By Muhammad Basir Roslan
KUALA LUMPUR: Damaged motorcycle helmets usually end up in the dumpsite as most people are unaware that they can be repaired and returned to the owners as good as new.
Yes, there are workshops dedicated to repairing helmets, one of them being 7Stone Helmet belonging to Mohd Azizul Adzmi, 37, and located at Batu 7, Gombak, Selangor.
An avid collector of vintage helmets, Mohd Azizul – also known as Ejoy among his friends – said he decided to offer helmet repair services in 2017 after hearing his friends often complaining about not being able to find a place where they can get their damaged motorcycle helmets repaired.
“Actually many people are still not aware of the existence of helmet repair services. This is not surprising because I think there are very few helmet repair experts in Malaysia.
“To me, there’s a lot of potential for growth in this field, especially for young people,” said Ejoy, who now has over 30 vintage helmets of various brands in his collection with the most expensive one being a yellow Magnum LTD model valued at RM13,000 as it is a rare piece.
Self-taught repairman
He, however, said it requires a lot of focus and patience to become a helmet repair specialist.
“Patience is highly essential, especially when carrying out repairs on a helmet’s interior portion, including stitching and adding the finishing touches… this is because any mistake in the stitching will ruin our work,” pointed out Ejoy, who runs his workshop with two partners.
A self-taught helmet repairman, he learned the finer techniques of padding and stitching up the helmet’s interior from various YouTube videos. The experience he gained in his previous job as a jeans and denim pants tailor also stood him in good stead.
“I used to work (as a tailor) in a friend’s shop and he diligently taught me to sew using an industrial sewing machine with a single needle. This experience drove me to become a specialist in helmet repair,” he added.
Initially, after embarking on his helmet repair business, he only restored ordinary motorcycle helmets that were manufactured locally during the 1980s and 1990s, such as the Apollo and SGV models. Eventually, he mustered enough confidence to venture into repairing premium brands such as Bell which is imported from the United States.
Various services are available at Ejoy’s 7Stone Helmet including repairing the helmet’s chin strap and restoring the foam lining, rubber lining and visor button. His charges vary in accordance with the parts that need to be restored. Repairs to the chin strap, for example, can cost from RM30 up to RM350 (in the case of an imported helmet).
“Our customers usually ask us to restore their helmet padding, that is, the foam and cloth (lining) in the interior. If it is an imported model such as Bell and its rubber lining is in need of restoration, then we would have to replace it with an original part imported from overseas to ensure customer satisfaction,” Ejoy said, adding that it takes about a month to repair a helmet and that he also has customers from outside the Klang Valley.
Own range of helmets
Interestingly, 7Stone Helmet also retails motorcycle helmets made by Ejoy and his partners. Customers can also have their helmets custom-made and choose the patterns they want to be displayed on their models.
Elaborating how they make their own helmets, Ahmad Tanusi Tajuddin, 57, who is one of Ejoy’s partners, said the first thing they have to do is prepare the helmet’s shell, with its mould stacked with three layers of fibreglass.
This is a process that has to be done with utmost care to prevent the formation of bubbles that can spoil the appearance of the shell.
“The shell made by us is not too thick or too thin, we follow the standards of other helmets. And in terms of quality, our helmets are durable,” he said.
Once the helmet is completed, it will be spray-painted by Ejoy’s second partner Ahmad Fadzil Ton. The colours sprayed onto the helmet surface and the patterns formed are in accordance with the creativity of Ejoy and his partners or the customer’s wishes.
“We also make helmets featuring ‘special effects’ which we create by using carbon fibre and resin… the patterns appear as if they are three-dimensional,” Ahmad Tanusi said.
The prices of their helmets are subject to the type of materials used in making them, he said, adding that it costs about RM800 to make a helmet.
“We can sell our helmets for around RM1,500 each because they are entirely handmade,” he said.
He added that they are also planning to have their helmets certified by SIRIM Bhd as soon as possible. Those interested in seeking the services of 7Stone Helmet can contact them via Facebook Ejoy Helmet. – BERNAMA
