helmet, yes or no?

I have both. When its really warm out I go with the 3/4. Full face for the rest of the time.

 

Full face... Shark S800 DOT, SNELL, and ECE 22-05

With all the road debris alone - the full race is worth it.

 

Definately full face/ modular. I'd think the first thing to hit the pavement would be my chin.... no thanks!

 

I am in full agreement with fitz on the comfort of the CL-SP. I tried on a whole bunch of helmets at a local dealership and the only one (besides a $450 Shoei, which is more than half the cost of my bike) that fit comfortably was the HJC CL-SP.

 

I was borrowing a Modular last fall and loved it because it allowed me to not have to argue with my glasses when putting it on/taking it off.

This spring I've moved over to wearing contacts again and decided to buy a full-face (HJC IS-16) instead. Comfortable fit, good venting, DOT approved and the integrated sun shield is pretty cool too (just like the one in the Symax 2 and the new Nolan N-103's). And the price was definitely nice as well at about $160 shipped.

Wamaxim, if your wife's looking at a new modular, have her check out the HJC IS-MAX. I was looking at one and really liked the features and the fit for the price (<$200), but went with the IS-16 because I wanted a fancier color.

 

Kyrrinstoch, you're right it is a nice looking helmet. I bought my Symax II locally for $240 cash tax free when I had tires mounted and balanced at a local dealer. I asked the guy if he could do anything on the price and he knocked $49.95 off. Snatched it right up.

 

I saw those IS series but thought the integrated sunshield might add too much "bulk" so I went old-school.

Do you notice any practical difference using the sunshield as opposed to just putting on or taking off a pair of sunglasses?

Is the extra bulk noticeable or nonexistent? I didn't have the opportunity to try one on.

 

Full face , used to have half tho

 

Man...we are such a bunch of old geezers. I wear glasses too and find them a pain to wear under a full-face helmet. I usually put my contacts in when I ride. I wear a full-face helmet because I'm a new rider. After catching gravel and bugs in my face, I'll stick with it.

 

I always wear full face. I knew a guy in college who was sunting with a girl on the back. She has his helmet on when he lost control. She walked away few a few scrapes and bruises. He had his face messed up pretty badly. They were not going fast at all either.

 

1000% yes! Wear a helmet and save your noodle. I wear an HJC modular helmet. Full face protection and can open it up when it's hot as hell in traffic. The best of both worlds.

 

Fullface definatlly saved me from me dumber than i already am in the past soo im sticking to it :lol:

 

I wear a "jet" style helmet (basically a three-quarters helmet with a full-face lens). The HJC FS-3 is pretty similar to the one I currently have: http://www.newenough.com/helmets_eyewea ... elmet.html

Apparently I have an oddly shaped head; all of the 2X full-face helmets I've tried don't fit (the chin bar pushes back on my jaw, very uncomfortable), while I can pull a 3X off while it's buckled.

So the jet helmet is a compromise. If they ever become available in the US, I want a Shuberth J1.
http://www.schuberth.com/index.php?id=22&L=1
All the advantages of a 3/4 helmet, but still with a chin bar.

 

Fitz, the IS series HJC helmets aren't noticably bulkier or heavier than than any other model I've looked at.

One of the practical things for me with the integrated sun shield was the fact that the sunglasses I have (prescription) are Polarized and do NOT like being combined with the clear polycarbonate face shields/lenses. It ends up creating a very distracting rainbow/prismatic effect, so I can't (safely) wear them under a helmet.

It will also allow me to have the tinted lens during bright conditions and switch back to the untinted as the riding conditions change without having to pull over to change my glasses or the lens. 8)

Also, the sun shield follows almost the entire field of vision (only a very slight gap at the bottom edge). As such, so there's no breaks between the lenses to distract you and no frame/arms to further block your peripheral vision.

Mine should be arriving on Friday, so if you have any specific questions about it, I could more accurately answer them then.



82XJ, check out the HJC IS-33 - open face/ 3/4 helmet also with the integrated sun shield. Not my style of helmet, but the same set of features.

 

Hey Wesley,

Being in the Cherry Hill area or anywhere else in Jersey I'd want all the protection I could get. Not saying its all of you but anytime I see one of those yellow license plates I try to put some room between me and them even in my truck.

 

A helmet 200% of the time. I have ridden ATVs for the last twenty years and a helmet has saved my noodle many of times. I have one helmet that is trash but I still keep as a reminder. I took a spill and hit my helmet on a rock right behind my left ear and was knocked cold trough the helmet. The helmet cracked, but my head stayed intact.
I am new to street bikes, but you will always find a helmet on my head.

 

When it's time to replace my current bucket, the IS-33 is on top of my list (unless, as I said, Schuberth starts selling helmets here).

 

100% wearing a helmet. As someone who worked in EMS I am a believer!!
A friend had to lay his bike down once to avoid a car that stopped in front of him just as he was about to pass it. No hard hit but the left side of his helmet was sanded down to the "foam". If that had been his skull we would have been seeing gray matter.

Like some of you have remarked, I am not interested in putting my face at risk. I don't want to be eating via straw / gastric tube.

I wear a Shoei modular. It was expensive, but, I tried on all the other modulars I could find and none of them fit really comfortably. The Shoei was the only one that seemed to fit my head so I had to pony up the extra $$$. I studied a lot about helments when I was choosing one. The best advice was to try it on, keeping it on for at least a half hour. See if any spots get uncomfortable, "hot", etc., since you will be wearing it hours on end on your bike. Narrow down your selection and then go to the store with something to read and wear it for a couple of hours. If you can't stand it there, you won't want to wear it riding.

I wear the modular for 2 reasons. First, I wear glasses and second, the way my head is shaped, trying to get a full face on tends to cause a great deal of abuse to my ears ...

I would like to see a law passed that all who ride helmetless are automatically organ donors. If you are going to offer up your brain pan, at least let someone else use the rest of your parts.

 

I had the same problem with a pair of sunglasses I had, ended up having to swap them with a non-polarized pair. Apparently the "clear" shields UV protection is also some form of polarization; I never experienced that before. Nearly made me puke, not fun inside a helmet. I thought I was being overly sensitive, you're the only other person I've heard it from. Some folks thought I was nuts.

Luckily I don't have to wear glasses except "readers" (yet) but the sunshade idea is intriguing. I always worry about too many points of failure. Let us know how you like it, and how practical it is in real-world use, please.

And Sushi, please, we're NOT old until we say we are. We're just very experienced. Very, very.

 

My gripe about a full face helmet is the detached feeling, like you are not really there riding, it's just a game. The whole confinement thing.
Claustrofobia- - Feels like nothing matters, or like a video game.

I like the football helmet chin bar idea alot !!
Meanwhile, I ride with a 3/4 helmet about 95% of the time,
I ride to the bank, grocery, convenience stores 3 blocks away with no helmet, just as I would on a bicycle. Low speeds, Parking lots.