The Helmet ( from past to present )

Curiosity got the better of me, when and where did the motorcycle helmet emanate from. Was there an Australian connection, questions that I wanted answers to. So my search began and some interesting findings cropped up along the way, thought I'd share them with you.

The year is 1885 and the first petrol powered motorcycle was invented by none other than Gottlied Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany. Because in the early years of manufacturing motorcycles were by all standards very slow, hence no attention to head protection was given.

What connection is there between T.E.Lawrence, better known to most as Lawrence of Arabia
and the motorcycle helmet. Well none directly but indirectly plenty. Most of us remember Lawrence of Arabia crossing the dessert on a camel but he was a motorcycle rider as well. The year is 1935 and Lawrence was riding a Brough Superior SS100 through the county of Dorset
when Lawrence swerved to avoid 2 boys on bicycles and lost control of his motorcycle, he was thrown from the bike and sustained massive head injuries which left him in a coma for 6 days before passing away, he was not wearing a helmet.

A doctor by the name Hugh Cairns attended to T.E.Lawrence during his 6 days in hospital. The interesting fact here is that Dr Cairns was an Australian. Born in Pt Pirie in South Australia and attended the University of Adelaide and was the recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship which took him to Oxford to continue his studies in neurosurgery. After the passing of T.E.Lawrence, Dr Cairns undertook a prolong study on the high casualty rate of military dispatch riders and civilian motorcyclist. His extensive study eventually led to the use of head wear protection for the military riders and civilian although laws were not introduced till many years later for the compulsory use of what we call the motorcycle helmet. Although not the inventor of the motorcycle helmet, Professor Hugh Cairns was more the instigator of the use of head protection, and to this end we should grant him a special place in history and our thanks.

Motorcycle production between the 1st and second world war grew enormously as did mans need for speed. And still helmets were best discrib ed as skull caps made of leather with some lining, perhaps fur or the likes of. These offered little or no protection at all. It wasn't till the early fifties that the Modern shock absorbing helmet appeared.

The year is 1953 and Professor C.F. RED Lombard from the University of Southern California applied for a patent for his new shock absorbing helmet. This new helmet was capable of absorbing shock on impact but also spread the energy created by the impact. It also contained padding within, this invention set the standard and the blue print for what we call the modern helmet of today. All other manufacturers followed suit as a new standard for head protection was available.

It is recognised around the world that wearing a helmet is a life saving device for motorcyclist and yet some countries do not have laws making it mandatory to wear one.
Australia was the first nation to introduce mandatory laws for the use of motorcycle helmets. This law was introduced on January the 1st 1961, we are thereby celebrating it's 50th year.

So what are helmets made of. The outer shell is made of plastics with the inners made of polypropylene or styrene followed by a liner. The chin strap is standard across all brands. Some more expensive helmets today are made of fiberglass and other materials such as kevlar and carbon fiber which are called composite materials, these generally are far more expensive.

How do they work. Well in the event of accident and impact is imminent the outer shell will crack thereby absorbing some of pressure, then the polypropylene will compress fully to absurd more of the pressure created by the impact and the inner liner will take up whatever resistance is left. The helmet will also protect the skull and face from scratching from hitting the pavement. I think of the helmet as a [ one hit wonder shock absorber ] that we use regularly but who's role is to protect only once in its life span, then to be discarded. If it achieves that and I'm here to tell the story, I'm happy. The information that I was able to gather re: lifespan is between 4 and 5 years, after which a new helmet should be purchased.

What type of helmets are available, the figures I obtained were 5.
1 The full face helmet, generally classified as the safest helmet available on the market.
2 The moto cross helmet used predominantly for off road use
3 The flip helmet that allows the rider to lift the front up completely
4 the 3/4 helmet which offers less protection as the frontal is exposed
5 The half helmet which covers only the upper part of the head

What should you look for when purchasing a new helmet. That's up to you of course, after all there is a plethora of helmets on the market today. As long as they meet our standard and you must try them on as no two are the same. They must be snug as after the inner lining does provide some give after a period. The style, and of course how much of your hard earned cash are you prepared to part with. Remember this, whatever you choose is going to be your companion for the next 4 to 5 years, so take you time and chose wisely.

Well that's it from me, take care of your lid as it takes care of you and as always enjoy the ride

                                                                    Phil