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Helmet Legality.

Further to Riks comment re wearing a Tommy helmet I wonder what is the legal position re an original DR helmet.
I have such a helmet that my dad used when he was stationed in Jordan during the Suez conflict, his unit ran scrambles in the desert and the helmet along with another one are relics of this. Somewhere are photos of him on a TRW but not wearing the helmet I think. If I ever get my Nortons done I'd like to wear this helmet on the road. I usually wear an old pudding basin if I'm on one of the oldies, bought it from Watson &Cairns in Leeds in 1969, 30 bob as I recall, it was the last ACU stamped pudding basin they had. I if I'm on a modern ie. anything with 12v electrics or brakes that work I use a full face.
I seem to remember hearing that any helmet originally made for motorcycle use was legit to wear irrespective of age, so a DR lid should be OK. There was a phase a few years ago when trail riders took to using cavers helmets, they are light and I guess cheaper than a proper motorcycle helmet but they got hammered when the Plod realised what was going on

Best wishes Tony.

Re: Helmet Legality.

Steve Madden (Ex Cop) once told us that if it was built for purpose then Grandfather rights prevail. Of course Steve might be a bit biased and interpreting the rules to suit himself....and us. At least that's what I'll be telling any young copper who asks me, in the hope that Bullshit baffles brains......It worked for the scrutineers at Goodwood, who questioned our tin helmets but where happy to let the mods and rockers ride with their "pudding Basins" Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

You cheeky thing Ron !!!!

Personally, when I ride on the roads nowadays I wear a modern open-face lid with a flip-up visor to keep the bugs and rain away........but in Normandy and other places on organised runs with fellow "DR's" and at shows I usually wear a suitable period lid......

It used to be the case here in the UK that any helmet worn on the public road had to comply to a particular "British Standard".....it didn't actually matter if the standard of any helmet worn was obsolete and dated back years, such as an old corker or pudding-basin, it simply had to have (once) complied to a BS standard due to the legislation not being retrospective.....

The usual way of telling if a helmet complied to standard was a sticker applied to the shell or a tag in the lining.....of course, many of these have long-since disappeared in old helmets......

The waters "muddied" a bit when EU legislation crept in, with some helmets complying to EU standards rather than BS standards. In some instances helmets made complying to German TUV (EU) standards were far more rigorous than the British ones.....

Having been retired over six years now, I'm a tad out of touch with the latest situation regarding helmets....although I very much doubt if a great deal has changed. There is an expectation that when the UK leaves the EU many existing forms of legislation may still exist in the current form for some time and I'm pretty sure that motorcycle helmets are not too high on the list of things to attend to.....

I'm fairly certain that the similar applies in the UK today. With the exception of the few "old boys" still on the policing front-line today, I doubt if any of the younger generation of cops have any knowledge, let alone any interest in whether or not your helmet complies with a particular standard. In fact, the only time a helmet would become an issue to the Police is if you were seen not wearing one ! Apart from that, they are very low on the priority list.....

We must remember that both the fibre pudding basin helmet and the steel helmet for DR's were introduced specifically for motorcycle use during WW2 on account of the number of head injuries occurring......the military always make things to a high standard and whilst they don't always get it right these things were designed to an official specification and were tough...indeed the steel DR helmet was still being used by the British military into the 1970's....

At the end of the day, it's all down to particular circumstances appertaining at the time and the choice of what helmet to wear is very much a personal one. As remarked, the police will have little if any interest in what helmet you're wearing and the only time that a helmet MAY come into the equation is in the follow-up to any accident occurring and any claim that may follow for injury or death......but that's a matter for the Courts and solicitors to dig into.....

Summarily, the choice remains a personal one.....if you have a £2 head, wear a £2 helmet.........

Re: Helmet Legality.

SEE! Steve says is OK! :laughing: :laughing: Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

I don't why this keeps,poping up , but anyway the only legal helmets to use on a motorbike in the UK are British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark. Every helmet before 1985 is not illegal.

However most police officer's wouldn't just pull you over because they think it's an Illegal helmet , its usually encompassed with other offences. Most will turn a blind eye at these WW2 events its like policing drugs at Woodstock not possible. Unless you have an accident or riding around being a total idoit.

On loads of occasions insurance companies have pulled insurance due to the user not using suitable equipment when riding a motor bike. check your small print as thus could cost you loads of money if your involved in an accident . My advice is if you do use these old helmets be prepared for the worse and don't complain if the wheel does come off.

There is a few companies that do legal pisspots , get one and get it resprayed to the correct colour. Or just take your chance.

The same goes for a old bike thats MOT exempt, if it's in an accident and found unsuitable for the road you will lose out in several ways, I have seen Insurance pulled because of this also, and on top of that a police investigation.

Another words just use comon sense .

email (option): chriscool@sky.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

Back in 2013/14, I remember the cops pulling over several participants in the War & Peace Revival Show "Ginger's Run" of military bikes who were obviously wearing ordinary military helmets or some such. They ignored us with our WW2 motorcyclists lids. Mine is NOS but as usual, fastened with a dinky thin leather strap so I have doubts about its performance, but as Ron says, the scrutineers at Goodwood Revival also passed them (possibly encouraged by the figure of Ron beginning to issue steam from his eardrums!). But, IMHO, it just not would be the same experience riding without proper WW2 clobber - and lets face it, our bikes are NOT anywhere near modern standards regards design, handling and brakes, so ride with all care and attention and feck it!

Re: Helmet Legality.

I don't think this is a case of if you have a £2 head wear a £2 helmet. Have you seen how much a DR helmet costs now. :laughing:

Re: Helmet Legality.

They seem to have slipped a major change through in 1986...Prior to that, older standards such as BS 1869, 2001 and 2495 remained legal.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/472/pdfs/uksi_19860472_en.pdf

They seem to have tightened up on the EU thing too...they now have to bear an approved mark.

It's discriminatory really as pre-1965 cars don't have to have seatbelts and a 1966 car is still allowed to have its old Britax lap belt....

I'm pretty sure that steel DR helmets which were never BS approved have not actually been legal since compulsory helmets were introduced.

However, it's not endorsable and no-one said this was a cheap hobby....

Re: Helmet Legality.

As a matter of interest has anyone actually experienced the effectiveness in terms of head protection either from a standard WW2 helmet or the standard WW2 DR helmet that many on here seem to have through being involved in a road traffic accident.

A good friend of mine was involved in a road traffic accident whilst riding his bike in the mid 1980s - he was wearing a, current as it was then, open face helmet. He went across the road face down and after I had seen him when he came out of hospital I put my open face helmet to one side and bought a Bell full face helmet.

Whilst it might be reasonable to wear a period helmet at a closed event I would not consider wearing such a helmet on the open roads but others may disagree which is fair enough.

Re: Helmet Legality.

I've always worn an open face helmet primarily....I've had two full face helmets in 50 years but hardly wore them...I found them overly restrictive both from the point of view of vision and sound...There's also a debate to be had about the effects of excessive weight acting on your neck in an accident as much as there is about facial injuries...

In fact there's lots of ways of getting an interesting variety of injuries from falling off a bike or getting hit by a car and if you really worried about it and pondered that fact you probably wouldn't get on one in the first place...

Like many things you might do (horse riding, rock climbing, parachuting, diving etc. etc.) you just take reasonable precautions and get on with it....

Risk aversion has lead us inevitably to the brave new world of dayglo, body armour, daytime headlights, motorcycle air bags, ABS, traction control, rider modes etc. etc.....All good stuff I'm sure but it's gradually removing us from the essential experience in my opinion... It does come with some risks admittedly but that's life isn't it?.... Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

Even riding without a helmet has to be safer and show far more intelligence and restraint than going down to Bournemouth beach at the moment.

I haven't been able to spot Ron in the newspaper photos though.


Re: Helmet Legality.

The last time I actually went to the beach to to sit on the sand and swim in the sea was the school summer holiday of 1960. All my mates were going down there most days and I joined them once and have never been back.

There is something pathetically weird about the 1/2 million who came yesterday as though they were driven by an almost Zombie like impulse. I can't comprehend the frenzy, the sitting in 4-5 hour traffic queues in that heat. Illegal and ridiculous parking that warranted 1000's of parking tickets, the 50 tons of rubbish cleared up this morning by council workers......Shitting, pissing and throwing nappies in local peoples gardens..........One council official who voiced his concerns before it happened was told by Boris to " MAN UP"

Makes me want to spit coco. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

Interesting.
Down here there is a cut off age for helmets being that they all have to have a std Approval tag .
However what is also in the legislation is that the helmet has to be in sound condition , unmodified & free from any blemishes or damage .
So mounting a Go-Pro on your hat renders it illegal as does having divots , dents and missing paitwork.
was once charged for riding with an illegal helmet because it had a political sticker attached to it.
That case went to the district court then to appeals before being overturned.
In theory if you come off your bike that helmet has to be retired so every "they pay" collision any of our bikes were involved had the most expensive helmet added to the quote.
Funny enough only the Government Insurance Office queried the claim & had to be taken to court to be made to pay it

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Re: Helmet Legality.

Like Chris has already explained;
Wear whatever you like (I advise against a chromed Wehrmacht one ).. and don't moan when you wake up in hospital bruised & broken and your insurance is waving bye, bye...

email (option): vincent@vincentvanginneke.com

Re: Helmet Legality.

We do not have helmet rules for adults in Hawaii and that's the way it should be - an individual choice. The consequences of not wearing a helmet only affect the rider and not other road users. As it is, a helmeted rider is just a slightly more aerodynamic version compared with no helmet. For me, I always wear a helmet - I've seen what happenss to those who do not.

email (option): cas.vanderwoude@gmail.com

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