How to Wear a Motorcycle Helmet Properly

A certified helmet that comes off your head in the first tenth of a second of a crash has protected you exactly as much as no helmet. That sounds obvious and it is still the most common way helmets fail to do their job — not because the shell was inadequate, but because the strap was loose or the helmet was a size too big.

This takes about a minute to get right, and once you know it you’ll do it without thinking.

Putting the helmet on

1. Spread the opening.Hold the chin straps (or the bottom edge on either side) and pull outward. A properly-fitting helmet is snug at the opening by design; forcing it on from the front is how you tear the liner and decide the helmet is too small when it isn’t.
2. Pull down, not forward. Bring the helmet down over the crown of your head. If you wear glasses, put the helmet on first and slide the glasses in afterwards.
3. Seat it level. The front edge should sit roughly one to two finger-widths above your eyebrows, with the helmet level rather than tipped.

The strap

The chin strap goes under your jaw, against the throat— not across the point of your chin. That position is what stops the helmet rotating forward off your head.

Tension: you should be able to slide no more than one or two fingers between the strap and your throat. It should feel present when you swallow. If it feels like nothing is there, it is too loose.

Double D-ring straps

Thread the strap through both rings, back through the outer ring only, and pull. The friction is what holds it. Every certified helmet with D-rings works this way, and it’s the retention system used on race helmets because it cannot slip.

Micro-ratchet straps

Set the base length once with the buckle so the ratchet closes at the right tension, then use the ratchet daily. Riders who find ratchets loose have usually never set the base length — it’s a one-time adjustment most people skip.

The two fit tests

The roll-off test

With the strap fastened, reach back, grab the rear lower edge of the helmet and try to roll it forward off your head. A correctly-sized helmet with a correctly-tensioned strap will not come off. If it rolls forward significantly or comes off entirely, the helmet is too big or the strap is too loose — and in a crash it will do the same thing.

The skin test

With the helmet on, put a hand on each side and move it. The skin of your cheeks and forehead should move with the helmet. If the helmet slides over your skin, it’s a size too large.

Pressure points and head shape

Wear the helmet for fifteen to twenty minutes before deciding it fits. A correctly-fitting helmet feels uniformly snug. Sharp localized pressure — classically across the forehead — means the helmet is cut for a different head shape, not that it’s the wrong size.

Going up a size to relieve a shape mismatch gives you a loose helmet with a slightly less painful pressure point, which is the worst of both. You need a different model cut for a rounder or longer shape. Our helmet sizing guide covers how to identify your shape.

Eyeport position

Sit on your bike, or mimic your riding posture. The upper edge of the eyeport should be above your line of sight when your head is at its normal riding angle. Sport bikes put your head at a lower angle than cruisers, which is why a helmet that’s fine on an upright bike can cut across your view on a sportbike. Check this in your actual riding position rather than standing up.

Common mistakes

• Wearing the helmet tipped back.Exposes the forehead — a primary impact area — and misplaces the eyeport.
• Strap across the chin instead of under the jaw. Lets the helmet rotate forward.
• A ponytail or bun inside the helmet. Creates a gap between your skull and the liner, and can lever the helmet forward. Braid it low so it exits under the rear edge.
• Sizing up to fit a beanie or balaclava.Buy a thin liner designed for the purpose instead — a thick hat under a helmet means the helmet is effectively too big.
• Leaving the chin curtain out.Not a safety issue, but it’s a free reduction in wind noise that most riders discard.

Taking it off

Undo the strap completely, then spread the bottom edge outward and lift the helmet up and back — the reverse of putting it on. Pulling a helmet forward off your face is how cheek pads get torn and glasses get broken.

And afterwards

Don’t hang a helmet on a mirror or a handlebar — it deforms the liner over time and it’s the classic way helmets get knocked onto concrete. Store it on a flat surface or a proper stand, out of direct sunlight. Replace it after any significant impact, and roughly every five years otherwise.