Time to grow up: FIM rated helmet choices

[GoldOxide_imp]

Funny... one time I heard of a wrongful death case. The plaintiffs were asking for several million dollars for recompense for the loss of their loved one. Before passing judgement, the judge asked if the deceased had any life insurance. The plaintiff's attorney said, Yes he did your honor, but only in the amount of $ 50,000.00. The judge thought about it a minute and said, so he valued his own life at $50,000 but you feel it's worth several million now that he's dead?

What has this got to do with buying a helmet? It's the same as trying to place a value on your head, and it's the same argument for buying any piece of gear..Shuberth, Caberg, Arai, Bell, Shark or HJC, Aerostitch, Klim, Tourmaster or Joe Rocket, Dainese, Alpinestars, Sidi or Bilt, Black gear, red gear, silver gear or Hi Viz gear, air bag gear.

99% of motorcycle riders buy gear based on affordability, style, color, fit, or comfort. Very few will choose items based strictly on safety. There are a few, but I see weaknesses in nearly everyone's protective gear wardrobe, including my own. Buying safety gear is a balancing act, and few of us have very good balance. We choose our gear based on our priorities and we take our chances.

What do ya think this guy thinks his life is worth?

Not as much as this guys. I think he may have a turbocharge kit in the storage container and he on the way to have it installed. He's ATGATT

Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

I am willing to speculate that this rider dude is on one of several machines he has in his stable and is leveraging his work pony on this day.

[tommymck]

Not to open up another can of worms...but I have similar questions regarding the rest of the protective gear ensemble. I wonder how much data there is on how much back armor, for example, actually protects you in real-world accidents. I always wear real protective boots, a full face helmet, gloves and a jacket with at least elbow and shoulder protection of some sort (though not necessarily armor). But I'm guilty of wearing jeans and I find back armor uncomfortable in lightweight gear. I figure that riding pants, regardless of armor, prevent road rash, and I guess knee and hip protection is probably a good thing, but I forgo that in the summer. It's hard to get all worked up about ATGATT without actual data to back it up though. Winter is a different story. Jacket and pants are just as comfortable with full armor, so why not? I guess I'm more of a ATGSoTT guy..

[misterprofessionality]

Back armor actually is a really good question. In my mind i feel like my ribs and spine and shoulderblades would be super happy to have that hard plate back armor inserted in my jacket, and I do ride with one always. But the fact remains that It only does you any good if you actually land on your back....speaking as somebody who's beein in more than one serious incident, i've never ever landed on my back. I can't speak to the likelihood of such a thing. it's worth questioning.

As far as armored pants go....All I can say is that the most common type of moving motorcycle crash (statistically) is the Lowside. A lowside involves sliding out on pavement on the side of the bike. the first thingg to touch the ground when you lowside? your knee....My wife had a pretty nice Lowside last year. Her knee was all kinds of jacked up because she wasn't wearing her armored pants that day on account of the heat....yea.

when you lowside, armored pants are the most important thing next wearing gloves with sliders on the palm.

[tod.branko_imp]

I read some time ago an article about non-fatal motorcycle injuries by body part, data was collected on over 1 million injuries over a period of 7 or 8 years, in the US, don't remember where and I'm too lazy to search the interwebs. For me the takeaway was as follows:

1. Most injuries happen to the lower extremities, followed by neck, followed by upper torso, injuries to the hips and arms were almost last.
2. Riders with helmets were to have more "less severe" injuries than ones who didn't wear helmets

So for me it's always helmet, always riding shoes/boots, and personal experience thought me to also wear chest and back protector. Back because I've gone down before, and allowing myself to turtle up on my back and slide curled up like that saved me 100%. Chest protector because I ride naked bikes, and you would be surprised how many times a bird hit me in my chest. At least 3 per riding season, maybe our birds just fly too low

How much do they protect us, probably just about enough




'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

[misterprofessionality]

I read some time ago an article about non-fatal motorcycle injuries by body part, data was collected on over 1 million injuries over a period of 7 or 8 years, in the US, don't remember where and I'm too lazy to search the interwebs. For me the takeaway was as follows:

1. Most injuries happen to the lower extremities, followed by neck, followed by upper torso, injuries to the hips and arms were almost last.
2. Riders with helmets were to have more "less severe" injuries than ones who didn't wear helmets

So for me it's always helmet, always riding shoes/boots, and personal experience thought me to also wear chest and back protector. Back because I've gone down before, and allowing myself to turtle up on my back and slide curled up like that saved me 100%. Chest protector because I ride naked bikes, and you would be surprised how many times a bird hit me in my chest. At least 3 per riding season, maybe our birds just fly too low

How much do they protect us, probably just about enough




'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

I watched one of our forum members very nearly get comletely taken out by a huge Owl while riding together in WV during the rally a couple years ago. It flew across his path and was literally inches from striking him in the chest. the size of the thing....i dont doubt it would have taken him straight off the back of the bike.

[the Ferret]

in which case a back protector would have come in handy

[tod.branko_imp]

It's strange for me, how do they manage? I have never hit a bird with my car, a bat - yes, and some cats and a dog and fox or two, and probably a bunch of lizards and snakes, but a bird?? Yet on a bike they can't seem to miss me

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

[misterprofessionality]

Ask our australian members about magpies.

[GoldOxide_imp]

One has gotta protect the neck area from incoming birds at speed. Otherwise, the resulting gash would create a hot mess everywhere.

Heck, and maybe even worse: An 18-wheeler blown tire debris at speed vs. the tender soft tissue of the neck area. The situation could cause the trailing cager to use its windshield wiper blades.

The upshot might be at least the skull is protected in a FIM-approved bucket rolling around the wheels of surrounding traffic.

[emptysea]

My riding pants have knee protection. That said, Cheryl's fall that fractured her tibial plateau would not have been prevented if she was wearing bubble-wrap pants -- the fracture was caused by her foot hitting the ground hard and her femur essentially acting like a hammer, driving down onto her tibia. There is no perfect protection, but we all do what we can.

Thanks for the pricing information, MP. Much of my commentary and questions in this thread were based on the assumption that FIM/SHARK approved helmets would be significantly more costly than their ECE/Snell counterparts. That does not seem to be the case and therefore my decision process is simplified.

Ohhh...and NO, Cheryl does not have bubble-wrap pants and, if she did, she wouldn't be bringing them to Ohio for the Rally. Ya pervos.