In praise of my 3/4 helmets..

I hear you get some nasty stuff if you type in "gnarly motorcycle crash" as well. Maybe it's time for you to find a new hobby.

I got a concussion when I got run over riding a bicycle, it hurt.

I think that's against the law. It's also illegal to wear a racing style crash helmet in your car maybe you should start wearing one.

Geez, I don't know how a brazillian researchers could agree on anything. I've seen groups of 10 argue incessantly - unable to come to a conclusion.

But if a brazillian researchers agree, it must be true.

I too have been smacked in the hands, helmet, and chest by enough flying crap to not even consider riding without a FF helmet. Besides if I did break my jaw in a crash and it had to be wired shut for a few months, friends and family would be deprived of my glorious wit. They don't deserve that kind of suffering.

In all this, the gear that the OP likes sounds like fashion, not protection. It looks "right" on his bike. Kinda "Hipster" sounding. Especially with the foto of the group ride.

Yup, and he is trying to justify his fashion so that he might not be considered a hipster. Not that there is much wrong with being a hipster, except for having to be classified as such.

was it "human pez dispenser"?

Give me an fn break. It's like a broken record with the same dozen comments over and over again.

I attend maybe three VVMC rides a year and yes those guys are concerned with the vintage look, but I'm not in the Venice Vintage Motorcycle Club, and that ride is the only group ride I really go to. I have friends in VVMC , I ride vintage BMWs, and the beer is cheap at their events so it works for me.

If I really wanted to be one of the guys I'd be restoring my bikes to original, or building Cafe racers but it's not my thing. Have you seen the the 15% thread? Well multiply that by at least four because 90% of my riding is by myself mostly out in the mountains or desert alone. It's not a fashion statement, I'm not out there riding offroad to impress anyone, it's about me using my bikes and enjoying myself doing what I love to do.

Feel free to check out my posting history here: it's not about fashion, it's not about group rides, it's not about buying the coolest or latest gear to fit someones or some magazines purported idea of what riders are supposed to own or be. I don't even post my rides because I could care less about getting the attention online for something I do all the time and thoroughly enjoy offline.

All my posts are technical because I build Vintage airheads with my own unique suspensions that are designed specifically for riding out to the desert, riding offroad, and then coming back in one piece. If something doesn't do what I want it to do I reinvent it into something that does. I like to discuss the technical merits of things I want to try, sometimes post about my builds, and when I can I help others with their upgrades and designs or help them with technical issues with their bikes. In other words I don't just ride bikes around town or occasionally on a dirt road. I build and modify my bikes into specific tools to do exactly what I need them to do.

My dislike for extraneous gear is only surpassed by my disdain for extraneous bullshit. Everything on my bikes is there for a reason and every piece of gear I take with me on my rides is a thought out necessity that I carry for a damn good reason.

The only reason I posted this here vrs the airhead forum is it's not Airhead related. I'm not even sure this is the right forum. From what I can tell it's just a colossal bitch fest where people complain and call others names.

Between the posts about posers, hipsters, my bandana, my cheap jacket (which I was wearing that day for a reason), my predilection for Vansons, my boots (evidently not real safety gear), calling me an attention whore and other mindless internet youtubian style banter, there have been a few good posts and I do appreciate them. What I was hoping for was some info on studies I've not read or seen. You know actual useful information.

I'm not huge on discussing "safety" gear, I'm not a safety guru, I don't really pay to much attention to riders who think they are. I know what I need to do what I do, and my gear choices reflect it. For instance my favorite piece of safety gear is my Iridium satellite communicator in case I break a leg fifty miles from the nearest paved road. Most riders don't need it, I do. I know why I use the helmets I use. They weigh 2.5 pounds, they can't be broken, they still work fine if dropped or scratched, they aren't worth a lot of money so no-ones going to steal one if I stop at places like Slab City, or Darwin and pitch a tent for a few days.

My current build is going to a be a Rally bike so I might end up racing. Part for fun, part to show off my suspension mods to my friends. This means more chances of getting gravel in the face, or possibly running into someone else. So I'm kind of rethinking the whole helmet thing, since I won't always be riding solo.

Speaking of gravel... for all those hyper concerned with the possibility of me getting a rock in the face, freezing my nose off or getting stung by a bee, rest assured I came up with a simple solution.





Works well, very strong and rigid with the strap, weighs almost nothing, lays flat for storage, installs in seconds, easily replaceable, cost almost nothing, been carrying it for years.

Though uniquely modified I think it's called a visor.... Hows that for a fashion statement?

Best post in the thread

Dude...You are absolutely hilarious

It's like you are a caricature. Do you mind if I copy all your comments and put them on Facebook. My motorcycle friends will get a real kick out of you

Is that a Yes!!

I mean I don't want to quote you without permission since you say we know some people in common, but it's almost like you are one of my friends just posting utter nonsense to F with me

Did you pull the FB post down? Did it go sideways also? I only saw it the one time.

modular helmet......good as ff ?

I too have been smacked in the hands, face, and chest by enough flying crap to consider that shit happens.

Sure there has been the odd cut, bruise and bee sting over the past 45 years and over 400,000 km of wearing open face helmets on the road in several countries and all conditions. Sure worse can happen, but how high is the risk?

By riding aware and to the conditions, it is not high, in my experience; accident free on the road for about 40 years, despite the odd blow-out and mechanical failure. It is a risk I am prepared to take on the relatively low speed streets and byways I usually ride. Among the hundreds of thousands riding motorcycles where I am now, few wear FF helmets, yet I don't see an epidemic of broken jaws or facial injuries.

The odd time I have worn a FF helmet and visor I have found myself going faster than I would if I was wearing an open face helmet, thus feeling the wind in my face….. which I enjoy.

For covering long distances on high speed highways (boring!), or pushing the limit when racing or canyon carving (not my thing these days), full face helmets make sense for comfort in the case of the former, and safety with the increased risk in the case of the latter.

Otherwise, being out in the the open air is one of the joys of motorcycling….. praise the 3/4 helmet…...

Or less; around town I prefer the unimpeded peripheral vision and hearing of a shortie.

http://www.motogp.com/en/video_update/2015/05/16/espargaro-s-spectacular-fp3-crash/175796