Last Sunday Luke decided to take off his HJC Symax at 50+ mph. Obviously, it now is pretty well scratched and beat up - but with no visible cracks or dents. The next day and again yesterday, he tried to remove it again, but I was able to intervene. But, what to do???? Keeping one eye on him and one on the road plus being ready to "pounce" if he tries to take his helmet off, doesn't lead to a very relaxing ride.
Certainly, we don't want Luke to have an uncomfortable helmet, but since he's non-verbal, it's tough to know what fits him best. I know Arai and some other have different shaped helmets, but a quick Google search didn't reveal how to measure his head to determine shape. any advice?
One other bit of information: On his "tough days," Luke sometimes hits himself in the face with his fist. On those rides, I like having the option of closing his face shield to prevent him from hurting himself and we head home as quickly as we can. (Someday, I'll share a horrid case of getting stopped by a cop on one of these days - but not now.)
I recognize that helemt fit and comfort are individual matters, but .... whatchathink? Seek out some salesperson who professes to be a pro at fitting helmets or ?????
Sidecar Ron
It may be the he just doesn't like having a helmet on his head no matter how comfortable.
You could put a nylon tie wrap around his helmet's chin strap so he wouldn't be able to loosen it. You'd need some wire cutters to take the helmet off of him at the end of the ride.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Actually, he gets a finger between the strap and his chin and slides the strap off. I've got it as tight as I reasonably can.
Maybe it was just the "period" Luke was in because we've both worn helmets for many years.
Sidecar Ron
If he has relatively short hair, you can pretty much tell what shape his head is just by standing over him and looking. Get you hands on and squeeze a little. Also, after some time with the helmet on, immediately after removal, check his forehead for red spots. If this is a normal full face helmet, I would think it would be hard to hit his own face...? On the other hand, if it IS, he might want to take it off if he's getting claustraphobia. I do that sometimes and only getting moving helps.
Is it possible he was hitting the helmet and not his face?
I was wondering what restaint system you came up with. Have you ever posted pictures? How has he taken to it?
It just occured to me; it may be a good distraction if he had a set of bars and controls, maybe with some added dials and toggle switches, so he could help Dad steer?
Hi Ernie,
Let's see if I can answer some of your questions. His helmet is an HJC SyMax; i.e., full face "lip up." Since he's protected by the hack windshield, I often leave the shield up to give him more air. He's had the SyMax for a few years. I suppose in all honesty, the helmet toss probably was just a function of his autism and the fact that he has good and tough cycles. Even on the day when he took it off, he was happy and laughing at other times. One of the truly toughest facts about Luke's autism is his not being able to communicate. Possibly, he had a painful "brain zap" and simply wanted it off. Possibly he was just being a brat (not beyond him) and felt like giving it a toss - just as he did one of his shoes several years ago. Luke does make life interesting -- not always enjoyable and seldom stress free, but interesting.
Re: the switches and dials, interesting idea. As I've said in the past, Luke likes to have his hands free so he can play with what we call "twiddles." These are often small bits of paper that he's torn off and twirls. More typically in the sidecar I give him a rubber band that he looks at the twiddles. Yesterday, I noticed that some paint on the hack had flacked off. At first, I just attributed it to age and maybe not good bonding when it was repainted a few years ago. But then I recalled seeing Luke leaning on that side and think that he may well have been picking at it. Ahh yes, life is interesting.
I will study his head the next time I remove the helmet.
The only restraint we have is a seat belt. Thankfully, Luke has never tried to exit the hack. More typically, it's one of the very few things in life that nearly always gives him pleasure and on good days we view it as "therapy" for both of us. 😉
Thanks,
Sidecar Ron
Twiddles. Good dog name, too. A long time ago I was coming back from DisneyLand and got the notion I needed some twiddles myself. I put several specious switches on the dash; one for the ejector seat, one for the forward torpedoes, one for an oil slick, etc. Wonder if Office Max (or whoever that is) sells "Easy" buttons yet. Anyway, maybe mount a broom stick with grips and switches of various kinds. Handlebar streamers on the ends to flutter in the wind. Maybe a small electric bell and a horn (bicycle bulb type?)that only he could hear over the engine noise.
Just thinking out loud...
On my bad days, Kathleen locks me in the closet. Gosh it's dark in there. Anyway, I can't leave because she owns all the cool tools.
