Cleaning Helmet Air Vents

[Jogitu]

How do you clean out your helmet air vents? On the last couple of rides I have managed to get some rather nasty flying insects up in the vents of my Arai Profile. Q-tips are not quite doing the job. What are your tactics besides the obvious prying on it with a spoon?

[BMW Triumphant]

... but I have a nice compressor in the basement, and it is plumbed to a spigot outside the house. Will attach the air blower w/trigger thingy and see what happens.

Thanks!

[oldnslow]

A dental pick.

[Jogitu]

... but I have a nice compressor in the basement, and it is plumbed to a spigot outside the house. Will attach the air blower w/trigger thingy and see what happens.

Thanks!

I don't have an air compressor but now I have a reason to buy one. I did think about the compressed air you can buy to clean computer keyboards but that is not as fun. I mean no Lowes or Home Depot is involved in that purchase.

[na1g]

Ooo, a dental pick! Good idea! Maybe I can scrounge one from my dentist next time I'm in the chair. (Lord knows I've financed much of his sailboat.)

I just use a toothpick for bug removal.

Be careful with the top vents on an Arai. They are stuck on with double-sided tape and will lift off*. This would make cleaning a lot easier but then you'll have to use new stickum to replace the scoop. Don't ask how I know.

pete

* Arai says the vents are designed to shear-off in a crash so the helmet doesn't catch on something, with bad results for the person inside.

[dmftoy1]

Scuba shop will have dental picks for sale if you have one near. Use them to pull o-rings off old scuba valves . Gun shows usually have a guy with a table too. Fwiw

[i-scream-stop]

Scuba shop will have dental picks for sale if you have one near. Use them to pull o-rings off old scuba valves . Gun shows usually have a guy with a table too. Fwiw

Go to a sears, NAPA, Carquest, etc. ask for an "o" ring or seal puller, same thing.

Gonna be a bad year for bug guts in the midwest this year.

[GeorgeK1200RS]

Go for a ride in the rain and the bugs will disappear...maybe to the inside of the helmet, but they do disappear!

Bugs are supposed to be mostly protein

[ROCKBOTTOM]

Pipe cleaners are good to have around for a variety of tasks.

[DPeakMD]

I'd look in your helmet's instruction manual for how to remove the vents. Arai sells replacement vents. So they must be removable. Just be careful.

[Sailorlite]

Pick sets are available at Harbor Freight, but probably they're not quite the same as your dentist uses.

[fireguy]

My dentist gives the old picks away for free. Great for hobbies. She always has a tray of them around...

You could try a long wooden ''Q tip'' that you can buy at Radio Shack, etc. Wet the end with hot water to soften the bug guts.