Nineteen years ago I T-boned a car on the highway who ran a stop sign. Shattered my right femur, cracked my pelvis and screwed up my shoulder. I was wearing a full face KBC helmet and still had dental reconstructive surgery with a broken jaw. Five years later I had a rear tire blow out while speeding through a curve that sent me forty yards through two chain link fences and into a kids swing set. Compound fractured my left femur and screwed my pinky finger up. I was wearing a full face helmet and it was scratched/cut all to hell. Those two helmets saved my skull and kept me alive.


I've worked roadway crashes for the past ten years and have had the unfortunate business of watching several men and women die from motorcycle crashes due to head trauma. I hook up A.E.D's and perform CPR but it always ends the same when they smash their skull on the road, sidewalk, other vehicles and etc. If your old and don't care anymore then I understand, but if you have something or someone to live for then wear a helmet. The road cares for no one.

 

At charity rides I notice that about 3/4 of the group ride without a helmet and just their leather club vest. I swear I think its riding a big bagger that makes them feel safer. We are the few that ride ATGATT with my wife on her Triumph in Troy Lee design Shoei and me on my Dyna in just a black 3/4. Ms B reminds me all the time that I SHOULD be in my full face but I only wear my Shoei modular when its cold.

I too feel naked without any of my gear. I wear it not really out of fear but as a matter of habit now.

In short, many 'real' Harley owners don't wear helmets but I tend to believe conciencious motorcyclist do.

 

Threads such as these are always very interesting, this helmet debate has raged for as long as I can remember and will still be going on long after I sail on, I fall on the side of individual choice and responsibility. Don't want to wear a helmet, don't. Want to wear one, do so. Either way I don't care. So many in our current society fail to realize that freedom comes with responsibility, you should have the freedom to chose but you will be held accountable to your actions so make choices you can live with.

I'm in my 37th year of street riding, lots of miles and done quite a bit of track riding and I've had a few get-offs over the years while pushing the limits on corner entry and I personally wear an expensive fullface helmet and full armored leather on the street, my choice. With proper insurance coverage Michigan is helmet optional but my experiences tell me that by wearing gear I'm more likely to stand back up and get right back on the bike and since I'm all about riding the bike in the first place wearing full gear works for me, another rider with different experiences may have other opinions, they're free to chose as am I, no laws or regulations should be required.

This idea that because you ride HD you don't wear a fullface and any helmet at all is absurd, group think image driven make-believe drivel. A real motorcyclist does what they want and accepts their choices and doesn't care what anyone else thinks or does. If you ride a motorcycle and are concerned about 'image' or the opinion of someone else I'd question why you really ride, if you ride for the love of the ride and don't give two rips about what anyone else thinks you're doing it right

 

RED I believe that's true. I never wore a lid with my Ultra or Heritage. I am constantly grabbing a 3/4 on the Sporty even though that bike is more likely to get me out of trouble.

I hate helmets and lived in States with and without helmet laws, I prefer the choice. Many times I just get on the bike and go with whatever I am wearing to the store or beach especially I only wear swimming gear and beach attire

I know what the risks are and am willing to take the long odds I won't be one of the 100K out of 6 million that gets a ride to the ER every year,so far so good after 40 years, Especially since I don't live in a highly dense population of a metro area, Don't ride at night, Don't bar hop, Don't seek out twistys to test my limits, and generally don't go on "rides to nowhere" just for the sake of riding. I especially do not test my limits as I don't want to know where they are. Many pucker moments served that purpose

All of that brings odds of a get off down dramatically


What I get a kick out of is the riders who say they will ALWAYS wear a helmet travelling long distances on freeways but won't travelling in the MUCH higher risk block to block city,

 

That has always amused me too.

 

Back in my rice rocket daze I used to wear a full face, I never really cared for them but with high speed and rain they did the job, sucked on the hot day's, skip to now and I wear a half helmet, I have a dot approved model that looks like someone stuck an over turned salad bowl on my head, and I have one of those small novelty helmets that I wear around town with a baseball cap.

 

I've been rocking Full Face lids for 20+yrs:


I get no waves from the bandanna wearing bros. The funny thing is I never see those guys out in the canyon in the mornings when it's in the 30s or 40s on my ride into work.

About 4 years ago I hit some grease in the road on Mt. Hamilton outside of San Jose CA which coated my front tire and caused me to low side my bike. The only rash on my Helmet was on the chin bar. Had I been wearing a half helmet or even 3/4 my face would've been F'ed up! Because I was pretty well geared up, I was able to walk away from the crash (about a mile before the sheriff picked me up and gave me a ride to call the tow truck).

This helmet represents the statistics of where the most common areas of impact are (the Chin Piece) data comes directly from the Hurt Report.



FF without the visor and shades keeps things cool enough when the temps go up. I lived for a decade in FL and LA and if you can take the heat there in a FF you can take the heat anywhere.

 

I'm 26 now and have been riding since I was 12 or 13; riding street since I was 18 or 19. I've always worn full-face helmets up until recently when I decided to try out a 3/4 helmet. I actually prefer it so much more because it's obviously more comfortable and "open" but deep down I know better than to wear anything less than a quality full-face. I was thinking of at least getting a Gringo or something similar. I will never ride with anything less than a good quality 3/4 helmet. Plus, I don't care for the look of a 1/2 helmet.

 

Well, I've had a FF, but I prefer 3/4. My state requires a helmet. I guess a FF is safer, but ... I've got a nice HD / Bell with a face shield and I feel safe. A good helmet really makes a difference. I can't see the soup bowl thing.

 

I don't like a helmet but when i do choose to wear its FF or nothing. 1/2s are worthless and 3/4 are awesome if you don't mind grinding your face off in a slide. Im from a no helmet state where 99% don't wear. I don't wear when average day time temps are 75F plus.