most of it is unscientific paranoia. if spending 800$ on a helmet makes you feel better then have fun. from a scientific standpoint (and from the perspective of someone familiar with testing military aircraft using ultrasound and thermography for delamination and fractures bellow the surface) any helmet that is damaged from falling by its own weight wil not stand up to a crash, and conversly any helmet that will stand up to the forces snell hlmets are tested to will not be damaged by falling to the ground. if it is then it should be returned and you should never buy that brand again.

 

Agreed.

 

Huh?

 

From the Snell website...
Because of the different layers involved in how a helmet reduces the impact of an accident, coupled with the fact that the part that absorbs most of the impact is not even visible, a drop of anything higher than 1 - 2 feet onto a hard surface can, effectively, render a helmet useless as protection in an accident - even if there is no visible damage.

 

and that statement is crap - absolute trash meant only to cover their own asses. Not that i can really blaim them with americas sue happy nature, but it is misleading. over time many drops of a fiberglass shelled helmet could cause fractures or delamination, even then those only weaken the structure they don't invalidate it. part of why IMO the polycarbonate shelled helmets are superior (durability, reduced posabilities of any factory defect, and reduced G's applied tothe riders brain)

 

so if droppin a motorcycle helmet 3ft renders it 'useless' then i'm gonna go get my football helmet from HS and wear that. I KNOW you can drop and abuse that without worrying if its gonna protect me.


it's good to ask these things FNp but just use your common sense on these things mang. if your worried, do a little research and look into the testing and durability of your helmet.

 

a drop of anything higher than 1 - 2 feet onto a hard surface can, effectively, render a helmet useless as protection in an accident - even if there is no visible damage.

I wouldn't call anything reported by Snell or Hurt trash, but their use of the word "can" is not exactly concrete.

And Fnpaulie: no, the Arai RX7RR that I smacked on the boulder had a large impact point behind the left ear with large cracks radiating outward. The red Arai I busted up was a three-year-old Quantum-E that I'd bumped on a low-side. One of the plastic cheek pieces was scratched, but all the intricate little plastic bits inside were undamaged, so I wore the helmet for another two years with no problems.

This discussion is beginning to resemble a "What kind of oil should I use" argument. Everyone has their mind made up (and I'm no different.) I'm careful not to drop a helmet, but if it's only been dropped once, I'll continue to use it with confidence.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

for anybody that hasn't already made up there mind - just do some research and decide for yourself. here is one helpful article

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html

 

if youre really concerned, there are places you can send the helmet to get analyzed IIRC.

 

I'm sorry to have fanned these flames. I appreciate everyone's help and input. There seem to be bits of common sense in everyone's responses. I agree more with some than others but the basic fact is that I will continue using this helmet.