A Safe Motorcycle Helmet Doesn’t Have to Be Big
Within Texas, motorcycle riders usually are not forced to wear a helmet when they have proof that they have the minimum amount of insurance coverage, have already been through an authorized motorcycle safety , and also have a motorcycle endorsement on the drivers license. I am one who have been in some crashes and found that it’s best if you wear protective gear at the very least on top of head if nothing else.
After my time in the military, I worked as an emergency medical technician for about 8 years. In that time I witnessed a number of motorcycle wrecks. I saw that sometimes the D.O.T. helmets split into pieces. What was within the broken shell was just styrofoam then a terrycloth type liner. More or less the same with all of the broken helmets I observed. At the time I was not a biker and didn’t think much of it.
After my tour of duty, I wound up buying a Motorcycle. At the time, Texas still demanded riders to wear a D.O.T approved helmet. I wasn’t opposed to wearing protective gear on my head but I sure didn’t like the looks of the large D.O.T. helmets. I purchased a gloss black Harley open face helmet. I looked nothing short of ridiculous while riding with it on my now, big mushroom head. It didn’t seem all that heavy in the beginning but I recall my neck hurting after riding for a few hours.
Recently, I saw a piece in American Iron Magazine that had a Skull Crush Helmet. It seemed really nice. I conducted some research and found out they are a one-hundred percent American made motorcycle helmet. They aren’t manufactured from the same type of materials that the D.O.T. helmets are made of and these are much lighter and smaller. The Skull Crush helmets aren’t D.O.T approved and don’t have any type of rating or -approved- label. However, they are produced from two main substances that place all my questions to rest, carbon fiber and Kevlar. I have seen how protective Kevlar can be in my EMT days and further back as a military medic. The Skull Crush helmet utilizes a ballistic combination of carbon fiber and Kevlar in a very tight weave. The material is then coated with a thick marine grade resin. The interior has a type of dark gray memory foam which dissipates energy instead of transferring it. The straps are made of a top quality nylon that surpasses that of the auto industry. Skull Crush features two choices for the strap connection. Either a military spec quick disconnect or old school d-rings.
I inquired why the Skull Crush helmets were not D.O.T. rated. After a long telephone conversation with the sales manager, as it turns out Skull Crush isn’t looking to be a D.O.T. rated helmet company neither do they really need to be affiliated with any rating system. They merely sell a motorcycle helmet made from the two strongest weight to strength ratio materials available for helmet use. The president of Skull Crush is actually a former field medic like me. As you can imagine, I was instantly sold. I submitted an order and chose the flat black Beanie helmet. I was told they’re hand made, one at a time, and given an ETA of 4 weeks.
3 weeks later a UPS truck came. I was never so fired up to see that UPS truck! I got my blade and opened up the box. It was one of those times where you realize that a picture just doesn’t do justice. This helmet was incredible in all aspects. It felt completely sturdy and yet nearly as light as the pocket knife I was holding in my other hand. I buckled it on my head, looked in the mirror, and to my surprise, I actually looked good. It didn’t give me that large mushroom look that my D.O.T. helmet gave me. I took a long ride and discovered how the Skull Crush helmet’s low profile style didn’t catch any wind. The helmet is so light that I forgot I had it on, even after a few hours.
Now I have 3 Skull Crush helmets. The Beanie, the Modified Polo, and the low profile German helmet. All in dull black. Skull Crush is a great American company with a sturdy American product. I like what they represent and I like that they don’t need to comply with anyone else’s regulations or standards. Skull Crush is Skull Crush.
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James Hilton