Helmet fit questions.

[dentheman]

I went to a couple dealers to try on several 3/4 helmets. I found a couple that seemed to fit OK but they ALL pressed against my cheeks uncomfortably. Is this normal, so I would get used to it after time? Will this become less severe as the helmet padding shapes itself to me? Maybe my face is too fat.

[patrick_777]

This is pretty normal. The helmet should not move around on your head when you twist it around. It should feel like your skin is moving over your skull instead. The padding will start to conform to your face over time, not vice-versa.

[dentheman]

Thanks, thats what I thought.

[burkbuilds]

Gee I don't know about that Patrick, the older I get the more my face conforms to whatever is touching it. I can wear goggles and still have the outline impression on my face an hour later. LOL.

[dhgeyer]

I think that what Patrick says is true to a point. What he says about the skin moving on your skull instead of the helmet sliding over skin is absolutely true. However, if the helmet is really uncomfortably tight at any point on your head, that's not good either. To an extent the helmet will loosen a little with time. But remember, what is happening is that the interior foam, which is what saves your head, is compressing, losing a bit of your margin of safety. You want to minimize this. Also, the foam will only compress so much with wearing. If it's really too tight, it's going to stay that way, leading to headaches if you wear the helmet for longer periods of time. There's a happy medium in there where the helmet is snug but not too tight.

Different brands also seem to accommodate different head shapes. I can't get a Nolan to fit me, for example, but an Arai or HJC is OK. This is quite normal, and for some people it's the exact opposite.

What you want to do, if you can, is wear the helmet in the store for 20 minutes to half an hour. Do that with as many as you need to till you find one that's "right".

The pricier ones can be adapted to a degree. The cheekpads, and I believe other internal components, in the Arais, for example, can be replaced with different thicknesses as needed. If you do this at the time of purchase, it shouldn't cost anything. But, you have to go to a larger store that has, not only the helmets, but the needed components to replace for a perfect fit.

When I was just starting out, I made the mistake of buying an "S" (small) Arai on the advice of the store clerk, who told me that it would conform to my head. It was an expensive mistake. I wore it for as long as I could stand, but finally wound up throwing it away and buying a "L" (large), which is my size in the Arai line as well as the HJCs. The small helmet was giving me terrible headaches, even after I replaced the cheekpads with thinner ones. That was all that was replaceable on that older model.

[alanmcorcoran]

I bought my 3/4 tighter than my full. (As described - cheek pads snug.) No headaches. 3/4 was scorpion(?) or spider(?) Full was HJC. At first the 3/4 was an ear crusher, but as noted above, the pads do compress. the 3/4 doesn't protect your jaw or teeth but it's easier to deal with glasses, drinks and spitting. I wear the full when I'm going on the highway and the 3/4 for short commute and around town.

[fairweatherrider]

Is a helmet liner a good thing to buy?

[bonehead]

Originally Posted by fairweatherrider

Is a helmet liner a good thing to buy?

I use doo rags, have several in the rotation. Works for me.

[fairweatherrider]

That should make my helmet fit a little tighter then. It's not real loose, it's a large, but a medium was too small.

[bonehead]

Originally Posted by fairweatherrider

That should make my helmet fit a little tighter then. It's not real loose, it's a large, but a medium was too small.

Yep, snugs it up right nice.