Motorcycle helmets are the safety equipment that protects from a head injury during accidents. These come in various colors and designs so that you can match them with the color of your vehicle.
Common problems with motorcycle helmets include cracks on visors, loose screws of visors, fogging, wind noise, broken chin straps, cracks in helmet shells, smell, and worn-out padded comfort layers.
Motorcycle helmets also come in various shapes, from round to oval, and you can select the perfect one after trying them in stores.
| Motorcycle helmet problems | Solutions |
| Cracks on visors | Use tints and rubbing alcohol |
| Loose screws of the visor | Fasten the screws |
| Fogging issue | Anti-fog spray on visor |
| Wind noise | Use earmuffs |
| Heavyweight | Prefer lightweight material |
| Broken chin strap | Check latches and fabric of straps |
| Cracks in the helmet shell | Replace helmets |
| Smell in the padded comfort layer | Wash with soapy water |
Cracks on visors
Visors are also known as face shields that act as a barrier against dirt and foreign particles from the road.
It is a protective shield mostly made up of glass material that inhibits the entry of dust, dirt, bugs, and insects into your helmet’s inner side.
It keeps these foreign particles away from your mouth and air. These come in a variety of colors, designs, and textures.
Most of them are tinted with stickers to give a sporty appearance during book riding. However, those made up of glass material without any tinted sheets crack easily due to exposure to heat from the outer side.
The exposure to sun heat comes when you drive in a hot environment. The heat produces cracks in the glass material.
In addition, the collision of small stones and hard foreign particles with visors produce cracks in them. These cracks are hard to fix; you can only replace the face shield to resolve this.
You can prevent cracking issues using a tinted shield on their surface. The tinted sheets reduce the direct exposure of heat and foreign particles on their surface.
Use rubbing alcohol to make the glass surface smooth and clean.
Loose screws of the visor
Visors are attached to the body of helmets through screws from both sides. These screws also allow their up and down movement during driving.
Sometimes these screws become loose, and the visor comes down when you are driving the motorcycle. The issue mainly occurs when you are going on bumpy roads.
The excessive vibrations cause them to come downward. The screws become loose due to the mishandling of this part.
In addition, the joints become loose due to frequent use of the visors. It is necessary to fix this part because sudden jerks cause them to come down.
Check the joining points and tighten them if they are loose. Fill the cracks on the joining side with glue for their proper fixing.
Fogging issue
Many people do not want to wear a helmet during driving because of fogging issues on their visors. The fog buildup on their surface when cold air comes in contact with warm air.
The issue occurs when you drive with sightly open visors. The inside is warm, and when your warm exhaled air comes in contact with outside cold air, it causes steam formation.
It is a challenging situation during driving because of decreasing visibility. In addition, you cannot see the outside view because of steam formation.
The issue mostly comes in winter or when driving in a snowy area with extremely low temperatures.
You can fix this issue by driving the motorcycle with completely closed visors to inhibit entry of outside cold air.
Keep the anti-fog spray that contains chemical surfactant and inhibits steam formation.
Wind noise
Many people think wearing helmets reduces road noise and allows you to drive comfortably. The myth is wrong, and in fact, you hear more noise from the outside.
The noise is quite irritating for people who are riding the motorbike. You hear more noise because of more aerodynamic drag and wind resistance.
In addition, the issue also comes due to a space between the cheeks. The wind noise enters your air through these openings.
Wind noise doubles when you move at high speed in windy areas and affects your ears. You can use earmuffs to fix this issue.
People also use soft and comfortable paddings or fleece cloth to seal the space present on the cheek side.
Heavyweight
Many people are not comfortable wearing helmets while riding motorcycles because of their heavy weight.
In addition, it is irritating for them to bear the weight on their head. The issue comes when you select the wrong size and shape from the market.
Moreover, many brands also use heavy materials to provide more cushioning action during road accidents.
The heavyweight material is irritating for people, and they do not feel comfortable while using them.
I prefer the brand that uses lightweight, durable, and more protective material.
Broken chin strap
The chin strip is present on the lower end of the motorcycle helmet to secure its position during accidents.
The strips have a lock on both ends, which keep the helmets on your head in case of accidents and collisions with other vehicles.
The lock on these strips maintains contact with your body part for proper fastening. The chin strips broke when these became old.
The wear and tear produced in their material can reduce their fastening strength. As a result, the lock of the chin strips becomes bad and causes incorrect and poor fastening with your body.
The broken latch of the chin strips causes improper fastening. Change the latch or locking mechanism of the strips when these become bad.
Moreover, you can also add new strips if their fabric is worn out.
Cracks in the helmet shell
The outer shell of the motorcycle helmet is made of hard and rigid material to absorb the impact of the roads during accidents.
These protect your head from severe injury when you get hit with hard objects on the road, such as rocks. These are made of polycarbonates, fiber, glass, plastic, and Kevlar material.
Cracking in the outer shell comes when you get hit with a hard object on the road. Cracking also occurs due to the dryness of fiberglass material in extreme winters and dry environments.
The surface also gets scratched when these fall on the floor accidentally from your hand. It is not safe to ride on motorcycles with cracked outer shells.
It does not provide safety during accidents and worsens the situation. Instead, change the helmets and replace them with a new ones because these cracks are hard to fix.
Smell in the padded comfort layer
The foam-padded comfort layer is present on the inner side of the motorcycle helmet, which protects the direct contact with the hard objects on your head.
It is made up of fabric material that becomes smelly easily. The smell comes due to sweating in summer because of the high temperature.
The bacteria from your skin also come in contact with sweat and produce the smell. The fabric also has a life span and gets damaged when it becomes old.
You can get rid of this smell by soaking the helmets in soapy water for several hours and then drying them completely.
Keep them in the open air and move the visors up to dry the sweat when you come from outside. Replace them with new ones if their fabric is damaged.
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