement. Which means I’ll be getting a new one next spring? Since I no longer can do multi-thousand mile tours and it spends much less time on my battered noggin, it still fits snuggly but it's time has expired.

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"The second one I sent to them for the discount."

Hey Terry, that's not how you normally get a discount on a Helmet!

 

Rather than look/spend on a real expensive "quieter" Helmet, I had Custom Molded Silicone Ear Speakers made. ($300)

336313453_AFE-2XB1.jpg.d0db088b55468b821d677da0a13a3683.jpg

 

Nothing else has come close, but pay attention, for the Sirens behind you, the Border Guard yelling at you, etc,,,..

I use them in the Cage when on long gravel roads or rough snow cover'd roads (constant low freq Booming).

Or on a plane flight (pink noise).

High Fidelity too (get 1,2, or 3 speakers).

Should last 10 years, buddy got 20 (till he left a pair on the workshop bench and the mice ate the silicone), or till your ear canal changes with age.

You can't beat a near solid hunk of rubber in your ear.

 

I still got those Ear Foam Sticks you gave me in Nelson.

 

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On 12/4/2020 at 11:44 PM, Philois1984 said:

There are some cool helmets out there Fritzer, let us know what you choose.

After looking at the new helmet offerings and decided to give the LS2 Strobe helmet a try.  It has the following features I desire 

 

Modular construction.   I appreciate the ability to get the front of the helmet out of the way when needed.

Ratchet strap connector.  After getting spoiled by the Nolan ratchet strap connector, I will never go back to the D ring connectors. 

Tinted drop down visor.  Always wanted this feature.  Plan on setting the upper portion of the visor to be a 100% sun block.

Light weight at 1630 grams.

 And the final clincher.... CHEAP!  Unbelievable low price of $136.  Incredible value for the money.

 

Not set up for communication devices might be a turnoff for some riders but I ride mostly solo so that does not bother me.

 

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2 hours ago, Fritzer said:

After looking at the new helmet offerings and decided to give the LS2 Strobe helmet a try.  It has the following features I desire 

 

Modular construction.   I appreciate the ability to get the front of the helmet out of the way when needed.

Ratchet strap connector.  After getting spoiled by the Nolan ratchet strap connector, I will never go back to the D ring connectors. 

Tinted drop down visor.  Always wanted this feature.  Plan on setting the upper portion of the visor to be a 100% sun block.

Light weight at 1630 grams.

 And the final clincher.... CHEAP!  Unbelievable low price of $136.  Incredible value for the money.

 

Not set up for communication devices might be a turnoff for some riders but I ride mostly solo so that does not bother me.

 

I have a LS2 dual sport helmet (MX436) and it is a really good bang for the buck purchase. Comfy, good features, and really quite cheap compared to others on the market. It's not anywhere near the fit and finish of Shoei but it's a good value. 

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  • 1 month later...
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I have been wearing the LS2 strobe helmet for a month now.  Great value but the clearance at the chin bar is on the tight side.  My chin touches it slightly when it is in riding position.  Could use another quarter inch clearance.  

 

The drop down visor works very well.  I blocked off the lower 1/3 of the visor area for a sunblock.  It has a stop for that position and has come in handy for the blinding winter, low in the sky sun.  

 

It is also smaller and lighter than my old nolan helmet.

 

And, I am a huge fan of the ratcheted chin strap connectors.  Way better that the D rings on other helmets.

 

Other than the chin clearance, it is a nice helmet for the money.

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