Life is precious! To save a few bucks, you should not compromise on your safety.
Helmet! The next purchase you are making after buying a motorcycle. The process of buying a helmet seems simple, although it’s not. One simple mistake is enough to waste the money you invested in the helmet.
And surprisingly, people make a lot of mistakes when it comes to buying a helmet. Here is a list of the five most common ones that are inevitable to avoid if you don’t want to waste your money.
Not Buying According to Needs
Before you enter your nearest motorcycle accessories shop or open up a helmet’s website, you must know what you need.
Do you use your motorcycle to reach your college or office? Or are your trips mostly long-distance rides? It is essential to access your needs before buying a helmet, whether you are a food delivery rider or an enduro racer.
If you have a very restricted riding routine, an open-face helmet may suffice. If you frequently go for long-distance touring, you must buy a full-face helmet to keep your cheeks and chin under protection.
Not Getting the Right Size
This is another mistake that new motorcycle riders make easily. To serve its purpose at best, a helmet must fit the head of the rider. A loosely fitted helmet may fly off in case of an accident. It is highly likely that if the helmet is not fitted properly, it does not provide the required protection when it comes under impact.
On the other hand, a very tightly fitted helmet causes strain and pressure on the head and face. It may cause unnecessary distraction and fatigue for the rider.
To accurately determine the size of your head, you can take the help of your friends. Ask them to measure your head circumference.
Going just for the looks
When you step into a motorcycle accessory store or click on a helmet-selling website, you are overwhelmed by seeing too many helmets. All of them are nicely made and decorated with attractive colors and patterns. To add to the confusion, the salesman or the website will tell you a great number of benefits of buying that particular helmet.
At this stage, you need to remind yourself that a helmet is not just a show-off lifestyle accessory. Helmets are essential lifesaving equipment, and they must have the capacity to do so.
The safety parameters you must look for in a helmet include a high-impact ABS shell, scratch-resistant visor, and EPS inner shell. These three components are essential to provide maximum protection in case of an accident. In addition to these, the helmet should also have an easy-to-use strap mechanism so that it comes off easily whenever required.
Buying a Cheap Product
Life is precious! To save a few bucks, you should not compromise on your safety. Exposing yourself to the dangers of a motorcycle accident for the sake of cutting some expenses is the biggest mistake riders often make. The cheap helmets sold on footpaths and low-level accessory stores sometimes look equally attractive as those present on a high-end shop display. They are attractive enough for a person with an average income. However, they lack the necessary certifications for safety, which means that they may or may not provide impact resistance. Buying used helmets is an even bigger mistake.
Buying without Certification
As mentioned above, it is crucial to check the safety certifications of a helmet before buying it. If you ignore the helmet certification laws imposed by your state, you are likely to get fined by the law-enforcing agencies. For motorcycle riders who ride beyond borders must comply with the certification requirements of both countries.
Buying without trying the helmet
Once you receive the helmet you ordered, it is necessary to put on the helmet. It may feel a bit uncomfortable while you adjust its pads with your face. The helmet should fit well after adjustment of the ears.
In case of any severe discomfort, reject the helmet instantly. In this case, it is necessary to recheck your head size and shape again before ordering another. However, you should know that every helmet undergoes a 15 to 20 percent break-in, meaning that it will loosen slightly and adjust with your size.
Full face helmets have cushions that should slightly press against the cheeks but should not built-up pressure. Now the next step is to determine the pressure points. For this purpose, you should keep wearing the helmet for at least fifteen to thirty minutes.
The discomfort commonly occurs at the forehead or right above the temples. If you feel any sort of pain or red spots around these areas, you don’t need that helmet. Try the helmet at your home; once you wear it on the ride, you cannot return it. A friend can determine the shape of your head for you by taking its bird-eye view.
Not checking for glasses
If you wear glasses or sunglasses while riding, you should check the helmet while wearing them. If the helmet just fits well without glasses, there is no point keeping them. In that case, you can either test that helmet with any other pair of glasses or try another helmet.
If you wear glasses just for blocking the sun, you can also use a helmet with a drop-down sun shield.
Not Considering Material
Do you know that carbon fiber motorcycle helmets promise greater durability than ordinary motorcycle helmets? They have a better scratch and tear resistance than the helmets made from fiberglass. Carbon fiber helmets are an ideal choice if you are a hard-core motorcycle riding enthusiast. They are sturdier and even more protective. Most of the latest carbon fiber helmets come with the most modern features.
The most common material used for helmet shells is polycarbonate and ABS. Helmets made from polycarbonate are soft, light, and flexible. ABS helmets are heavier, harder, and more brittle. Polycarbonate helmets come at a greater price range than ABS helmets. However, we recommend you save some bucks to buy a superior quality product instead of a cheaper product.
Conclusion
Confused? We are here to help. Consider buying a carbon fiber helmet. Brian from Rev Corner recommends buying a carbon fiber helmet as they are most durable, provide extra protection against the effect, and are very comfortable to wear. He further adds that these helmets are ideal for long trips. The best thing is that they come at an affordable price.
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