Have you been using your helmet for several years now? It is a good idea to replace the helmet after every 3 to 4 years and replace the inner lining and padding every 12 to 15 months depending on the condition of the country where you live. In most tropical nations of the Asia-Pacific region the helmet starts to show signs of aging and wear and tear after about a couple of years. If that sounds familiar, replace the internal lining and padding and if your budget allows, buy a new helmet!
In order to get the best value out of your money, there are a few things that you must know about buying a new helmet before visiting a motorcycle accessories shop.
Understand your expectations
Helmets are no longer just a safety necessity; they have become lifestyle accessories! You cannot possibly make a good buying decision unless you know what you are expecting out of the product. The first thing to understand is whether the helmet suits your lifestyle. Are you a young person with most of your commutes happening between home and the college? Or are you an office goer and you have to ride in bumper-to-bumper traffic situations where you need the helmet to be open and comfortable to wear rather than being claustrophobic? Do you plan on using the helmet for going on long distance trips once in a while? Once all of these questions have been answered you become more empowered to choose the right product. For example, if you are planning to go on long distance rides primarily, then you might want to invest in a good quality brand-new motorcycle helmet because of its superior safety features. On the other hand, if city riding and city commutes is your primary objective, then you need to choose the open face helmet because of its open design and comfort.
Learn all about the different types of helmets
Open face helmets, full face helmets, modular helmets: there are so many types of elements to choose from when you enter a motorcycle accessories shop near you. All of these different designs come with their own pros and cons and you need to understand which of these different types of helmets suits your needs the best. Perhaps you are planning to go on long distance trips and if that is the case, a full-face helmet is what we recommend but if you are planning to ride within the city most of the times, you might want to choose a modular helmet on open-face helmet because both of these are perfect options for short distance rides and also for the occasional long distance highway tours.
Don’t constraint yourself with just one helmet
Continuing from our previous point there are different types of helmets for different purposes and if you have all of these purposes equally, then you need not constrain yourself with just one helmet. Modern helmets do not cause a lot of money, and you can easily purchase multiple helmets for different specific purposes. For instance, if you ride an adventure motorcycle frequently, you will need a specific helmet that is designed for adventure riding. Similarly, if you are a professional racer, you cannot depend on a normal commuter helmet because you need a lot more protection on a high-speed race track than what a commuter helmet can offer. That is why you need to understand all of your requirements and purchase different helmets if necessary.
Get the size right
A helmet that doesn't fit properly is useless! While purchasing a brand-new helmet, always be sure to measure your head first and then get the size right as accurately as possible. If you do not know the size of your head use a tailor's tape to measure the circumference of your forehead just a little about eyebrows. If you do not have the right equipment, you can do that at any helmet accessories shop. Remember that all helmets are made to standard sizes so it might not fit you 100% but with a little bit of trial and error you can get a very close fit.
Double check the certifications
Safety certifications are known as homologations in the industrial parlance. When purchasing a brand-new helmet checking the certification for safety is something that you cannot miss. Depending on the country of residence, there will be different authorities and government (or private) safety agencies which will check for the safety of helmets and authorize the product with their own stamps of approval. Make sure that the helmet has all of those necessary stamps before spending money on a product.