How to Make a Motorcycle Helmet Fit Better
Nothing is more important than wearing a protective helmet before riding your motorcycle. Many people don’t care to wear helmets though it is a sensitive issue.
Helmets come in various shapes, sizes, and weights.
Similarly, human beings’ heads also are in different shapes like long oval, round oval, intermediate oval, etc. It is best to pick a helmet, which fits based on your head shape.
It is crucial to know how to make a motorcycle helmet fit better and why helmet fitting is vital for any rider. In our write-up, we will discuss how you can improve your helmet’s fitting ability and share some tricks & tips as a bonus point.
Just read on!
Why is helmet fitment salient?
Aside from safety issues, a helmet gives a bunch of benefits like keeping your head safe from external noise, dust, dirt, absorption of sweat, etc.
There are many reasons why it is essential to choose the perfectly fitted helmet, including —
- No discomfort while wearing or taking off the helmet
- Increase ventilation system inside the helmet
- No unwanted helmet shifting while riding
- Diminish condensation and fog
- No obstruction to see further roads
Consideration of various helmet shapes
Round oval helmets have equal space from forehead to back and from one side to another side.
For intermediate oval helmets, the shape is slightly longer from forehead to back than from ear to ear.
Lastly, long oval helmets have the amplest space from forehead to end than an ear to ear.
Most helmets come in intermediate oval shapes to fit most riders.
But it doesn’t always fit everyone, and you might be one of them.
The selection process is essential because the right size helmet will give you all the comfort you need while riding.
Hence, never forget to pick the right shape and correct size helmet.
Have you chosen the right type of helmet?
More than five types of helmets are available in the market, including—
- Open Face Helmet
- Full-face Helmet
- Modular Helmet
- Dirt Bike helmet
- ADV helmet
The open-face helmet only exposes your face and covers from forehead to back & ear to ear, while the full-face helmet covers everything from forehead to end & ear to ear along with the full face.
On the other hand, a modular helmet is a combination of a full-face and open-face helmet — it allows riders to flip the chin bar to breathe easily without taking it off.
In addition, a dark bike helmet provides enhanced vision and high portability due to its lightweight.
Lastly, the ADV helmet features an off-road and on-roads lid to give high flexibility for a better field of view.
Give a check for the cheek pads
Cheek pads are one of the essential parts of helmets.
They are supposed to keep the helmet fit in perfect position and tightly fit both sides of the face without any sign of movement.
However, the quality of cheek pads may start to diminish due to heavy or long time use.
It even wears quickly than other parts of the helmets.
Most cheek pads are created from soft materials to provide the maximum level of comfort.
Check several times the condition of your cheek pads, whether it needs replacements or not.
Often helmet condition remains in good condition, but cheek pads wear before others.
As long as it perfectly, tightly, and comfortably fits in each side of your face, you don’t need to replace them
Ensure a perfect helmet positioning
How should a motorcycle helmet fit often depends on your helmet positioning?
Unless you keep your helmet in the correct position, it doesn’t make any difference in having the right size and stylish helmet.
Try the helmet in various positions to find your comfort zone.
Before finally riding your motorcycle wearing the helmet, wear it at home for a few minutes to become sure about the relevant issue.
Keeping the helmet in the wrong position will lead to unnecessary movement while riding it.
In fact, it will come sideways due to high wind speed.
So, how should it snuggly fit on your head to avoid any unusual movement? Right?
It is best to insert the crown part of the headgear instead of putting your full head inside it.
Initially, you may mistakenly think that the helmet is not perfectly fit for your head shape until you place the headgear’s back.
Another important thing you can check is whether the helmet is snuggly fitted low on your forehead.
The gap between the eyebrows and helmet touching point should not be more than two finger-widths.
Fixing the side straps
Side straps are another essential part to perfectly fit the motorcycle helmet on your head. Make sure to use straps under the left and right ear to fit better.
You can easily adjust it since they are made from soft materials to provide comfort for fitting.
The rubber material is the best choice for the side strap.
That’s why avoid purchasing other types of helmets, which straps are made from hard materials.
Make sure it doesn’t obstruct your ears, which may cause additional problems without doing any benefits.
The Y-shape straps should keep the helmet in the position while adjusting it.
When you succeed in fitting it correctly, you are saving yourself from accidents.
Does the chin strap fit properly?
Like side straps, the chin strap plays a crucial role in stopping helmets from falling off and firmly securing the position.
The best technique you can follow to ensure the chin strap precisely fit is putting one finger inside it —but it doesn’t allow to insert another finger.
This indication implies the chin strap is perfect for holding the helmet securely on your head.
Another trick is opening your mouth after buckling the chin strap and seeing if the headgear is pushing against the head’s crown.
If the chin strap doesn’t press against the top of the head, tighten it slightly more.
But make sure you don’t overdo it and keep it in a comfortable position.
Most chin straps are comfortable to wear because they are made from absorbent materials to absorb sweat easily.
Is your helmet in the perfect size?
A perfect size is neither too small nor too big to ensure optimum comfort.
Before knowing how to make a motorcycle helmet fit better, you want to make sure you pick the correct helmet to match your internal head shape.
Therefore, give yourself enough time to choose a particular one; don’t rush to pick a random one, which is uncomfortable to wear.
There are many best helmets in the market for motorcycle riders.
How should a bike helmet fit often depend on your helmet’s quality and the type of material used to create it?
Cheap helmets are cheap in price, and so do their service.
It is a great practice to invest a few extra bucks to get the best headgear.
If you already used comfortable and good-quality helmets, you can pick the same quality brand new one.
Make sure to look over the accurate size chart for the helmet to choose the best one.
Customizing the helmet
Sometimes, the helmets’ shell may be perfect in size, but the inner lining does not provide you comfort.
You can replace helmet padding with a different dimension to fix the fitting issue.
There are many shops available in the market to change it.
You can also do it of your own after buying it from the shop.
Replace your helmet every five years
Most experts recommend changing helmets after five years because they will start to wear within few years.
Even if you don’t use it regularly, the helmet’s shell and inner lining have a limited lifespan.
They will not provide as much good service as you want after a few years.
Helmet care
Taking care of the helmet is an excellent job to ensure an extended lifespan of the helmet.
Not only that, it will ensure a precise fitting for a long time.
When you use the helmet every day heavily, it becomes dirty both inside and outside —the dirt and dust inside the headgear may disrupt the accurate fitting.
It is best to clean the inner foam often and check whether the foam moved from its actual place.
Final Thoughts
No one can deny the key job of a helmet is protecting your head from serious injuries.
That’s why you don’t want to compromise the fitment of the helmet.
Picking the right size and correct type of helmet is as essential as the helmet’s quality.
Hence, before understanding how to make a motorcycle helmet fit better, try various helmets in physical stores to find the perfect one.
It will help to know which one is too tight for you and which one is too loose.
One bonus advice for you is that if you see any declination of your helmet quality; never hesitate to purchase a new one —because nothing is more important than your safety.
You may also like to read: how to remove motorcycle helmet visor
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