17 reasons not to wear a helmet.

[98valk]

http://enginessociety.com/17-reasons-no-one-ever-put-helmet/

[..]

 

[Jess from VA]

And also the corollary:    If you have a five dollar head, by all means wear a five dollar helmet.

[cookiedough]

number one reason is you own a HD cycle.

I bet 90% of HD riders do not wear helmets around me.

[John Schmidt]

I've always maintained wearing a helmet isn't nearly as restrictive as a wheelchair the rest of your life....or a bed.

[old2soon]

I've always maintained wearing a helmet isn't nearly as restrictive as a wheelchair the rest of your life....or a bed.

Coma and casket also come to mind. RIDE SAFE.

[hubcapsc]

My buddy Lance's face shield looked like this when he fell off of his
Trail-70 when we were 13.



Riding anywhere, even up to the paved part of my dead-end road, without my
helmet seems weird now. I'm so used to putting on my gloves and helmet, I
do it when I ride from one building to another in the research park where I work.

-Mike

[Chrisj CMA]

You don't need a helmet if you concentrate on keeping your head off the pavement if you go down.  That way you don't get a broken neck from the weight of the helmet

[98valk]

I must admit, I always wear a helmet, but not always a full face. warmer temps I tend towards a DOT half helmet.

[Gryphon Rider]

You don't need a helmet if you concentrate on keeping your head off the pavement if you go down.  That way you don't get a broken neck from the weight of the helmet

If you have the strength, reflexes, situational awareness, and concentration to keep your head off the pavement in all types of get-offs, you're so awesome you'll never crash in the first place.

[old2soon]

My Brother lives in Illinois which leaves helmet or not up to the rider. Even back in the 70s when I lived in Illinois I helped defeat the law that DEMANDED helmet use. I do not believe any one over 18 should be FORCED to wear a helmet. Some of y'all won't agree with me and that's alright. I've raced and I KNOW the value of a helmet. When I ride in helmet choice states I CHOOSE to wear my brain bucket. And I've heard most if not all of the excuses Not to wear one. It Should after all be up to the individual whether or not his head is important to him or his family. I was Extremely fortunate when I went down August 2016. ONLY a broken ankle. It Could have been MUCH MUCH worse. I give my Brother hell about Not using one at times and he gives me hell for using my half shell. I also have a 3/4 and a full face. Truth be told the full face is still a bit too warm even when it's 30 degrees out. Anybody here remember when janet reno wanted seat belts on motorcycles? RIDE SAFE.

[Gryphon Rider]

Truth be told the full face is still a bit too warm even when it's 30 degrees out.

Boy, you're a real Hot Head! 

I wear a full-face until it's distractingly too hot.  I bought a white helmet partly for heat reflection rather than absorption. On a trip, I may or may not have two helmets with me, one full, one half.

[hubcapsc]

Truth be told the full face is still a bit too warm even when it's 30 degrees out.

Boy, you're a real Hot Head! 

I wear a full-face until it's distractingly too hot.  I bought a white helmet partly for heat reflection rather than absorption. On a trip, I may or may not have two helmets with me, one full, one half.

I wear my full face and feel lucky to have it, especially in hot hot temps... we were
out for about 10 days on the Arkansas InZane ride... I remember filling up, standing
in the hot sun, on the way back and when I put on my helmet... ahh... shade!

Smokin' Joe was miserable, his scalp got sun burned...

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

Truth be told the full face is still a bit too warm even when it's 30 degrees out.

Boy, you're a real Hot Head! 

I wear a full-face until it's distractingly too hot.  I bought a white helmet partly for heat reflection rather than absorption. On a trip, I may or may not have two helmets with me, one full, one half.

I wear my full face and feel lucky to have it, especially in hot hot temps... we were
out for about 10 days on the Arkansas InZane ride... I remember filling up, standing
in the hot sun, on the way back and when I put on my helmet... ahh... shade!

Smokin' Joe was miserable, his scalp got sun burned...

-Mike

Yeah, I wear a full face all year. Even @ 128*

[Beardo]

Just to note...I changed from a smoked visor to a mirrored visor on my helmet and it made it MUCH cooler, it reflects the heat.

[98valk]

Truth be told the full face is still a bit too warm even when it's 30 degrees out.

Boy, you're a real Hot Head! 

I wear a full-face until it's distractingly too hot.  I bought a white helmet partly for heat reflection rather than absorption. On a trip, I may or may not have two helmets with me, one full, one half.

I've also ride with the FF without the face shield wearing safety sunglasses. Has worked out pretty good even in 95+ F (35+C) days.

[Valkorado]

I like my Shark.  That said, I'd bet this guy



could provide some strong insight on the subject.

If you're concerned about looking uncool, you can always go the skin helmet route.



EDIT: I'm also a believer in personal choice.  I'm guessing it would be pretty difficult keeping your head of the asphalt in a split second accident.  Even if you have neck muscles like this.

[..]

Read a report a while ago stating that 60% of head impacts are jaw and lower face.

After that no more open face helmets for me.

[mark81]

Read a report a while ago stating that 60% of head impacts are jaw and lower

After that no more open face helmets for me.

I had considered getting a modular helmet for hydration purposes on the road then I remember I had a full face helmet on when I was hit. Still got some broken and chipped teeth.  I was told if I hadn't been wearing the helmet my teeth would've been fine.



I don't think vegetables care about their teeth. 

[98valk]

Read a report a while ago stating that 60% of head impacts are jaw and lower face.

After that no more open face helmets for me.

see helmet with % impact areas in thread, it is not 60%. maybe u were remembering this from below "indicated that about 60% of accidents happen beyond the coverage normally provided by 1/2 or 3/4 helmets"

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/an-interesting-helmet-perspective.1053399/

[Willow]

I almost always wear a helmet when I ride.  There are times otherwise.  My life has been spared at least twice by helmets and I appreciate the good a helmet does.  I strongly support that it should be the choice of the rider without undue pressure.

I reject the argument presented for a couple of reasons.  It is basically an appeal to emotion rather than logic.  There are some ugly damages to those lids that would've been on someone's head but there is no display of a sampling of the hundreds of thousands of helmets retired without a scratch.  We all know of someone who went down helmetless at seventy-five with only minor injuries.  We also knew riders who went down helmeted and died.

The other small issue is that the visual argument presented against riding without a helmet could just as easily be presented by a non-rider as an argument against riding a motorcycle at all.  Life is dangerous.  We all decide what we are willing to risk and what precautions we are willing to take to do what we desire to do.  We, as motorcyclists, are already on the right side of the scale.

[cookiedough]

I wonder how many modular helmets flip open in an accident when flying off the bike hitting head of pavement, etc.?  I know mine is very easy to unlatch and guessing hitting pavement would flip it open very easily. 

I know full face helmets are best for protection, but I will not give up my modular helmet for I drink (water and pop) and drive every single time even on shorter 20 mile trips when coming into towns slowing down or stopped.   Best 20 buck accessory ever spent each on my barefoot willie cupholders one on each handlebar. 

[vanagon40]

. . . . We all decide what we are willing to risk and what precautions we are willing to take to do what we desire to do. We, as motorcyclists, are already on the right side of the scale.

That's my theory.

Some folks (e.g., my son-in-law) are ATGATT. Some are flip-flops and no helmet. Some believe that a motorcycle becomes unsafe if a tire is plugged or patched.

Personally, I have worn a helmet always since 1982. It has been a wasted effort as I have never crashed. It is also likely that my current helmets are so old that I don't have much protection if I do crash.

I remember that seat belt use was not common until the 1980s. In the late 70s and early 80s, I remember the safety meetings and films where the police officer would state he had never unbuckled a dead man. Now that almost everyone wears seat belts, I would assume it is not uncommon to find a person who died despite wearing a seat belt.

[fudgie]

You don't need a helmet if you concentrate on keeping your head off the pavement if you go down.  That way you don't get a broken neck from the weight of the helmet

If you have the strength, reflexes, situational awareness, and concentration to keep your head off the pavement in all types of get-offs, you're so awesome you'll never crash in the first place.

You'd be surprised at what a rider going down can do. Had a guy on a HD hit a deer on the interstate. He rode out the downed bike 3-5 semi lengths before he departered the bike.  We believe he was on top of the bike the whole distance before he split his head open, which made him come off the bike.

[cookiedough]

I doubt most all of us cannot control our neck/head muscles well enough to NOT hit our head on the pavement while going down at higher speeds.  I know once I get airborne doing any type of tiny jumps where my body leaves the ground,  I am pretty uncontrollable of my entire body.   I do not think many Valkyrie riders are gymnast. 

As far as wearing seat belts in vehicles,  I am in the minority here, but that should be optional as well.  I can see both sides of that story as well, especially with all the sue happy people in this world where if say they cause an accident and say I am not wearing my seat belt and get injured,   the other parties insurance will say I am too blame for my own medical bills for not wearing a seat belt.  If my vehicle did not beep at me for not wearing a seat belt,  I probably would not buckle up for the 10 dollar ticket police give to unbuckled drivers is not much of a deterrent.  I avoid the nearby town since they patrol the main hwy. road 24/7 almost and every week you see 5-6 seat belt violations by their officers in the paper. 

Same as helmet use or wearing shorts and t-shirt while riding,  my body, my choice.  If others want to spend 100s on leathers and _ss-chaps,  go for it. 

[Firefighter]

Seen all kinds of car and motorcycle crashes, usually when the rider falls to the side his head is like the head of a hammer and slams the pavement hard, and of coarse that is only his first impact. I believe helmets nearly always help. In a car head on crash of much severity if you choose not to wear your seat belt after the air bag deploys your body will rotate under the bag and if you are lucky only your extremities will be crushed. I have always heard  " the victim was ejected from the vehicle" you should see that, there is no ejection seats or openings for this purpose in our automobiles. We as the public are not allowed to see these things, too graphic ! If the media would show this carnage on tv people would buckle up. Also movies are very unrealistic as they portray gunshot or crash victims.

[pais]

    I went down in '81 (19yo) wearing one of the old open face helmets with a tinted plexi-glass shield. I was doing 45mph, I tumbled numerous times and slid on my ass for I do not know how far. I thanked my Mom for yelling at me to, "come back in the house and put your helmet on before you go anywhere on that god damn motorcycle"! I guess she left it up to me to take off my nylon running shorts and put jeans on, which I did not. The pain from the road rash and thorough cleaning of said rash at the local E-Room is/was memorable.
    I had always worn a helmet but, for some reason I quit wearing one when I bought the Valk 3yrs ago. A couple months ago I told myself I had to start wearing one again. Bought a new one that I liked and slowly getting used to it again. Also found a nice used textile riding jacket on Craigslist and dug out my leather gloves.
    With all that said, I still strongly believe it is personal choice!

[Jess from VA]

I learned how to tuck chin to chest hard and protect the back of my head in a fall growing up playing hockey (and just skating) on Lake Erie ice (no one had or wore helmets, just heavy winter hats).  Bouncing the back of your head off the ice hurts and is a great way to get a concussion.  Did the same roller skating (on dates).  I fell off my bikes a lot in motocross/dirt riding (always in helmets), and those were much more variable and uncontrolled get offs.  

Lots of cruiser/street motorcycle falls are low side fall and slides.  Unlike a high side pitch over or a tumble, a low side is a somewhat controlled fall.  My last (and only) big fall on a bike in the road in 1971, I was making a fast right in a 5 lane intersection and ran through a huge gas spill; just like ice I slammed down low side at 40 or so, ended up sliding backwards on my back, with my bike sliding next to me.  Pavement was smooth and cold (winter/lot of clothes) and I went about 50 feet.  I tucked my chin in hard, and never even touched my helmet.  (It was all good until a lady in a big Caddy almost ran me over before I got up on my feet again).  All I got was a bruised hip from initial impact.

Five years ago, I went to the shop to get a new front tire.  He found I needed rear brake pads and I told him a set of pads was in my saddlebag.  When done, he asked me to go out and set the pads by riding around the shop parking lot doing some easy braking.  I ran down to the end of the lot, totally forgot that I had a new front Metzler oozing with release agent, flopped the bars for a turn and banged right down low side sliding on the guards.  I had not put on my helmet or any gear, I still had to go in and pay my bill.  Again, sliding backwards on my back, and even at slow speed the Gforce torque trying to snap my head/neck back was pretty strong.  I tucked chin to chest hard, and never touched my head to pavement (but I would have smacked it good without the hard tuck).  Again, all I got was a bruised hip from initial impact.

I'm also a believer in trying to stay on top the bike in a fall and slide, to let the bike take the damage.  But both of these fall and slides were instantaneous, and I was off the bike and on my back hard in a flash both times.  

Any time you go over backwards (riding or on foot in a slippery icy winter driveway), tuck chin to chest as hard as you can.  It's a good plan.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

    I went down in '81 (19yo) wearing one of the old open face helmets with a tinted plexi-glass shield. I was doing 45mph, I tumbled numerous times and slid on my ass for I do not know how far. I thanked my Mom for yelling at me to, "come back in the house and put your helmet on before you go anywhere on that god damn motorcycle"! I guess she left it up to me to take off my nylon running shorts and put jeans on, which I did not. The pain from the road rash and thorough cleaning of said rash at the local E-Room is/was memorable.
    I had always worn a helmet but, for some reason I quit wearing one when I bought the Valk 3yrs ago. A couple months ago I told myself I had to start wearing one again. Bought a new one that I liked and slowly getting used to it again. Also found a nice used textile riding jacket on Craigslist and dug out my leather gloves.
    With all that said, I still strongly believe it is personal choice!

Besides a herniated disc a few years back, the most painful thing I've been thru was having a Navy Corpsman scrub gravel out of my wounds for 2 weeks.

[98valk]

"The weight of the human head is 8-12 pounds while the average weight of the helmet used in our sample is 2.7 pounds."

That's a lot of lbs trying to control. Where the head goes is where the body goes.

as usual helmets are not 100%, nothing is, except meeting our Maker.
http://www.bikersrights.com/statistics/twisting.html

[signart]

 

[Firefighter]

Besides a herniated disc a few years back, the most painful thing I've been thru was having a Navy Corpsman scrub gravel out of my wounds for 2 weeks.

Remember Meathead, The hardest thing about riding a motorcycle is usually the pavement!!

[Toledo Mark]

My helmet after a 30 MPH crash.  Replaced it with another one just like it.

[RainMaker]

Came off of the Valk in a really slow speed exercise at a "Ride like a Pro" training and slammed my head into the pavement hard. Wasn't even going 10mph. Ended up with a light concussion but the helmet took the brunt of the hit.  Without it, I would have been in the hospital.

In general, I think that it's a person's choice to wear a helmet or not.  I've never ridden without one, though.