"You've chosen to wear a helmet that even you acknowledge, probably isn't up to the job"
I never said it was not up to the job! It's just not legal. If the heavy helmet saves your brain but breaks or severs your head from your neck... You are just as dead. I know the risks and I'm WILLING to take the chance. I've lived a life of risk taking and I'm amazed that I made it to 70...but here I am. I lived in a "no helmet required" state for 30 years. I almost always worn one...But my choice. Now I'm in one that requires them.
"You've chosen to wear a helmet that even you acknowledge, probably isn't up to the job"
I never said it was not up to the job! It's just not legal. If the heavy helmet saves your brain but breaks or severs your head from your neck... You are just as dead. I know the risks and I'm WILLING to take the chance. I've lived a life of risk taking and I'm amazed that I made it to 70...but here I am. I lived in a "no helmet required" state for 30 years. I almost always worn one...But my choice. Now I'm in one that requires them.
So I was wondering if there are any advantages or disadvantages to a full face helmet over a full face v open face helmet or is it more a matter of personal preference. I think a full face would offer more protection but it seems it may be more restrictive. I've never worn a full face helmet so I'm pretty much a novice.
What I said on the first page: "This will amount to a very lively discussion so hang on for the ride."
Was I right?
Currently Owned: 2019 F3 Limited, 2020 F3 Limited: SOLD BOTH LIMITEDS in October of 2023.
So I was wondering if there are any advantages or disadvantages to a full face helmet over a full face v open face helmet or is it more a matter of personal preference. I think a full face would offer more protection but it seems it may be more restrictive. I've never worn a full face helmet so I'm pretty much a novice.
I just took a trike class last weekend. The information they passed out at the class said that 44% of all helmet impact locations were in the lower face area. The study was done by a German company. Based on that info "YES" a full face provides more protection.
"You've chosen to wear a helmet that even you acknowledge, probably isn't up to the job"
I never said it was not up to the job! It's just not legal. If the heavy helmet saves your brain but breaks or severs your head from your neck... You are just as dead. I know the risks and I'm WILLING to take the chance. I've lived a life of risk taking and I'm amazed that I made it to 70...but here I am. I lived in a "no helmet required" state for 30 years. I almost always worn one...But my choice. Now I'm in one that requires them.
Relax......nobody really cares whether you wear a helmet or not. People, for the most part, are commenting on why they wear a helmet, and the CHOICES they have made for themselves. You are choosing to wear a helmet that is not legal in the state you live in ( your words) and so you choose to accept the ticket if it is ever issued, also fine. Congrats on 70! I guess what I look at is I can choose what I wear, and I can choose how I drive, but as many have leaned on this site, we can't choose whether someone else is going to "rear-end" us or not. So, my helmet weighs in around 3 lbs, and I fell confident that the cause of my death won't be severe brain trauma when I am hit from behind at a stop light. Oh, and I would never Sky Dive in my motorcycle helmet!
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I'm 64. When I was 29 in 1980 a Simpson full faced helmet LITERALLY saved my life when I was hit by a drunk driver. I paid $175 for that helmet in 1979 and people laughed at me for spending that much money on a helmet. But that helmet kept me alive in an otherwise non-survivable incident. Since then I've continued to wear GOOD full faced helmets when I ride. Why? I MUCH prefer the odds in my favor.
Now, here's something I don't understand. If you're against wearing a helmet, fine, that's up to you. But why wear a helmet you KNOW is no good for motorcycle riding, either because it's illegal or won't protect you? Why not either don't wear a helmet at all, as you want everyone to know is your right, or, if you MUST wear one, why not at least wear a cheap DOT approved helmet? What, exactly, is the point of wearing something you know won't do you any good at all?
I don't get it.
Phil
I may be old, but I got to see all the cool bands.
Just to add my personal 2 cents worth: When I was MUCH younger, stupid and immortal, I rode both street bikes and off road/enduro. For some reason I never felt the need for a helmet except when riding on the street.
One day when being foolish with a group of friends who were all taking turns on the enduro riding off road, I had a "Hey guys, watch this" idiot moment that ended with me hitting a decent sized tree with my body and head at around 45 or 50 mph. Luckily I had on my full face Bell street helmet because I was trying to set a good example for my buddies. [emoji12] I bounced a good distance from the tree and ended up with a stress cracked helmet and lots of non-permanent injuries. The large tree eventually died from injuries sustained in the crash, but I didn't.
An incident like that can change you into an ATGATT believer. I never rode without a helmet again.
For the past few years, I've been using an HTC full face, but recently bought an outrageously expensive Shoei Neotech modular. Once I actually rode with it, the benefits of the Shoei were clear. No fogging, great airflow, much better latching mechanism than the $200 modulars, very comfortable, lower wind buffetting and reduced noise. Highly recommended.
[QUOTE=gkamer;1005059]So I was wondering if there are any advantages or disadvantages to a full face helmet over a full face v open face helmet or is it more a matter of personal preference. I think a full face would offer more protection but it seems it may be more restrictive. I've never worn a full face helmet so I'm pretty much a novice,
watch the demos on revzilla ,they are good info. some of the face shields are photo sensitive change with sunlight, some helmets are more round and some are oval so fit differently goodluck and spend as much as you can afford, it is your head.
"what makes a price difference between $150 and $600 in a helmet?"
Quality of materiel and fit. A more expensive helmet will likely fit better and up longer. Also quieter.
A more fundamental question, IMO -- before you even discuss modular vs. full face vs. whatever -- is head shape.
Generally, there are three head shapes: round, oval, and long oval. Different helmet makers cater to different head shapes. Shoeis are generally fit round heads (or so I've heard). Most Arai helmets are for oval heads, and Arai's Signet Q is specifically for long-oval heads (personal experience). If you try on a helmet and it seems tight in the front and back, with a little bit of space at the sides, you have an oval head. Try something else. No, I don't have a handy list of which manufacturers' helmets fit which heads, except for Shoei and Arai.
I found that the correctly-shaped helmet goes a long way towards comfort, especially if you go out on long rides. But that comes at a price; an Arai Signet Q goes for over $700. But it fits.
I had the misfortune of being the first on the scene of not one, butt, two motorcycle accidents involving head trauma. The first one, my training officer almost pushed me to the ground. I was about to step into some grayish slop. The riders brain matter. He hit a wooden fence post. The second accident, I was more careful where I stepped. He hit a tree. Both were wearing 3/4 helmets. Both traveling a high rate of speed. I wear a Shoei Neotec. So does my better half. There is an old saying, "if you have a $100 head, wear a $100 helmet". Life is full of choices, some easy, some not. Want to talk about oil? Tom
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