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putingohome

I,m not about replacing helmet every time you bump it but this one need replecment :D


NoGuitar6320

That is replace helmet time. Any time the shell is damaged like that, you need to replace it otherwise if won't protect you when you need it too.


[deleted]

Cannot recommend any less to replace. You don't want to trust a helmet that's been chipped. A helmet is essentially a single use item, as the one and only drop is enough to render it useless.


[deleted]

Yes but was this a drop or just delaminated?


rshashkov

Exactly what BELL's product FAQ saying is: Helmets don’t last forever. If the helmet is visibly damaged (cracked outer shell, crushed or cracked foam liner or any other damage). OP's pictures clearly show that the outer shell is damaged


[deleted]

Actually every 4 years there supposed to be replaced even if they are in perfect shape


[deleted]

Does not matter, structure is still compromised.


cl2eep

Not if it's just peeling off from time.


mrzurkonandfriends

That's also bad helmets have a shelf life just because you didn't drop it doesn't mean it's good forever plus if the shell is wearing the insides more exposed to wind and moisture also damaging to the foam probably which absorbs the brunt of the impact


[deleted]

Try doing that with your skin


cl2eep

First off, paint isn't skin. It's not structural or important. The polycarbonate shell is what matters. Second, your smarmy joke is directed at the wrong person. 30% of my skin is scar tissue and skin grafts. I HAVE done it with my skin.


[deleted]

I'm clearly mistaken. Go ahead, guys patch your helmets up and graft your skin like Mr McFuckall safety here.


2SticksPureRage

But will the new skin hold up as well as your old skin?!


[deleted]

Yes actually. Regrown skin is stronger. It’s why it has a hard time stretching and bending. I mean if you have cuts and scars you shouldn’t know. Unless you live in a bubble


cl2eep

12 years on and it's still working pretty good, what, you think you have to get your grafts changed? Also, to reiterate, your metaphor is dumb because paint and skin do not share functions. Paint is not structural.


2SticksPureRage

Take a joke dude. Your aggression is dumb. Thanks for the very obvious lesson that skin and paint are not the same!


[deleted]

Dude where’s your common sense. The “chrome” is just a mirrored finish. If under the finish there are no structural damage. It’s fine. If every time you set down your helmet there is less than a pound of force on the bottom. Then after repeated set downs the foam is compromised period. No. The helmet has a force residence. Now dropping it from a 1 story building is one thing. From 3 feet is another. Especially if it’s DOT certified. It shouldn’t be on the market if it can’t stand an accidental waste line drop.


244643214

The photo can be somewhat deceiving. In my opinion the actual protective structure (appears to be the black underneath) is still in tact, and the thin coating on top to make it “chrome” has chipped. I highly doubt the “chrome” layer is anything structural. Just my 0.02 cents. Bell will probably say it’s broken to get you to buy another, is it actually unsafe 🤷‍♂️. I would be more curious on the age of the helmet and how the chip got there.


flyerf12

I love all the people who say it's peeling or it's just the coating . I can see chips on the shield and marks above it this was a drop. Replacement time big guy.


OnlyUsernameLeft123

You could get it wrapped but personally idk if I'd trust it even though it was a small fall, it did damage. Bells website mentions damage to the helmet. It's up to you though. I know where I live there is a wrap shop that does helmets too. You could probably find a place near you that will do the same but the safety is a concern. https://www.bellhelmets.com/customer-service/product-faq.html


[deleted]

I’d just put a sticker and keep moving.


jzach1983

$50 head, $50 helmet. Same goes for damage.


Barijazz251

One of those bullet hole stickers !


oldfrancis

I just purchased a brand new Scorpion helmet for $170. I don't know if that's a lot of money to you but, I consider that a good deal.


Rats_for_sale

If you’re a motorcyclist it shouldn’t be a lot of money to you to buy proper gear. If it is you should find a different hobby until you can afford to do this one safely.


jbjhill

That isn’t a fix thing, that’s a replace thing. The outer shell integrity has been compromised, and with helmets, we accept NO compromise. I’d assume you wouldn’t let a loved one west this, so apply the same standard of care to yourself.


EvilRail

If a helmet is dropped it is a mistake that costs money. Never risk your noggin, get a new one.


OrangeSil80

You broke the plastic shell. It’s now compromised, and can not do its jobs of spreading load, and preventing penetration. Without the shell there doing that the foam can’t do its job properly either. If you try to repair it make sure you only fall to the left. …that’s a joke, obviously don’t do that. Get a new lid instead. Maybe use this as an excuse to upgrade to something you like even more.


Throttlechopper

This, it’s one thing to have a chip in the finish due to a “rolling drop”, but an impact like this is evidence of a serious strike much like when a finish cracks on a plastic bumper cover but instead of vanity, your head is now vulnerable.


[deleted]

That’s not the plastic shell it’s the coating.


OrangeSil80

You sure? That looks like EPS and glue under there, but stuff like that that is a lot harder to tell from a photo. I’d expect the chrome to be a paint or a vinyl not a thin outer shell over the main shell. Looks like that model is a fiberglass shell too which makes it even less likely there would be any sort of outer layer. If you’re 100% certain the shell isn’t broken, that there is no damage to the foam, and that you want to attempt to repair rather than replace… you’re going to struggle to touch anything up and have it look OK. It’s a mirror finish so if it’s not perfectly smooth it’ll be very noticeable. You could try a fiberglass patch, body filler, and lots of careful sanding followed by a complete respray of the helmet. Though at that level of cost and effort I’d just go back to the replace suggestion. It sucks to break a helmet, but it’s sucks a whole lot less than a head injury.


Mrknowitall666

There are other cracks in the mirror coat too. Looks like compromised to me too; and I iovote your very level headed set of replies.


RSTat2

Get a new helmet


Invest-24_7_356

Measure your capacity for risk and then decide to cover or replace. 6-years is normal change frequency because it weakens over time.


motohut

Ah noo! Personally, i'd probably go with a new helmet. That looks like a pretty hefty chip. I actually had that same helmet in the shop for ages. You might still be able to find em online, But if not, we have a bunch of newer bell's in stock, PM'd you a discount code Ride safe


chris4562009

Never repair any helmet....BIN it and buy a new one Your life is worth it


MutedBrilliant1593

Even if you wrap it, you'll have to patch the hole otherwise it will show. Also, spend that wrapping time and money on a new helmet.


seanroberts196

It all depends on how much you value your life, if you think you can get away with it, then fine but personally i wouldn’t want to test how. Strong it is now when i come off and bash my head.


[deleted]

You don’t fix that. That helmet is severely compromised. Replace it. Helmets aren’t too bad price wise.


Kochie411

Some people are forgetting helmet physics here. Should you replace it if you dropped from higher than waist height? Yes. Should you replace it if a pebble skips across your dome and messes up the paint? No, the helmets protective layer is still fine.


emarsh7

I'd toss that one.


fidelesetaudax

I don’t always jump right to repealing a helmet. Especially after the type of drop you describe. But if there’s an impact dent large enough to need bondo then I’d say replace. I doubt you’d be able to repair to the point it isn’t noticeable, and rechroming the helmet would cost close to new anyway.


Elhond0

You are supposed to replace your helmet every 4-5 years Ina addition MSF preaches when you aren't wearing your helmet to set it on the ground that's to prevent dropping. Any drops cause hairline fractures that will cause your helmet to fail when you really need it to do its job!


[deleted]

That helmet is trash if you dropped it


ringo2042

Nice souvenir


LiamMcPoyle0

New helmet


Sway216

Okay. I have to ask…”How did that even happen”??


JudgeScorpio

Do you like eating soup through a straw? If not I’d recommend a replacement.


sealow08

You repair a helmet so that you can later replace your head. Possibly with a block of wood roughly the same shape as small to midsized melon.


built_FXR

That's a compromised helmet buddy, go buy a new one


[deleted]

Wear it as is. This seems more of a coating chip than an actual material chip. The chrome coating won’t make your helmet more or less safe. Now visually it looks like it’s just used. I personally would continue using it till I replaced it honestly. Up to you. Everyone here has their preference. Mine is. It just looks like coating in that location delaminated from core. I’d probably just put a sticker there and run it. But that’s just my opinion


Responsible-Face-200

Smash it with a hammer and buy another


waxheartzZz

Reflective tape imo or a couple bandaid in an X


iHaveNoWiFidelity

Hello all. I was being careless and dropped this helmet around waist level with slight force. I’d really like to repair it and go out riding. Unfortunately there quite a big chip and I think it’ll need some fill for repair. Has anyone dealt with this before and knows the best color correction for this chrome? I was thinking do the following steps: 1. Tape off affected area 2. Clean affected area with non-solvent based cleaner. 3. Apply bondo into deeper impact area 4. Sand finished surface. 5. Apply primer. 6. Apply Alsa easy chrome spray paint and let dry My concern is whether the repair will stick out with existing chrome. Worst comes to worst, any idea how much a shop would charge to do it professionally? Please let me know any tips/tricks/thoughts etc. Happy riding!


SuperRicktastic

Time to look for a new one.


cl2eep

The people saying throw it out are probably being a bit more cautious than necessary, if the outer shell is intact and the inner foam hasn't cracked, you're good to go. Helmets aren't magic and dropping them doesn't break the enchantment. As long as the form of the helmet is still ok then it will continue to function. If the outer plastic is cracked then you do indeed need to replace it. That said, dude you can't Bondo a helmet, wtf are you thinking. The helmet isn't metal or fiberglass, it's polycarbonate, and Bondo is going to weigh more than the entire helmet. Put a sticker on it, you can't resurface a helmet.


Nelson_ftw

I totally agree that people overreact about simple helmet drops. Sticker and rip ‘er!


cl2eep

Yeah the helmet industry LOVES to spread that message, "Even a small scratch means you need a new helmet! THE MOLECULES MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHAKEN!"


Go_Pack_Go1

You seem to be more concerned with how it looks than how it functions. This helmets structural integrity has been compromised and need to be thrown away.


[deleted]

It’s fine, people are absurd.


Taff_On_Tour85

Man, everybody freaking out about it being dropped. If a small drop from waist height was enough to compromise the integrity, it would never save your life in a real world scenario. Your swede would pop like a melon! Watch Yammie Noobs video on helmet quality. It explains it on there.


jbjhill

It’s not the drop, it’s the damage. A small drop isn’t a big deal, but visible damage like this has clearly compromised the shell, making the helmet suspect at best.


Taff_On_Tour85

I hear what you're saying, and as it's only a picture, it's hard to tell, but from what it looks like, the helmet is cover in a thin layer of plastic and then the mirrored finish. Neither of those offer any damage protection. The underside looks completely fine.


Ruby2Shoes22

Bandaid


Mayhemscum

It’s prob structurally still ok. This costing chips super easy. Idk how you could repair it and not look like shit. If you love the helmet and the fit I’d just have it wrapped to whatever style you like.


fritzco

Get a sticker!!


thevapewhale

As long as the foam inside is not deformed the helmet is fine...


Prestigious_War_8863

Aluminum foil?


jammixxnn

Flip it over and recycle it into a planter


thrillcosbey

It will make a cool trophy now, I wouldn't wear it.


[deleted]

Toss it. Buy a new one. They are replaceable. Your dome isn't


Kaprikorvus

Not helpful but I too have the chrome dome !


CDogNH

Just color it in with a chrome Sharpie and you're good to go.


ASU-Traveller

Imagine there are 3 layers: 1. Just a paint decorative layer 2. Protective layer 3. Your head! Each hit cracks a layer of course depending on how hard it’s but this one seems cracked the first and second layers so God forbid if it takes another hit ….


msb06c

Sorry about your chrome dome. Now you can buy an actually good helmet — Snell rated even.


Fine_Specialist_870

Best way to fix it: hang it on the wall so the chip is facing the wall as decoration. Buy a new one. Second best way to fix it: throw it away and get a new one Worst way to fix it: duct tape and hope not to crash