With a second-hand helmet on the motorcycle?

Photo: ifz

Security experts advise caution

Thrift is often not only a necessity, but also a commendable quality. When it comes to security, however, you should try to make almost no compromises and compromises. This also applies in particular to motorcycle helmets, according to the safety experts at the Institute for Two-Wheeler Safety (ifz).

Certainly, one and the other will have already come across used motorcycle helmets on various bargain portals. When it comes to security, however, no compromises should be made. A second-hand helmet is therefore not an option from the ifz's point of view. The risk is too great that the helmet has already been damaged imperceptibly and unverifiably when purchased due to improper handling or the classic case from the seat. The seller may assert that the helmet is undamaged and hardly used, you don't necessarily see it on the helmet.

No rule without exception: The "trusted source"
If the history of the helmet is known for sure and the seller is undoubtedly trustworthy (the good friend, the uncle, etc.), then there is nothing against taking over a fall- and accident-free helmet. But here, too, the correct fit is the be-all and end-all. And this is probably rarely the case that the respective sizes match. If the used car is too small or too big, or already a bit "worn out" and does not sit properly: Hands off. The helmet already in use should not be too old, because after about five to seven years at the latest, a helmet should generally be replaced. Why? See below!

When it comes to taking pillion passenger and pillion passenger, you often hear: "I rarely take someone with me, even a used one is enough." Of course, the same applies here as for the driver. In addition, the frequency of use is not an argument for the quality of the helmet.

Regardless of the intensity of use and even with the best care and freedom from accidents, helmets experience material fatigue over time. This mainly affects the inner shell. The polystyrene core hardens over the years and thus loses some of its important shock-absorbing properties. With increasing helmet age, the fit can also change. The tight fit of the helmet can then decrease. However, this is a decisive factor for the optimal protective effect of the helmet.