Practical test: off-road helmets

Posted on by admin

Table of contents

clothing

Helmets

Practical test: off-road helmets

Practical test: off-road helmets
Offroad

Dirt, mud, stones ?? On headgear for off-road pilots there is a lot going on in the course of their mostly short life.

Gert Thole

12/19/2000

At first glance, safety does not seem to be the top priority for many off-road acrobats. The most daring capers are presented at a height of six or seven meters, but the pilot is only dressed in an airy T-shirt and thin cross pants without any protectors – not necessarily worth imitating. Still, the essential things in terms of protective equipment seem to have recognized even death-defying freestyle kamikazes: sturdy cross shoes and a good helmet. Elaborate airbrush paintwork testifies to the intimate relationship between the driver and their head protection. The series helmets are usually colorful and richly decorated. Even the most complex designs are no problem for manufacturers, because thin films sealed with clear lacquer have long since replaced costly multicolored lacquers.
With a few exceptions, almost all off-road hats offered today are integral versions, unlike in the past. These are more resistant and stiffer than open face helmets with a screwed-on chin section and are therefore particularly preferable in rough cross sports, where you can get your head under the motorcycle in the start-up turmoil. The tough off-road operation places ambivalent demands on the glider: On the one hand, it must not split up in the hail of stones from the people in front, it should also be able to cope with light contact with the ground or the enemy. On the other hand, it should not be attached too rigidly so that in the event of a crash it does not pull the helmet off the head or injure the opponent. A removable, washable lining – a top-class feature years ago – nowadays almost all off-road helmets have. However, there are clear differences in the design. For some, the food is held in place by simple plastic strips that are pushed between the inner and outer shell. Others have snap fasteners and special molded plastic parts with retaining lugs.
Whether someone prefers a double D-ring or a key lock as a chin strap fastener is a matter of taste. In any case, the more cumbersome ring clasp is safer, because the chin strap is always reliably tensioned when threading. That is why almost all current models – including sporty road helmets – have double D-rings, which are also significantly lighter. If possible, stainless steel should be used, which is permanently resistant to sweat and moisture. Speaking of weight, a very important factor in off-road sports, where the head is constantly exposed to vibrations and accelerations. Here, every gram counts. Weight is above all a question of price, because the light shells are made of more expensive materials such as Kevlar or carbon.
The mostly ineffective ventilation option was already criticized in earlier tests, and the current hats have not made much progress on this point. Most models have small openings in the forehead area, but what good is it if two square centimeters are supplied with fresh air on the forehead? There is still a lack of generous ducting inside. Above all, the designers seem to forget that the air has to escape from the helmet again. So there is still a lot to do, let’s see what the next test will bring.

Helmet accessories – series helmets can be individually spiced up with accessories

Even if many beautiful decors are offered, some prefer an individual design. The most expensive route leads to an airbrush specialist (addresses in MOTORRAD 25/1999), at least 250 marks, but often 500 marks or more are due for painting as desired. It is much cheaper to decorate yourself with decorative sets, for example from Troy Lee (32 to 88 marks at Zupin Moto-Sport, phone 08669/8480). Of course, the designs don’t make sense on colorful helmets, single-colored helmets are required. Zupin supplies a lot of other accessories, such as the popular helmet fins (42 marks, chrome 51 marks). If you want to attract even more attention, you can even get the fin with a battery-operated light (75 marks) that can be switched from flashing function to permanent light. There are umbrellas from Troy Lee in numerous variants, even gold-plated, for different helmet models or as a universal version between 22 and 31 Marks. The original replacement is often significantly more expensive. Helmet Skinz covers (in numerous designs, 65 marks) are ideal as protection for valuable helmets when deployed in the mud or to beautify damaged surfaces, including the umbrella. They can be put on quickly and machine washed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *