HALF, OPEN OR FULL HELMET FOR A CRUISER RIDER ?

[rnr262]

I have two HJC helmets, on half, and one full face. I had bought the half last summer due to the heat, but have decided full face is the only way for me to go. I hate to say it, but it was Big Ben's accident that got me to thinking about my chin. (I wore it most of the time anyway)

I agree with the others... your face, your decision.

[canuckerjay]

I've always worn a full face on my old sport and standard bikes. Always thought I'd wear one.

Now that I'm on a cruiser, I found myself wondering what the appeal is of a beanie. After the first really hot weekend this year, I decided to go buy one and now it's what I ride with most of the time. Bugs bounce off the skin most of the time. Sand does hurt, though. But overall, it makes for a better experience, albeit; a more dangerous one.

Decide on your own priorities of comfort vs. safety vs. being fully exposed to the wind, smells and sounds.

[M109R]

Straight from the Hurt Study http://www.magpie.com/nycmoto/hurt.html

51. The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.

53. Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.

Check out that 53% stat when you think wearing an open-face helmet is ok.

Also, for the short trip open face folks:

12. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.

16. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

[dynamike]

I guess I'm going to be the only one here that says it.

I don't like helmets and try not to wear one when I can. When I have to wear one, I have a 1/2 skid lid also known as a beanie.

I ride about 12,000 miles a year on my HD Police Cruiser (kinda ironic, huh?). The bugs and pebbles that aren't stopped by windsheild are part of the experience when riding.

It's all about your level of risk and what you're comfortable with. I have a couple of buddies that will wear DOT helmets. They don't lecture me and I don't lecture them. It's a matter of personal choice.

[avoidalliteration]

I wear a full-face as well... that way when you stall at a light, you can thank it for preserving your anonymity =P

Seriously though, I wear contacts, so even keeping my visor up when I go faster than 20 mph dries them out like crazy.

[Big B]

53. Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.

Check out that 53% stat when you think wearing an open-face helmet is ok.

what's your point? that's of riders not wearing any helmet. wearing an open face helmet is ok, the only time i wear my full face is in inclimate weather (rain, cold temps, plague of locust type "poo poo"), otherwise i've got the beanie on which is a hell of a lot better than no helmet. you can quote that report all you want, but you've yet to provide more than speculation about the difference between helmets.

[jonnythan]

what's your point? that's of riders not wearing any helmet. wearing an open face helmet is ok, the only time i wear my full face is in inclimate weather (rain, cold temps, plague of locust type "poo poo"), otherwise i've got the beanie on which is a hell of a lot better than no helmet. you can quote that report all you want, but you've yet to provide more than speculation about the difference between helmets.

I think his point was that they simply don't plan on getting in an accident that involves their heads.. much like you probably don't plan on getting in an accident that involves your face when you wear an open face helmet.

[M109R]

I am in complete agreement with personal preference as long as the person making the decision has had a chance to be properly informed of the risks (i.e. the stats above) and possible consequences of their decision.

If you want to take the risk of having your head smashed on the road or your jaw ripped off with your permanently road-rash scarred face be my guest. The risk is that you only get one strike and no mulligans. Before riding helmetless/open face, I highly encourage you to visit you local rehabilitation/nursing home facility in your area to see what happens to those who survive the helmetless/open-face wrecks. They are way underrepresented in the news and these posts. Too bad we don't get to hear from all of those not wearing the proper equipment who wrecked and how they feel about their preventable permanent scars/disabilities or new graveside locale.

I look at riding as an activity of leisure and relaxation that I would like to do for many many years. I also know that the longer you ride the more chance you ultimately will encounter the unexpected stupid accident. Yeah, you might be better prepared than the newbie but it will most likely be something out of your control (i.e. drunk driver, cell-phone cager.)

Hopefully, none of us reading this will ever experience that, but if one of us does, I hope they have the best chance of survival/protection they can get.

[asiantay]

No time to read all the replies, so forgive me.

Speaking from experience, a full face HJC and a 30 mph collision with a old chevy van left me with a shattered arm and a twice-fractured jaw.

That is WITH a helmet. You decide.

[Mag7C]

Full face. If I had been wearing a 3/4 or less I'd have lost teeth at the LEAST. Instead I just got a nasty bruise across half my jaw that disappeared after a few days.

A fall is a fall. Fall off a sportbike, cruiser, out of a car... the ground doesn't care where you came from.