From what I’ve read over various motorcycle blogs, sites, etc you should replace your helmet every five years because of wear and tear and general degrading of the material. What are your thoughts.

 

I often wonder about this as well. I need to see if there is any destructive testing on 5+ year old helmets.

I am definitely guilty of keeping them longer. It stings when you buy an expensive model, and have to choke it down again in 5 years.

Before the Safety First Crew arrives to berate me with "what is your life worth?" and "You owe it to your family..." this was all for the sake of discussion. I just was hoping someone had seen the testing on the degradation of the materials, etc.

 

I’ve read that the testing has been more about material deterioration from sun and oils from face and hair. I do notice some cracking around the strap on mine. It is just five years old.

 

My son just pulled a VERY seldom-used Bell helmet that has been languishing in the closet for a decade or more. I have other helmets and this one was a gift for a special event. He pulled it out of the box and the "stuff" inside had turned to dust! He looked up the Snell rating online, which said, "Any helmet with a 2011 Snell certification should be turned upside down and used as a planter." LoL...

Apologies for not bring any significant answer to your question, but the helmet theme was fresh in my mind and I hope it brought a little levity to a serious subject. He needed another helmet and borrowed one from a friend.

 

I also keep mine much longer than 5 years but any helmet, even an old one is better than none at all!

The two (1 FF modular and the 1 half-shell) that I wear now are both closer to 10 years old and I REALLY need to replace the 1/2 shell as it is too "loose" and I have to wear a "doo-rag" under it to keep it from spinning on my head!

We also at least two old helmets that my wife used (she hasn't ridden in 6? years) along with a matching pair of white half-shells that we bought and used for a southwestern trip 15 or so years back and my wife's has some scratches on it from a slow u-turn "tip over" during that trip!

 

I keep mine until they start looking tatty, bits break or fall off (vent fittings etc) or the lining is knackered and I can't get a replacement. Or until I find a better one at a good price that's more comfortable. If I had a crash, dropped it down the stairs or damaged it in some way I would replace it immediately.

I only wear carbon lids though, because I like the light weight - less fatiguing on long rides - and ones with detachable linings that can be washed. Whether carbon is more long-term stable than fibreglass or polycarbonate I don't know. A retailer told me unofficially that carbon does last longer.
My current carbon X-Lite is older than five years but I've kept it because I can't find another that I like better.


Of course, if you ask a manufacturer or retailer, they'll tell you to replace after five years because they want your money in the till. I see no reason why a well kept helmet shouldn't last a lot longer than five years.

It used to be said that UV exposure degraded polycarbonate over time, which is where the five year recommendation came from. Whether that's still true of the latest polymer lids, again I don't know.
I'm always careful what cleaning agents I use, sticking to dedicated products, not household cleaners etc.

 

It depends on many factors. Follow the OEM recommendations.

 

From what I’ve read it is mostly the inner lining that is the cause for concern. Oils age and degrade the material. This leads to the cracking and tattering. I’ve always replaced at five years but thought I would throw this out for discussion. I think there is a denial in most of us where we don’t think we will end up head down in a crash. Six years ago I was stopped at a red light and was rear ended by an ******* texting. I had a half shell on and when I replaced it because it saved my noggin I went for a modular.

 

Ya, this is far too subjective... There is no magic number of years. Why should I replace my helmet every 5 years if I only ride say a few times a month an it rarely sees any use? Look inside your helmet and visually inspect the padding and materials. Do they look like they need to be replaced? Most all the insides of the helmet can be replaced by ordering new padding and such from the manufacturer. How do you know that helmet didn't sit on the shelf for 3 years before you bought one and that is the one they shipped you? Inspect it once and a while and use common sense.

 

No one has mentioned the part of the helmet that actually does most of the job of protecting your head in a crash - the EPS liner, that layer between the outer shell and the interior. EPS degrades over time and is the most important reason manufacturers recommend replacement every 5 years.