Sportsters are really forgiving. I've released the rear brake many times after the back has broken loose. Instead of high-siding like they say you will do, my 1200 custom has always just stood back up. Love my bike!

 

Maneuverability and quickness are exactly why I bought a Sportster. Love my bike.

I don't care how hot it is, how uncool it is or how bad the "helmet hair" is, my head is covered. I've had a wreck with no helmet, never again. I like what's left of my brains.

 

I wear a full face helmet, looks badass, deff worth it and you dont get annoyed by bugs hitting u in thr face or wind

 

ive had a near close call that was similar, as a trucked slide through a stop light on a greasy road as i approached.

regardless, ive always worn full face, whether on the sportster or my sv. i totaled a low rider once and the roll bar dragged me through gravel. i looked at the helmet, and without that chin guard i realized id have no mouth.

 

Glad it was just a 'close call'.

Wear whatever you're comfortable wearing.
I wear a FF, started out with the half helmet but never liked it and they really don't do you much good in a crash anyway. Personally i think they FF looks 'cooler' than half-helmets. Add in the fact that the damn thing feels like it's pulling off of your head at highway speeds and you're deaf by the time you get anywhere and it's an easy choice. I still support the rider's discretion to choose their own personal level of protection.
I'll just wear sunglasses if i'm not going on the highway, but if my trip includes goin faster than 40mph... i'm rockin the SHOEI. Pretty much always wear boots, jeans, and Loser-Machine "Death Grip" gloves.
I have any Alpinestars vented jacket that i wear when it isn't "miserable hot" outside (aka Spring/Fall)

 

 

Wow! That was a close call!
We don't have helmet laws in Florida, but....
I choose to wear a 3/4 DOT approved Bell Custom 500 helmet. It's not the coolest thing in the world but it keeps my head safe.

 

Which is less cool, wearing a helmet or wearing a burial suit in a casket?

 

Helmets are like seat belts and air bags. They are added insurance but no guarentee of survival in an accident. You have to weigh your risk and decide based on that. I know of where a moped rider turned a corner hit the curb and wacked his head on the curb and didn't survive. Thats why i wear at least a half. I ordered a 3/4 for cooler weather and less noise.

If you find yourself worrying all the time about your safety as a rider then maybe you should find something else to do. I figure when my time is up i really have no say in the matter. I do have a say in enjoying the moment i'm in day by day. I am willing to say that most 800+lb bagger drivers aren't capable of controlling that much a machine when things go bad and locally speaking the majority of biker fatalies this year that i've seen on the news were baggers regretfully.

Ride safe and trust nobody on the road with you.

 

I was involved in a situation a couple Friday's ago between Sundance WY and Devil's Tower WY, during the Sturgis rally.
This moron just kept creeping into my lane,(we was riding staggered) no signals on, no brake light on, and decided to stop in my lane.
I yelled at him, hit the brakes, starting high siding, and realized I was gonna hit him sideways. *** that!!

In that instant of realizing that, I let go of both brakes and also in that instant, I straightened out immediately!!
This gave me the space to miss him..due to the front end being where it was aimed at, which was away from him.

As soon as I straightened out, I throttled down hard and missed him by 6 inches, as there were bikes on my tail too and I had to compensate for momentum lost, as I did not want to cause a wreck either.

Had I not hit the brakes started to high side(sideways) and then let go of the brakes I would have hit him sideways.

Had I had ABS I probably would have rear-ended him.
So there's so much for riding out a high side as far as I'm concerned.
*** that..