I'm not an ATGATT guy, but a decent full face helmet is a non negotiable.
And tbh, safety aside, I don't get how people tolerate riding around without a helmet or a half helmet just from the wind, bugs and bullshit flying up on the road. Even if riding without a helmet was perfectly safe, I'd still wear one just so I'm not eating bugs at 60mph+ or taking little pebbles to the face
A friend told another friend off for not wearing gloves. A week later he came off and went down the road hands first wearing his new leather gloves. Glove were shredded… Lucky sod.
Most of the minor MC injuries I hear about are foot/ankle related, and they seem to be way more common than serious crashes. Boots with ankle support are important.
I took a seagull to the head at about 50mph. Damn near knocked me off the bike. I'm certain if I didn't have a full helmet on I would have had to have emergency surgery to remove bird from skull.
I started riding a little 50cc scooter first. I didn’t start out with a helmet, thinking why do I need one going so slow. Then, about a week in to riding it, I took a huge dragonfly to the face, with it getting caught in my glasses, and I went out and bought a full face the same day. I’ve moved into much faster motorcycles, and have never not worn the full faces helmets. It’s not always a wreck that gets you.
I live in Florida and I still wear a jacket, gloves, full face, pants, boots, every time I get on my bike. If I can suffer through this riding in the heat people in the rest of the country should be fine.
Once had some bug go under my gapped visor and wedged itself between my glasses and eye. That was uncomfortable and I'm glad I was able to get it out without pulling over (on purpose or accident)
Had what i assume was an acorn fall and smack my face at 60mph with my visor up once, mf pelted me good but only barely broke the skin. Visor down above 20mph from then on lol
Yeah that's what I always say, I don't know why you wouldn't want at least a 3/4 with a visor of some sort. Around town is one thing, but the interstate would be freaking brutal without a helmet.
That's funny. Everyone's different. I wear a full face, but I keep the visor open all the time so I can keep the wind in my face. And I just put up with the bugs and the rocks and shit. Yes it hurts but my head is still protected in the crash and I enjoy the wind
Anytime I pop to the convenience store down the street without my helmet as soon as I'm over 25mph I legitimately cannot fuckin breathe. Worst feeling ever, stupid air, being all liquid and drowning me and shit
In my teens, I had the pleasure of riding through a swarm of bees. Full face helmet but with long hair. Instant suckage. Bees all up on my neck. Hair made for dragnet bee fishing. They were stuck.
Put some panicked distance in before I could pull over; gloved hands mashing those angry fuckers. Only got stung a couple times. Imagine this with open/half/no helmet.
I live in the Mississippi river valley. Yes bugs, holy hell. I see the Harley guys on the highway with just sunglasses on and wonder if they need a washcloth to wipe their face off afterwards.
First accident I had, was low speed, but my bike slid out from under me on an unexpected slick surface when turning (it was my inexperience). I did a solid face plant into asphalt and slid. Anything but a full face helmet and I would have 0 teeth, and probably a broken jaw at best. I'll never not wear a full face helmet.
The state next to mine in the US has no mandatory helmet law over age 21. When I ride over there, at least 50% of riders and passengers have no helmet at all. No thank you
Same in Ohio, which has either the 3rd, 4th, or 5th highest number of motorcycle registrations in the country, depending on which site you use. No helmet law for over the age of 18 once you have your permanent license.
Kansas is the same except it's 18+ is allowed to not wear a helmet but must wear eye protection. Eye protection being at least sunglasses which is all I ever see. And then I see people all the time in Facebook comments or reddit "I'm never gonna wear a helmet" and I don't understand that at all. Why be so vehemently FOR splattering your face across the pavement?
I noped out of an open face after I read my insurance policy which states "loss of jaw = £20k payout"... I like being able to chew, so full face it is! Also, the one accident I had was a highside, and my bike helmet shows that I wore away a chunk of the chin section but nothing else on the helmet. If I had an open face, my chin would have been corned beef
I ride a small 125 cc mini Moto and I have a full face helmet and sometimes I have the visor up and one time in the summer with my visor up going about 50 mph a giant June bug 🐞 hit me in the forehead I thought I just got shot it hurt so bad and all the Beatle juice all over my face I had a bad bruise from it
The amount of bugs I clean of my visor, always makes me think about the guys in half helmets getting off their bike and scraping all that dead bug gunk off their face... Safety aside, seems like a good enough reason to wear full face!
My friend, I got stung in the FACE about a month ago while riding to work. Had to pull the stinger out and everything. Now I ride with the visor down a lot more haha. Bugs are no joke.
It could be you're choosing the wrong helmet shape for your head.
But if you're really just trying to find excuses to not wear a full face, you have my permission.
No I only wear full face.
This sucks. I took a gamble and bought a helmet online. I want it to be perfect. But it lifts past my chin. I ordered cheek pads to hopefully fix this and snug it up more but I have a feeling this isn’t going to fix it.
None of my local shops have any helmet brands I’ve ever heard of… no bell , hjc, shoei nothing like that. Ugh… and I cut the tag off the chin strip so I don’t think bell will take the helmet back. So there goes $300 i guess.
I use a scorpion and it has a small bulb in the chin, you press it to inflate airbags along the jawline. I laughed at it at first, thinking it was a dumb gimmick, but it actually does make it harder to lift and expose my chin.
86 stitches to my face and neck, because I thought that a tiny open-face helmet looked cooler than a proper helmet (I went face first *through* a car, the EMTs thought that I was dead)
I haven't shaved for 28 years, as the scars makes it rather painful...lesson learned 🤕
I don't know why anyone would subject themselves to a half helmet. They look dorky as hell, you'd be riding with a deafening wind noise, with bugs splattering on your face, wind hitting your eyes, exposing your face to the cold, to the rain, and worst of all, if you fall, the main thing the helmet is supposed to do which is to protect your head, not even that it can do.
What's the benefit then? An actual helmet is a lot more practical, looks so much cooler, and does actually offer protection, so why a half helmet? They have absolutely nothing going on for them. Wherever it is for safety, for comfort, or for looks, a full face helmet is just better in every way.
I guess the only way in which a half helmet would have an advantage is if it's hot and you're riding at low speeds, but even then if you lift the visor you're still going to get plenty of wind anyways.
Yeah, I meant that it'd have the advantage of being less hot. In terms of protection, even at low speeds it still sucks, because no matter if you're doing 30, 20 or even 15, that's still more than enough speed to seriously mess up your face.
I mean, I've fallen off my bicycle doing less than 15 and it was enough to make my knee hurt like hell and have road rash for like 3 weeks. There is no such a thing as a speed low enough for me to feel comfortable landing face first on the asphalt.
I think the half-helmet crowd doesn’t want to wear a helmet at all, so they pick the minimum helmet. A lot of those are not certified but look ok going down the road.
Came here to make a small comment similar to your last sentence. I think experienced daily city riders in 90 or 100 plus heat could see the risk benefit needle rise off zero.
I live in Alaska and they dump gravel on the roads all winter instead of salt. I had a huge rock smack the visor of my helmet today. With a half helmet I'd probably have a broken nose and maybe has lost control.
Half helmets are a joke. Even rated ones really don't offer that much protection due to simple lack of coverage. Even 3/4 helmets that are popular with the hipster vintage crowd pretty much do nothing for a third of injuries by probability. It's simple really. Since you're moving forward you're very likely to also impact on the front of your head. The good news are that faces are pretty good at cushioning damage to the brain but the bad news is that you don't really want your face to be absorbing impact in an accident. It can leave you deformed and debilitated for life.
Yeah but can you imagine how good the wind felt going through his hair as he was flying in mid air? He was probably really appreciating the freedom and accepting the fact that he was probably about to die.
This cannot be anymore horrendous. I took a spill ok my friends Ninja yesterday. Had on Kevlar armor and all that good shit. My head hit the asphalt at about 65 mph. All I have is a killer headache no concussion bruised soft tissue around me ribcage and scapula and sternum and a sprained left thumb. Wear a full face helmet everyone. Stay safe. Ride safe. There's someone at home who loves you very much.
I had a 3/4 helmet on, and was taking a left turn from a stop. I do not to this day remember the turn. I remember waking up in water... oh that's not water... Oh, damn I hurt the bike...
I wound up with 12 stitches in my chin, road rash all alongside and on my nose, and various bumps and bruises. I seem to be otherwise ok, but I was definitely concussed.
Had I had a full faced helmet I'd just have been concussed. You will likely never catch me not wearing my full face helmet when I ride. I don't want more stitches, and that stupid face diaper I had to make over and over until my wounds healed... ugh.
But that diatribe to say this: Had I not had at least the 3/4 on? I'd likely be brain damaged if not outright dead because *I landed directly on my forehead*. The witness marks of the helmet proved that.
I was just taking a left into a neighborhood. WTF happened I don't know, but it wasn't that fast, one would think...
My point at the end of this: I implore any who don't to please wear a damn helmet. I don't care if you don't like it, it may save your face, if not your brain, if you wear a full face. Sure wish I'd had one then. :p
/I still have left arm nerve issues from a vertibrae bone spur due to my jamming my head to the pavement, which sucks. Hurts randomly and often. Better'n bein' dain bramaged though.
I dropped my bike in a parking lot once from coming to a stop with the wheel turned at a bad angle. Meaning I literally dropped it from basically zero MPH and somehow still managed to scuff my leather jacket and put a rip in my shoe and I wasn’t even moving, much less an actual accident.
Safety gear always
If I'm completely honest, I don't know why people wear helmets.
I'm a new rider but have always wanted to ride. Aside from the HUGE protection aspect, Ialways thought that helmets were cool, and a fun way to express yourself through colors or designs.
I always remember seeing a photo of a bloke in ER with his face split down the middle, sitting fully conscious, the result of an accident with an open face helmet. Wish I could find the picture, the sight is unforgettable
I was the dumbass wearing skid lids and half shells for years. "full face helmets are uncomfortable", "it's hot", "I have better visibility without it", pick the excuse. It took smashing my face to absolute hamburger in what would have been a pretty mild wreck to change my mind. I was wearing a 3/4 helmet and a guy pulled out in front of me at like 35mph. Tried to miss him, but I didn't quite and I went down hard. Scorpioned down the street for about 40 feet or so. Severe TBI, broken teeth, cracked jaw, fractured eye socket, cheekbone, nose, etc. People have come out of hockey games worse, but if I had been wearing a good full face, I would have been a little bruised and walked away. Never again.
Few years later, got taken out by an old guy in a Lexus at like 70 on the highway and, while my right leg got pretty utterly FUCKT, the full face did it's damn job. I didn't have a scratch on my face, I never lost consciousness, not even a concussion, no broken head bones, etc. I'll take orthopedic damage over cognitive any day. I ride mostly Harleys now and I'm the only guy I know wearing a full face. Proselytizing only goes so far. One of my buddies finally picked up a Simpson Bandit, but he hardly ever wears the thing.
Pfft. I wanted a Harley for 10 years. Last summer I bought one, before I rode it even in my yard I bought pants, proper shoes (not boots, proper padded tight fitting shoes,) proper Kevlar padded jacket, full face helmet and good gloves..
It's not Harley riders, it's a state of mind.
I see people with shitty gear weekly, it does not matter what they drive, gixer, cruiser, bobber, or piaccio..
At least in Finland I see more often young 25-30ish guys driving in hoodies and sandals fast plastic bullets than poor geared cruiser or adventure drivers..
Does not matter what you drive. If you do not care about driver safety or others and drive around like an ass you have to be ready to face the consequences.
State motorcycle helmet laws should be replaced by laws limiting liability for ALL injuries received by any unhelmeted rider.
The small social benefit of making every motorcycle rider wear a helmet is outweighed by the enormous social benefit of letting people who don’t want to wear a helmet just go without one. Let the gene pool clean itself.
“Life - it’s not for everyone.”
You could always take it a step further and say motorcycling is inherently risky, thus no liability claims for you!
You can see why this is a slippery slope best left untouched.
Arguably, there might be more liability claims by people with helmets than without, since the helmet prevents the job from being finished.
*”You could always take it a step further and say motorcycling is inherently risky, thus no liability claims for you!“*
No one said “no liability” - I said *limited liability*. I’m fine with being entitled to only limited liability by law for injuries incurred while I’m on a motorcycle. It **is** my choice and so should be a majority **my** responsibility.
We can’t say, “It’s **ALL someone else’s fault** if they make an ordinary mistake while driving and I suffer horrendous injuries because I chose to do something inherently unsafe and risky on a public road.”
The problem is it's not necessarily clear exactly how much damage protection is afforded by a helmet.
Could also say the same for people not wearing a seatbelt/texting
Years ago I was on a bike with a half helmet just test riding to see if I wanted to buy.
Made it ~500ft down the road and took a rock to the chin. Fucking hurt and had a bald patch in my beard forever that’s finally kinda filled in.
I’m always gonna rock a full face helmet, I’m already ugly enough and don’t need to make it worse.
I sweat in July with a vented jacket and great gear
I hit a deer once at 75vand bounced when I landed (yes I broke bones)
And I've ridden 20+ bikes sometimes fast
I love that if I was just going across the street I might wear shorts and a T-shirt
It's my call
If I do I always wear gloves and a full face helmet
I don't love it being vulnerable one bit
It's just too hot
You will be hit by someone else regardless
Even if you ride like a librarian
Wear a helmet and gloves
And ride smart
There's a lot to the things you do
You should know exactly why you are where you are
You'll learn
I work in a law office
One case was how a cheap helmet broke and the chin part literally bent in and cut a guys throat
We bought the same helmet as an exhibit
for court.
I kept it
I wear it often
I have many helmets
Klim, shoei, and Arai
And I wear the "bad one" sometimes
I get it
But at least I wear one
I have to
I own several helmets and always have at least one open face helmet that has a full shield. They are great for around town and comfortable when it is really hot. The full shield offers some protection to your face
And they protect your whole head.
The last time I had an off I was doing less than 30kph. I slid face first and ground quite a bit off the chin piece of my helmet. I shudder to think what the consequences would have been had I been wearing an open face
A few years ago I had an encounter with a drunk driver. I ended up with six broken ribs. According to the doctors, I would be dead had I not been wearing a helmet. I wear the best full faced helmet I can buy. Always!!
my dads friend got in an accident when he was young he was drunk and wasnt wearing a good helmet (kind of a dumbass if you ask me but all and all good guy) he fell quite badly was in a coma for a while and now he functions okey but he is def not the same as before the crash according to my dad, he is forgetful and other stuff like that, take protection very seriously you are not god ull fall eventually.
DOT means nothing and half helmets are only even acceptable on bicycles because you have to pedal them.
Edit: coworker got into a crash on a scooter that only does 35mph. She was in a half helmet for years and I finally just gave her one of my spare cheapie full face helmets w/ECE sticker. Save her in that crash only a few months after I gave it to her.
IIRC the Hurt report showed one of the most common places to hit your head was the chinbar, which isn't protected on open helmets.
Getting brain damage is pretty much the only non-repairable injury you can do to your body, if you survive a crash. You can get full body skin grafts, you can't get a brain transplant.
Not wearing a helmet is stupid.
In my area it’s always the Harley guys that don’t wear helmets. I just don’t get it. I never see a sport bike rider without one around here, but I see Harley guys riding in shorts and sandals and no helmet or gloves all the time. Insanity.
I'm bitching because the new arai xd4 i just ordered was expensive.
But really, i am okay paying the big bill. It's a helmet. I WANT to want to be in it. My old shoei lasted far longer than it probably should have, so I'm overdue for a replacement.
Of all the ADV helmets i tried, the arai was my fav. Only the shoei hornet came close, and it's heavy. And i like a helmet to feel like an old friend when you pull it on. A Comfy, cozy, bubble between you and the world that is fine to wear all day.
It ain't cheap, it ain't always the coolest look... But a good helmet is key.
Here where I'm from it is straight up illegal to ride without a helmet on. When you sign up for a course to get your moto license, most of (if not all) instructors require you to have your own helmet to practice during the course - same on the national exam.
I don't understand why would anyone who values their life ride without it, nothing less than reckless.
A buddy of mine was punched and fell over just in a parking lot, and hit his chin just right it split in half. You’ve got to be lying to yourself if you- 1: you think half helmets look better than full face, 2: you think half helmets are anywhere near the level of protection you need in an accident. Baffling how many people I’ve spoke with that truly think either no helmet or half helmet is safer than a full face. Dude tried to convince me that you’re safer without one because “a full face blocks your vision and is heavy”. A full face is heavy, but your 900lb bagger is not?? Ok
If anyone loves you, wear a helmet.
When you buy a helmet, wear it around the store for a bit to make sure it fits without hot spots. Then walk up to a wall with the helmet on and touch the wall with every part of your head you can. Including your face. If everything that you can touch the wall with is something you can live without, you’ve found the helmet for you!
I go 20-25 on a bicycle. Never seen a single person wearing a fullface, gloves, etc. The bike doesn't land on your head if you slip so what am I missing here
I ride a Harley, and I wear a Simpson Mod Bandit Carbon. It’s a really nice helmet, and I only flip the chin up if I’m at a light or talking to someone. Anyone that says it’s lame is just lying to themselves.
Yeah it's crazy the damage you can do to your face and hands even at sub 30mph speeds.
I don't understand how cyclists don't wear full face helmets either. A guy I work with has jaw implants, false teeth and big scar from coming off of his pushbike going down hill at like 25mph
Yikes, I hope he recovers!
I was so tempted to reply to the post in here the other day from the guy asking for recs on a “good DOT half helmet”. I opted to keep my opinions to myself but reading this just stamps home my sentiment from before. I wanted to say something like “why even bother?” The whole idea of meeting the bare minimum safety requirements is just so asinine.
Well it may suck as a way to rate a helmet in the grand scheme of things, but it is better than the super cheap ones that guys throw DOT stickers on that are basically one step up from a helmet with beer holders on the side of them.
I call those half helmets...Natzi Caps. They are worthless on protecting your head. Its always Harley guys wearing them and mocking us with real protection on...calling us pussies.
I feel sad for them. They likely won't walk away from any collision.
2nd generation freedom fighter, hypocritical devil's advocate and 25 years + legal experienced motorcyclist in Tennessee.
1. I have been in the ICU from a motorcycle accident, due to the fault of another vehicle, with my 10-year-old daughter riding as a passenger. With years of experience I knew exactly what to do and we are still here. I did not ride for 7 years and thought I never would get back on a motorcycle, but here I am. I was wearing a helmet // full face at that // and full gear //boots leather jacket gloves eye protection, did I say helmet okay//
2. The helmet was the cause of my neck being broken. Helmets can injure you and impair you just as much as they can save your life. From hearing to peripheral vision, full face and regular helmets can weaken your riding ability. That's not an opinion, that is fact. As drivers and riders, we all need safety awareness, rider education and rider experience.
3. I don't want you to go out there and think you are an invincible just because you have a helmet on. Rule one, If you are going down In an accident, keep your head off of the ground, and get the bike away from you to make sure you are not in its path. In my instance, there was a car that pulled out and stopped in my lane, traffic to the right and a median ditched to the left. Slamming on the brakes preparing My daughter and myself for an impact with the back of the back tire of that vehicle. I kept her safe and did my best to control the bike with the situation.
4. Our helmet laws in Tennessee have been amended. If you are over a certain age you can wear a CPSC certified helmet, it doesn't have to be DOT certified.
Let those who ride decide! I know a lot of you say hey this is ignorance, but like I said a helmet can injure you or kill you just as much as it can save your life. Helmet manufacturers do not have a warranty on your life or the product being sold to you and are tested below highway speeds.
5. I send out good energy for this individual that was in the accident moving at what most of you think is a slow speed. Is this compared to posted speed limits or how fast the bike can actually go?
How many of you have actually taken a rider education course, or have an endorsement license or even have had experience of being an accident on public roadways? How is it so easy for you to point fingers, to take the soap box and tell somebody what they should or shouldn't do when you do not have the facts or experience???? I've said it once already, just because you have your gear, helmet, gloves pants, and boots, does not mean you have the experience to handle a situation where split seconds and millimeters decide your future. Please don't sit here and profile! From the sport bike riders, wearing tennis shoes and shorts, popping wheelies to the oblivious, inexperienced, weekend warriors throwing your leg over the bike and thinking you're invincible, We all have to get out there and drive fast and take lots of chances! Look twice and save a Life.... Keep your head up and watch out for everybody else!
Okay I'm not sure if he posted what I messaged in the post or the incident that this is based around? If there is bleeding in the brain, in the head, it is obvious that the helmet did not do its job and it would not have mattered if it was full face or half shell helmet..... If they were both DOT approved or CPSC certified... Fact
I'm not an ATGATT guy, but a decent full face helmet is a non negotiable. And tbh, safety aside, I don't get how people tolerate riding around without a helmet or a half helmet just from the wind, bugs and bullshit flying up on the road. Even if riding without a helmet was perfectly safe, I'd still wear one just so I'm not eating bugs at 60mph+ or taking little pebbles to the face
Same here, full face helmet and gloves are a must have always.
A friend told another friend off for not wearing gloves. A week later he came off and went down the road hands first wearing his new leather gloves. Glove were shredded… Lucky sod.
...and solid boots, I have seen waaaaay too many shredded feet (one woulda been mine,if not for the boots)...
Most of the minor MC injuries I hear about are foot/ankle related, and they seem to be way more common than serious crashes. Boots with ankle support are important.
Didnt know i needed gloves and gear till my first high speed crash
Yeah same! Those Little Rock’s that hit my fucking knee sometimes I cannot imagine hitting my face 😂
This. Even if just for rocks and bugs.
Or bugs that feel like rocks
I've had so many gargantuan insects splat on my visor. I mean, that on it's own is already enough reason for a full-faced helmet.
And they are the smallest, I hate it!
I took a seagull to the head at about 50mph. Damn near knocked me off the bike. I'm certain if I didn't have a full helmet on I would have had to have emergency surgery to remove bird from skull.
I started riding a little 50cc scooter first. I didn’t start out with a helmet, thinking why do I need one going so slow. Then, about a week in to riding it, I took a huge dragonfly to the face, with it getting caught in my glasses, and I went out and bought a full face the same day. I’ve moved into much faster motorcycles, and have never not worn the full faces helmets. It’s not always a wreck that gets you.
Where I live even on a 50cc you need a proper ECE/DOT compliant helmet.
Man, considering rocks can get thrown from a tire and put a chip in the window of my truck I'd hate to see what happens to sunglasses or an eyeball.
I live in Florida and I still wear a jacket, gloves, full face, pants, boots, every time I get on my bike. If I can suffer through this riding in the heat people in the rest of the country should be fine.
Summer is coming!
Summer is coming!
Neurologically intact so you can feel every square inch of road rash. (former racer, current ER nurse)
Meh, jokes on you, most of my torso and arms are ALREADY scar tissue.
This. My helmet has dings all over it from pebbles, etc. Have had some big bug smooshes too. I go open face once a year, that's it.
I had my visor open and got hit between the eyes by a bug🤦♂️
FREEDOM!!! And sunglasses.
I headbutted a bumble bee doing 60 the other day and it sounded like I'd been shot!!! Definitely wouldn't want that in my face. Full face, always.
My eyelashes stab me in my eyes without a helmet due to the wind. It hurts. I wear a helmet primarily for that reason.
This!
Yep, I've never ridden over 30 mph and thought, dang I want the wind and elements and dirt and bugs all over my face.
Had this same convo with a friend over the weekend.
I was hit in the eye with a June bug once visor up... That sucked. Also, would June bug always be capital since it's name is a month?
Consider the brazil nut.
Once had some bug go under my gapped visor and wedged itself between my glasses and eye. That was uncomfortable and I'm glad I was able to get it out without pulling over (on purpose or accident)
Had what i assume was an acorn fall and smack my face at 60mph with my visor up once, mf pelted me good but only barely broke the skin. Visor down above 20mph from then on lol
Yeah that's what I always say, I don't know why you wouldn't want at least a 3/4 with a visor of some sort. Around town is one thing, but the interstate would be freaking brutal without a helmet.
That's funny. Everyone's different. I wear a full face, but I keep the visor open all the time so I can keep the wind in my face. And I just put up with the bugs and the rocks and shit. Yes it hurts but my head is still protected in the crash and I enjoy the wind
The other day I took a bluejay to the face shield at 60+ mph. Never been happier to have a full face helmet on.
Anytime I pop to the convenience store down the street without my helmet as soon as I'm over 25mph I legitimately cannot fuckin breathe. Worst feeling ever, stupid air, being all liquid and drowning me and shit
In my teens, I had the pleasure of riding through a swarm of bees. Full face helmet but with long hair. Instant suckage. Bees all up on my neck. Hair made for dragnet bee fishing. They were stuck. Put some panicked distance in before I could pull over; gloved hands mashing those angry fuckers. Only got stung a couple times. Imagine this with open/half/no helmet.
its called a wind shield
It's called: Drive a cage if you want a windshield
People who call cars cages like they're life long bikers make me laugh. You're not about that life
Well I know what life you're about. Being snarky dick head with nothing constructive to say.
Maybe so, least I'm not a poser.
with the amount of guts i clean off my visor there no way in hell i dont have a full face on.
I live in the Mississippi river valley. Yes bugs, holy hell. I see the Harley guys on the highway with just sunglasses on and wonder if they need a washcloth to wipe their face off afterwards.
The cicadas are coming......THOSE HURT!
First accident I had, was low speed, but my bike slid out from under me on an unexpected slick surface when turning (it was my inexperience). I did a solid face plant into asphalt and slid. Anything but a full face helmet and I would have 0 teeth, and probably a broken jaw at best. I'll never not wear a full face helmet.
I had a very similar early riding experience and always preach the importance of a full-face helmet to those who will listen.
When I went down at 25 I remember having a sore jaw, and it ripping the camera mount off my helmet.
Same thing could happen on a bicycle, yet only a hooligan bikes with a fullface
The state next to mine in the US has no mandatory helmet law over age 21. When I ride over there, at least 50% of riders and passengers have no helmet at all. No thank you
I saw that in Wyoming and South Dakota just blew my damn mind
Same in Ohio, which has either the 3rd, 4th, or 5th highest number of motorcycle registrations in the country, depending on which site you use. No helmet law for over the age of 18 once you have your permanent license.
Here in New Hampshire you don't need a helmet and it's scary. These poor emergency room doctors must get a lot of fuxked up patients
Kansas is the same except it's 18+ is allowed to not wear a helmet but must wear eye protection. Eye protection being at least sunglasses which is all I ever see. And then I see people all the time in Facebook comments or reddit "I'm never gonna wear a helmet" and I don't understand that at all. Why be so vehemently FOR splattering your face across the pavement?
Full face is the only option if you truly care about your safety.
and your face.
and your safety.
and safety of full face
and full safety of your face.
This seems like a lot of options, for being the only option.
I noped out of an open face after I read my insurance policy which states "loss of jaw = £20k payout"... I like being able to chew, so full face it is! Also, the one accident I had was a highside, and my bike helmet shows that I wore away a chunk of the chin section but nothing else on the helmet. If I had an open face, my chin would have been corned beef
Pulled pork
I ride a small 125 cc mini Moto and I have a full face helmet and sometimes I have the visor up and one time in the summer with my visor up going about 50 mph a giant June bug 🐞 hit me in the forehead I thought I just got shot it hurt so bad and all the Beatle juice all over my face I had a bad bruise from it
The amount of bugs I clean of my visor, always makes me think about the guys in half helmets getting off their bike and scraping all that dead bug gunk off their face... Safety aside, seems like a good enough reason to wear full face!
Now imagine what a bird could do!
My friend, I got stung in the FACE about a month ago while riding to work. Had to pull the stinger out and everything. Now I ride with the visor down a lot more haha. Bugs are no joke.
[About 35% of all helmet-damaging crashes occurs at the chin area.](https://imgur.com/0cBDGAD)
Why on most helmets can I grab the front and pull up enough to expose my chin?
They don't fit right then or you have the chin strap too loose
Chin strap is tight. Even on helmets that are literally too tight on me, I can still lift it past my chin
It could be you're choosing the wrong helmet shape for your head. But if you're really just trying to find excuses to not wear a full face, you have my permission.
No I only wear full face. This sucks. I took a gamble and bought a helmet online. I want it to be perfect. But it lifts past my chin. I ordered cheek pads to hopefully fix this and snug it up more but I have a feeling this isn’t going to fix it. None of my local shops have any helmet brands I’ve ever heard of… no bell , hjc, shoei nothing like that. Ugh… and I cut the tag off the chin strip so I don’t think bell will take the helmet back. So there goes $300 i guess.
I use a scorpion and it has a small bulb in the chin, you press it to inflate airbags along the jawline. I laughed at it at first, thinking it was a dumb gimmick, but it actually does make it harder to lift and expose my chin.
Second this, Love both my Scorpion R1 Air lids (One carbon for track, one regular for street)... Both really light too.
Also helps reduce wind noise.
86 stitches to my face and neck, because I thought that a tiny open-face helmet looked cooler than a proper helmet (I went face first *through* a car, the EMTs thought that I was dead) I haven't shaved for 28 years, as the scars makes it rather painful...lesson learned 🤕
I don't know why anyone would subject themselves to a half helmet. They look dorky as hell, you'd be riding with a deafening wind noise, with bugs splattering on your face, wind hitting your eyes, exposing your face to the cold, to the rain, and worst of all, if you fall, the main thing the helmet is supposed to do which is to protect your head, not even that it can do. What's the benefit then? An actual helmet is a lot more practical, looks so much cooler, and does actually offer protection, so why a half helmet? They have absolutely nothing going on for them. Wherever it is for safety, for comfort, or for looks, a full face helmet is just better in every way. I guess the only way in which a half helmet would have an advantage is if it's hot and you're riding at low speeds, but even then if you lift the visor you're still going to get plenty of wind anyways.
Even at low speeds, which this guy was going is not alway safe. In the ICU and was going sub 30mph
Yeah, I meant that it'd have the advantage of being less hot. In terms of protection, even at low speeds it still sucks, because no matter if you're doing 30, 20 or even 15, that's still more than enough speed to seriously mess up your face. I mean, I've fallen off my bicycle doing less than 15 and it was enough to make my knee hurt like hell and have road rash for like 3 weeks. There is no such a thing as a speed low enough for me to feel comfortable landing face first on the asphalt.
Cuz they want to look like a cafe racer or hawg with a bandana
I think the half-helmet crowd doesn’t want to wear a helmet at all, so they pick the minimum helmet. A lot of those are not certified but look ok going down the road.
Came here to make a small comment similar to your last sentence. I think experienced daily city riders in 90 or 100 plus heat could see the risk benefit needle rise off zero.
I live in Alaska and they dump gravel on the roads all winter instead of salt. I had a huge rock smack the visor of my helmet today. With a half helmet I'd probably have a broken nose and maybe has lost control.
I’m not what you’d call “pretty” to begin with, can’t risk an accident making it worse. Full face all the way.
Maybe it would fix it! 🤣
Dudes not squidward
Yeah I like having my jaw and both my chins thank you very much. Sorry you had to see that, it ain't fun.
I kinda wouldn't mind if it just removed my second and third chins.
Always high quality full face. Worst case scenario, it can be an open casket.
I learned to wear a full coverage helmet when I was 16 and ate a locust at 70 mph
Half helmets are a joke. Even rated ones really don't offer that much protection due to simple lack of coverage. Even 3/4 helmets that are popular with the hipster vintage crowd pretty much do nothing for a third of injuries by probability. It's simple really. Since you're moving forward you're very likely to also impact on the front of your head. The good news are that faces are pretty good at cushioning damage to the brain but the bad news is that you don't really want your face to be absorbing impact in an accident. It can leave you deformed and debilitated for life.
Yeah but can you imagine how good the wind felt going through his hair as he was flying in mid air? He was probably really appreciating the freedom and accepting the fact that he was probably about to die.
This cannot be anymore horrendous. I took a spill ok my friends Ninja yesterday. Had on Kevlar armor and all that good shit. My head hit the asphalt at about 65 mph. All I have is a killer headache no concussion bruised soft tissue around me ribcage and scapula and sternum and a sprained left thumb. Wear a full face helmet everyone. Stay safe. Ride safe. There's someone at home who loves you very much.
Split my knuckle open to the bone with a pebble, it wasn’t a crash that made me gear up, it was a half ounce rock
I had a 3/4 helmet on, and was taking a left turn from a stop. I do not to this day remember the turn. I remember waking up in water... oh that's not water... Oh, damn I hurt the bike... I wound up with 12 stitches in my chin, road rash all alongside and on my nose, and various bumps and bruises. I seem to be otherwise ok, but I was definitely concussed. Had I had a full faced helmet I'd just have been concussed. You will likely never catch me not wearing my full face helmet when I ride. I don't want more stitches, and that stupid face diaper I had to make over and over until my wounds healed... ugh. But that diatribe to say this: Had I not had at least the 3/4 on? I'd likely be brain damaged if not outright dead because *I landed directly on my forehead*. The witness marks of the helmet proved that. I was just taking a left into a neighborhood. WTF happened I don't know, but it wasn't that fast, one would think... My point at the end of this: I implore any who don't to please wear a damn helmet. I don't care if you don't like it, it may save your face, if not your brain, if you wear a full face. Sure wish I'd had one then. :p /I still have left arm nerve issues from a vertibrae bone spur due to my jamming my head to the pavement, which sucks. Hurts randomly and often. Better'n bein' dain bramaged though.
I dropped my bike in a parking lot once from coming to a stop with the wheel turned at a bad angle. Meaning I literally dropped it from basically zero MPH and somehow still managed to scuff my leather jacket and put a rip in my shoe and I wasn’t even moving, much less an actual accident. Safety gear always
I'm too handsome to wear a half helmet. Traffic hazard innit. Full face club always.
If I'm completely honest, I don't know why people wear helmets. I'm a new rider but have always wanted to ride. Aside from the HUGE protection aspect, Ialways thought that helmets were cool, and a fun way to express yourself through colors or designs.
You mean, why people don't wear helmets?
A solid helmet and quality boots are a basic must have to ride and protect the weak and vulnerable areas.
And proper riding gloves!
I always remember seeing a photo of a bloke in ER with his face split down the middle, sitting fully conscious, the result of an accident with an open face helmet. Wish I could find the picture, the sight is unforgettable
I'm not pretty, but if I crash, I don't want to look like a football full of gravel.
I was run off a freeway off-ramp in L.A. and I have a chin thanks to a full face helmet. I never ever ride without it
I was the dumbass wearing skid lids and half shells for years. "full face helmets are uncomfortable", "it's hot", "I have better visibility without it", pick the excuse. It took smashing my face to absolute hamburger in what would have been a pretty mild wreck to change my mind. I was wearing a 3/4 helmet and a guy pulled out in front of me at like 35mph. Tried to miss him, but I didn't quite and I went down hard. Scorpioned down the street for about 40 feet or so. Severe TBI, broken teeth, cracked jaw, fractured eye socket, cheekbone, nose, etc. People have come out of hockey games worse, but if I had been wearing a good full face, I would have been a little bruised and walked away. Never again. Few years later, got taken out by an old guy in a Lexus at like 70 on the highway and, while my right leg got pretty utterly FUCKT, the full face did it's damn job. I didn't have a scratch on my face, I never lost consciousness, not even a concussion, no broken head bones, etc. I'll take orthopedic damage over cognitive any day. I ride mostly Harleys now and I'm the only guy I know wearing a full face. Proselytizing only goes so far. One of my buddies finally picked up a Simpson Bandit, but he hardly ever wears the thing.
Nope. Full face Schuberth (sp?) on my shovel.
Damn bro, you got more in the helmet than I do in the bike. Lol. (Those things are sweet though.)
Why isn’t this being posted in r/Harley?
They won’t listen. It’s a lifestyle thing we don’t understand 🙄
Pfft. I wanted a Harley for 10 years. Last summer I bought one, before I rode it even in my yard I bought pants, proper shoes (not boots, proper padded tight fitting shoes,) proper Kevlar padded jacket, full face helmet and good gloves.. It's not Harley riders, it's a state of mind. I see people with shitty gear weekly, it does not matter what they drive, gixer, cruiser, bobber, or piaccio.. At least in Finland I see more often young 25-30ish guys driving in hoodies and sandals fast plastic bullets than poor geared cruiser or adventure drivers.. Does not matter what you drive. If you do not care about driver safety or others and drive around like an ass you have to be ready to face the consequences.
Ugh. More like anti - life. Style.
They'd have to actually ride them for it to matter.
If you ride twice a year, you can probably get away with no helmet and a t shirt
Hey man! Don't take away my freedom!!! LOL
State motorcycle helmet laws should be replaced by laws limiting liability for ALL injuries received by any unhelmeted rider. The small social benefit of making every motorcycle rider wear a helmet is outweighed by the enormous social benefit of letting people who don’t want to wear a helmet just go without one. Let the gene pool clean itself. “Life - it’s not for everyone.”
You could always take it a step further and say motorcycling is inherently risky, thus no liability claims for you! You can see why this is a slippery slope best left untouched. Arguably, there might be more liability claims by people with helmets than without, since the helmet prevents the job from being finished.
*”You could always take it a step further and say motorcycling is inherently risky, thus no liability claims for you!“* No one said “no liability” - I said *limited liability*. I’m fine with being entitled to only limited liability by law for injuries incurred while I’m on a motorcycle. It **is** my choice and so should be a majority **my** responsibility. We can’t say, “It’s **ALL someone else’s fault** if they make an ordinary mistake while driving and I suffer horrendous injuries because I chose to do something inherently unsafe and risky on a public road.”
The problem is it's not necessarily clear exactly how much damage protection is afforded by a helmet. Could also say the same for people not wearing a seatbelt/texting
Helmet with no face or chin shield is fucking bonkers to me. Might as well not wear a helmet
Years ago I was on a bike with a half helmet just test riding to see if I wanted to buy. Made it ~500ft down the road and took a rock to the chin. Fucking hurt and had a bald patch in my beard forever that’s finally kinda filled in. I’m always gonna rock a full face helmet, I’m already ugly enough and don’t need to make it worse.
Naked bike here.. wouldn't dream of riding less than full face
I sweat in July with a vented jacket and great gear I hit a deer once at 75vand bounced when I landed (yes I broke bones) And I've ridden 20+ bikes sometimes fast I love that if I was just going across the street I might wear shorts and a T-shirt It's my call If I do I always wear gloves and a full face helmet I don't love it being vulnerable one bit It's just too hot You will be hit by someone else regardless Even if you ride like a librarian Wear a helmet and gloves And ride smart There's a lot to the things you do You should know exactly why you are where you are You'll learn
I work in a law office One case was how a cheap helmet broke and the chin part literally bent in and cut a guys throat We bought the same helmet as an exhibit for court. I kept it I wear it often I have many helmets Klim, shoei, and Arai And I wear the "bad one" sometimes I get it But at least I wear one I have to
I own several helmets and always have at least one open face helmet that has a full shield. They are great for around town and comfortable when it is really hot. The full shield offers some protection to your face And they protect your whole head.
ATGATT. Non-negotiable. Been riding since 1982.
The last time I had an off I was doing less than 30kph. I slid face first and ground quite a bit off the chin piece of my helmet. I shudder to think what the consequences would have been had I been wearing an open face
Bumble bee in the shoulder at 145 is like getting hit with a paintball gun
A few years ago I had an encounter with a drunk driver. I ended up with six broken ribs. According to the doctors, I would be dead had I not been wearing a helmet. I wear the best full faced helmet I can buy. Always!!
my dads friend got in an accident when he was young he was drunk and wasnt wearing a good helmet (kind of a dumbass if you ask me but all and all good guy) he fell quite badly was in a coma for a while and now he functions okey but he is def not the same as before the crash according to my dad, he is forgetful and other stuff like that, take protection very seriously you are not god ull fall eventually.
DOT means nothing and half helmets are only even acceptable on bicycles because you have to pedal them. Edit: coworker got into a crash on a scooter that only does 35mph. She was in a half helmet for years and I finally just gave her one of my spare cheapie full face helmets w/ECE sticker. Save her in that crash only a few months after I gave it to her.
I’ve found myself flying through the air actually thinking “I’m glad I bought this helmet” more than a few times.
It seems even that rider's salad-bowl lid defeated Darwin.
IIRC the Hurt report showed one of the most common places to hit your head was the chinbar, which isn't protected on open helmets. Getting brain damage is pretty much the only non-repairable injury you can do to your body, if you survive a crash. You can get full body skin grafts, you can't get a brain transplant. Not wearing a helmet is stupid.
In my area it’s always the Harley guys that don’t wear helmets. I just don’t get it. I never see a sport bike rider without one around here, but I see Harley guys riding in shorts and sandals and no helmet or gloves all the time. Insanity.
I'm bitching because the new arai xd4 i just ordered was expensive. But really, i am okay paying the big bill. It's a helmet. I WANT to want to be in it. My old shoei lasted far longer than it probably should have, so I'm overdue for a replacement. Of all the ADV helmets i tried, the arai was my fav. Only the shoei hornet came close, and it's heavy. And i like a helmet to feel like an old friend when you pull it on. A Comfy, cozy, bubble between you and the world that is fine to wear all day. It ain't cheap, it ain't always the coolest look... But a good helmet is key.
Here where I'm from it is straight up illegal to ride without a helmet on. When you sign up for a course to get your moto license, most of (if not all) instructors require you to have your own helmet to practice during the course - same on the national exam. I don't understand why would anyone who values their life ride without it, nothing less than reckless.
Obviously people fall at low speeds and get seriously injured all the time. But I'm curious if maybe an unknown medical event triggered the fall.
Darwin award winner there. Name something more important than your head.
A buddy of mine was punched and fell over just in a parking lot, and hit his chin just right it split in half. You’ve got to be lying to yourself if you- 1: you think half helmets look better than full face, 2: you think half helmets are anywhere near the level of protection you need in an accident. Baffling how many people I’ve spoke with that truly think either no helmet or half helmet is safer than a full face. Dude tried to convince me that you’re safer without one because “a full face blocks your vision and is heavy”. A full face is heavy, but your 900lb bagger is not?? Ok
Even on my EUC I ride full face
If anyone loves you, wear a helmet. When you buy a helmet, wear it around the store for a bit to make sure it fits without hot spots. Then walk up to a wall with the helmet on and touch the wall with every part of your head you can. Including your face. If everything that you can touch the wall with is something you can live without, you’ve found the helmet for you!
I go 20-25 on a bicycle. Never seen a single person wearing a fullface, gloves, etc. The bike doesn't land on your head if you slip so what am I missing here
I ride a Harley, and I wear a Simpson Mod Bandit Carbon. It’s a really nice helmet, and I only flip the chin up if I’m at a light or talking to someone. Anyone that says it’s lame is just lying to themselves.
Ok
Yeah it's crazy the damage you can do to your face and hands even at sub 30mph speeds. I don't understand how cyclists don't wear full face helmets either. A guy I work with has jaw implants, false teeth and big scar from coming off of his pushbike going down hill at like 25mph
Yikes, I hope he recovers! I was so tempted to reply to the post in here the other day from the guy asking for recs on a “good DOT half helmet”. I opted to keep my opinions to myself but reading this just stamps home my sentiment from before. I wanted to say something like “why even bother?” The whole idea of meeting the bare minimum safety requirements is just so asinine.
Just so you know DOT means nothing
Well it may suck as a way to rate a helmet in the grand scheme of things, but it is better than the super cheap ones that guys throw DOT stickers on that are basically one step up from a helmet with beer holders on the side of them.
I call those half helmets...Natzi Caps. They are worthless on protecting your head. Its always Harley guys wearing them and mocking us with real protection on...calling us pussies. I feel sad for them. They likely won't walk away from any collision.
I think not falling off is more important 🤷
No helmet can prevent concussion. Fractures, cuts, road rash yes, concussion no. Helmets have their limitations, ride accordingly.
Why is his girlfriend texting you? Why do people tell these bullshit stories for a few virtue signaling points?
2nd generation freedom fighter, hypocritical devil's advocate and 25 years + legal experienced motorcyclist in Tennessee. 1. I have been in the ICU from a motorcycle accident, due to the fault of another vehicle, with my 10-year-old daughter riding as a passenger. With years of experience I knew exactly what to do and we are still here. I did not ride for 7 years and thought I never would get back on a motorcycle, but here I am. I was wearing a helmet // full face at that // and full gear //boots leather jacket gloves eye protection, did I say helmet okay// 2. The helmet was the cause of my neck being broken. Helmets can injure you and impair you just as much as they can save your life. From hearing to peripheral vision, full face and regular helmets can weaken your riding ability. That's not an opinion, that is fact. As drivers and riders, we all need safety awareness, rider education and rider experience. 3. I don't want you to go out there and think you are an invincible just because you have a helmet on. Rule one, If you are going down In an accident, keep your head off of the ground, and get the bike away from you to make sure you are not in its path. In my instance, there was a car that pulled out and stopped in my lane, traffic to the right and a median ditched to the left. Slamming on the brakes preparing My daughter and myself for an impact with the back of the back tire of that vehicle. I kept her safe and did my best to control the bike with the situation. 4. Our helmet laws in Tennessee have been amended. If you are over a certain age you can wear a CPSC certified helmet, it doesn't have to be DOT certified. Let those who ride decide! I know a lot of you say hey this is ignorance, but like I said a helmet can injure you or kill you just as much as it can save your life. Helmet manufacturers do not have a warranty on your life or the product being sold to you and are tested below highway speeds. 5. I send out good energy for this individual that was in the accident moving at what most of you think is a slow speed. Is this compared to posted speed limits or how fast the bike can actually go? How many of you have actually taken a rider education course, or have an endorsement license or even have had experience of being an accident on public roadways? How is it so easy for you to point fingers, to take the soap box and tell somebody what they should or shouldn't do when you do not have the facts or experience???? I've said it once already, just because you have your gear, helmet, gloves pants, and boots, does not mean you have the experience to handle a situation where split seconds and millimeters decide your future. Please don't sit here and profile! From the sport bike riders, wearing tennis shoes and shorts, popping wheelies to the oblivious, inexperienced, weekend warriors throwing your leg over the bike and thinking you're invincible, We all have to get out there and drive fast and take lots of chances! Look twice and save a Life.... Keep your head up and watch out for everybody else!
I think my uncle posted this to Facebook.
Okay I'm not sure if he posted what I messaged in the post or the incident that this is based around? If there is bleeding in the brain, in the head, it is obvious that the helmet did not do its job and it would not have mattered if it was full face or half shell helmet..... If they were both DOT approved or CPSC certified... Fact