Cycle helmet for motorbike use in Thailand?

[FrankCrank]

.....been living here for around 11 years now, and believe me you'll be a lamb to the slaughter at any police checkpoint.

Wearing a motorcycle helmet is compulsory, but strangely not for the pillion(s). Locals flout this law all the time, and tea money payable is usually 200 baht - expect you will end up paying considerably more.

As for safety - think that's been covered here already.

Also note that Thailand has the 2nd worst drivers in the world, Eritrea pipped them at the post. Motorcycle fatalities are extremely common here, especially at tourist destinations where common sense is abandoned to hedonism, seen too many come a cropper for my liking........

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Are you suggesting that I should buy 2 MC helmets in Thailand for only a few days use?

Yes.

A friend of mine did that and sold the helmet back to the shop getting back half what he paid for it. He thought it was worth that for the protection, the legal compliance and the assurance that his travel insurers would not reject his medical treatment and repatriation claim if the worst happened. YMMV

What`s unbelievable? Am I missing a point here?

Considering Thailand's road death rate per 100,000 inhabitants is more than ten times that of the UK (and that helmets are a legal requirement there) I find it unbelievable you'd rather pack more, I don't know, t-shirts(?), than one helmet in each suitcase.

GC

 

[shouldbeinbed]

And I don't know what protection a cycle will give at 45mph. That's why I'm on here asking the helpful experts.

From this can we assume that you don't know the minimal standard cycle helmets have to pass to get a safety tick in the box.

Your helmets will have a sticker inside telling you what standard they adhere to. Have a look af what the standard safety test for your cycle helmet extends to, for the most common EN.... Standard it is considered suitable to approx 15mph impacts, If I recall correctly by a drop test onto a flat surface from 1 metre (happy to be corrected on this). Snell tested may be higher but not to motorcycle standards. You should consider why would motorcyclists have far bulkier, far heavier, far more solid looking, far more expensive, legally mandated motorcycle helmets even on little 50cc chuggers if cycling helmets were any semblance of equivalent protection.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

umm.a motorcyle helmet is huge compared.to a cycle.helmet. Two.motorcycle helmets completely fill the 55litre.top box on my Triumph - and even then you have to wiggle em to get the lid down. And these were maybe £300 each, not the cheapest granted

So roll up underwear or T shirts etc, get a washbag that'd fit and stuff the void of the helmet with something so all you really have it the outline of the otherwise filled helmet in the case.

 

[Profpointy]

So roll up underwear or T shirts etc, get a washbag that'd fit and stuff the void of the helmet with something so all you really have it the outline of the otherwise filled helmet in the case.

i take it you don't ride a motorcycle

 

[shouldbeinbed]

i take it you don't ride a motorcycle

No, is there a motorbiking law that helmets have to be completely empty all the time a head isn't in them? My motorbiking pal has just come back from a month road trip in America where he took all his preferred kit & helmet with him.

 

[Profpointy]

No, is there a motorbiking law that helmets have to be completely empty all the time a head isn't in them? My motorbiking pal has just come back from a month road trip in America where he took all his preferred kit & helmet with him.

that's not quite the same scenario - taking your kit for a motorcycle holiday is not the same as taking a pair of helmets for a casual couple of rides. Trust me: a pair of motorcycle gloves and a scarf completely fill a helmet ; the padding is maybe 50mm thick - it's not like a cycle helmet , and heavy though admittedly lighter than they were 20 years ago

To the OP, I'd just borrow any manky helmets they have and wash your hair afterwards - and try not to fall off !
The sticky black powder is just the liner not the padding proper - I had the same unpleasant experience after returning to motorcycles after a 20 year gap - I bought a new helmet that day. Strangely my 20 year old leather jacket and trousers had also (ahem) "shrunk"

 

[JMAG]

umm.a motorcyle helmet is huge compared.to a cycle.helmet. Two.motorcycle helmets completely fill the 55litre.top box on my Triumph - and even then you have to wiggle em to get the lid down. And these were maybe £300 each, not the cheapest granted

I'm guessing these are full face helmets. A couple of open faced helmets would take up less space and give a better level of protection than cycle helmets.

Best idea I've heard is buying some helmets locally and selling them back to the shop when leaving.

Casual rides have no less risk attached to them, especially somewhere with such horrible accident statistics. Wear proper protection or at least make sure you carry a donor card!

 

[Milkfloat]

If you want the best protection take your own, if you don't want to carry them, then how about wearing a buff under the bike company's helmet?

 

[bestyman]

Thanks for the suggestions, honestly not a wind up. I even googled fastest cyclists an according to Wikipedia its 167mph!! what helmet was he wearing?

The Thai helmets smell real bad, almost had to stop to throw up, hair still stank after washing it. Straps next to useless, I recon a push bike helmet safer. ( good idea about buff under - thanks)

Will look into buying some cheap MC helmets here and see if they pack OK,

I realise Thailand a dangerous place, wouldn't dream of Motorcycing in say Bangkok, despite fact that I have had full MC licence for 30 years. We find a quiet Island and just ride about, sometimes don't see any traffic for hours.

Cheers

EDIT: Found a road legal motorcycle helmet for £25 so have ordered one of those. Its open face so hopefully will still have room in the suitcase. I didn't realise that they were so cheap. Thanks