Ask MO Anything: Is It Helmet Replacement Time?
Dear MOby,
I bought an HJC AC-3 carbon-fiber open-face helmet six years ago. Really like it, but the liner has gotten so hard it is uncomfortable to wear. I have been unsuccessful at locating a replacement liner online. I would consider buying another like helmet, but cannot find that either. Any ideas of a source of either liner or complete helmet? I didn’t have any luck contacting HJC ‘tech support’.
Bob Toy
Dear Bob,
If you’re in the midwest or someplace where fashion takes a back seat to function, I’d rip out the liner and hit the inside of the shell with a can of Home Depot insulating foam, then put the helmet on while wearing a bald wig until it cures, for a truly custom fit. Kidding!
HJC’s Marketing Coordinator Molly Lang swings into action:
“First of all, we suggest replacing your helmet every five years for safety purposes as the EPS foam and liners will wear over time, and new models will support new safety features. The AC-3 model has been discontinued for 10 years now, so a replacement liner will be hard to find and we do not recommend it.
“HJC has since introduced ¾-helmet models which replaced the AC-3 as technology and features have improved over time. Our current model in that style is the IS-33 II; an open-face 3/4 helmet with optional peak visor or shield [that’s it in the lead photo]. While it is not carbon-fiber, it does have an Advanced Polycarbonate shell for light weight and superior fit; its features and materials have changed for the better over the past 10 years.
I hope this helps, and feel free to contact HJC customer service directly at 562-407-2186 with more questions.”
Hats off (get it?) to HJC for making helmet replacement as painless as possible; the IS-33 carries a suggested price of $139.99 to $154.99. Coincidentally, we just tested a new HJC modular helmet – its IS-MAX II. For a few dollars more than the open-face, it provides greater protection when you want it and all the convenience of an open-face when you don’t. We’re big fans of HJC and modular helmets here at MO.
More by John Burns
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Talked to a guy that worked for a national retailer. He knows a guy that worked for a helmet manufacturer. Yes, one of those stories.
That said, he told me that if you keep your helmet away from gas/petroleum products and fumes, you should be fine. Both filling the tank and storing in the garage, were his concerns. He claimed they did a variety of tests (including time), and these were the only things that deteriorated the helmet's effectiveness.
You may call bullshit, but who is spooning it out?
I change helmets every 30-50K or about once a year. You can just sort of sense the quality declining, it gets a bit louder, fits a bit worse/less comfortable, and you know it's fallen off something during that time, which is tough on the EPS.