Myth busting
With helmets being such an essential piece of kit for bikers, it’s hardly a surprise that there are lots views on what is or isn’t good for your lid. A lot of these stories are little more than old wives’ tales, but it can be difficult to separate the truth from the myths.
MYTH: I dropped my helmet on the floor when I was carrying it, my mate says it’s okay still to use – is it?
FALSE: We’d always suggest to err of the side of caution and never risk it. There’s no set formula as to whether the helmet will be fine or not so I’d suggest taking it back to your local dealer, where you bought it, for an initial look. If the dealer suggests it, you can send it to the manufacturer for an inspection.
MYTH: My friend told me that sticking stickers on your helmet damages it.
FALSE: This is a myth that dates back to when Polycarbonate injected shells came out. Stickers, paints and other solvents could damage the shell and components and compromise the safety of the helmet. Now, shells will have a UV Protective clear coat of lacquer on them which won’t be affected by a sticker. I’d suggest that you read the manual for your helmet to double check, and if in doubt, ask in your dealership.
MYTH: Having an internal sun-visor makes a helmet less protective.
FALSE: That’s the simple answer. So long as the helmet was designed from the drawing board to incorporate a sun-visor, then the helmet can be designed to be just as protective with an internal sun-visor.
MYTH: Mounting a camera or a communications system on a helmet makes it less safe.
UNKNOWN: We’d suggest that no modifications are made to a helmet, so that it works as it is designed to. There’s been a lot of debate about whether helmet cameras and communication systems have a negative effect on safety, with research by the Transport Research Laboratory and the BBC revealing that helmet-mounted cameras may not be as dangerous to the wearer as previously feared.
The tests were done on a range of climbing helmets, so testing would need to be done specifically on motorcycle helmets with a range of cameras and mounting points to get a truly accurate result. For more information, and to find your closest LS2 stockist, visit: www.ls2helmets.com