Does a motorcycle helmet have a shelf life? This may be a totally rediculous question but I'm just curious. I just bought a brand new never used before Suomy helmet at the bike show for 99 bucks. Regular price is 399. Plain white, nothing fancy. The manufacture date on the inside of the helmet is 2003. Is this still a good helmet? Its a Spec 1 R Suomy. White tag inside helmet reads Vigano Accessori S.P.A Inerigo(Co) Made in Italy BS 6658: 1985 Model Spec 1 R - Type A Batch No 01\2003 MFG And Batch Rel Date 1st 2004-2005
I've heard a shelf life of 5 years, whether it's been worn or not. Some organizations require helmets to be 5 years old or newer to allow you on the track.
5 years is correct. The styrofoam liner hardens with age and in a crash the helmet will transfer more energy to your head instead of absorbing it. This chemical reaction doesn't care who's name is on the shell. This is normal aging of the polymers. P.S. BS Chemistry, Penn State
Damn it Walt! I hate when you bring logic into the meaning! I always thought the 5-year rule was more about selling new helmets than real-life safety concerns. And I don't like any of the newer Signet designs from Arai! :evil:
Hello Walt, The density of my head has increased with age. Does this require softer or harder foam to compensate?
From Suomy: Hi all, Suomy recommends replacing a helmet after 5 yrs of use. The reason is primarily because the EPS, the foam padding inside the helmet, gets compressed from use. In an impact, the EPS's job is to compress to decelerate the head's motion gradually instead of rapidly. If the EPS has already been comressed it cannot do it's job properly. Hope this helps, Donny Schmidt Suomy USA