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Scratched a new helmet

136045

New member
My new helmet was caught by the wind and took to rolling across the asphalt this morning as I was putting the cover on. Not how I wanted to start my morning. Any ideas on what is the best product or way to minimize the surface scratches. They do not seem to be to deep. The helmet is grey and the surface scratches are a white color with some nice black and brown asphalt marks. I hope to avoid having to resort to a bunch of stickers.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Russ
 
I hate when that happens. I have a black Shoei and all the scratches are white. I picked up a small bottle of acrylic paint from Michael's, a local art & crafts store. Its not as glossy as the helmet, but at least it covered up my screw ups. Might also want to hit the auto parts store, and see if you can pick up some color-tinted car wax, like Color Back (?), then wax over that?
Larry
 
I hope to avoid having to resort to a bunch of stickers.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Russ

Well there goes MY idea...:blush

First off, if your shield got scratched, probably best to replace it. Secondly, since your helmet is gray, it may be hard to match any touch up paint.

There are a lot of really neat reflective (and non-reflective) stickers/decals out there, though.
 
Thanks, I might start off with a rubbing compound and see how bad it is after that. Shield is ok. It took its punishmnet on the sides near the point of attachments.

Thanks for the input. I may end up with stickers. any good suggestions:)

Russ
 
Lets see if I have this right. You're concerned about some scratches on a helmet? Is that right?

No deep gouges?

It didn't fall from five or six feet high and bang on concrete?

You didn't have a wreck or anything like that?

No reason to think you need to replace the helmet?

The helmet just... "rolled across the asphalt." Without you in it, right?

And you want to... how did you put it... "minimize" the damage.




That's it, huh. Really?:scratch




Okay, then. Here's my $0.02, but given your concern I suspect its not what you want to hear. If the shield is scratched then replace it. Otherwise, who cares? Just put on your lid and ride.
 
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I understand your frustration. Your situation reminds me of when I got my new Shoei. I didn't wish to damage it taking it back and forth from the garage and house, so made a shelf in the garage just for it. Of course while working on the shelf, the helmet carefully sat on the floor on some cardboard. My clumsy feet knocked it over and gave it the scratches that I was trying to avoid.:doh My local Honda dealer gave me some magic "stuff" I rubbed into the scratches and for the most part, they were less noticeable. In time, I never noticed the scratches.
 
How far dd your helmet fall? If the answer is more than about 2 feet, you either need to have it professionally inspected or you need to buy a new one, IMO. Others may have different opinions, but why really wear a helmet which may have a compromised shell? If you knew a condom might have a pinhole and you were trying to prevent pregnancy, would you use it?

Gravity is the enemy of motorcycle helmets. If you never leave it off the ground in an insecure place, it will never fall to the ground and require replacement. Teaching MSF classes I always make sure to ride my students about this and will not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc.

Anyway, good luck with your scratched and possibly compromised helmet.
 
Since helmets are usually colored "plastic", I would try something like Meguirs Plastic cleaner and polish.
 
Look at the scratches as marks of experience and be proud of them.

My suggestion is to quit worrying about what things look like and go ride. Scratches are invisible from the inside and a few good bug hits will cover them anyway.
 
How far dd your helmet fall? If the answer is more than about 2 feet, you either need to have it professionally inspected or you need to buy a new one, IMO. Others may have different opinions, but why really wear a helmet which may have a compromised shell? If you knew a condom might have a pinhole and you were trying to prevent pregnancy, would you use it?

Gravity is the enemy of motorcycle helmets. If you never leave it off the ground in an insecure place, it will never fall to the ground and require replacement. Teaching MSF classes I always make sure to ride my students about this and will not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc.

Anyway, good luck with your scratched and possibly compromised helmet.

If I lived by this I wouldn't have a helmet more than a couple of weeks. :stick I drop S*&T, it is who I am. :D
 
If I lived by this I wouldn't have a helmet more than a couple of weeks. :stick I drop S*&T, it is who I am. :D

hey, it's your head dude. protect it, or not, it's your choice. however, you might want to rethink your philosophy not as being one you live by, but one you might die by.
Helmets are designed to take one real hit, regardless of whether your head is inside of it (or not) when it happens. if it was me, i'd start taking better care of how i handle the skidlid, or maintain a larger helmet budget.
 
Teaching MSF classes I always make sure to ride my students about this and will not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc.

Anyway, good luck with your scratched and possibly compromised helmet.

It's true that if a helmet has taken a good hard hit, it may be compromised and should be replaced. But the poster gets to decide how hard the thing hit and whether it's been compromised. He was asking for advice about cosmetics, to which I say: ignore the scratches or touch them up with whatever.

But this business of making sure "to ride my students" and "not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc." seems excessive. Not TOLERATE where a helmet is placed? Really? Has MSF come to that? If so, I hope it's also insisting on ATGATT, even with the Harley Rider's Edge MSF program. Good luck with that.
 
But this business of making sure "to ride my students" and "not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc." seems excessive. Not TOLERATE where a helmet is placed? Really? Has MSF come to that? If so, I hope it's also insisting on ATGATT, even with the Harley Rider's Edge MSF program. Good luck with that.


That insistence on keeping helmets off seats and mirrors is not so much an MSF thing, as it is a "this independent program owns these helmets, and doesn't want to buy new ones because of your carelessness or ignorance" thing. if you want to put your $500 helmet on your saddle, and let it fall off, that's your choice. I will suggest reasons why you don't want to do that- but at that point it is entirely your decision.
 
But this business of making sure "to ride my students" and "not tolerate helmets hung on rear view mirrors, left on seats, etc." seems excessive. Not TOLERATE where a helmet is placed? Really? Has MSF come to that? If so, I hope it's also insisting on ATGATT, even with the Harley Rider's Edge MSF program. Good luck with that.

It's not MSF, it's me. What's your problem with teaching riders best practices. I won't tolerate a lot of stupid stuff, like hanging helmets on mirrors. I wouldn't want a dozen eggs hanging up there either..
 
Touch up paint?

Any reason not to go to an auto parts store and look for a small bottle of touch up paint in a color that's close to your helmet's?
 
Thanks for all of the input. I do understand the hard hit/possible damage issues. Luckily mine did not take a hard hit, just a roll around the ground. I also get the "shut up and ride" opinions too. In the end thats what I did. I was just frustrated with scratching a new purchase that I have very few miles on. It took me many years of riding to fully understand and appreciate good gear and many more years to be able to afford it. Please forgive me for trying to keep it nice for just a little while longer.

See you on the road
Russ
 
seems to me that the impact of a helmet falling from seat height or so would be a much different impact than one being worn during a similar fall.

Somehow I suspect that finding an "expert" to examine a fallen helmet and determine it's continued protection would be a fools errand.

an instructor who stresses care of safety equipment is not a bad thing in my book. When I arrived for my last MSF ERC rangework, I placed my helmet on the lawn (seemed like a good safe spot) the instructor had me move it since the local fire ant activity had allegedly infested some helmets similarly placed.
 
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