[Winner400]

I took my helmet to the shop for a new visor and the guy tells me it's too big and unsafe. I fell comfortable in it and while there is some space, it does not fling around. He said it could snap my neck in a fall. Any ideas? It's all I can think about now... And I can't stand a full face that is so tight it presses the cheeks. More fun to just drive the convertible...

 

[speedandstyle]

It would have to be several sizes too big to break your neck but you should get a helmet that fits you properly. The basic sizing is easy, just like fitting for a hat. The hard part is head shape. Some people have round heads and some have oblong heads, others are in between. Good reviews usually list which head shape a specific helmet fits best.

If you want the protection of a full face without the hassle get a flip front helmet. I have had several and love them. I got it because I wear glasses and it was difficult to slide a full face over my glasses. One thing to watch out for with a flip front is that the side locks are metal and not plastic!

 

[RexMiller]

Not sure...

Not sure of the likelihood that it will “snap your neck”, but I believe that a closer fitting helmet is safer. On the other hand, this woman came off at 120MPH in a helmet she describes as two sizes too big and it saved her life: http://rockthegear.wordpress.com/brittanys-story/. I would count that more as a fluke though, like people who crash with no helmet and walk away—doesn't mean I would ever ride without one.

Anyway, more to your point, tolerance of a tight-fitting helmet is probably 100% unnatural for most people, but one may be be able to develop it. When I bought my first full-face helmet I thought it was snug, but I couldn't imagine anything tighter. Break-in obviously loosened it up some. A year later, I went down two sizes and I'm loving my smaller helmet for the more agile feeling and reduced wind drag. Is it tight? Yes, but it doesn't give me a headache. After about an hour my ears feel a little squashed, but I reckon on longer rides I would take breaks as needed to relieve issues like that. Glasses are also a bit of a hassle, but doable.

Another huge issue is head-shape. If you're trying on helmets with the wrong shape, they will never be right. I could actually do with a slightly longer shape—tried some on and they felt amazing—but my current helmet won out on price for the features I wanted. It's within the acceptable range; anything rounder would be too round.

 

[MacDoc]

The guy is trying to upsell you.

Just get a liner/balaclava....easier to keep headphones in, keep your helmet fresh.
Grow more hair ??
Also a lot of the fit is with cheek pads which are changeable in some models and I;m not adverse to some small amount of thin padding to get a good fit. ( usually for me it's too much space at the top.

I don't like FF either and use a BelMag8 with an Oxford balaclava.

It's very thin and I just pull it down under my chin. Looks much heavier than it actually is.

 

[Liamjs]

http://www.cyclegear.com/CycleGear/Street/Base-Layers/brand/HEAT-OUT/Helmet-Liner/p/41714_59409

Along the lines of MacDocs solution, for summer, here's a heatout head liner. $6 problem solved.

 

[cburgdof]

You might want to look at the helmetcheck.org web site and read about how too tell if your helmet is too big. One thing to check is to buckle it on and then try to pull the helmet off by pulling forward and down. If you can pull it off there is a likelihood that it could come off in a crash. If it is too big, the additional helmet liner may correct the problem.
CB

 

[antimatter]

Here's a quick primer on helmet fit: http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/content/fitting-guide

Breaking your neck is a remote possibility. If the helmet isn't tight enough, the real danger is that it will come off during an accident.

 

[MacDoc]

course you could weld your helmet on for a better fit ...

 

[Chappy]

great post antimatter.

 

[Winner400]

Good ideas. I'll check to see if it is possible to roll it forward. It's about 90 degrees and 75% humidity here in STL. I'm considering replacing the windscreen and purchasing a new half helmet to beat the heat. Thx for the help.

 

[Chappy]

Be careful with the Harley-Davidson style top hat helmet, yes they are (dot) approved in United States but they are not approved anywhere else. They are a an image helmet, a joke.. When you crash and rollback the helmet rolls forward smashing the back of your head on the pavement...a few bit it here that way here in Harley country!

They are good for what they're built for, stopping birdshit landing on your head and getting a ticket.

Change windscreen, remove windscreen, get vented windscreen, vented helmet etc, must have 3/4 face...minimum.

 

[knucklehead]

I've been wearing a half helmet for 20 years or so - I feel quite safe. Before I got a half helmet I had a full face Shoei that fit me like it was molded just for me. I loved that thing - but like all helmets it finally went out of style and I could no longer find anyone that made a shield for it. So I was left looking for a new one. Since all my motorcycles in the past 25 years have all had windshields I didn't feel the need for a full face helmet so when I started shopping I found a half helmet that fit perfect. None of the 3/4 helmets fit me like that half helmet. When it got to looking scuzzy I decided to buy anther half helmet.

Works for me.

 

[Rusty J]

course you could

JB-

weld your helmet on for a better fit ...

Though Gorilla Glue would probably work better since it expands slightly as it cures.

All joking aside, an improperly-fitting helmet can become a nuisance. Its worth the trouble to find one that fits you right.

 

[osbornk]

I've been wearing a half helmet for 20 years or so - I feel quite safe. Before I got a half helmet I had a full face Shoei that fit me like it was molded just for me. I loved that thing - but like all helmets it finally went out of style and I could no longer find anyone that made a shield for it. So I was left looking for a new one. Since all my motorcycles in the past 25 years have all had windshields I didn't feel the need for a full face helmet so when I started shopping I found a half helmet that fit perfect. None of the 3/4 helmets fit me like that half helmet. When it got to looking scuzzy I decided to buy anther half helmet.

Works for me.

I wore a half helmet for years until I met a lady that was recovering from a motorcycle accident where she had slid down the roadway on her face. She had on a full face helmet but it was obvious from the destroyed helmet that she would have been dead or severely disfigured if she had been wearing a half of 3/4 helmet. I haven't ridden without a full face modular helmet since then.

Also, they recommend that you replace a helmet after 5 years due to deterioration of the foam inside the helmet. I think that might be early but I don't wear really old helmets.

 

[speedandstyle]

... she had slid down the roadway on her face. She had on a full face helmet but it was obvious from the destroyed helmet that she would have been dead or severely disfigured if she had been wearing a half of 3/4 helmet. I haven't ridden without a full face modular helmet since then.

Also, they recommend that you replace a helmet after 5 years due to deterioration of the foam inside the helmet. I think that might be early but I don't wear really old helmets.

I too have seen and heard too many horror stories to ride without proper gear.

I can tell you that if those five years were constant or fairly constant use then it needs to be replaced, mine is at that mark right now. I just cleaned the liner and the foam is looking funny, no cracks but it is discolored and the surface almost looks like the foam is dissolving. I would have bought a new helmet already but I found my Burg and that used those funds. I will be getting a new one before the end of July for sure.

If your helmet is only used occasionally then it might be good for longer but I wouldn't push it too far, for safety's sake.

 

[Scootereno]

I had to borrow a too big helmet when I was racing motocross a hundred years ago. I ended up face first in the dirt and the helmet had spun 90 degrees so my left ear was where my face should be and filled with dirt. I thought I had broke my nose as it was bleeding everywhere inside the helmet. Poor guy that loaned me his lid.
So if the helmet will spin around on your head it is too big and your ear might get filled with dirt.

 

[MacDoc]

brand new definition of full face...

 

[Chappy]

But...A little risk is good for the soul, otherwise we may as well just ride in car if we want to caged in safety. I can't do the suffocation of full face, especially on a scooter, especially here, especially in July.

However I personally would never risk a top hat helmet.

 

[MacDoc]

Yeah I prefer open face - even my convertible I ride with it flipped up more than not.
And the Bell Mag8 is quiet

 

[Flywheel]

Also remember snug doesn't mean pain when it comes to fit. The soft foam liners don't really break in, either, in my experience. Rode for a few years with helmets fitted by people who should know better (one being an Arai rep). Not fun after a few hours. Very painful for my ears. Discomfort and distraction can be pretty hazardous. Finally, one shop owner sized me up and said XXL, It fit perfectly, no going back, even if I look like a bobble-head.