Anyone Remove A Helmet's Styrofoam Lining?

Noise issues have me getting desperate . . . .

6 gen
+1" GenMar Risers
std screen + Laminar Lip
foam plugs
collared Tecnic jacket
80mph 40 mile (one way) interstate commute

I have a Nolan N100E (flip up) that has a lot of noise reflecting around inside it. So I stripped it down and tried to remove the styrofoam crush lining, but I felt that I would have to bend it too far and possibly have it snap in half. Ooops. If that happens I am out one helmet, so I put it all back together for another day.

Has anyone taken the styrofoam lining out of their helmet and sprayed the inside plastic or fiberglass shell with a sound deadening material?

Plus I have Arai ear canals to match my Arai head - oval shaped! Has anyone noticed the shape of their ear plugs when they pull them out? Too bad Arai doesn't make ear plugs - they'd fit me perfect.

Best,
- c bob

That styrofoam lining is what allows your head to slow down gradually in a crash keeping you from dying. Don't touch it at all, especially not remove it.

Get some better ear plugs, there are many different styles and ratings for them.

Flip up helmets are loud, just the way they are. If you want to cut down on the noise, you need to block the air that is going inside the bottom of the helmet. Products like quietrider I think it is called, a stretch fabric that closes off the bottom of the helmet that will cut down on noise a lot.

I pulled the foam from an old shoei rf800 that I have. The foam was very hard to remove and was glued to the shell. I broke the chin foam trying to remove it also. I wouldn't recommend it.

Buy the new Arai Profile, get could quality plugs, I use the 3m tapered modified for my ear, and it will be very nice and quiet.

Has anyone taken the styrofoam lining out of their helmet and sprayed the inside plastic or fiberglass shell with a sound deadening material?

No, but I've customised the inside of my AGV helmet, including cutting some channels in the foam for intercom wires, then filling them with hot-melt glue when I took them out. Oh - and the crap standard of AGV construction meant the chin padding fell out, so I hot-glued that in as well.

I say "Go for it!" Use something thin and curved to lever the foam out or break the glue's hold on it. When you glue it back in, use something without volatile solvents that might damage the foam. Either replicate the method used by the manufacturers (often double-sided tape, or a latex-based contact cement, or something of that ilk) to fasten it in, or use something sticky but benign.

In this land of money-is-no-object I have lost all objectivity, so a new Arai is out. Besides, having a flip-up is just too darn convenient. No matter where I put my hand at speed the roar is the same.

Don't get me wrong, the styrofoam goes back in! I just want to put something between the styrofoam and plastic shell to deaden the noise reflections.

And yeah, whatever it is cannot react with the 2 plastics.

I definitely wear ear plugs - foam ones. I also have 30 miles of 80 mph interstate 2x each day. Poor viffer, being turned into a commuter and all . . . .

Thanks for the tips!
- c bob

In this land of money-is-no-object I have lost all objectivity, so a new Arai is out. Besides, having a flip-up is just too darn convenient. No matter where I put my hand at speed the roar is the same.

Don't get me wrong, the styrofoam goes back in! I just want to put something between the styrofoam and plastic shell to deaden the noise reflections.

And yeah, whatever it is cannot react with the 2 plastics.

I definitely wear ear plugs - foam ones. I also have 30 miles of 80 mph interstate 2x each day. Poor viffer, being turned into a commuter and all . . . .

Thanks for the tips!
- c bob

Just remember, all bets are off when you tamper :joystick: with a helmet's construction and get into and accident that results in head injuries.....even if you put the crush padding back in. The moment you fool around with a product like motorcycle helmets, the manufacturer's liabilities and warranties are mostly null and void. :rolleyes:
Go get some ear plugs and and avoid any worries!

Beck
95 VFR

Have you verified that the helmet fits you properly? This is the biggest factor in reducing the noise level you experience while riding.

There's a few helmets I'd love to own, but can't, because they don't fit me well.

The noise is not caused by resonance; the sound is caused by air moving over an open area. You could rip out your helmet internals and put in 45 pounds of dynamat and it won�t make any bit of difference.

Get a well fitting (and non-flip up) helmet and wear good earplugs, try beeswax ones.

Please do not remove the foam under any circumstances. That will ruin the impact capabilities of the helmet as has been stated already. A helmet is only good for 1 whack when it's perfect much less modified. I don't have a good remedy for your noise but removing the liner shouldn't be an option. I can't imagine any way to reinstall it without causing structural failure.

The source of wind noise for helmets is through the bottom, but I believe it has little to do with closing any air gaps around the neck and chin (from what I can tell, despite popular theory). The problem is that the wind passing beneath the foam cheek pads is magnified by the time it runs through the cheek pad to your ear. I believe this for two reasons:
1. It is quieter when you hunch your shoulders up closer to the helmet, thus reducing the air that runs under the ear pieces, without really affecting that much flow under the chin.
2. Put on your helmet, and rub your fingers quickly back and forth lightly across the bottom of the cheek pads. Its surprisingly loud, and in a similar irritating frequency to wind noise.

I believe this is why products such as the Windjammer work - they function as dampers for the cheek pads moreso than actually limiting air that enters from beneath the helmet (although they do this as well). I'm guessing that someone could mod their cheek pads with some sort of rubber (or alternative damping product) to improve this, however this mod will also make putting on the helmet and removing it more difficult, since that space still needs to be compressed to fit out fat heads through. If anybody can test this, please let me know!

S

If you want to stay with a modular and want a quieter helmet, you should try shoei's new multitec. Mine isn't much noisier than my RF900, and it's more aerodynamic. I also get a lot less buffeting than with my old one.