OK, my friend sold his bike and all of his gear. He had a Shoei helmet that he sold me for $50. Looks great (some really cool artwork) but the inside smells like smoke. Any secrets on how to defunk the padding, or did I just drop $50 on a really cool 3D painting?
Febreeze didn't work!
I guess it depends on the helmet but you can buy new lining to freshen up the inside and give it a better fit. You should be able to remove the lining and give it a good wash as well.
How old is the helmet? There should be a "born on date" sticker inside by the chin guard area.
The normal life expectancy of a helmet is roughly 5 years...less than that if it has been in a crash and or been exposed to the sun for super long periods.
The smoke residue (how does one smoke in a helmet?) may be in the vents, which would have been missed if you just wiped down the interior. Might be a good idea to clean the vents anyway - who knows where your friend's been :P
You might soak the helmet in a good plastic/paint/fabric-friendly cleaner or neutral shampoo and warm water, and then rinse with copious amounts of clean water or take a long ride in a downpour.
+1 on replacing the padding, and maybe even the collar liners, too, if the aroma lingers. The tarry and particulate components of smoke probably won't wash out of thick fabric, like motorcycle helmet padding.
I'm pretty staunch in my belief that there are just some things that shouldn't be bought used. Socks, underwear, and helmets are close to the top of that list.
If the smoke smell just worked it's way into the liner, you can remove them and have them cleaned. If it's in the foam however, I think you're going to have a hard time safely getting rid of it without potentially weakening the energy dissipating properties.
Let me get this out of the way first: I would never buy a used helmet. Too many 'if's. If there's only one equipment you can spend $ on, please spend as much as you can comfortably afford on a new good helmet. While I hate it when someone say 'is your head only worth $XXX?', I think it's fair to say spending $200 on a quality helmet isn't asking too much. :)
That said, you should be able to wash the liner to get rid of the smell if they are removable. If not, you can wash the whole helmet in a large bucket (yes just submerge the whole thing) or rinse it in your sink. Use woolite or mild washing detergent or even shampoo works fine. I did that on my RF-1000 and it got to be real clean / fresh.
Good luck.
Quote from: OT on May 03, 2009, 10:31:51 AM
The smoke residue (how does one smoke in a helmet?) may be in the vents
snip'd
I worked in a bar that allowed smoking for almost a decade... once you've got smoke in a garment or any kind of padding - foam, cloth, whatever... IMHO it's always in there no matter how many washes. If the owner was a smoker and the helmet was in a room where the smoking occured, the secondhand would just soak in to the padding. And if you take your lid off and go into a smoke-filled room, it gets passed from your hair to the liner as well.
My advice is replace.
///back to original question-
I bought a used lid to have a back-up, with the primary purpose of having it for trips to said bar so that my good helmet wouldn't get smoky. It's a cheapo knock-off of a AGV (if you look closely at the graphic is sez "A
DV") and it has no redeming features whatsoever. The shield distorts, the vents don't flow air, the chinstrap is razor-edged and prickly, the refelctive graphics don't, and the liner isn't really padded - it's pretty much hard-foam-on-dome.
So, +1 on the get-what-you-pay-for in helmets sentiment.
The main problem is that this was a craigslist parking lot transaction - so once I gave the thing enough of a test to figure out if it sucked, I had no recourse. If you're buying from a shop, they'll typically work with you in some fashion if the helmet turns out wrong. They'll definately work with you if the hardware is defective (warranty) or something of that nature. Mr. Parking Lot? Nope.
I'll can't see buying another used lid. Maybe from a trusted riding buddy, where you know the history and that it hasn't been abused, but not from some stranger.
I once moved into a house that had been lived in previously by chain smokers for 20 years. The carpet reeked. :P
Put baking soda in. Lots of baking soda.
Let it sit. Maybe for days.
Vacuum, then wipe out the baking soda.
Smell gone. [thumbsup]
I probably should have given a little more info in my original post. I am only one month into my new Exo700 Predator (VERY cool helmet). The helmet in question is a Shoei RF800 and it looks like the pads are not removable. I just bought this helmet because of the artwork and the price.
I agree with Superjohn on the short list of new only items: socks, underwear, and I am now adding helmet. The more I think about us riding on the hot days and how my helmet gets. I just can't seem to put the helmet on my head. I appreciate the awakening.
unfortunately the RF-800 cannot compare with the RF-1000 (imo)
if it only cost you 50 bucks and you like the paint, use it as a hanging planter and call it a learning experience.
maybe it would make a good mothers day gift ;D
RF-1000 can be had for 300, and as said, there are TONS of great (albeit not greatEST) helmets available for 200
its impossible to remove the smell of smoke without really harsh tactics that normally speaking would weaking most fabrics.
ontop of which, the smell of smoke will get into ANYTHING thats porus....the foam in your helmet is lightweight because its mostly air... the smell aint going no where.
im suprised somegirl got the smoke out of her carpet, i lived with a smoker for about a month before and he didnt realize how horrible it smelled. i had to throw away some of my clothes. I washed them around 5 times with baking soda, vinegar, oxi clean. some of hte smell came out of my thinner shirts, but the thick ones...well i was pretty pissed.
I use this - no experience if it works for smoke odor - but it works great for "sweaty head" odor
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/helmet-cleaner/motorex-helmet-care.htm (http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/helmet-cleaner/motorex-helmet-care.htm)
I have an RF-800 that I bought in 2001. I love the helmet, but see above where it says the max usable time on a helmet is 5 years. I took similar advice to heart and have been shopping.
Since the RF-800, Shoei has release two replacements - the RF-900 and RF-1000.
I recently tried on an RF-1000 and it is fantastic... one of the best helmets I've ever worn. Beautiful, too. I will more than likely be purchasing it as the long-term replacement.
However, if you're looking for a low priced lid, try out a SparX S-07. They can be found on sale, new, for $70 including a tinted visor. And they have received rave reviews from WebBikeWorld and many other outlets.
A new KBC Tarmac Radiation can be purchased for $60 right now, too, if you don't like the SparX.
Neither of those helmets are as high quality as the RF-1000, but they both meet DOT (and the SparX meets ECE, KBC Snell) standards and will be safer than a used helmet.
Both would be perfectly capable "bar-going" helmets.
Avoid a used lid unless you know 100% the history of the helmet and it is less than a few years old. Especially ones that smell like smoke! :)