Does your helmet have a frayed strap?

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:35 pm

Does your helmet have a frayed strap? I've not had this problem before, but three of my five cheaper helmets have developed frayed straps with little use. My two Shoeis haven't though. Got two of the three replaced- third one the importer won't replace. Just wondering how common this is? I've never had the problem in any other of my helmets, even the cheap ones. Importer blames velcro on jackets for causing fraying - I wear the same jacket and it doesn't affect my helmet.
Thanks for any input!

Boyd6r · Post by **Boyd6r** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:37 pm

That's odd?! Never heard of that before. I wonder how they pass Australian standard's then. How old are the helmets?

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:48 pm

Less than a year.....I'm wondering if they pass Aussie standards too- that's why I'm sending the helmet to get tested shortly. Gotta buy a replacement first.
Importer is spitting coz I'm getting it tested. Importer suggested today that I was a liar- fuel to the fire for me. Three out of five helmets fraying is bad enough odds for me. I'm spitting coz I have tried to get this fixed for two months and the importer has blown me off. Dealer has been OK but they won't replace if their supplier won't. Wonder how common this is. Hope this instigates a recall on these helmets. Funnily enough my new set of helmets will be a different brand....

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:55 pm

jase had probs with his axo..i had/have a similar one ive had twice as long, with no problems..i kno a lot of ppl with axo lids & no prob..so i dunno...maybe it is the jackets?? maybe ur just unlucky??

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:08 am

it could be the jacket.. but a combination of cheaper build quality vs velcro on jackets.

I don't think you'll get anything else out of supplier.. as i see it for 3 helmets to stuff up it's something you're doing. So alternatives are to buy different brand that doesn't have that weakness or change the way it's done.. I'd say you have dririder style jackets with the velcro on the neck? I know the strap on the KBC catches it on mine, i just had a look at it, and it is slightly frayed where the stitching has caught, but the strap itself is fine.

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:52 am

My KBC doesnt have a frayed strap... and its nearly 3 years old now...

Glen · Post by **Glen** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:20 am

I've had mainly AGV's and now a Shoei, but I also use to use a HJC for training which got flogged to death sitting on the ground in the wet and getting put on/off 17 time per course etc but none of the straps frayed.

When you say they've frayed is it bad enough to concern you re the structure of the strap or is it more aesthetic?

Dare I ask what sort of helmet it was?

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:41 am

no....just bought a new helmet last week.

5th AGV in a row....they just seem to fit my head.

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:45 am

RXT Orbit. I phoned another driving school that I work with this morning, who does a lot more work than I do (he has Q-Ride-mine is a work in progress) and he has velcro jackets as well as cheap helmets- he has 12 helmets and none has frayed in the strap in three years of constant use. I don't believe the velcro story- my Shoei would be affected if that was the case- it gets at least 5 times the use of any of my other helmets, using the same Moto-Dry velcro equipped jacket and it is unaffected. I will be changing brands. Probably HJC- they seem a decent budget helmet.
Pretty heavily frayed- so much I am concerned for safety.

I don't think you'll get anything else out of supplier.. as i see it for 3 helmets to stuff up it's something you're doing.

Yep I don't think the supplier will be doing much although he rang me yesterday to insult me.....I can't see what I have doing wrong as you suggested. Helmets are stored indoors, and used on peoples heads as helmets are- in conjunction with motorcycle jackets, also used as a jacket- not worn on any other part of the body....My experience of the bike industry has been that if a customer has a problem with an item, if the dealer can't come up with a plausible reason for it's failure, or if they can't accept the product is faulty they blame the customer....Seen it many times. Disappointing in the least.

I'm sending it to a professional body to get tested and if I'm wrong, well I will be wrong and the first to admit it.

I see a parallel of this situation to the Hyosung one- Hyosung delivered bikes to the Australian public that had poor brakes and suspension. The Australian distributor lobbied the manufacturer to fix the problems and the manufacturer did. I wonder how many of these helmets have frayed and the customer keeps on using them?

Glen · Post by **Glen** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:03 am

Phil wrote:no....just bought a new helmet last week.

5th AGV in a row....they just seem to fit my head.

Sorry mate, had to ask.

I had AGV's for years and love them, but when I bought my latest lid I couldn't get the right sizing in the AGV's, one was too small and next one up was too big, which was a real pisser. The really weird arse thing was that I used to have this problem with Shoei's but now they fit really well, but I don't think they're as nice inside as the AGV's.

They must've both changed their sizing slightly or my weird arse head has changed/grown/shrunk

Must be the beer.

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:13 am

The problem with my Axo was caused because I have such a muscular neck.

The chin strap wasn't nearly long enough and the velcro on the end of it couldn't reach the velcro at the other end to do up. As a result, once the strap was through the D rings, I never velcroed the flappy bit of the strap up and the velcro from the strap rubbed against other parts of the strap causing it to fray.

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:31 am

I can't imagine that an Axo helmet would be cheap either.

Strika · Post by **Strika** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:50 am

aardvark wrote:The problem with my Axo was caused because I have such a muscular neck.

The chin strap wasn't nearly long enough and the velcro on the end of it couldn't reach the velcro at the other end to do up. As a result, once the strap was through the D rings, I never velcroed the flappy bit of the strap up and the velcro from the strap rubbed against other parts of the strap causing it to fray.

They are notoriously short arn't they Aardvark! i have a full carbon fibre AXO, which has the same issue.

Without trying to be disrespectful in any way to you, I am of the opinion that it will be a velcro issue. Material will only fray if it is contact with something that is harder, thus more abrasive than it is. Resulting in the obvious wear.

I have been in the Motorcycle industry for some time and can say from experience that every and I mean every, frayed helmet strap I have seen has been caused by velcro or poor mounting when being transported or stored. It doesn't take much for just one of those little hooks to catch on the material and start to wear it.

While I understand that the other helemts do not have this issue, all that means is that their straps are slightly more resistant to velcro hooks or are slightly different in their positioning on your head/neck. It doesn't mean the helmet strap is faulty. All it means is that an item you are wearing is causing damage.

I have a jacket that has the velcro from hell on it. And if you do not carefully do up the collar velcro everytime, it will catch on anything and everything and quickly fray the helmet straps.

I may be wrong and you may have a batch of Helmets with faulty straps, however from experience it is usually not the case.

mrmina · Post by **mrmina** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:27 am

my RXT is a cheapo. i've had it for close to 3 years and its all good.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:45 am

Glen wrote:
Phil wrote:no....just bought a new helmet last week.

5th AGV in a row....they just seem to fit my head.
Sorry mate, had to ask.

that statement was in response to the original question - sorry for any confusion.

my new lid is the gp pro, seems quieter than my old x-vent