Topic: Helmets?

[calj737]

Riding skills and gear are both important.
..and the instructor was like a drill Seargent.
...going down a steep hill side that went into a hair pin turn like waterslide.

Just so Scottly doesn't grammar check you, Chewy, I made some corrections for you. Our thumbs must be related? 

[chewbacca5000]

Riding skills and gear are both important.
..and the instructor was like a drill Seargent.
...going down a steep hill side that went into a hair pin turn like waterslide.

Just so Scottly doesn't grammar check you, Chewy, I made some corrections for you. Our thumbs must be related? 

Maybe I will hire to be my editor when I get my site up.  I seem to type like a guy doing hockey without ice skates with my legs going in different directions.  Thanks for saving me from a potentially lethal gramer burn. ha,ha,ha

[Stev-o]

I didn't realise we were putting the hat around for Digger's family, I'll donate directly.

Here's the link, Terry.  Thx.

https://www.gofundme.com/roberthaag?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n

[scottly]

I remember a time when helmet manufacturers couldn't get insurance due to a problem with full face helmets causing broken necks in crashes. I wonder if that issue has been addressed?

Terry, the consensus was that full face helmets actually reduced neck injuries, as they transferred the force across the shoulders, rather than the neck. However, full face helmets were found to increase the likelihood of a broken collar bone for the same reason. Personally, I'd rather have a broken collar bone than a broken neck.

[Terry in Australia]

I beg to differ Scott, the problem with full face helmets is that if you land on your face with an open face helmet, your face takes the impact, whereas with a full face helmet the rigid chin guard transfers the impact forces to your neck.

When we went from open face helmets to full face helmets in the 1970's, the incidence of paralysis or death from broken necks went up exponentially, to the point where Bell helmets couldn't get public liability insurance, and almost stopped manufacturing full face helmets.

It's still a problem now, but once again, it's a risk most riders would probably take, as opposed to sliding down the road on their faces. I actually like wearing my open face helmet, but I'm not pretty..... 

[chewbacca5000]

I beg to differ Scott, the problem with full face helmets is that if you land on your face with an open face helmet, your face takes the impact, whereas with a full face helmet the rigid chin guard transfers the impact forces to your neck.

When we went from open face helmets to full face helmets in the 1970's, the incidence of paralysis or death from broken necks went up exponentially, to the point where Bell helmets couldn't get public liability insurance, and almost stopped manufacturing full face helmets.

It's still a problem now, but once again, it's a risk most riders would probably take, as opposed to sliding down the road on their faces. I actually like wearing my open face helmet, but I'm not pretty..... 

Facial scars are manly!  Why hid them.  I got a nice big one under my eye got it when I was a kid ridding my bicycle and ran into a chunk of metal hanging off a pickup truck, and no I was not wearing a helmet.  Back then kids could play in their yard without parental supervision too.  We also rode in the back of the pickup and drank coke and pop rocks! 

[calj737]

One man's opinion...

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/most-common-motorcycle-myths-debunked-part-4-47496.html

[BobbyR]

At 15 I had a serious bicycle accident at probably 30 mph. I went over the handlebars. I somehow got my hands out, but the side of my face did contact the pavement. I got some severe road rash from my cheek to my chin, my hands were chewed up. Full face and gloves for me.

I do admit riding without a helmet has a nice feel to it, but it makes no real sense if you look at the bigger picture. 

[754]

When I was 15 I wished I could hit thirty on a bicycle..

When I was around 40 i flipped my moped...landed in sitting position, cept my heels caught first, flipping me face first into the pavement at around 18 mph.. Hit facefirst so hard my feet came about two feet off the ground! Full face would have helped that day........ But I had no helmet on.....
 A few stitches in the face, drinking thru a straw, and on crutches for a day or two, soon i was on the mend...

[BobbyR]

When I was 15 I wished I could hit thirty on a bicycle..

When I was around 40 i flipped my moped...landed in sitting position, cept my heels caught first, flipping me face first into the pavement at around 18 mph.. Hit facefirst so hard my feet came about two feet off the ground! Full face would have helped that day........ But I had no helmet on.....
 A few stitches in the face, drinking thru a straw, and on crutches for a day or two, soon i was on the mend...

I lived on a steep hill so I could get some speed up. Once I looked human again I went back to doing the same dumb #$%*. I have a way of doing that. 

[Bailgang]

About 2 years ago my Father in law took a spill on a scooter he was "test" riding with no helmet, a car was coming up behind him so he moved over a bit to give the car plenty of room but hit loose gravel when he did and over the bars and down he went. It was a low speed incident but he did a faceplant so hard it gave him a concussion and was in the hospital for a few days. It rang his bell good because it took a good 6 months for him to get his head on straight again.

[754]

My wifes father got into an accident on his scooter, the winshield tore through his jugular....
Dont imagine he suffered long, though it would be terrifying.... A few blocks from home..test ride I think..
Ugggghhhh..

[Terry in Australia]

One man's opinion...

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/most-common-motorcycle-myths-debunked-part-4-47496.html

Thanks Cal, it was interesting that his opinion didn't differentiate between full face and open helmets regarding the "myth" of neck injuries? I noticed that while he mentioned "statistics" and "case studies" to perhaps lend some credence to his article, he didn't actually quote any published studies either, so as well intentioned as I'm sure his article was, it carries no weight, in my opinion...............

Like most threads in these forums, we've all got opinions about what's safe and what's not, so I did some research when I was goofing off at work today, and this case study done by Monash University in the 1990's caught my eye. Monash University is an actual university, located in Melbourne, Australia.

As opposed to opinions, the hard data here dispels a few myths, which will probably disappoint those who kneel at the full face helmet altar, some of which I already knew from previous research, but one thing I found surprising was that there were no big differences in external injuries between folks who were suited up with the best protective clothing, and those who weren't wearing any? Even the amount of abrasions sustained were similar.

All in all, a good, informative read, quite fascinating, if not a little bit scary..............

http://monash.edu/miri/research/reports/atsb174.html

 

[scrapvalue]

Just a quick observation.
All riders who were injured with or without a helmet were injured while riding a motorcycle,(or had just parted company with said motorcycle).
What's dangerous is motorcycles.
I am 58 and have ridden since I was 12.
Raced Motocross since the early 70's.
Have crashed many times, in the dirt and on the road.

More in the dirt, but that is to be expected. But one thing I can tell you is, most if not all of them could have been prevented by me.
Had a car pull in front of me in 1979 and I hit him broadside. totaled the bike. My full face helmet and riding jacket took most all of the abuse. I walked away with a broken wrist.
He was ticketed.
I was going about 50 in a 35 zone. If I would have been doing the speed limit, it wouldn't have happened.

1n 1982 I hit gravel in a corner and went off the road and into the woods. Hit a stump and cart wheeled. Scuffed up but able to walk out. The bike didn't fair so well. I was wearing a helmet.
If I would have been riding at a speed that would have let me correct for the unexpected, I wouldn't have went down.

My point is, ride within your limitations. Leave some room for error and bad road conditions. Don't expect anyone to give you the right of way just because you legally have it.

The dirt is where you really learn the fundamentals of motorcycle handling.
You can't think fast enough to over come problems when they happen at speed. Ride in the dirt until your reflexes take over.

Gear is great, but knowledge will keep you alive longer.

Hopefully my grammar and spelling is good enough for the grammar Nazis.  If not, go screw yourself.

[calj737]

Scrap - I agree 100% with what you wrote. In fact, as harsh as it sounds, I believe about 99% of all motorcycle accidents can be avoided by the rider. True, when you're struck from behind by some dolt, theres almost nothing you can do about it. But people pulling out, turning blindly across, etc. can be avoided by better preparation, speed changes, and lane position.

We may be in "the right" legally, but I'd rather be on the bike and riding away than be "right" and laying on the asphalt. Too frequently we (riders) believe that because we are traveling thru intersections and so on that cars who are supposed to stop, will stop. In a car or on a bike, I ALWAYS remove my foot from the pedal. ALWAYS.

I've never crashed a car or bike. Been hit a few times in a car, but those were from behind and thankfully at slow speeds in heavy traffic. Riding skills and good judgement should never be undervalued and constant skills improvement is a must for anyone who rides regularly (in my opinion).

[chewbacca5000]

When ever I am riding in alot of traffic I try best to make myself visible by moving as close to the center lane as possible.  I want cars to see me and they can't see me if the car ahead of me blocks their vision.  Also, if I see some dummy playing with their phone I give the horn a little toot.  The stock horn is not that loud, but will usually get them to focus. 

The worst is when your going up a hill and car wants to make a left turn, and is anxious to do it.  They can't see the car on the other side of the hill and are not paying attention to me.  In that situation I just lay the horn on.  No way am I going to let someone's carelessness cost me life or limb.  Other times I wave if I feel like they are not watching.

I am lucky as I have option where I live to avoid cars for the most part.  Many riders get killed in busy shopping areas where cars are pulling out into the road.  Friday rush after work is a war zone so I avoid that mess all together.

I am so glad my friends and family convinced to go to motorcycle safety school.

[scrapvalue]

I always pull to the outside of my lane when I am stopped in traffic. Then I watch my mirrors. Always give yourself an escape route.
I think what scares me the most is setting at a stop light with 3 or 4 cars behind you and some idiot on a cell phone hits them and I am sandwiched in the middle.
And I don't scare easy. I get concerned but not scared! 

[DaveBarbier]

Alright thanks for the feeback gents.  And I'm not looking for a cheap helmet, just something affordable in the 200-300 range which looking around seems very possible.  I like the look of that bell revolver, and the fact chin part lifts up as well.  My dad always kept me in the nicest helmets possible, and if it hadn't been for him working at a yamaha dealer, they would have been quite expensive.

I own a Bell Revolver EVO Warp.  I wanted to try a modular helmet.  My only complaints are that it is a somewhat noisy helmet (wind noise) and that it is VERY difficult to slide glasses on when wearing the helmet.

I have the same helmet. I like it but it IS noisy. I'm going to be getting a new helmet next season. Something built better. Also, the internal tinted visor is so light that it pretty much does nothing. I had to get a darker one off eBay. Even that isn't that dark. I honesty like my old Gmax modular better. http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/gmax-gm54s-modular-helmet
Quieter and feels like it's made better than the Bell. Still a cheap helmet though.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I still have a Scorpion EXO-1000 RPM that fits well and is quiet -- much better than my Bell Revolver EVO Warp. 

My favorite is still my Arai.

[Killer Canary]

These are wildly popular here in the colonies:
/www.google.ca/search?q=german+motorcycle+helmet&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&imgil=JBSvClnxFcvGJM%253A%253BgaV-ArAoBf9LcM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.familygokarts.com%25252Fshop
The Sepp Dietrich Panzerfaust.
Available with the upgraded scorch marks and bullet holes at a slight extra expense.
Thousands of sunny Sunday bad-asses won't steer you wrong.

[ofreen]

Thousands of sunny Sunday bad-asses won't steer you wrong.

What's not to like about this?

[Killer Canary]

Common decency?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Sheer lunacy . . . .

[chewbacca5000]

Sheer lunacy . . . .

It is a great picture though.  The passenger will be known as one ear if he does not get a helmet.

[Retro Rocket]

Sheer lunacy . . . .

It is a great picture though.  The passenger will be known as one ear if he does not get a helmet.

Not to mention the chip on his shoulder....