Full or Open Face Helmet?

[Stichill_imp]

Chin curtains help with that. I use NRR33 foamies because they’re cheap and super effective, and I can still hear the music on my Cardo with em.

Can’t imagine not using a full face, especially on a bike with minimal wind protection like a CB. One look at the jaw impact stats decided me!

(+1)

[the Ferret]

If you really cared about your safety you'd be driving a car with front and side air bags, shoulder seat belts and crumple zones instead of a motorcycle.

A helmet "is" the only piece of equipment that was designed to and has a chance at saving your life, but lord I hope I never have to rely on it, as there are no guarantees it will do so. As far as saving your life a DOT approved open face, 3/4 or modular will do as well as a full face. As far as saving your teeth or face, a full face probably is best, but a modular may do just as good.

All the other safety gear we wear is designed to keep us from breaking certain bones like knees, elbows, ankles and shoulders and from getting scraped up.

I mostly rely on experience, common sense, and a measure of restraint to keep me alive, but I'm glad I wear gear as back up... Just in case.

[GoldOxide_imp]

About the only thing that is a wild card regardless of body gear and helmets is the neck. Just the right moment on the neck due to head+helmet whip lash and nothing else really matters.

[cblais19_imp]

I guess from a .mil background, I engaged in risk management knowing I was engaging in an activity that had a higher risk the sitting in the house (generally). Full face helmets are more comfortable & safer from my perspective. Having taken small stones and other debries to the neck, I can’t imagine taking that sort of hit around the mouth area - to say nothing of flies and the like!

We all have different risk thresholds and comfort preferences. Those are mine.

[GoldOxide_imp]

One of my favourites (not!) is the freeway velocity yellow jackets on the bare neck in the profuse humid summer time.

In regards to freeway dump trucks and flatbeds, I usually tilt the helmet downward a bit and arrange to pass the vehicle. Rocks suck.

[Frulk_imp]

I bought this NEXX helmet 'as new' off a member a couple years or so back. Was too small for me. VERY light and quiet and just seems well made. I was going to sell it on the forum but liked the look so much I decided to keep it sitting around as a decoration for the bike garage. Has a decidedly modern café look.

[GoldOxide_imp]

It does look good. Way better than some of the "scratch" styled helmets floating out there.

[DHB_imp]

I have used modular helmets exclusively (I sneeze a lot); HJC SYMAX (great!), SYMAX II (inherent problems), SYMAX III (better, but expensive), and the current Bilt Tech something something with built-in coms.

My brother once had a pigeon get stuck inside his bulbous Bell face shield. Do you have any idea how hard it is to safely ride a motorcycle over to the shoulder with a frantic pigeon clawing at your face?

I once had a student, a drop-dead gorgeous 50-year-old woman, who brought her neighbor's ancient full-face helmet to the two-day Basic Rider Course. Near the end of the last exercise on Saturday, she locked up the front wheel, went over the handlebars, and face-planted on the asphalt HARD. The helmet was destroyed and her beautiful face was saved. If she had borrowed one of the program's three-quarter helmets, she would have been looking at facial reconstruction.

If you don't currently use a full-face or modular helmet, please consider protecting the rest of your head.

[GoldOxide_imp]

RE pigeon face: Unique situation indeed. I hope to never experience that. Wasps in helmet or jackets is bad enough to deal with.

[spartanheed_imp]

Full face Bell Bullitt. I like my chin the way it is