Wisconsin Motorcyclists: Take Your Time To Buy The Right Helmet.

Serious bikers know how to choose their gear. Not for them the flashy jacket that matches with the Viking horns! Rather, protective gear and accessories need to be light, high quality, comfortable and efficient. Choosing the right helmet is a case in point.

Tips for selecting the helmet you won't regret.

When you buy a new helmet, there are many ways you can go wrong. Your helmet is going to save your life in a motorcycle crash, so you need to make sure it will do the job, and you want it to be comfortable enough to wear at all times. What should you look for?

Measure your head size: With a cloth measuring tape, measure the circumference of your head just above your ears and one inch above your eyebrows.

Test if it fits: Slide the helmet on, pulling only the chinstraps. Fasten the straps securely. Check if the inner lining fits well and the cheek pads touch your cheeks. Check the forehead lining: you should not be able to insert your finger between the helmet and your forehead.

Head movement: Move your head from side to side and see if the helmet follows your movement. Hold the helmet tight by both sides, and turn your head. If your head doesn't slide in the helmet, it fits. If it does slide, try a helmet with thicker cheek pads.

D.O.T. sticker: Make sure you buy a D.O.T.-approved helmet, i.e., one that has been tested by the Department of Transportation and is therefore legally compliant in all states with helmet laws.

Helmet Features: A number of features are essential, like:

• Does the helmet have proper ventilation?
• Does it have removable pads and liners that can be cleaned?
• Does it have a breath deflector to reduce fogging of the shield?
• Does it have a shield lock to prevent the shield from popping up?
• Does it have a chin curtain to prevent unwanted air flowing into the helmet?
• Does it have chin foil to reduce helmet lift and buffeting?

Check: Don't rush! Take at least ten minutes to wear the selected helmet and notice if something doesn't fit. Come back the next day after you have looked at the reviews online.

Precautions: Once you have purchased the best helmet money can buy, don't drop it! A helmet can be ruined if dropped on a hard surface, damaging the shock absorbing foam liner, or cracking or splitting the structure. Don't leave it on the saddle or a table where anyone could knock it to the ground. You wouldn't want to have to go through the whole purchasing process again, would you?

Hupy & Abraham takes your safety very seriously. If you have been hurt in a car, motorcycle or truck accident in Wisconsin or Illinois, contact Hupy & Abraham, S.C. today at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions.