Goggles vs. Full Face Helmet

[bbagwell]

I have a regular MX helmet with goggles and an AFX dual sport helmet. My only complaint with the dual sport helmet is that dust comes up through the bottom. Goggles do a better job in dusty conditions.

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Regarding getting enough air, full faced road race helmets breath well enough for world champion road racers... and they work hard! The comments about 'breathing' are out of ignorance and supposition.

Take your best road race helmet and go for a run. Then take any old dirt helmet and go for a run.

Tell me which one works better and you can see out of before the first mile is over.

Road race helmets work great when you're pushing them through the air, not when your pushing your bike through a rock garden with it boiling over.

[Jayrod1318]

Most visors on mx helmets come off on a jiffy. Only problem with mine is that a vent hole underneath the visor gets exposed and starts whistling, I just put a piece of tape over it.

[EggChaser]

I sometimes wear an MX lid that has a chin bar with goggles in the summer when temps are hot. I also used the same lid to record video using a goggle strap mount for the camera.

My MX lid is noisier but also lighter than my standard full face lid

[Ritalin Boy]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I used a Arai Dual sport with the peak (visor) and shield. It is basically an MX helmet with street accessories. It was too noisy for me but I used it 4 years. Next was a Shoie Hornet, which is tha same concept...MX helmet with a screen.

I found the Hornet helmet the very best for sound and comfort until I bought a KTM 690. The Hornet chinbar is very sharp and catches the wind, yanking my head. So I bought a regular street helmet for that bike most of the time. It is the Nolan N43 E or somthing like that. It has the wide view I like, but still noisy. I still use the Hornet for my Yamaha WR250R. The aero on my flyscreens must be different. Bottom line; the Hornet if I can.

The very best for dirt is an MX helmet with goggles. The rest are a compromise to meet highway objectives. Anybody riding dirt would never use a screen. They are for highways.

Regarding getting enough air, full faced road race helmets breath well enough for world champion road racers... and they work hard! The comments about 'breathing' are out of ignorance and supposition.

At this point and experience, I am leaning towards a street helmet for all around, since that is what I do. But I can say my kids wear dirt gear for dirt, and road race gear for road racing...right down to their underwear.

I disagree. I don't end up sucking wind any near as hard at a track day as I do in the woods, plus my street lid (Schuberth C3) has a collar and chin skirt. There's no way you can move the same volume of air through that than a MX helmet and goggles.

[Grreatdog]

Originally Posted by crofrog

.....Road race helmets work great when you're pushing them through the air, not when your pushing your bike through a rock garden with it boiling over.

Yep, big difference between the kind of effort to ride street and ride dirt. That isn't ignorance speaking - it is experience.

[buls4evr]

When you are the 3rd guy in line on a dusty NM trail or BLM rd, you will quickly know the answer here. Add in HEAT.... The MX helmet and goggles (with Quickstraps) are the only way to go. If you ride by yourself all the time you could use a DS helmet. Best bet. Just buy 3 helmets and know what you are about to ride on. Most of us have multiple helmets and equipment depending on the ride or bike type.

[markk53]

Personally, I do fine with either an MX or dual sport helmet, since I tend to ride with my head tilted down a bit. The visor is no problem at all. I actually prefer them over street helmets except in cold weather street riding. No problem looking behind either since I tend to roll my head down as I look back. The visor just never catches the wind. Street helmets don't provide the shading when the sun is low on the horizon.

Supermoto riders frequently and almost exclusively use MX helmets in spite of running speeds up near 100 mph on longer straights. It's just in what you want.

I do agree, no other full face flows air like an MX helmet and no other full face is as noisy as an MX helmet. You make a choice. Summers, I use the MX helmet even on the street bike.

I will say the MX helmet does suck in rain, as was said, the rain drops are like BBs hitting your face.

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by Grreatdog

I could have killed for a DS helmet here:

After seeing that day I'm glad my buddy went off the cliff the day before and we decided to not ride. I'd have been freezing my ass off...

[rgoers]

Tried my street helmet ONCE, off-road, before buying an MX helmet. Street helmets tend to encourage tons of dust and dirt to billow in through the chin opening, and swirl around in your face and eyes. No problems like that with an MX helmet! I also have a much better field of view in my MX helmet.

The problem with an MX helmet on the road is the visor catches A LOT of wind, and will kill your neck muscles within a few miles.

So, given the differences, I think you really need 2 helmets.

[miguelitro]

I have never worn anything but mx style helmets and am now wearing a flip up chin bar full face helmet and it is freaken hot and gets too much dust under the shield. For any kind of off roading a mx helmet is worlds better. For long stretches of pavement i sure do like dropping the shield and being a it insulated from the wind and noise.
Mike

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by Ritalin Boy

I disagree. I don't end up sucking wind any near as hard at a track day as I do in the woods, plus my street lid (Schuberth C3) has a collar and chin skirt. There's no way you can move the same volume of air through that than a MX helmet and goggles.

I'd say a road racer works every bit as hard as any other racer. It's a physical sport. Riding a track day isn't road racing. It's not even going fast. You're just riding around about 20-30 seconds off the pace even in the 'fast' group. Of course you're not working hard.

The rock garden in-the-heat point was valid. I ride those hateful things occasionally, and I flip my screen up just to have air on my face. I'd rather have a MX helmet with goggles for that but I don't have one that is suitable. My only MX helmet and goggles has been retired since 1981:

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by markk53

Personally, I do fine with either an MX or dual sport helmet, since I tend to ride with my head tilted down a bit. The visor is no problem at all. I actually prefer them over street helmets except in cold weather street riding. No problem looking behind either since I tend to roll my head down as I look back. The visor just never catches the wind. Street helmets don't provide the shading when the sun is low on the horizon.

Supermoto riders frequently and almost exclusively use MX helmets in spite of running speeds up near 100 mph on longer straights. It's just in what you want.

I do agree, no other full face flows air like an MX helmet and no other full face is as noisy as an MX helmet. You make a choice. Summers, I use the MX helmet even on the street bike.

I will say the MX helmet does suck in rain, as was said, the rain drops are like BBs hitting your face.

And todays flat trackers wear road race helmets...

Is Supermoto still around?

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I'd say a road racer works every bit as hard as any other racer. It's a physical sport. Riding a track day isn't road racing. It's not even going fast. You're just riding around about 20-30 seconds off the pace even in the 'fast' group. Of course you're not working hard.

I don't have any data to back it up but logic says road racing gives you allot more breaks than MX or enduro. You just don't work as hard tucked in on the straights at full throttle. Sure braking and turning specially quick transitions to left and right are very physical but you get breaks on the straights...

MX starts hard and stays hard with almost no breaks any where on the course. Same with harescramble and enduro, although in those events you pace yourself a bit more.

"For moto 1 of motocross the HRavg and HRmax was 177 and 185 respectively. For moto 2 the HRavg was 177 and the HRmax was 183. In moto 1 the racers averaged 94% of their HRmax and 96% in moto 2. There was no significant difference between the first and second motos. When all of the motocross motos were compared to the supercross main events there was no statistically significant difference."

http://www.racerxvt.com/virtual_trai...eart_rate.html


As to the helmets though. There's allot more airflow through a road race helmet at 160 than there is at 30 and there aren't to many times you're doing less than 50 on a typical race track. Otho in the dirt it's not that often you're doing faster than 50...

The rock garden in-the-heat point was valid. I ride those hateful things occasionally, and I flip my screen up just to have air on my face. I'd rather have a MX helmet with goggles for that but I don't have one that is suitable. My only MX helmet and goggles has been retired since 1981:

I wasn't even alive when you stopped using that helmet...

[crofrog]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Is Supermoto still around?

Oversea's very much so, domestically sorta...

They both wear MX style helmets.