I wear a helmet only when I'm in states that require it, otherwise never. Also, when I'm planning a trip, I always keep my *** & $$$ out of helmet law states whenever possible.

I totally respect individual choice to wear or not wear one, but having some pencil-necked pinhead that's never been on a bike in his life telling me I have to - screw that!

 

Well maybe they just didn't feel like pulling over after riding for hours to take it off. Or just maybe the have no where to put it. When I travel outside of SC I have to take one because the 2 border states feel as though they should tell me what to wear. With that said, I just put one on and wear it my whole trip depending which bike I am on. If on the Ultra I have somewhere to put it. If the Heritage is cruising and I am loaded down then guess what, I wear it from the house. Personally, I get tired of all the whiners about posers. Who gives a ****? I am personally glad to see more bikes on the road. Maybe cages will get a little more used to us being out there and quit putting us in boxes.

 

so, a sticker makes them a poser? WOW, guess I won't dare to put any on my helmet!

 

Hard for me to remember how long ago it was that I actually had a sticker on one my non-DOT helmets! Some things just ain't worth worrying about. "Live and let ride".......

 

I was in a crash once in Tennessee. I was required to wear a helmet there so I didn't think much about either way, I just wore one. It was a 3/4. Long story short, the bike I was riding belonged to a friend and I didn't know that the front brakes were intermittent. I was a kid at the time so information such as that was somewhat "optional".

Anyway, I made a mistake turning into a rocked driveway and flipped the bike. Head hit first followed by my back, then legs, and finally toes. Rocks took out several big gouges in the helmet, and the rest of my unprotected body paid the price in contusions, scrapes, embedded gravel, and sprains...plus the loss of a couple of toe nails (only had on cloth tennis shoes).

So, all that said, I will always remember how that felt. Regardless of the law, my personal choice is to wear the equipment. I am not interested in "fitting in" or trying to emulate some kind of stereotypic persona. I just want to ride and get home in one piece if I can. That's all. To each his own regarding choices allowed by law.

 

When we lived in Nebraska, we had to wear helmets. I found them a great distraction and they made me feel less safe, especially in heavy traffic.

 

I wear a full face helmet 100% of the time. Through Death Valley in the afternoon and and anywhere else. Don't have time to find out what laws are in the States that I am going through. May not even know what State that I am in as I just saw a road that looked interesting and turned onto it. Wound up into Canada that way once in the 80's. Stopped at a sign at a guard house and a big fellow with a handle bar mustache asked me what my plans for visiting Canada were. When I told him that I didn't know that I was in Canada. I just saw a neat looking bridge and decided to cross it. He stared at me for a while and then said to move on.

Wear protective jackets, boots, gloves and pants. I value every part that I have. Found riding in the desert at 100 to 120 degrees in bright sun is far more comfortable with a jacket on.

Do whatever you want as I don't give a crap. But I'm 71 and plan to ride until I'm 101. The gear just may help me get there.

 

Full-face helmets and 3/4 helmets with shields make me feel claustrophopic. And beanie helmets? Why bother, really. I choose not to wear a brain bucket whenever possible.

 

Feds told the states to pass seatbelt laws or lose highway funds. Our seatbelt law up here is passive, they can't stop you for seatbelts but can ticket you if stopped for other moving offense.

For you guys in helmet states - does passing a law to make you buy a helmet any different than passing a law to make you buy health insurance? Just saying.

 

I kinda see the irony.