A motorcycle helmet is a vital piece of motorcycle gear, and the biggest reason it is so important is that it protects your head from fatal injuries. This means that you need to adjust your motorcycle helmet perfectly and secure it with a strap. In this article, we are going to show you how it needs to be done so your head is safe at all times.
So how do you strap your motorcycle helmet? The first thing you need to do is put the helmet on your head and position it correctly, so it is ready for you to strap it. Pull the straps down and pull the right strap to the left, loop it through the ring and place it under the ring connector. Pull the strap back to the right side.
If you want to learn more about motorcycle helmets and how to strap them, continue reading as we will cover everything in a single detail.
Table of Contents
How To Strap Your Motorcycle Helmet?
You need to take your helmet and put it on your head. Position the helmet correctly and align your visor with your eyes perfectly. Take the straps and pull them down from both sides, so they are exposed and ready for adaptation.
Take the right strap and pull it into the metal ring to the left strap. You need to loop it through and after doing that, pull it tightly under your chin. After doing so, you need to pull the ring apart and loop the strap once again through the first ring. After completing that, take the strap and put it under the second ring connector. Once you have done that, you need to take the string and pull it back to the right side.
If you notice that you need to make any slight adjustments like ensuring the tightness of your helmet, now is the time to make all of these necessary adjustments. Just have in mind that your helmet needs to fit you comfortably, and it mustn’t be too loose or too tight.
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Double Ring System Helmets
Helmets that have the double ring system are the most complicated in the world of strap helmets. It is considered the most quality and top secured strap system and is mostly present in top-tier motorcycle helmets. I have an HJC RPHA11 VENOM helmet that uses this type of ring system, and I can say that personally, it feels very nice and comfortable, and It fits my head structure perfectly.
How to Strap Double Ring System Helmets?
In this section, I will show you why you need to strap a motorcycle helmet that uses a double ring strap system, so stay tuned, and here we go.
The first thing you need to do is take the right strap and pull it underneath your chin to the left side. Loop the strap through the rings, and after doing so, separate these two rings, take the right strap, and loop it through the first ring. You need to pull it underneath your chin, tight it properly, and make sure it is not too loose or too tight.
So we can see that the double ring system is made from two metal rings, and these two rings are connected to one of the tapes. Like I said earlier, this system can be found only on high-quality and very expensive helmets, and these helmets are mostly used in racing contests. “Normal” or ordinary motorcycle helmets have a simple buckle system, and this system can get unlocked much easier than the double ring system in case of impact or even during the ride.
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We can conclude that helmets with a double ring system are a much safer and better option than helmets with buckler systems. If you feel that you want to upgrade your helmet to a much safer level, you can change the buckles and replace them with the double ring system.
Importance Of Straps
Unfortunately, some riders underestimate the importance of straps and how significant they can be, and that’s why they don’t attach their buckles every time they put their helmet on and go for a ride. This especially goes when some riders, like a couple of my friends, don’t attach their buckles or straps when they go to local shops or some of their friends or relatives that live nearby.
Please do not underestimate the importance of straps, since they keep your motorcycle helmet safe and secured in place and that way protect your head from serious injuries that can happen in every ride, even the one to your local store or friend that can be just a few miles from your home.
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If you don’t strap your motorcycle helmet, what will happen is the helmet will move around your head while you ride, and that way, it will make you distracted and lower your attention and concentration that you need to focus on the road and the surroundings around you.
Your straps will make your helmet stable and secured in case of an impact, and the helmet won’t fall off your head which means that your head will be protected at all times now, imagine what would happen if you didn’t strap your helmet and it falls off during an impact.
Here are other buckle systems that are used in strapping your motorcycle helmet:
How Tight Should The Strap Be?
By now, we have learned that straps are responsible for keeping your motorcycle helmet safe and secured on your head, and that way, they protect your head from injuries that can happen during rides. The straps also have another function, and that is to control the tightness of your helmet and how tight it will fit your head.
You need to loop your straps under your chin and not above the chin, so have that in mind while strapping it. You should be able to put your finger in the space between your chin and the strap. If your strap is too tight, you will feel that turning your head or bowing may feel a little bit uncomfortable. This can be a problem since it will distract you while riding.
You may ask yourself how to know that your helmet is perfectly tight? You will know that when your helmet fits you snugly. You can test your helmet by making a few quick heads shaking from right to left side. If your helmet fits you perfectly, it shouldn’t budge.
If your motorcycle helmet moves, it means that you will need to make a slight readjustment of the straps, or if your helmet is really too tight or too big, then consider buying a helmet that is a size smaller or bigger, depending on your size situation.
How to Get the Perfect Helmet Size?
The primary purpose of the straps is to keep your motorcycle helmet secured to your head. All it can do is ensure that your motorcycle helmet fits your head perfectly and snugly. The feeling you get when you put the helmet on your head and how it fits you will significantly impact whether you purchased the perfect-sized helmet or not.
Get the Proper Shape
Every rider is unique, which means that not all riders have the same skull type. Having this in mind, we can notice three main head shape types:
- Round oval
- Intermediate oval
- Long oval
If you wonder how to determine your head type, the best way to do this is to ask a friend or one of your family members to take a photo of your head from above. If you have long hair, you need to flatten it as much as possible so it doesn’t give you a wrong impression when determining your head type.
Once you have determined your head type, you can search for the perfect helmet more accurately. Most US manufacturers produce intermediate oval-shaped motorcycle helmets; while looking at the European brands, you will find many other shape helmets.
You need to measure your head by taking the circumference of the thickest part of your head, which means that you need to measure around your forehead and temples. I would recommend you to ask your friend or family member to help you with taking your head measurements. That way, it will be more precise than if you do it alone since you can’t see behind your head, which means that you may put the measuring tape in the wrong spot resulting in inaccurate measurements.
After you have your correct measurements, take them and choose the right fitting helmet based on them.
Here is a size chart you can look at to choose the correct helmet size.
Proper Fit
When choosing your motorcycle helmet, you need to make sure that it fits you snugly and it shouldn’t cause red lines on your forehead once you take it off after a ride. You shouldn’t feel any pressure that could be compared to migraine because it indicates that the helmet is too small.
Use a helmet and wear it for 20-30 minutes just to see how it feels and if it causes you any not bearable head pressure. If you don’t feel any pain in your head’s pressure points, mostly on your forehead and temples, it means that your helmet fits you perfectly.
It is normal if you feel that your head is tight as long as you don’t feel any headaches after 20–30 minutes of wearing the helmet.
You need to know that your motorcycle helmet inside can “shrink” 15-20%, which means that it will undoubtedly become loose as you wear it more. You can adjust the internal paddings by changing the paddings with thinner ones which will free up more space, and you won’t feel so tight.
Useful Tips
Ring connectors are mostly made from metal which means that if they are not protected with paint, they will develop corrosion as time goes by. Grease your ring connectors (if they are not protected with paint) regularly to keep them clean and to avoid corrosion from developing. Make sure that the ring connectors are correctly positioned so they don’t lose their significance.
The motorcycle strap is a significant part of every motorcycle helmet, especially for the open-faced helmet type. Open-faced helmets cover the least area of your face and head, and because of that, they fit loosely. It only protects the top of the rider’s head up to his temples, and the chin and other lower part of the head remains unprotected.
The straps will keep your helmet on your head all the time, and that is why you should choose the helmet that has straps made of polyester and hybrid fabric, which makes it more durable.
Final Thoughts
As you may have learned in this article, there are different ways you can secure your motorcycle helmet to your head, and straps and buckles are mainly used. You need to decide on your own what type of motorcycle helmet satisfies your needs the best, and according to that, pick the correct fitting helmet.
Every rider is unique and has a different riding style, and that is why I decided to write this article to help you make the decision much easier and help you pick your perfect motorcycle helmet.