Friday, July 20, 2012

Helmet Tiger Ear and Tail Repair

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

You may remember that on Day 41 of Everyday for 7 Weeks, the tail and an ear fell off my wife’s helmet. The tail was helped off by the eager hands of a small child and I suspect the ear was as well. Just after taking the above picture a kid in the distance shrieked “She’s lost her EAR!!” It made me laugh.

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

The pieces have been safely sitting in a bag for the last several weeks patiently awaiting their reunion with the helmet (and other ear). I had an idea how to repair them, but was missing one tool on the trip to do it then. I see I also left it out of the photo below – an awl. Doh!

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

Originally, the tail and ears were held onto the suction cups via a thin piece of white string. The string has held strong for a couple years now. There wasn’t an easy way to re-string it, so instead I thought a sturdy ziptie might be better.

With a small push of an awl on my swiss army knife, I had an easy passage to thread the small ziptie.

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

With the ziptie through the tail, it was a simple matter to loop it through the hole on the suction cup and tighten it up. I used the cutters to remove the extra.

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

Good as new.

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

The ear took a couple tries to get the positioning correct. The first attempt was very floppy. Persistence won in the end, and the ear and tail have been reunited with the helmet.

Helmet Ear and Tail Repair

An easy fix that only took a few minutes. The helmet looks much better now. I’ve grown so used to seeing the ears and tail on her helmet, she looked funny without them.

The ears and tail are made by Awesome Ears (who doesn’t appear to have a website) and imported from Europe. I originally got them at Aerostich, but they don’t seem to have them anymore. This site has them along with a decent selection of other styles.

10 comments:

  1. I'm impressed that the suction cups hold so well. I would have expected them to come off on their own due to the wind.

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    1. Seconded. Do they make any strange noises? I think that'd drive bonkers. I'm basically on the precipice of madness already, though. Also, given some of the places I've been and my delicate, bird-like shoulders, these things might have gotten me kills. Knifed at least. In this instance, I think I'll leave them to your wife, or my wife even if she wants a set.

      Brady
      Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
      www.behindbarsmotorcycle.com

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    2. I am amazed they stay on too, but they do. I have no idea if they make any noise. I can't hear anything, but then again I am usually in front of her. She has never complained about them in anyway, so perhaps they are quiet.

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    3. I asked her about noise and she said there is no extra noise from them.

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  2. Now I can sleep at night again. I've been distraught over your wife's tail, and her ears, too. I'm so glad to know what was,is intact again.
    ~k

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  3. Nip/Tuck! Talk about plastic surgery. Well done Dr Luhman.

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  4. Nicely done Chris. Zip ties are the way to go for longevity. Now if you can just keep the sticky little fingers away from them......

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