I am looking for a new helmet and thought I would look here for your opinions. So I am left with two basic questions.

1. Does a half helmet really provide any protection?

2. Regarding half helmets, alot of you like the ACC DOT helmets, but is there enough padding and protection compared to some of the offerings by HD? It just seems like the helmet is pretty thin.

I appreciate any of your comments and your experiences.

Thanks.

 

i HAVE HEARD GOOD STUFF ABOUT ACC HELMETS ,I have a buddy that rides with one .I am not ready for a new helmet right now but next year i might be anyway i would think about one. I have a harley halfthe one that is flat black and has the sorta flip in the back sorta like a football helmet.
and a harley basic with the ear flaps for when it gets colder( It is really old) when it gets winter cold i have a full face HJC cheapy I should have bought a shoei or a arai

 

Ask yourself, "why am I wearing a helmet?" If it is only to satisfy a helmet law then the half- helmet will work. If you want to protect your noggin then get at least a 3/4 helmet. Me? I always use a full-face Arai. I want all the protection I can get if the unexpected happens.

 

Anything less than a full-face helmet is not the greatest - obviously your face/jaw are exposed to whatever you may encounter heaven forbid you go down.

Some half helmets are better made than others of course - as far as thickness of the inner padding/lining for example. The HJC ishalf helmetI wear that I feel is more substantial and probably gives more protection in the areas it does cover than alot of the beanie style helmets seen. Of course 3/4 is the next best as said above.

 

Just sent back an ACC Helmet. Although very light in weight it was also light in padding and I found the inside of the helmet to be very cheap for the money. I had expected a lot more for the money.

 

I have one of each, winter/ summer. Happy with both

 

You bet if does.Last year had to bail off my Harley and did a tuck forward rollonto an asphalt road at 35-40 mph. Scrapes all over the top of my helmetand no damage to my head. Without the half helment, my skull would have been fractured and would probably be drooling and have some kind of brain damage. Might have even killed me. Don't ride without somekind of helmet. It's not worth it. Just my two cents, but to each his own.

 

.02worth. Anything less then a full helmet only provides padding and keeps it in relatively one piece. Which is why i only wear a 1/2.

 

If you want a 1/2 helmet, I have had great luck with my Vega. I have been wearing it for the last three years and have a lot of miles on it. I also have an HJC full lid that is a very good lid.

About whether or not you want to wear 1/2, 3/4, or full.....I dunno. I read a study that was done about motorcycle crash deaths and it said that (if I remember right) over 75% of fatalities where related to damage done to the face and jaw area. If that report is accurate, I guess it would only make sense to wear a full lid. The other side of that is, I like the fresh air that I get from a 1/2 lid. And yeah, somebody is gonna say that wearing a 1/2 lid is like wearing nothing, but I actually wear it more to protect the top of my melon from flying debris that might make it past the windshield. And. if the stars are aligned and I ain't packing any REAL bad karma, it might even help in a crash.

Good luck, man. It's an age old question that will live forever and all boils down topersonal choice.

 

I like my Carbon Fiber half helmet. I guess by others opinions I am tempting fate, I just cant deal with anything other than a half.