Dropped my helmet :(

mali · Apr 23, 2013

Hi all,

Just this morning I did something stupid, was getting ready for work and warming up the bike so decided to put the helmet (AGV Grid) on the seat so I can put the house keys in my pocket.. Getting straight to the point, before I realised the helmet slipped off the seat and fell and my natural reaction was to put my foot forward and catch it but it hit the tip of my boots and impacted the concrete ground.

There are hardly any scratches but one of the spoiler over the vents came off.

I have been wondering if the helmet is damaged and if I can use it again? My mind says its Ok since you stopped it from hitting the ground directly but I am after some advice and see what you guys think.

Many thanks.

BlueBear · Apr 23, 2013

Its ok. Wear it. Drop it. It be fine. Only thing u need to worry about if its a big drop or in a crash as alot of pressure has dented the safety foam. Or replace helmet every few years 5+. Cuz foam deforms, get soft and deterioate.

Ive droped mine. Few times. Youll get over it

prasen · Apr 23, 2013

Replace it. Helmets are only designed for one impact.

There may or may not be damage but you don't want to take a chance.

icucar · Apr 23, 2013

I've heard the same that it's designed for 1 impact and I've dropped helmets before that broke through the shell of the helmet. however I've been guilty of dropping my helmet in a similar way and still keeping and riding the helmet. But if I were to actually have an accident with it I would change out the helmet A.S.A.P

mali · Apr 23, 2013

Thanks for the replies.

I understand if the outer shell is cracked than you've had it but in my case there is a bit of scratch and its smooth. I dont see any structural damage.

Some one mentinoed that they are designed for one impact but that is with your head inside and the impact is of the sort we see in accidents, dropping it with nothing inside from about 30 inches above should be fine but I dont know!

daverogers2001 · Apr 23, 2013

I change mine every 3 years and If dropped. I have had a serious accident on a bike and I know that if I hadn't kept to these rules I doubt that I would even be able to write this response!!

Be safe

littlejohn · Apr 23, 2013

mali said:
Thanks for the replies.

I understand if the outer shell is cracked than you've had it but in my case there is a bit of scratch and its smooth. I dont see any structural damage.

Some one mentinoed that they are designed for one impact but that is with your head inside and the impact is of the sort we see in accidents, dropping it with nothing inside from about 30 inches above should be fine but I dont know!

Just curious.. how much did you pay for your lid?

mali · Apr 23, 2013

littlejohn said:
Just curious.. how much did you pay for your lid?

Around £375 and is my favourite helmet, fits nicely and all.. Here is an image of it.

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/product_images/agv_grid_sun-moon_main.jpg

jjsC6 · Apr 23, 2013

My disclaimer is that I don't have any factual data to back up my opinion, but I think it is total ........ that if you drop a helmet it has to be replaced. It makes zero sense to me. This of course is assuming that the drop does not cause any dents, cracks or such. I think its the manufacturers simply covering their ass legally and a good way to sell another helmet. There is probably not a motorcyclist alive who has not dropped their helmet btw.

littlejohn · Apr 23, 2013

mali said:
Around £375 and is my favourite helmet, fits nicely and all.. Here is an image of it.

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/product_images/agv_grid_sun-moon_main.jpg

I'd get another one.. think of it as an insurance policy for your head. I'm pretty sure your premium is more than that for you bike, which I'm pretty sure is worth less than your head

Plus you only have to buy a new lid every now and then (or whenever you drop one) unlike your premium which is a yearly membership fee

Canduc · Apr 23, 2013

BlueBear said:
Its ok. Wear it. Drop it. It be fine. Only thing u need to worry about if its a big drop or in a crash as alot of pressure has dented the safety foam. Or replace helmet every few years 5+. Cuz foam deforms, get soft and deterioate.

Ive droped mine. Few times. Youll get over it

+1
If something fell on it then I would replace it but a fall with a scratch? No.

mali · Apr 23, 2013

I guess I will keep it after reading various suggestions, thanks!

Also, spoke to the AGV dealer here and he said the same thing, he was like use your common sense, your an engineer, you know how impact safety systems are designed

Helmets are designed to take a 'hard' accident type of impact. If you have to replace your helmet every time you drop it you will be pissed big time and do you expect something that fragile can protect your skull when it really matters - when it can't with stand a small fall like that?

That convinced me, I will super glue the spolier back in its place!

ghostdog6 · Apr 23, 2013

The helmet absorbs impact by the compression of the foam within the helmet - your head hits the foam which absorbs the impact, and compresses the foam. The foam doesn't "un-compress", so at that point it's time to get a new helmet. In this case nothing hit the foam inside the helmet, so it didn't compress. The helmet is fine.

MUNDMAN · Apr 23, 2013

It really needs to be xrayed to tell. Arai does it for free if you pay shipping

Marcbc · Apr 23, 2013

Sorry to read this. For me, I would buy another hat. It may not be necessary from that height but it is my head and I am quite fond of it.

Also, do not warm the bike up. Somewhere in this forum is a discussion where Ducati advise against it. Pure coincidence or not, but since stopping that my bike has used no oil. I now get on the bike start it up and go, waiting for the rev indicator to move up before blasting it.

mali · Apr 23, 2013

Thanks for the input, Marc.

I took the helmet to our crash department at work and they had a good look at it and said its fine. These people do these day in day out.

I did thought about not warming up the bike as well but I only warm it up for a minute or two, nothing longer and it has not used up any oil so far and it has stopped smoking as well.

I will try to get the helmet X-rayed and see if it shows any flaws!

Marcbc · Apr 23, 2013

mali said:
Thanks for the input, Marc.

I took the helmet to our crash department at work and they had a good look at it and said its fine. These people do these day in day out.

I did thought about not warming up the bike as well but I only warm it up for a minute or two, nothing longer and it has not used up any oil so far and it has stopped smoking as well.

I will try to get the helmet X-rayed and see if it shows any flaws!

Sorry to go off topic, but I think Ducati now say no more than 10-15 seconds "warm up"!

Frosty · Apr 23, 2013

Do you really want to take a chance with your most vital asset?

NorthBankGooner · Apr 23, 2013

FrostyFire said:
Do you really want to take a chance with your most vital asset?

+1

I'm guessing you paid like £18k for your Pani so why would you hesitate in spending less than £400 to protect you most vital body part.

Slightly off subject but years a go in Brighton, UK a guy I knew of had his head run over by a car wheel. The helmet collapsed but saved his life with zero injury other than a stiff next for a few days. The fact that he was wearing a decent [Arai] helmet changed my opinion on going cheap as opposed to quality.

kensteele · Apr 23, 2013

if it were an inexpensive, i wouldn't think twice about it, replace it. but you have to decide for yourself if it is worth replacing an expensive helmet for a simple fall that none of us know of. obvious you don't automatically replace just because it touches the ground but you definitely replace after a crash. so somewhere in between, there a decision to be made.

mine was simple. helmet dropped from seat height and before it hit the concrete i broke the fall. twisted the helmet and it made contact with the chin piece breaking the chin vent, plus a scratch. helmet way too expensive to trash so i sent it back to aria. they repaired the broken chin vent and returned my helmet with the scratch, free of charge.

here's my disclaimer, it's up to you to take the risk.

Dropped my helmet :(

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