Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Motorcycle helmets.....

What kind do you wear?
I got a 96 Harley Dyna Wide Glide last Spring. My friends who ride recommended a half helmet, and thats what I bought.
It works...but there have been times on the road when I would have paid $1000.00 for a full face helmet.

I've noticed trends (or styles) with the different bike groups.

It seems that Harley riders or the like wear half helmets most of the time. (those are usually the novelty helmets that are not DOT approved) A few full face mask and 3/4 helmets.

Sport bike groups usually wear full face helmets.

Dual Sport bikes (enduro's) usually wear a MX type helmet with visor.

Gold Wing's and the big cruisers seem to be mostly full face or half.

So what do you wear on your ride?

The highest cause of motorcycle fatalities come from head injury. Get the best skid lid you can afford and the more it covers the better.

Agreed.
What do you wear?

When I cross over into Eastern Oregon I wear one I paid about ten dollars for at a MC rally about 15 years ago. It is the only MC helmet I ever wear. It has a DOT sticker I paid $1 for on the back. Never been stopped in 10's of thousands of miles in states that require one.
Funny, I wear a seat belt, did before they were law. I may die of a head injury some day but I absolutely refuse to ruin my riding experience with a darn lid on my head if I can help it, except a ball cap on backwards.
Bought my first MC in 1965 didn't wear a lid then, still don't', except on a dirt bike, or if I haveta.

Whatever you buy get one that fits prefect and is comfortable for hours on end, if that is possible, which I doubt. Don't cut corners has been advice given to me from long time riders.

Don't ride anymore. A near head on miss at 45 MPH cured me. Shoei!

Highest cause of MC fatalities is alcohol.

Remember if and when you crash that a heavy helmet can cause sever neck injury's up to and including paralysis. The safety Nazis never tell you that statistic.

I coughed for a Ducati Corse/Suomy for when I ride the 1098, but generally do not wear a helmet when motoring around on a Harley bagger. Probably should,as I have both full-face and 3/4 matching lids that I bought with the bike.

I expect Nurse Kat and others who work in emergency treatment facilities will check in here soon.

"Dress for the Crash, not for the Ride" --

I don't have a choice of whether or not to wear a helmet in Oregon. If I did have the option (I think...)I would still wear one.
I took a rider safety class TEAM OREGON (highly recommend it) I remember the instructor saying simply "if you wan't to protect all of your head buy a full face helmet, if you wan't to protect 3/4 of your head buy a full face helmet.
I bought a half.

I don't believe in mandatory helmet laws. But I believe that insurance companies and states should have the ability to say no helmet no medical on us.

Ride it like you want too.

Couldn't agree more

no helmet laws for the AK riders


but I don't ride, early life turned me against it, knew a pard that had suffered polio, had one gimp leg and one good one, ruined the good one laying the bike down, g'friend that lost a leg, lost a pard that was often the life of the party died when he was 20 and I was 19, we'd done a bunch together in that time dating back to grade school and mini bike riding.

but to each their own, am glad they let the riders decide here, as it should be though helmets are mandatory for the bitch seat.


freakin seat belt laws chaps my azz, I made it this long deciding when to wear it, I wasn't waiting for the nanny state to save me from myself!

I have a Harley Softail. I use two helmets, one is a modular which is almost full face, and I have a half helmet for short trips on city streets.

A very close friend of mine (32 years old, married with a 9 year old son) was wearing one of those half helmets when he T boned some 86 year old dufus with his Harley.

The old dude pulled right out in front of him as my friend was down shifting to turn a corner at an intersection.

By the skid marks, the cops extimated he was going about 28 MPH when he hit the car.

At impact, he lost his grip on the bike and was thrown over the hood, with his helmet flying off in the process.

His head struck the road causing a deep brain injury which he eventually died from a few days later.

There is no question in my mind that he would have survived if he was wearing a full face helmet.

Like others here, I agree that people should be allowed to wear whatever type of helmet they want, or none at all if that's what they prefer.

It just gets hard for me sometimes when I see my friends young widow and little boy trying to cope without him and think that a little thing like the choice of a helmet could have prevented it all.

Sorry about your friend. Not to belittle your friends death, i refer to the 1/2 helmets as organ donor helmets. Seen too many DOA's involving low speed crashes or runoff's, that the rider or passenger, would of lived had it been for the use of a better helmet.

To those who wear a 1/2 helmet, please mark & sign the back of your DL indicating organ donor. If your going to hang your ass out there, at least give someone else a chance to a better life.

Full face - I did sell the bike 2 years ago, when I got the Goat. When I rode, I rode a lot, usually pretty fast, and pretty far (even when I got the Harley). No helmet at 90 MPH is just ridiculous. The full face style also cut wind noise a lot. Though it is (for some reason) illegal to wear earplugs in my state, I often wore them, especially on long trips. You actually hear better with them, because of reduced wind noise. Can't imagine a stormin' 12 hour ride with no helmet! But... I don't agree with MANDATORY helmet laws.

I have both a full face and a 3/4.
I know I'm better off with the full face but I just can't breathe in the darn thing and getting it on and getting my glasses on is like a magic trick,so I ride with the 3/4

Full face helmet, 1200cc sport bike, and full leathers even in July. ATGATT. The look on peoples faces when the helmet comes off and reveals a 56 y/o with gray hair and beard is priceless.

I remember reading that the most common point of first impact with the ground is the right jaw followed by the left.

My wife was run off the road on a curve by a gawker about ten year back. I knew she was OK when I heard her screaming obscenities even though neither of us had removed our helmets. It wasn't until later that we noticed she had bent a reflector pole with her chin bar during the dismount.

We're both in the medical profession and have seen what happens to people wearing beanies, tank tops, and flip flops. It ain't pretty. The idea that half helmets are actually safer is right up there with "loud pipes save lives" at the top of the BS scale.

Idaho has no helmet law for riders over 18. Some guys like to wear one on the road but they take them off for slow speed riding in town. Thats backwards. Dump one at 60 and likely you're dead, helmet or not. A helmet is invaluable at slow speeds where you're much more likely to survive other injuries but your head still hits the pavement.

Why? No windshield? If not, buy one.. If you don't want one, ensure you wear goggles..

Humpf.. Not around here. I rarely see an HD rider with a helmet.. Maybe your state has helmet laws which would then make sense.. We don't have no stinkin' helmet laws here (YET)...

As they should.. Most these youngsters on crotch rockets have egos bigger than their engines - NEVER a good combination..

No comment..

None, unless I'm inside the Murderapolis/St. Paul beltway - and I try to avoid that like I avoid hissing Cobras.. I don't drive at night except maybe once/year.. The rest of the time I drive in such a way as to not need a helmet. Trust nothing. Trust no one. Practice escape routes at all times. Stay within your limits. Practice the one-second-rule. Always assume the worst...


Now, I'm betting the reactions to my post will be interesting, to say the least...

BTW, I'm starting my 42nd year on motorcycles.. No accidents, no laydowns, no nuthin'... It's called, 'paying attention'..

Sad to say, but you are absolutely right about the b.s. The outlaws (and the wannabees) aren't fooling anybody. Helmets inhibit vision (tell that to a guy coming into a 180 mph corner at Daytona, or at the Isle of Man) loud pipes save lives, can't hear with a helmet - there are probably more - are all complete and utter b.s. Just come out and say you don't want to wear a helmet, whatever your reason, but don't insult our intelligence.