Buying A New Helmet For Your Moped
There are literally hundreds of helmets out there to choose from to accompany your new moped, so what should you go for? Helmets are a very personal choice but here's a guide to help get you started Budget Prices of helmets range from anything as low as £60 up to the region of £700.
All helmets must meet a minimum safety standard, however some of the more expensive helmets will build in extra safety features such as stronger materials, quick release linings and noise reduction.
So is the extra money worth it? The more money you pay for a helmet you will usually find the more comfortable it becomes and the more noise it blocks out, and if you are wearing it every day for any prolonged period then it would make sense to buy the best helmet you can afford.
More expensive helmet will often have a removable inner lining so you are able to wash it out or replace it, as helmets, especially in the summer get very sweaty.
Whilst buying a cheap 2nd hand helmet can look very appealing, DON'T! You do not know the history of the helmet and whilst the person you buy it from may seem trustworthy you can never be sure, so do not risk it.
If they have dropped the helmet just once in it's lifetime on a slightly hard surface, the integral structure of the helmet could be damaged making it ineffective in an accident, even if it looks unmarked on the outside.
Full Face Vs Open Face Most people who ride sports bikes or sports mopeds will opt for a full face helmet to suit the look of their bike.
Many people who buy retro style mopeds will opt for the more classic open face MOMO type of helmet, whilst these will look more the part retro bike sand scooters, they offer less protection in the event of a crash, whilst it's not a pretty thought imagine coming off and hitting the tarmac on your face and chin at 30mph.
Motocross helmets are also road legal, but you have to wear goggles with them too.
Quick Clip fastner Vs D-Strap The majority of experienced motorcyclists will always opt for the more traditional D-Strap type helmet (this is the connection that secures the two straps).
Whilst being a little more fiddly to use they are much stronger, meaning they are less likely to break, and once used a few times become very easy and quick to use.
Visors A common accessory purchased when getting a helmet is a tinted visor for sunny days, there is a lot of arguments as to their legality.
For a tinted visor to be fully road legal it must have a light transmission rate of over 50% watch out for this when purchasing one and look for the BS or EU stamps, if any doubt, ask the retailer explicitly whether it is road legal.
If this is a worry for you consider one of the newer helmets that now have build in sunglasses which slide down behind the visor and are part of the helmet.
Colour Choosing a colour for a helmet is the most personal part of the process, some people like them plain, some prefer racing graphics, and others opt for a matt finish.
One thing to consider when choosing a colour is the safety aspect, you are more easily seen in a white or fluorescent yellow helmet than any other colour, this is backed up by the highway code and you'll see police motorcyclists using these colours for that very reason.
Some people also customize their helmets with stickers or airbrushing.
This can provide a very good look for the helmet but be sure that the glue on the stickers or the chemicals in the paint wont damage the plastics used in the construction of the helmet and weaken it.
All helmets must meet a minimum safety standard, however some of the more expensive helmets will build in extra safety features such as stronger materials, quick release linings and noise reduction.
So is the extra money worth it? The more money you pay for a helmet you will usually find the more comfortable it becomes and the more noise it blocks out, and if you are wearing it every day for any prolonged period then it would make sense to buy the best helmet you can afford.
More expensive helmet will often have a removable inner lining so you are able to wash it out or replace it, as helmets, especially in the summer get very sweaty.
Whilst buying a cheap 2nd hand helmet can look very appealing, DON'T! You do not know the history of the helmet and whilst the person you buy it from may seem trustworthy you can never be sure, so do not risk it.
If they have dropped the helmet just once in it's lifetime on a slightly hard surface, the integral structure of the helmet could be damaged making it ineffective in an accident, even if it looks unmarked on the outside.
Full Face Vs Open Face Most people who ride sports bikes or sports mopeds will opt for a full face helmet to suit the look of their bike.
Many people who buy retro style mopeds will opt for the more classic open face MOMO type of helmet, whilst these will look more the part retro bike sand scooters, they offer less protection in the event of a crash, whilst it's not a pretty thought imagine coming off and hitting the tarmac on your face and chin at 30mph.
Motocross helmets are also road legal, but you have to wear goggles with them too.
Quick Clip fastner Vs D-Strap The majority of experienced motorcyclists will always opt for the more traditional D-Strap type helmet (this is the connection that secures the two straps).
Whilst being a little more fiddly to use they are much stronger, meaning they are less likely to break, and once used a few times become very easy and quick to use.
Visors A common accessory purchased when getting a helmet is a tinted visor for sunny days, there is a lot of arguments as to their legality.
For a tinted visor to be fully road legal it must have a light transmission rate of over 50% watch out for this when purchasing one and look for the BS or EU stamps, if any doubt, ask the retailer explicitly whether it is road legal.
If this is a worry for you consider one of the newer helmets that now have build in sunglasses which slide down behind the visor and are part of the helmet.
Colour Choosing a colour for a helmet is the most personal part of the process, some people like them plain, some prefer racing graphics, and others opt for a matt finish.
One thing to consider when choosing a colour is the safety aspect, you are more easily seen in a white or fluorescent yellow helmet than any other colour, this is backed up by the highway code and you'll see police motorcyclists using these colours for that very reason.
Some people also customize their helmets with stickers or airbrushing.
This can provide a very good look for the helmet but be sure that the glue on the stickers or the chemicals in the paint wont damage the plastics used in the construction of the helmet and weaken it.
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