I hope, nobody will argue, that helmets are a must have accessory in current times. But it was not always so. Approximately until the middle of the last century, the concept of a helmet for motorcyclists did not exist and the owners of two-wheeled vehicles had to ride in what they had on hand. Most often the role of equipment was played by special glasses, similar to those used by pilots and car drivers of the beginning of the century. Cardinally, the situation changed in the early 1950s after the tragic incident of T.E Lawrence (more popularly known as the Lawrence of Arabia).

On 19 May, 1935 T.E Lawrence, the legendary Lt.-Col. of the British army, and also a big fan of speed and an experienced motorcyclist, got into an accident on a motorcycle suffering severe head injuries. After staying in a coma for around 6 days, T.E. Lawrence succumbed to his injuries. Naturally, there was no helmet on the head of the British officer and traveler. This death highly disturbed young neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns, one of the medics who attended Lawrence. Cairns started researching on head injuries and the number of deaths (2279) caused due to head injuries suffered in motorcycle the accidents. Later results of scientific work were published in several articles in the British Medical Journal, which played an important role in the development and implementation of motorcycle helmets. It is believed that this is the work that formed the basis for the first requirements for safety and standards of production of motorcycle helmets, which were developed in the UK in the early 50's. In 1953, the design, which became the basis of motorcycle helmets up to modern models, was patented. It comprised of a tough outer shell and two layers of padding; one for comfort and the other that absorbed and dispersed the energy generated at impact. Such helmets first appeared in military aviation, and then in the civil sphere - for motorcyclists.

The first helmet for motorcyclists under the Harley-Davidson brand appeared in 1958. Police officers who served in the Road Patrol of California or California Highway Patrol (CHP) were the first who experienced the novelties. By the way, the police helmet was similar to the standard model - like the civilian version, it was white, but had a cockade in the middle. The price for such helmet was $ 26. In addition to civil and police versions, there was also a racing Competition version, which received homologation of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). The sports helmet featured increased protective zones for ears and a removable protective visor. As we know from promotional booklets of that time, the Competition helmet was intended for professional athletes. As an additional equipment for the base helmet and its modifications, various visors and removable insides of different sizes were offered.

Since the first Harley-Davidson Road Rider Safety Helmet 60 years has passed and now the European model line of the company includes 29 helmets, including open, integrals and flip-ups.

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