What helmet do you wear?

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.