What helmet do you wear?

Hey, I'm just wanting to get out there and see what helmets our members wear. I'm wanting to find a skullcap type helmet but none of the DOT helmets seem to look right on me . I'm currently wearing an ICON Alliance Speedmetal Blue with blue tinted face shield.

 

Full face has saved me more than once. I went down once on the freeway at almost 70. The front and side were rashed up bad. I would have had severe facial damage without the full face helmet. Another time I was shot by some psycho from an overpass with a 22LR. The bullet hit the back and was deflected into the lining of my leather jacket. It probably would have taken off the back of my skull without the full coverage. Definitely no beanie helmet for me on a freeway. NonDOT will just get you a ticket in Cali.

 

full face is the only way to go imo

current helmet is a gmax

 

full face the only way to go plus visor for total protection

 

Scorpion EXO-100 Spitfire Helmet. Wanted something cooler than a full face for the summer here in Florida. I try to stay off the highways and on the country roads. DOT approved.



Its a big helmet. So if you are a small guy you will get the Alien head effect, LOL. They run big, so I got a medium size for myself and its a perfect comfortable fit. Has the built in visor which retracts inside the shell when you don't need it.

 

Don't wear one....but if in a state that requires it I have a DOT 1/2 helmet.

 

HJC CL-SP DoT and Snell approved.

 

I wear a black G-max full face helmet.

 

Always Shoei, always full face. I live within sight of New Hampshire, one of the most die-hard, no helmet law states in the union and I just don't understand not wearing a helmet. It's the one piece of equipment (besides a well tuned and smooth functioning machine) that could save your life.

I am a staunch supporter of helmet laws and I give everyone who doesn't invest in a quality lid a big load of crap for it. Almost as bad as my rant against smoking but that's another story...

How many times do you hear about the guy in a bike accident that would have survived or wouldn't be brain dead if he had just been wearing a helmet? It's just like seat belts while in your four-wheeled conveyance: you always belt up so why not buy the best helmet you can afford?

And I REALLY don't get half-helmet "soup bowls". Just because they're legal doesn't mean it's a good idea. Besides, have you ever taken a big, fat june bug to the face at speed? Or how about that little stone kicked up by the car in front of you? I've had too many fast, hard objects deflected by my trusty Shoei to every use anything else. It's just not worth it.

 

Fitz,

Love the bugs, man.

 

HJC IS-16 full face. I like the built in sun visor. When it's hot and I'm going slow I leave the shield up for air.

One of our STAR Chapter members will be in ICU for another month because he took a 40mph spill without a helmet. Looks like he'll recover. Rehab will last about a year.

 

MiCarl,

I got a chill reading your post. That's what I'm talking about. When I was a teenager, several friends and I came upon a motorcycle accident on a back road in the dead of night with two dead riders thrown from the bike, no helmets. Think that made an impression?

Makes me sad and mad at the same time. Sorry, guys, everyone has their little "thing" and helmets are one of my big crusades.

 

I love it and get complements all the time. Even though i almost always wear one I don't think people should be required to wear helmets, it should be their choice.

 

Jesus! That is terrible!

I have had FF shoei, but my weird oval head now likes Arai better. I dug a 15 foot trench with my face when I had an untimely get off of my XR200 back when I was 14. I shudder to think what my face would have looked like if I did not have a full face on.

 

Shoei and always full faced. Saw a video of a guy wreck and roll onto a curb face first. Would have removed his lower jaw and probably killed him. He walked away. I dont understand people who ride with the fake Harley hemets. I rode in 100° plus weather in Missouri all last year. Id rather be a bit hot at times and have adequate protection if I wreck than wish I had it.

 

Great responses guys. I'm probably leaning towards painting my bike to make it match my ICON now

 

Hawk full face DOT/Snell approved. Has 5 vents, 3 front, 2 back and I don't ever get 'hot' head wearing it, even in 100degree heat.

Wrecked when I was 14 on a motorcross bike and hit a tree going close to 50mph WITH MY FOREHEAD. Luckily I was wearing a full-face then, but I still suffered a concussion. Wouldn't be here right now w/o that helmet.

Out of the 10 riders who died around here in the last 2 years, 7 weren't wearing helmets and 5 of those were not speed related. They would have been fine if they had worn a helmet.

Ever try running full speed into tree with your head?? You can't even run 20mph, so riding w/o one is STUPID!!

 

I hit my face on that cable running down from a telephone pole after being highsided into a turn . Yes full face bell helmet wearer here !!

 

If I remember the Hurt report correctly, somewhere around 30% of all first impacts in a crash are on the rider's chin. Full face..every time.

I al so recall a column in Motor Cyclist from about 20 years ago, that recounted how a retired MX racer died while practicing on his farm. He had a lowside caused by slipping on a damp tree root at 5MPH; no helmet; died as soon as his head hit the dirt. I wish that I had saved that column.

 

I dont see a photo of your seca k moe!

 

Ya, full face helmet always. Also a riding jacket, Draggin jeans, and leather boots. Gloves most of the time. I want my brain to remain in my skull and I value my skin!

 

I must take one and upload it then.

 

For me it's been 100%. I've got a bargain brand full face with the chin bar all chewed up from a slide down the road. The rest of my gear didn't get a mark on it.

 

anyone here try the modular helmet from kbc?
i just bought one and have only used few times but really like the
open face option when riding around in slower conditions.
did as much research on these as i could before prchasing they are dot approved but not snell but dont know why.

 

Just got my new helmet in the mail last week, but havent had a chance to use it yet, being as the bike doesnt run. even with being in South Dakota where helmets are optional i still wear one. the only time i havent is when i rode the bike home when i bought it, but only because i didnt have one yet and couldnt find one to borrow. i got mine off amazon, after trying it on in the stores to see what size i needed. a bonus to ordering it was that i actually ordered a HJC CS-R1 but received a CS-R2! basically the same thing i think there is more vents and there is a stylish flaring to the back of the helmet. with my first bike i had an CS-R1 and used it every time, even dropped it off the table a few times and didnt even get a chip in the paint or break the visor, so i chose it again for my new bike. ive thankfully never crashed so i cant share on it durability in crashes. its also a fairly inexpensive model for the thin walleted folks like myself!

 

Snell is an optional testing certification and not many modulars have been sent in for testing yet. There are some out there though.

 

HJC full faced.
All of the time.

 

Fullface only, had one that i tested and it passed with flying colours, .. part of why i'm still so good lookin'.

 

Snell is an auto racing standard - the helmet can take repeated blows to the exact same place, like hitting a roll cage in the same spot 5X. The foam is also "denser". DOT helmets are "softer" and will protect your brain better in a typical motorcycle crash.

I bought a DOT shorty helmet thinking I'd wear it in the summer and for short errands, but I prefer the 3/4 helmet because it's quieter, and has a flip-up shield.

 

Snell has separate standards for different usages. I heard the newer snell m2010 is a lot better than the m2005 standard and is more in line with dot and ECE standards allowing for "softer" impact absorbing helmets

 

Modular helmets are inherently less protective in a crash no matter what the test procedure, especially ones that cost less than $400. All those BMW guys with money to burn get Schuberth modulars for a reason.

My story: Hot Saturday afternoon, riding all day on my CBR, missed the gravel in a tight, 50mph corner, highsided my butt into a side street. I had deep scratches in three different directions on my white, Shoei RF800 and I don't even remember hitting my head on the way down. Bike totaled, tweaked my left shoulder, stiff neck for about six months, but I walked away. Biggest shame: calling my wife to drive two hours with the truck to come pick me up. She didn't have to come to the hospital. I'll take that trade all day.

Also, while we're on the subject of helmets, check the manufacture date of your helmet. They have a finite lifespan just like our rear brakes and tires. REPLACE IT IF IT'S MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD! Doesn't matter if it's still in pristine condition and shiny. The materials age in the sun and in storage. Also replace your helmet if it's been dropped from more than 3 feet onto a hard surface. Sorry, soap box again.

Always ask yourself: what's my brain worth? Then go shopping for a new helmet. In general, the more you spend, the better it will protect you.

 

I definitely agree with most's opinion of using a full face helmet over a 3/4. They are safer. And after reading some of the posts here it's making me consider using my full face (I have an HJC as full face as well) instead of my Scorpion 1/2+ helmet. But I do believe that the 1/2 helmets are relatively safe. After all, most all police department motorcycle cops use 1/2 helmets like mine. That is one the features which attracted me to the Scorpion.

Edit: I have been describing my helmet as 3/4. I suppose a 1/2 helmet would be a more accurate description. Although, I do feel the sides on mine hang lower than a 1/2 helmet.

 

Full face Shoei, all of the time, even though its a no-helmet state.

Crazy to see the majority of people riding without any kind of helmet.

But the way i figure, even if a 3/4 would save my life, i want the full face to keep my face intact. seen some pretty nasty examples of people losing most of their face forever by getting cheese grated accross the pavement wearing an open-face helmet.

 

Case in point:



Otherwise, you may as well be wearing one of these:

 

after getting reminded about helmet shelf life i think its time to replace the G-max lol.

you want a safe helmet? get a motocross helmet, nothing beats the protection of the massive chin guard. little impractical for the street so full face it is.

 

After looking looking at the photo above got me thinking on how much face protection I would have with my Scorpion in the case of a similar mishap. So with my helmet on I laid down on the carpet and tried to determine contact points with the face. Here is what I found out. with my head straight there is no face contact at all. But that would not be realistic. So I tilted my head back so my the top of the front of the helmet and my chin are the contact points. At this and angle my nose and chin would have some exposure to road rash but not enough exposure to have breakage. You had to picture that my neck would be a factor in keeping my head forward. A broken neck may be a better possibility, Yikes! But for the most part, it will protect the forehead, eyes and most of the nose, LOL. If my head is not facing directly to the ground and at an angle to the side then the face is completely protected. The chest or shoulder and helmet are the contact points at that angle. One thing I should add. My helmet is very big (thick). There is 1" of thickness all around from the inside foam/padding to the outside of the shell. And 1 1/3" in some places. This is why my face is deep in the helmet which offers some protection and it does have the built in shield which also offers some more minimal protection. So every helmet is different. Have said all that, I would never say that it is as good as full face. I have used full face helmets all my life. For some that don't wear helmets, anything is better then non.

 

I wear an HJC Specter. Love the color and pattern, but its comfortable, reasonably quiet at speed, and I love having both clear and tinted visors in one. The main visor is clear, but there is a slide on the top of the helmet you easily swipe with you hand to bring down the inner tinted visor and it stops at a few locations for added adjust-ability. I chose it over the FLY Trakker helmet because of the dual visors. FLY had more visibility for the rider, but I like being able to have clear or tinted on the fly for changing light conditions. Also the FLY was hella loud at speed. And as far as I know, this helmet and one other are the only full face helmets with flip down tinted visors that the whole front face didn't flip as well (If I am going to have a full face helmet, I want the whole helmet to be rigid, I don't want a half helmet with a rotating front section).

 

Neronova i realy like the helmets with the additional visor inside like yours, i call it the fighter pilot lens! maybe ill save up to get that model HJC next time im looking for a new helmet, i do like how comfortable the HJC's are

 

Came across this graphic and thought that it was appropriate for this thread.

 

Silver Gmax gm68s. Comfortable and an overall great helmet. Dot approved and only $65 brand new on eBay.

 

Yep, you're absolutely right there OP. It's all about what looks good on you. Not how good it's going to protect you.

<insert sarcasm smiley thing here>

 

I have always worn a bell helmet atv , street , snow machines , here is the latest DOT , Snell approved bell with 2 top and one front vent . very comfortable no frills sturdy helmet !!

 

Shoei quest. Flat black.

 

AGV miglia 2
Modular, only open it up when at a stop talking to a friend, but convenient.
Helmet on for every ride.

 

I have this one:


Was the only one with the flip down visor that fits on my head. No compaints. It's a nice helmet.

 

Vega white f/g 1/2,removable ear warmers.I just don't get not wearing some kind of helmet,even a skid lid.Seems mostly the Harley guys down here,I call them tough guys,lol.Guess riding on L.I.,N.Y. way back when got me used to it(.Damn Yankee)

 

HJC full face; it's more comfortable than a 3/4 or 1/2 because it cuts the wind and has less drag. You don't get wind noise like you do from the edges of the soup bowl helmits. With venting they are not hot, at least while you are moving. I always wear a riding jacket, have a summer one and a winter one.

Onother great thing about riding an XJ is you can wear any helmit you want unlike the harley guys who have to wear turtle shells for fear of getting laughed at if they wore a real helmit.

 

Having actually tested a helmet in crash I was glad I had one. I was doing stupid stunts on a snowmobile and attempted a hard right turn at a pretty good speed on an icy road. The snowmobile made the turn I didn't. Fell from a height of about 3 feet hit the road and slid for apx 15 feet my head banging against the ice the whole way. Got up and walked away.

 

I saw one photo years ago of a full face helmet were a guy slid on his face. That's all it took for me. It's full face all the time since then.

 

I saw one photo years ago of a full face helmet were a guy slid on his face. That's all it took for me. It's full face all the time since then.