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

I've found that helmets are great for crashing, but nothing does better for your own level of alertness/awareness than not having that thing on your head.

I wear a helmet occasionally, I keep wanting to wear one, keep giving it a try.

In reality, (not just talking on the internet but being out & doing it) the damn helmet can & will plow your head around like you are wearing an airplane wing on your head (which can be very distracting).

I understand but respectfully disagree with the �dress for the crash� theory.

What crash? The one that you can�t see coming because your peripheral vision is blinded by the bucket you are wearing on your head & you are distracted by the fluctuating forces of wind that are pushing your head around as you try to drive?

Until I find a helmet that doesn�t absolutely pizz me off & compromise my awareness with it�s distracting side effects, I�ll choose un-blinded, unregulated awareness over the bucket.

Alert driving, awareness & sharp senses applied towards prevention.

If I can have that plus the safety of a hard shell around my noggin then I�ll take it, but I haven�t found that I can have both as of yet.

Leg protection in the way of chaps or riding pants do not distract me, good boots don�t distract me, a good jacket & gloves to not distract me, so I wear all that stuff.

Just haven�t found a helmet that doesn�t compromise my awareness.

I used to ride without a helmet because of the "rebel without a clue" mentality. Now I wear one to hide my gray hair.

I have a buddy who crashed when drunk and did some serious brain damage to himself.

I have a full coverage that restricts my vision a little bit so I would rather wear the 3/4 helmet. My buddy says the full face is the way to go if you value your jaw at all.

My father is dying of cancer and if I had the choice I would rather die from a motorcycle accident!

By the way I have heard that dropping the helmet means they are used up. My wife drops our helmets every time she handles them (almost)

Sometimes you are the windshield and sometimes you are the bug.
whelennut

Exactly. Think of that a minute - the racers (1) know the race course intimately and (2) don't have to worry about idiots in cars on the racetrack. Well, maybe, maybe not. But I'm sure you've read where people have been hit by electric cars because the pedestrian COULDN'T HEAR IT COMING.. Finish it: ..can't hear AS WELL with one on. Very true.. Which is bs in itself.. That's me.. I don't wanna wear a helmet, and I'll just come out and say it.. No comment..

I can see both sides of the argument. 40 years ago just out of high school I broadsided a drunk making a left turn across my lane. I have no recollection of the wreck, but I must have laid my 305 Scrambler down just before impact. Woke up a week later in the hospital with a broken right wrist and ankle and egg shell fractures to the left side of my skull, the side that hit the pavement I think. I still have 3 nickel size soft spots where the neurosurgeon removed bone to relieve pressure. Nearly died so they say. The point of this is that the neurosurgeon testified in court that in his opinion had I been wearing a helmet the force of impact would probably have broken my neck. At that time Louisiana didn't have a helmet law.

All the guys who work in our emergency dept just love people who ride without a helmet! If the rider's not DOA they make a fortune on them! They help keep my hospital solvent! You guys can ride however you wish, that's your choice but I'd rather see you on the road than in my ER! Ride smart and ride safe!

I ride a Yamaha Stratoliner. Got back into riding about a year ago, and made the decision to wear full protective gear (boots, armored gloves, armored jacket, and a full-face helmet) - no exceptions. I figure to some degree that it is what you get used to, and if I started off with all of the gear I wouldn't feel like I was missing any of the riding experience if I had started wearing no gear and then tried to make the switch back. The helmet is an HJC AC-12 that I really like, and don't feel it compromises my vision at all. I wear contacts, so the visor keeps too much wind from drying out and irritating my eyes on extended rides. I wear an armored leather jacket as much of the year as I can stand, but when it gets a little warm here in Central Texas (100+ degrees)I have an armored mesh jacket that I swap out with. I have a couple of riding buddies that think I'm nuts wearing the gear in the heat, but one case of road rash or worse and wearing the gear may be one of the smartest decisions I made that day... YMMV.

uhh-huh.

Race car drivers are on a closed course with like minded drivers all working with a common goal.

Nobody is texting on the track, nobody is doing there make up in the rear view mirror, nobody is drunk or stoned, nobody is late for work, nobody is falling asleep at the wheel & all the traffic is going the same way.

Fire suit, full body harness, full helmet, hanns device, neck support etc, etc.

That is exactly how I would want to be rigged on a closed course race track with other drivers.

Now rig yourself the same way & take your kids to school or run across town for groceries.

First thing, back out of the driveway.. "chitte, I can't turn my head... well, I have a lot of mirrors & I can still move my eyes.."

Yep, and the rest of the daily drive is even better, nothing can be planned for, it's unscripted real life. Don't know who's going to run a stop sign or drift into your lane.. have fun parking that car at the grocery store, if you get there.

But you are certainly ready for the crash.

If a passenger rides with me do they wear a helmet? You damn right. Passenger's helmet does not effect the alert awareness of the bike, so put a good helmet on a passenger.

and if i find one that doesn't compromise my own effective awareness then I'll be wearing it.

I ride a Harley Electra Glide, been riding since 1974. Agood helmet will save you grief thats for sure, however, most deaths are caused by breaking a bone thus severing a major artery, you bleed out in minutes.A motorcycle helmet is tested at 13 mph, this is dropping things on it, checking for penetration, this is generally the speed your head is going when you fall from standing directly to the floor, 9.81 m/s2 . A full face helmet can be more comfortable depending on the wheather and offer some face protection , gives a false sense of security but will not be the differance between life or death in most cases. I wear a Seer 1/2 helmet DOT approved and is the same as most motor cops wear. The best protection is to stay alert of your surroundings, loud pipes do make your presence known just like you know a cement truck is beside you as opposed to a Honda Accord or worse a mommy in a mini van with 1/2 dozen ditractions on board. And the best reason not to do something is knowing a friend that has died from that activity, if this was so there are alot of things I would not do firearms and motorcycles are but two!

I think motorcycle helmets are a great invention, I own a few. They're nothing special, I don't know the brand and don't feel like walking out to the garage to look. I wear one sometimes. I always wore one when I used to race dirt bikes, it's required and a good idea. I don't like required helmets (or seat belts) as a law though (except for minors). We had that law in Wyoming for a while, but it got repealed. You can ride a bull, jump out of an airplane, or climb a mountain without a helmet (although wearing one might be a good idea). It's my head, and I should be responsible for protecting it, not the gov't. The libs think we're not smart enough to take care of ourselves, that's why they're afraid of us owning guns too. Those trigger lock thingies were also a pretty good invention, and in theory may have saved a life or two, but I don't want any laws that make them mandatory either.

I wear a pair of wrap around sunglasses,...foam earplugs too if I'm going to be on the interstate for any length of time.

They repealed the helmet law in this state several years ago

i always forget the earplugs.

but if you don't trim them super short I find (for me) they just deliver a bunch of wind noise through the plug like the old string & 2 tin cans trick.

Out of the helmets I have worn(Arai,AGV, Shoei) Arai's are the best by far, IMO.
The fit and finish is superb, they also hold up very well.
They are also probably the most expensive, but worth it, IMO.
You get what you pay for.

Yes my State (Oregon) has a mandatory helmet law. Even if it didn't I think I would still wear a helmet.
I do have a detachable windshield. It is a "must have" for myself on long trips.
I wear goggles too though

Do you gentlemen that prefer no helmet find that a half helmet keeps you from being able to see or react as fast as no helmet? I can agree that a full face helmet can get in the way, all a person has to do is try one on in a shop and try to walk around without knocking anything over! But I don't find any impairment with a half helmet except when going pretty fast. Then it can act like an airplane wing as someone already said.

get what you pay for is usually the case with everything.

i'll give the helmet search another run this season, i'm easily frustrated though.

I know i've about given up on half helmets. I bought a daytona skull cap last year, from my research it was the smallest fitting helmet made to still earn an actual DOT sticker on the back. The halfies that are DOT are typically a BIG mushroom cap, they look dumb as hell & catch all kinds of air & often times end up acting like a parachute strapped to your chin, not cool.

My daytona is better in that regard but it still bugs the hell out of me, plus I believe it's about pointless as a safety device. I personally don't consider it a real helmet. I rarely wear it, when i do I regret it instantly.

I'll check out the Arai brand. Never heard of it.

The only good thing a helmet provides is protection against inclement weather. Rideing a bike with one is like showering with a raincoat on.

I don't buy the argument that a properly fitting helmet is hard to see from/flaps your head around/etc. My experience with an Arai full face helmet is that it significantly enhanced my riding experience compared to a half face helmet with face shield or no helmet. I could see better with the face shield blocking all debris and wind and the helmet was stable and provided less annoying wind buffeting than no helmet at all.

In addition, I don�t buy the specious argument that they are dangerous due to the above factors or the added weight on the head. Those who claim helmets flap and squirm have probably not worn a properly fitting helmet. MC racers all wear full face helmets; I doubt they would do it if they were dangerous.

The bottom line is helmet use will save many more lives than it will take. In addition, just because you 'pay attention' and haven't crashed yet doesn't mean it is due to your superior skill. Yes, many wrecks are avoidable, but some truly are not. My MC safety instructor said that if you ride a bike long enough, you will die on it. The laws of probability dictate it to be a truism (of course it is an equally valid statement if applied to driving cars, crossing the street, taking baths, eating, etc). His job was to teach the skills needed to hopefully push that date far enough in the future that something else gets you first (like old age). Unfortunately, just like in life, they don�t always come in statistical order.

I am opposed to helmet laws. I am opposed to seatbelt laws. I wear helmets and seatbelts not because some bureaucrat told me to, but because I want to for their significant safety benefits. I respect and defend anyone�s choice of no helmet. I understand the freedom and enhanced experience that some claim they get by riding without one. That is a perfectly valid reason to go without a helmet. �The pleasure I derive outweighs the risk I subject myself to.� The same argument could be put forth regarding riding altogether, even with ATGATT. But I disagree with defending the choice via false logic or misinformation. One should base a decision on facts, and not search for �facts� to support their decision.

Edit, the above are my thoughts to the group, and are not directed at Northern Dave or any other member in particular.

under Arai website the Corsair-V caught my eye. What I was looking for was the widest field of view. They call it the "eye port"

that's a big reason why I bitch about the helmets, feels like you have side blinders on.

I'd like to look at one of those in person some time.

Got my first bike in 1967 and didn't own a helmet until forced to by new state law. I now live in Texas where we are free to choose. After working for the Air Force for 34 years and forced to wear a helmet on base it feels really unnatural to ride without so, I most often use a 3/4 model. Wife is an RN so you know what her opinion on the matter is.

I am for the freedom to choose as in Texas. We must be willing to accept responsibility for what we do just as a sky diver, tree stand hunter or someone crossing a road on foot, etc., etc.

Studies often contradict each other. One says to use only Snell approved because that's the higest standard. Others say use only DOT approved because Snell ratings are for high speed racing crashes and not low speed normal driving.

Who the heck knows what will happen? I know of a guy who fell over on his bike in his driveway smacked his head and died! Engine wasn't even running! Should we wear helmets at all times? I say wear them in the shower as falls at home are the most common injury... Not!
Stuff happens! We can't legislate a life free from injury and death.

When I started out, I didn't wear a helmet. One day I turned to say something to my friend and a beetle flew into my ear. His subsequent attempts to carve his intitials into my eardrum convinced me to wear a helmet to keep those of his ilk out of my auditory canal and I acquired a Buco International. A later incident at highway speed ended with a large black smear on the white helmet and a face shield that looked like it had traveled some distance in direct contact with the pavement (which it had). The Buco was retired with my thanks and replaced with a Bell Star (the original with the narrow opening rather than the later one with the huge hole for those who didn't want to turn their head to keep track of things). Then I got married and sold the bike to help pay for the house.

Dave,
I have worn Arai's exclusively for so many years, I can't remember how they compared with the others as far as the field of vision.
I can say that they are super comfortable on long rides or for road racing.
I did a 4 hour endurance race(several) that were held in quite warm conditions- a guy gets very sweaty and tired, but the Arai was still pretty darn comfortable.