Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Grey Thumper wrote:Hmmm, the only portion of my vision that I would think is "impaired" by my full face helmet is the view straight down. It's a risk I'm willing to take since my tank bag isn't really a source of potential threats.

+1, but I miss a little bit of stuff going on above me too. I figure if something falls outta the sky I probably wouldn't be watching for it anyways.

try different helmets. my hjc full face constricted my view much more than my Nolam full face (flip).

wickedrider wrote:I know that this has to be the most idiotic, dumb question in the world, but I have to ask it. One of the knocks on full helmets was supposed to be that it cuts down on vision. Honestly it does, but more peripherally than anything else. My question is whether there is a standard size in face shields or are there some on certain brands of helmets that are larger? Has anyone checked this out before?

uh you should read the thread I started on how I get pissed off in my cage now that ive been riding cause I cant see as much. I have a full face HJC and I can see a ton more than in my car. it really pisses me off when I cant see around the windowshield columns (that would be those impossible to see through pieces on the left and right side of the windshield helping to hold the windshield in as well as keep the driver and passenger windows in a track). i have actually noticed I have to move my head and body to be able to see around those. Never have to do that with a bike. Yeah I gotta move my head to see the cars but you have to do that with a car as well but sometimes in a car you have to move your whole body whereas a bike you dont.

Don't you test drive cars before you buy them?

My car, a convertible, has some nasty blind spots with the top up - but I test drove it before I bought it and was fully aware of the issue before purchase.

I have both half helmets and several Arai Quantum full face helmets. My perihperal vision and my situational awareness are noticably better with a half helmet or no helmet - and I find that I really have to crank my head around to get a good rear view with a full face on. I bugs me sometimes because I learned long ago to NEVER trust my mirrors and ALWAYS do head checks so I turn my head quite a bit.

However, my head and face are exponentially safer in a full face.

Life is full of trade-offs.

Sometimes I wear horse blinders with my no helmet just to annoy safety nazis.

Flting Duck wrote:Don't you test drive cars before you buy them?

My car, a convertible, has some nasty blind spots with the top up - but I test drove it before I bought it and was fully aware of the issue before purchase.

I have both half helmets and several Arai Quantum full face helmets. My perihperal vision and my situational awareness are noticably better with a half helmet or no helmet - and I find that I really have to crank my head around to get a good rear view with a full face on. I bugs me sometimes because I learned long ago to NEVER trust my mirrors and ALWAYS do head checks so I turn my head quite a bit.

However, my head and face are exponentially safer in a full face.

Life is full of trade-offs.

uh whats up with the dont you test drive comment???? thats just stupid if you dont test drive. I got my vehicle about 4 years before I got my bike so I had no idea about the blind spot part until I got my bike and noticed it. Plus I ride my bike way more than I drive my van since I got it.

as for full face helment turning to see behind you well you turn just as far on a bike as you do in a vehicle. It just seems like you turn more because you have this big "O Ring" thing on your head.

*edit I should say it never clicked in my brain as a blind spot until I started riding.