A Guide to Motorcycle Helmet Materials – Have you ever wondered what materials make your helmet so strong and sturdy to withstand impact?

Helmets are made with several materials that make them strong and resistant to impact when used.

Therefore, knowing the material that makes a motorcycle helmet is very important for you to know.

Motorcycle Helmet Materials

1. Composite

The first is composite, composite helmets are made from a mixture of several materials including fibers and epoxy resin.

Although the material of the helmets that we will review now is basically composite, helmets that are classified as composite helmets refer to helmets that use carbon fibers or glass fibers for their material.

The manufacturing method is quite interesting, manufacturers make composite helmets by layering the materials we have mentioned above onto the mold in a criss-crossing manner.

After that, epoxy resin or other materials will be poured into the mold to bind the layers that will become the outer shell of the helmet.

This process will be done many times until the helmet is perfectly formed.

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2. Fiberglass

The next motorcycle helmet material is fiberglass. As its name implies, this helmet uses glass fiber that is bonded together using epoxy resin.

Some models may use kevlar or even carbon fiber in this mix, but they usually use glass fiber as its main material,

People who use helmets with this material usually like it because of its versatility, strength, and also its affordable price.

Because, fiberglass helmets are very strong for withstanding a heavy blow, but still flexible enough to distribute the force throughout the helmet, thus making the helmet more efficient to protect your head in case of an accident.

And because fiberglass is relatively cheaper, the price of helmets that use fiberglass material is not too expensive.

3. Carbon Fiber

The next one is carbon fiber. Carbon naturally organizes itself into crystalline patterns that are very strong. Carbon fibers are long chains of carbon molecules bound together in these organized structures.

Due to its strong yet lightweight characteristics, helmets made using this material can absorb a lot of force well.

In addition, this type of helmet is generally preferred for its lightness, thus increasing the comfort when wearing this helmet.

However, carbon fiber helmets are priced slightly higher than fiberglass, especially if kevlar is also used in the production.

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4. Kevlar

Talking about kevlar, the next motorcycle helmet material is kevlar. You must have heard of this material, right?

Kevlar is known as one of the strongest materials, so it’s no wonder that this material can also be used as a helmet material.

This material is made from synthetic polyamide fibers and is usually bonded with a very durable plastic compound.

Kevlar helmets are also famous for their strength and light-weight.

5. Synthetic Reinforced Shell

SRS or synthetic reinforced shell is a combination of several materials that we have previously discussed above.

The main material that defines these helmets is thermoplastic resin, which hardens when exposed to heat and binds different types of fibers together into a strong unit.

Like the other helmets we’ve discussed before, SRS helmets also utilize multiple layers of fiber materials designed to provide optimal strength, flexibility, and durability.

SRS helmets have the added advantage of being able to use different types of fiber materials, including some organic materials.

The main advantage of these helmets lies in the use of thermoplastic resin, which allows the helmet to achieve the same level of durability and strength with fewer layers of fiber.

This not only makes the SRS helmet lighter, but also provides better flexibility compared to standard helmets that use epoxy resins.

With this design, SRS helmets offer an ideal combination of comfort and protection, making them an attractive option for a variety of needs.

6. Plastic

The last material is plastic which usually uses two types of plastic in its manufacture, such as thermoplastics and thermoset resins.

Helmets that use thermoplastic are usually easier to make, this is because the properties of thermoplastics can be melted and then poured into the mold.

This is different compared to thermoset resins that require additional curing agents such as epoxy resins, polyester resins or viny ester resins.

Usually, plastic helmets only use moldable materials without any additional materials such as fibers as other helmets materials that we’ve discussed.

Because of this, helmets with plastic as the main material are usually not very strong compared to others.

In addition, this type of helmet is also usually thicker and heavier to accommodate helmet safety regulations in some countries.

However, these plastic helmets are also cheaper than the others.