Crash helmet is too tight around the jaw...

[MaiDong]

I bought a couple of Scorpion ADX-1's for my wife & I, I bought them specifically because they had good reviews regarding venting, and I have to say that they're excellent in this respect!

However, the padding is too tight for my wife around her jaw, after 1 hour she feels like the padding has pushed all the blood into the top of her head, and unfortunately the only way we can get smaller padding for this helmet is by going up 1 helmet size, and from the photo you can tell that that's not the best idea, as it's already pretty large on her little form...

 

We'll be going helmet shopping in a day or so, has anybody else's wife/gf had this problem? What helmet did you settle on?

 

[Lacessit]

Buy a helmet with adjustable strapping.

[scubascuba3]

Open face will be better,  Shark has open faced helmets with chin guards, i have one, very good, can't recall the name off hand

[Kwasaki]

If you can remove the lining remove some of the padding until it feels comfortable.

[transam]

Just now, Kwasaki said:

If you can remove the lining remove some of the padding until it feels comfortable.

I did that with mine, the shock absorption stuff was made of high density polystyrene, trimmed it with a hobby knife then glued the lining back...???? 

[Kwasaki]

34 minutes ago, transam said:

I did that with mine, the shock absorption stuff was made of high density polystyrene, trimmed it with a hobby knife then glued the lining back...???? 

Yeah no problem everyone isn't the the same shaped head a little adjusting to make the helmet comfortable is a good thing. 

[FriendlyFarang]

1 hour ago, MaiDong said:

We'll be going helmet shopping in a day or so, has anybody else's wife/gf had this problem? What helmet did you settle on?

Not all helmets fit on heads, that's just how it is, try helmets until you find one that fits.

I've actually tried the Scorpion ADX-1 myself in the past. Absolutely incompatible with my head, I can't close the visor/lid because my nose/mouth/chin collides with it, that's just how it is.

[Hummin]

20 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Not all helmets fit on heads, that's just how it is, try helmets until you find one that fits.

I've actually tried the Scorpion ADX-1 myself in the past. Absolutely incompatible with my head, I can't close the visor/lid because my nose/mouth/chin collides with it, that's just how it is.

Helmets is like shoes, have to try until you find one that fits you!

 

Loosing weight ? ???? If that is the case can help to ????

[OneMoreFarang]

If possible ask her to wear it for a couple of days. With my helmets it took a couple of days before they were in their final form - and/or I am used to them.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Open face will be better,  Shark has open faced helmets with chin guards, i have one, very good, can't recall the name off hand

Open faced is most definitely not better.....   from a protection point of view. 

 

A plastic chin-guard will crack or just crush in on impact...    

 

 

I do use open face helmets for nearby 7-11 runs etc... but anything further than that a full face helmet is obviously better.

 

 

 

[MaiDong]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Buy a helmet with adjustable strapping.

It's got nothing to do with the strapping, it's the cheek liner padding, as stated in my OP.

[MaiDong]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Open face will be better,  Shark has open faced helmets with chin guards, i have one, very good, can't recall the name off hand

We have open face helmets for local trips, this helmet is for long trips.

[MaiDong]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If you can remove the lining remove some of the padding until it feels comfortable.

The liner comes out but as someone else has said, there's just the shock absorbing foam behind it, I can't hack away at that as the liner has poppers that hold it in place.

[MaiDong]

58 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Not all helmets fit on heads, that's just how it is, try helmets until you find one that fits.

I've actually tried the Scorpion ADX-1 myself in the past. Absolutely incompatible with my head, I can't close the visor/lid because my nose/mouth/chin collides with it, that's just how it is.

Exactly, that's why I'm asking if anybody's wife or gf has had similar problems, and what helmets were chosen.

[MaiDong]

29 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If possible ask her to wear it for a couple of days. With my helmets it took a couple of days before they were in their final form - and/or I am used to them.

She's worn it half a dozen times on trips of more than 1 hour, still the same after all that time.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, transam said:

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If you can remove the lining remove some of the padding until it feels comfortable.

I did that with mine, the shock absorption stuff was made of high density polystyrene, trimmed it with a hobby knife then glued the lining back...???? 

Exactly this....     

 

Some of the higher end helmets (i.e. Shoei) can be professionally fitted (which is not exactly a tasking effort), the inner liner is removed and the padding changed to thicker, thinker pads, adjusted, altered etc to achieve a perfect fit. 

 

The same can be achieved with any helmet IF the inner liner can be removed and some of the higher density foam ‘shaved back’ which should not significantly impact performance. 

 

 

[MaiDong]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Exactly this....     

 

Some of the higher end helmets (i.e. Shoei) can be professionally fitted (which is not exactly a tasking effort), the inner liner is removed and the padding changed to thicker, thinker pads, adjusted, altered etc to achieve a perfect fit. 

 

The same can be achieved with any helmet IF the inner liner can be removed and some of the higher density foam ‘shaved back’ which should not significantly impact performance. 

 

 

What about the poppers that connect the liner to the foam?

 

Ignore that^, the poppers can't be moved, I've just checked.

[MaiDong]

No modifications are possible on this helmet, in this case anyway, it's simply that the cheek/jaw liners are too padded for my wife's face.

 

As I said in my OP though, we'll be going helmet shopping shortly, I was just asking for any recommendations here first, to save having to spend too much time in public.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Exactly this....     

 

Some of the higher end helmets (i.e. Shoei) can be professionally fitted (which is not exactly a tasking effort), the inner liner is removed and the padding changed to thicker, thinker pads, adjusted, altered etc to achieve a perfect fit. 

 

The same can be achieved with any helmet IF the inner liner can be removed and some of the higher density foam ‘shaved back’ which should not significantly impact performance. 

 

 

Expand  

What about the poppers that connect the liner to the foam?

 

Ignore that^, the poppers can't be moved, I've just checked.

 

I replied before I read your reply....    seems you have the best approach already.

 

Asking what helmet suits ‘other wives’ who may have e less ‘farang’ shaped head.... 

 

Of course, the best option is to get into a shop and try on a range of helmets to see which is most comfortable.... After about 10mins your wife should start to recognise ‘warm spots’ where there is uneven pressure. 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

30 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Open faced is most definitely not better.....   from a protection point of view. 

 

A plastic chin-guard will crack or just crush in on impact...    

 

 

I do use open face helmets for nearby 7-11 runs etc... but anything further than that a full face helmet is obviously better.

 

 

 

Yes we know full face offers better protection as does wearing full armour. Shark and other makes have open face options with chin guards, various designs, doubt it's just plastic

[phetphet]

1 hour ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Not all helmets fit on heads, that's just how it is, try helmets until you find one that fits.

I've actually tried the Scorpion ADX-1 myself in the past. Absolutely incompatible with my head, I can't close the visor/lid because my nose/mouth/chin collides with it, that's just how it is.

+1

Different manufacturers make different shapes.  Some more round, some more oval. I have an Arai that squeezes my head. My Shoei fits much better.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cM-nYn246s

[MaiDong]

1 minute ago, phetphet said:

+1

Different manufacturers make different shapes.  Some more round, some more oval. I have an Arai that squeezes my head. My Shoei fits much better.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cM-nYn246s

Exactly why I was asking here for the experiences of your respective spouses, considering most of them are going to be Thai ladies, many of whom have different shaped heads to us ????

[scubascuba3]

24 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

The liner comes out but as someone else has said, there's just the shock absorbing foam behind it, I can't hack away at that as the liner has poppers that hold it in place.

If you remove the shock absorbing foam you are defeating the object of better protection. Removing part of liner insert would be ok

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, MaiDong said:

However, the padding is too tight for my wife around her jaw, after 1 hour she feels like the padding has pushed all the blood into the top of her head,

Another thought....

 

Is this your wife’s first time wearing a full face helmet ??? 

 

The reason I ask is that full face helmets do compress the cheeks, whereas open face helmets present no facial contact with any cushioning etc.

 

....  If the helmet is actually hurting or casing a a lot of discomfort thats one thing... but if what your wife is describing is just ‘cheek compression’ and she is not familiar with that sensation then it could be that the helmet fits well and she is not used to that after using open face helmets previously ?

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you remove the shock absorbing foam you are defeating the object of better protection. Removing part of liner insert would be ok

Agreed... 

 

I'm wondering if the ‘cover’ on the foam liner can be detached or cut open so that the foam can be shaved back a little... then have the cover on the foam liner stitched / glued back neatly....  thus ‘thinning’ the foam slightly such that there is less cheek compression. 

 

Obviously the risk here is a real pigs ear is made of the job...  

 

A lot of helmets have ‘replaceable’ inserts.... Is this the case with this helmet ?  If so, can ‘thinner’ inserts be found ?

[MaiDong]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Another thought....

 

Is this your wife’s first time wearing a full face helmet ??? 

 

The reason I ask is that full face helmets do compress the cheeks, whereas open face helmets present no facial contact with any cushioning etc.

 

....  If the helmet is actually hurting or casing a a lot of discomfort thats one thing... but if what your wife is describing is just ‘cheek compression’ and she is not familiar with that sensation then it could be that the helmet fits well and she is not used to that after using open face helmets previously ?

 

 

This is a good point, and yes, it's her first full face helmet.

She's a tough little thing so if after several hours use it still doesn't feel right, it's time to move on to another helmet.

 

[MaiDong]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed... 

 

I'm wondering if the ‘cover’ on the foam liner can be detached or cut open so that the foam can be shaved back a little... then have the cover on the foam liner stitched / glued back neatly....  thus ‘thinning’ the foam slightly such that there is less cheek compression. 

 

Obviously the risk here is a real pigs ear is made of the job...  

 

A lot of helmets have ‘replaceable’ inserts.... Is this the case with this helmet ?  If so, can ‘thinner’ inserts be found ?

Another good point! Phew, I thought I was going to have to repeat myself a dozen times for some other replies...

 

I just looked at the liner and it can indeed be modified, and wifey is handy with a needle so I'll suggest that to her, thanks! All it takes is a little brainstorming ????

 

 

[MaiDong]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you remove the shock absorbing foam you are defeating the object of better protection. Removing part of liner insert would be ok

I was just referring to another posters suggestion, I wouldn't hack away at the protection I just paid for.

[Kwasaki]

52 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

The liner comes out but as someone else has said, there's just the shock absorbing foam behind it, I can't hack away at that as the liner has poppers that hold it in place.

Well either find a way to remove the foam padding to suit and re-tailor the lining in place or go search for different helmet make.

[MaiDong]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Well either find a way to remove the foam padding to suit and re-tailor the lining in place or go search for different helmet make.

Yes, that's exactly what I've said I'm going to do in my OP and in reply to some other posters, but also in my OP I was asking if anybody here has had similar problems with their spouses crash helmets, and what helmets they found that fitted 'local' face shapes.