I’ve tried many helmet liners and hair wraps over the years, all designed to conquer the dreaded helmet hair—hair that comes out of a helmet all jagged and spiky going this way and that. Most women riders and passengers throw on a baseball cap (yours truly included) as their way of going through the day with the unkempt hairstyle. Haven’t you noticed I’m usually wearing a cap in all my photos?

This summer I tested a helmet liner called Diva-Do by Raci Babi (hard A as in racy baby). Inventor Anna Hood has really long hair, down to her waist, and was tired of dealing with tangled, knotted locks after a ride. She came up with an ingenious way to secure hair under a helmet that does not require the use of hair bands and leaves one's hair in great shape after a ride.

The liner is made of stretchy polyester designed to wick moisture away, which it does. I never felt "hot" while wearing it under a helmet. I chose a shiny red design. There is a large variety of fun colors and designs to choose from. On one edge of the Diva-Do there is an elastic band that creates a pocket where the long part of your hair is held. The non-elastic part covers your hairline in front. There are two straps you tie that essentially hold the elastic pocket that’s holding your hair.

There are six simple steps, outlined on Raci Babi’s Web site, that explain how to properly tie the Diva-Do to your head. I tied my hair incorrectly the first time I used it and wondered why the “bun” got loose in the wind. Anna told me I needed to tie the ends on top of the bun instead of under it.

Once I tied the Diva-Do correctly, it worked great. Riding to and from the Sturgis Rally going 75 mph on the highway, the helmet liner stayed in place and the part hanging out from under the helmet stayed put. Over time, with other helmet liners and do rags, knots develop in my hair at the nape of my neck. I had just a few knots riding with the Diva-Do on for several hours, but I could run my hands through my hair to get them out.

I wore the Diva-Do on a quick 30-mile ride from Sturgis to Rapid City for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s Hall of Fame breakfast. I wanted my hair to look as good as it did that morning after I washed, dried and curled it with a curling iron. When I wash, dry and style my hair before going on a ride I find the style is still so fresh that when I put several hair bands around my long ponytail, my hair has crimps where the bands were when I take them out. I found this doesn’t happen with day-old hair, by the way. With that said, I wondered if the Diva-Do could keep my freshly styled hair looking good. You be the judge.

I’d say that Diva-Do did its job and banished helmet hair for me. The Diva-Do does its magic best on women with shoulder length hair or longer. Anna says she is working on a Raci Babi do-rag for shorter than shoulder length hair. 

The Diva-Do helmet liner sells for $19.95 plus $5.95 shipping and handling. It can be ordered from Anna's Web site, Raci-Babi.com. Tell her you read about it on WRN.

Where can I buy one? Can't find it anywhere.

Vicki Bowling
Norton, OH
Wednesday, May 01, 2013

I first ordered a Raci Babi after a bunch of research. My hair, while not quite as long as Anna's, is close. Once I got it I was 100 percent hooked. I ride a lot with a full-face helmet on my own Harley none the less. Anyhow I love that I can whip off my helmet and my hair is down but with my helmet on it is protected. For me I added two fake pony tails to the back of my full face helmet so I get the look of my hair in the wind but my real hair is 100 percent protected. I also had the pleasure of meeting Anna at the Rumble On The River in PA the summer before last. I walked up to the booth and said I love my Raci Babi. Anna was so great in person, which made me like her product even more. I rave about it all the time. I now have four: a black one (which I use most of the time), a red stretchy one, a silver one, and a patterned one.

Lizdc
Mt Rainier, MD
Tuesday, January 17, 2012