Motorcycle Helmet History

Most of us know that its always a good idea to wear one and that in some states it’s necessary to wear one but how much do we really know about The Dreaded Helmet??? Sometimes referred to as brain buckets, skid lids and many other provocative titles.

In 1885 Mr. Gottlieb Daimler was the first to come up with the idea that the new gasoline engine dropped into the frame of a bicycle was just the ticket to grab the ladies attention and thus the motorcycle was born. However, Mr. Daimler was so busy with all the ladies that he did not think of a helmet. Skip forward many years to Professor Charles Lombard and the aviation industry. Chuck decided a pilot ought to have something to protect their head in case he had to hit the silk or ride the old Fokker in for a rough landing, so he designed the first helmet for the Air Force. (Before this pilots wore a simple leather cap with fur lining. Probably warm enough but…Not the best protection.)

Helmets continued to be improved due to the increasingly faster speeds of the motorcycle and by the mid 1950's the Snell Foundation began to test and evaluate the different brands of motorcycle helmets. In 1974 the USDOT enacted the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards law which continues to set standards for the manufacturers of helmets. If the standards are not met in tests such as the helmet’s shell strength, strap tensile strength and the ability of the helmet lining to absorb impacts, the helmet does not receive DOT approval. So always look for a helmet with a DOT sticker on the inside.

Street Eagle encourages their renters to wear helmets! Should you not have one, or foresee yourself attempting to explain the bulge in your luggage…we have a wide variety for you choose from with NO Additional Charge.

  

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