Picked up one of these yesterday for my friend. I kept showing her the black ones and she kept coming back to this one, so we bought it. I want her to start coming along so might as well get her something that she likes. Only problem is she saw the matching Joe Rocket jacket while we where at the store. I guess I better start saving up for that as well.

 

You know what they say....one of the few things in life that we can truly call our own is our decisions.....good, no so good, or whatever the outcome. Experience usually drives our decision making. But even with experience to justify a certain decision, sometimes we choose to go in a different direction for a multitude of reasons.

So it is for all the gear, all the time...to include the FF helmet discussion in this thread. Some wear it, some don't. Once a rider hits the asphalt or the rocks for the first time with his/her skin, or his/her face area, shoulder, knee, or hand, the decision-making process regarding wearing protective gear seems to change. Most of this mental back-and- forth occurs in the hospital bed..or the doctor's office...as the rider wonders why he/she didn't do this or that or wear this or that. Worse, he looks over at his bruised and injured wife and wonders why he didn't insist that she wear the gear.

"But you can still get injured or killed with all the gear on"....yes you can. But the gear greatly mitigates the injury potential and that's why it's a good thing. Look at the baseball catcher's gear. How many times does he get hit in the knees, face, or even the chest with the ball? Not very many times if at all. But he still wears the gear because the severity of just one incident makes the wearing of the gear worth the extra effort it takes to put it on for each and every game. Each bike ride you take is like a single pitch. Will it be this pitch that makes the catcher glad he has the gear on today?

Crash research tells us that most crashes occur at intersections, usually involving a car turning left or otherwise pulling-out in front of the motorcycle. Research also tells us that the number one cause of motorcycle crashes is the rider's inability to negotiate a turn. There are a lot of intersections and curves out there. The odds that you will crash at some point are pretty good, regardless of your amount of experience or bike control skills. Sometimes it's just out of your control to effectively respond to another persons decision to pull into your path of travel at the last second.

Someone once said that "Motorcycle riding is not inherently dangerous, but it is very, very, unforgiving." Keep this in mind when choosing your gear...and especially the gear for your wife, child, girl friend, or whomever the passenger may be. The right kind of gear is usually pretty comfortable, but you get what you pay for that's for sure.

My hat is off to the guys that man-up and wear the gear, and insist that their passengers wear it as well. To those that elect to bear it in the wind, unprotected, I pray that you never have to feel the sting and permanent indentures from contact with asphalt and rocks. I pray that as you insist you don't need earplugs today, that you will be able to find the hearing aids you will need in the future.

I post these comments for one simple reason..hoping they will help someone think and possibly make a better decision than some decisions that I made earlier in my riding life. Enjoy life, do all you can to preserve it, and enjoy your motorcycle.

It's all about decision making. Make a good one.

 

I have been reading this thread and am totally amazed! I have been posting pretty much the same thoughts for several years. But my comments usually resulted in responses such as 'you must look like a power ranger' or 'you must be scared'.

My quess is that some of the people making those kind of comments have reconsidered their opinion. Perhaps because they have had accidents and have a different set of priorities, they have tried FF helmets and discovered the helmets are not as bad as they thought, or some of them might be dead. This is something we all face.

Or perhaps due to the number of posts by people not against FF helmets some people don't feel like knocking them? Anyway I only post now to suggest that anyone still undecided should give helmets a serious thought. They really aren't that bad. And even if they are the helmet is usually only worn for a few minutes, or perhaps hours, at a time. A few times a day. Death, or even worse a brain injury, is always and forever.

And if you don't believe me, read some of the other posts in this thread.

Ron

 

Good post Joe.

let's all keep praying......and enjoying our bikes.

and have a Sam Adams.

those three are always a good decision

 

Well after reading all 12 pages of this post I have decided to buy a FF helmet.
The winds been bugging me for a while now, and all the little rocks from trucks aren't the most fun.

Now just to pick one out......

 

yeah; but you'd look like Darth Vader on a bike - can't get much cooler than that

 

Well stated, Joe and an excellent reminder. Don't want to hijack the thread or start a debate, but I see a lot of folks who trust in loud pipes and modulating head and tail lights to help protect them. As you correctly state, the stats show that it is rare for a bike to get rearended - the direction in which both the pipes and the taillight would be most helpful.

Add pipes and modulators if you like - that's not my point. But don't believe they're a substitute for proper equipment. I'll admit I rarely wear chaps/leathers in the Florida heat, and sometimes ride in a shortsleeve shirt, but I always wear my boots, helmet, gloves, earplugs, and eye protection. Wish I'd worn the earplugs years ago so my dam ears didn't ring all the time now.

 

I guess it might be worth it to spend the money. I bought a $80 AFX-FX90 FF and I can't say I really like it. It felt like it restricted my head movement and visibility. That might just be because I'm use to a non DOT polo.

 

honeslty there is alot of good reviews on ff helemts on youtube. personally I have an X-11 when I bought it it was the top of the line shoei put out (now they have the X-12), now I bought mine because of the ventilation (arguably the best on the market) since it's my favorite helmet and I live in the south I wanted something that breaths well nad it does it amazed me the first few times I used it, now I won't wear any of my other helmets. a good helmet will cost a bit but it's worth it. and by the way, the x - 11 is resonable priced now adays . ride safe

 

try Shark Evoline. I have one and liked it so much. Its a Full face that can be transform to three quarter with a flip of a chin bar.