New Toy on Order

After months of uming-and-ahhing about it, I've finally ordered my new helmet. Should be here early next week. It's a Nolan N41 in matt black - I decided to go something a bit different this time. I've ordered a tinted visor to go with it, and because they offer discounted shipping if the order's over $300, a Yamaha coffee mug to just nudge me over that magic mark. I'm looking forward to getting it - the few places that do stock the N41 only sell the N41 "classic" in white or gloss black. I really wanted the matt black, even if it was a little more expensive. The obvious option was to buy a cheaper gloss black one and take to it with a matt black spray can, but I don't trust my abilities with matt paint that much! It's more than I wanted to spend, but Nolan is a good brand, so it should last a long time.

I tried an N41 on in Moorooka Yamaha's showroom last time I was in Bris, and the Medium size seemed to fit well (I'm a Large in the Arai), so that's what I've ordered here. I don't like ordering helmets or other safety gear online - as a rule I want to try on the exact article I'll be buying, to make sure the fit is perfect. Plus, if I'm going to take up a dealership's (and usually also a salesman's) time, and browse through their selection, then I like to support them with a sale, even if I can get it cheaper online. Part of that's purely selfish though - if everyone bought online, then the dealerships would stop stocking helmets, and then I'd have nowhere to go to try them on and make sure they fit. So it's a bit self-serving as well. However, with only a few dealerships actually stocking the N41's (none up here), and, as mentioned above, none of those stocking the colour I wanted, we had to take a punt.

The old Arai was still perfectly fine on the outside, but the inner lining had disintegrated. It's probably 5-6 years old now, and the recommendation is to replace a helmet at the 5 year mark, even if it's still in perfect condition. The reason being that over time and use, the foam that actually protects your head degrades, hardens and is compacted. The end result is a helmet that doesn't fit as tightly, and that doesn't afford as much protection in a crash. I'm still a bit annoyed that I didn't spend the extra $100 originally and get the version with the removable liner. In that case, I could just replace the liner itself now and keep on using it. But for the crash-worthiness reasons mentioned above, it's probably better that I'm not tempted.

Of course, Jess' solution to the problem of needing a new helmet was to sell the bike. A perfectly rational response, given how much use it gets. However, now I've gone and done this, I may as well pay the rego and insurance on it that's currently due. That should neatly take up what little money we do have at the moment!