Your helmet is an important part of your safety getup when cycling or motorcycling, so it’s important to know how to strap your motorcycle helmet so you’re wearing it correctly.
Your helmet protects your head, neck, and face from injury. A well-fitting helmet will sit snugly, and prevent life-threatening injury if you’re involved in an accident.
Part of this protection comes from your helmet being strapped properly into place.
What this article covers:
Why Should you Strap your Helmet Properly?
It’s important to strap your helmet before riding for optimal safety. Your helmet is responsible for keeping your head and neck safe, and the straps help it do this job.
A properly strapped helmet won’t move out of position should you collide with the road or a hard object.
Aside from this, there are some other risks involved in not strapping your helmet properly. Loose straps can get tangled in your hair while you’re riding. This can get uncomfortable and even painful.
Loose straps can unbalance your helmet on your head. When it’s not properly strapped into place, it can easily move around. You run the risk of your helmet tipping forward or backward while you’re riding.
This could distract you and cause you to fall.
The Double-D Ring
The most common fastener for a motorcycle helmet is a double-D ring. It’s also the safest current fastening method.
It’s easy to fasten the double-D ring. Some people convert it to a quick-release strap, but this can be dangerous.
Quick-release straps make it easier to get your helmet on and off, but they also mean your helmet can pop off during an accident. This defeats the purpose of your helmet.
These fasteners are strong and reliable as they are. They’re easily adjustable per wearer, and encourage correct tightening with each use. Making sure your motorcycle helmet is tight enough is a key part of being safe on the road.
There are some cons, however. It’s difficult to get the double-D ring set correctly with the first use, as you’ll need to manually set it according to the size of your head.
They’re also quite fiddly to loosen while you’re getting used to using this particular helmet fastener. You need to loosen it a little at a time until you’re able to comfortably take the helmet off your head.
As the user, you need to ensure your helmet fastener is correctly adjusted each time you go riding. This is essential in ensuring your helmet provides you with adequate safety for each ride.
Although the double-D ring isn’t the easiest to use, it is the safest. This is because it doesn’t easily come loose, so you know your helmet will sit properly in place through even the roughest accident.
It’s passed the US and European safety standards, so it’s accepted as a safe fastening method globally. For this reason, it’s a popular choice for motorcycle helmets in New Zealand.
How to Strap Your Helmet
As we mentioned, strapping your helmet correctly is important in keeping yourself safe. So how do you properly strap your motorcycle helmet?
The exact method for strapping your helmet depends on the type of fastener your helmet uses.
Double-D Ring Buckle
Before starting, you’ll need to ensure that both sides are tucked securely against your chin. This ensures that your helmet is strapped on throughout your ride, as you’ll be able to feel the straps against your chin for the duration of it.
Next, you need to take hold of the loose ends of the webbing and pull it outwards towards both sides of your face until the helmet feels secure on your head.
Fastening your Helmet Without Undoing the Straps
Some helmets can be fastened without undoing the straps because they have a quick-release fastening method. This allows you to release the helmet with one hand, and it’ll easily snap out of place for easy access.
This option is great for those who need to get their helmet on and off quickly.
Tips and Tricks for Motorcycle Helmets
- Don’t store your helmet on your motorcycle seat when you’re not wearing it. This leaves your helmet vulnerable to the weather, particularly the sun. Heat can degrade the cushioning inside your helmet, which is part of the safety features that keep your head safe in an accident.
- Use accessories wisely. Helmets aren’t designed to be used with fairing, windshields, or bulky sunglasses. If you’re using any of these accessories, you need to make sure they aren’t interfering with how securely you can fasten your helmet.
- Make sure it’s tight enough. Yes, we know you’ve heard how to put on a motorcycle helmet before. It’s important, however, to know that wearing a helmet shouldn’t feel natural. You should know how to adjust your motorcycle helmet straps. It should be too tight for you to be able to open your mouth fully to be secure.
- Strap the chin part down if you have a full-face helmet. Most people with full-face helmets slack when it comes to strapping the chin part down. This is the most common part that detaches during an accident for this reason. Not strapping it down compromises your safety.
Don’t forget about the side straps. Helmets don’t always have side straps, but they’re a great addition in terms of safety if they’re present. They should go between your cheekbones toward your earlobes at an angle for maximum comfort and protection. This will make your motorcycle helmet fit better.
If you enjoyed this piece, consider checking out other blogs:
- How to Determine Head Shape for Motorcycle Helmet
- How to Tell If Motorcycle Helmet Is Too Small
- Why Are Motorcycle Helmets So Big
- How to Wear Goggles with Motorcycle Helmet
- How to Listen to Music with a Motorcycle Helmet
- How to Install Intercom in Motorcycle Helmet
- How to Choose a Motorcycle Helmet?
- How Long Do Motorcycle Helmets Last
- How to Check Motorcycle Helmet Expiry Date
- How Much Should I Pay for a Motorcycle Helmet
- Best Motorcycle Helmet
- Best Lightweight Motorcycle Helmet
- Best Open Face Motorcycle Helmets