No Helmet: Some states require you to wear a DOT approved helmet by law, others do not. If you happen to be in one of the states where it isn't required then you have a big decision to make. If you choose not to wear one then you should wear some sort of eye protection to keep large insects from flying into your retina at 30 miles per hour. Thankfully I've never had that happen to me, but I have had my fair share of bugs splat on my helmet visor, it's very very gross, but better than in my eye. Also without a helmet your head is not protected in a crash which has lead some people to call motorcycles, "Donor-cycles", because riders receive head injuries that make them brain dead while the rest of their body is relatively uninjured. This makes them ideal organ donors.
Dome Helmet / Skull Cap: These types of helmets are very popular with cruiser riders and are usually worn when a state requires that a helmet be worn when riding a motorcycle. Skull Caps are the bare MINIMUM of protection and it only covers the top of your head, thus the name. They look very unprofessional to me, like you aren't serious about riding at all. Would you rather look like a professional, or look like someone who doesn't know what they are doing? In my opinion they are better than no helmet, but my face is too pretty to risk losing if some drive decides to make a left turn into me.
Open Face Helmet / Half Helmet: The open face motorcycle helmet protects not only the top of the head, but also the sides and the back of the head. This is nearly as good as a full face helmet, the only thing that it doesn't have is protection for your eyes, so I would recommend buying some goggles to wear in addition to this helmet. You usually see this type of helmet being worn by police officers and other cruiser type riders. I personally don't even ride with my visor up for very long, my face becomes a bug magnet! I wouldn't recommend this type of helmet unless you like the taste of flies and gnats!!
Full Face Helmet: The Creme` del la Creme` of helmets, this one has it all! It protects all sides of your head, including your chin and has a sturdy face shield to protect you from bugs and asphalt. This is what motorcycle racers use and what I personally use as well. When it comes to the looks department I think that it actually makes you look 'cooler' to be wearing one of these, especially considering all the interesting designs they come in.
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A few other things
Perhaps you should also comment on the colour of helmets. I hear black helmets are much more popular than white ones, even though white ones increase visibility.
Also, I think you should put a message that even though some states do not require riders to wear a helmet, one has to be worn. Not wearing one means that rider obviously doesn't have common sense. When I was riding a bike (not motorbike) downhill, I'm always careful not to go crazy on speeds. One time I lost control and I slammed head-first into the a tree. Luckily, it was the top of my head so I was protected and some days later, my helmet cracked in half.
Helmet Color
I agree about white helmets increasing visibility but I had a hard time finding one. Black and especially flat black seem to be much more popular and consequently more available. I ended up buying a black helmet because the only white helmet they had was $80 more. I guess I could put some reflective tape on it or something.
Forgot one
Modular Helmet: Somewhere between an open face helmet and a full face helmet.
Basically, you can open it up when needed e.g. at a gas station, without taking the helmet off entirely.
here's a pic:
http://www.kneedraggers.com/image_storage/b/f1/bf1a0f696ad3be7c019932571...
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I forgot to add, modular helmets aren't as safe as full face ones.
Modular helmets not as safe?
Why do you say modular helmets are not as safe as full face ones?
I think he might be
I think he might be referring to the fact that they can't get Snell certified (IIRC) due to the parts that make them modular. But there's always the debate whether or not DOT only is good enough.
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If there's anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now...
I've wondered about the
I've wondered about the safety of modular helmets. I haven't heard much one way or the other but it just seems like a hinged faceplate wouldn't hold up in an accident the way a solid face would.
Helmets
What about MX helmets............While I may look like a star wars storm trooper, I find my Bell MX helmet to be the most comfortable when paired with my Oakley goggles(they never fog).It provides great protection, hearing and peripheral vision
Tod
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