I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!!

Your motorcycle helmet is your most important piece of equipment so keeping it clean is important.  Not just from an appearance perspective but as a method to ensure it is still in good working condition.

Also, April is Motorcycle Helmet Awareness month so now is a good time to do the work!

While you are cleaning your helmet look for cracks in the shell, that the hard foam is intact and in good condition (this is the part that does most of the work to protect your head) and all the other parts are in good working order.  

Before you start… read your owner’s manual on cleaning your specific motorcycle helmet.

1 – Take either a microfiber or paper towels, soaked in warm water and lay across the helmet and visor.  This will moisten any hard dried bugs or grime that might scratch the finish if you first went to scrubbing or rubbing.  Leave the towels on for about 10 minutes and then gently remove the now softer bugs/grime. Remove the visor before step 2.

2 – After the bugs/grime are soft use warm soapy water to clean the shell fully. Rinse, dry and admire your clean exterior.

3 – The visor needs additional attention. The warm towels may have helped get rid of the road grime, but your visor needs special attention. DO NOT use any products that have acid or ammonia! Even products with citric acid can damage the visor (personal experience). Most glass cleaners have some form of acid or ammonia so avoid them as well. Warm soapy water and microfiber cloth is the best way to safely clean your visor.

4 – Make sure you clean out the visor mechanism. Keeping the mechanism clean will help make sure it works as designed.

5 – Clean the sun visor in the same manner you cleaned the visor. No ammonia or acid-based cleaners!

6 – Now that the outside of your helmet is clean how about the inside? MOST helmets allow you to remove the interior padding. Look at your instructions and pull the lining out. Some motorcycle helmet manufactures allow you to put the padding in a washing machine, others recommend hand cleaning in warm soapy water. If you use the by hand method, I recommend a baby shampoo.

7 – If your helmet’s padding is not removable follow the instructions your helmet manufacture provided.  BUT, in my opinion only, dunking the entire helmet into soapy water is not the way to go. It takes forever to dry; it can mildew, and I am always unsure if it may have damaged the underlying foam. My suggestion is to use a motorcycle helmet sanitizing spray.

8 –Check the vents to make sure they are clean and open.  A shot of compressed air, from the inside, might dislodge dried road grimes and bugs.

9 – Put it back together, following the instructions if you still have them. 😊

Ride On, Ride Safe