How the system helmet saved my pretty ...ss last night

[The Gecko_imp]

Not rare that real pro/s make fun of system helmets, not cool enough, not save enough, or just on "old man's helmet" and made for the police anyway. Who needs to open it anyway and why ?

Anyway my "cool" LS2 system helmet probably saved my life last night, or at least a bad accident and drop. Here is how.

In moderate fast moving traffic, 4 lanes, a few trucks. Helmet drop-door and visor both closed, speed about 65 mph. All of a sudden I hear ... and then feel .... and then see a wasp inside my visor. She is panicked, and I am too. How she got inside ? I have no idea. My imagination went into overdrive for a second.

After another second or two - of shock, not reaction time - I open the "door", and turn my head all the way to the right. The spook gone and I remained unstung.

Imagine the end of the story had I been riding with a full helmet.

[mvk24_imp]

Haha I hate it when that happens.

Years ago I had a bee/wasp etc blow up my shirt sleeve from the wrist somehow riding curvy roads up near Westpoint and it stung me in the crease of my elbow mid curve.. buddy behind me had no idea what the heck I was doing flailing my arm around like that 1 handed in the turn.

2014 CB1100, 1981 KZ440 LTD, 1993 Yamaha XJ600 Seca, 1994 Yamaha XJ600 Seca

[GoldOxide_imp]

That is the way to do it, Gecko. Well done, and thank goodness your eyes were spared.

I once rode with a dude who got one trapped in his riding jacket. He got stung about 6 to 8 times and was flailing at the next stop sign. He got the wasp, but lost the battle in wound count.

[the Ferret]

Luck was on your side Gecko

I got stung in the face one while riding. Was not a pretty sight. Then again it never has been. But it was worse all swollen, red and puffy lol

[Cormanus]

Well done for staying cool in the moment, Gecko, and pulling off a good save. That’d cement your love of your system helmet.

Like mvk24, I’ve had a stinging critter up the sleeve of my jacket. It was no fun. I don’t think it was as bad, though, has being hit on the fingertip by a stone thrown up by a passing car. Geez that hurt.

[Nachodaddy]

Luck was on your side Gecko

I got stung in the face one while riding. Was not a pretty sight. Then again it never has been. But it was worse all swollen, red and puffy lol

[Gone in 60]

By the term system helmet, are you meaning a modular style with a flip-up front? Sometimes wish I had one for times where, let's say I roll up next to a car with no brake lights and want to give them a friendly notice. Gesticulating in a closed-face helmet to someone in a car just looks like you're angry with them, even if you have the best of intentions.

I got stung on the chin not too long ago on the way to Cook's Corner, the local biker spot. Saw it coming in slow motion - yellow object approaching, and the slipstream of my screen sucked it up under the chin bar of my helmet. No sooner than I could flip my face shield open to try to let him out, I felt the sting. Hurt, but I kept riding.

When I got to Cook's, I pulled up next to another rider getting off of his bike, and as I took my helmet off, he said "Wow, looks like you just got nailed in the chin, Bud!"

Hey, also reminds me of Mrs. G #1, who drove an old Escort that I had a particular hatred for. She came home from work one evening and said "I had a bee fly into the car and got scared". Taking a look, the headlight and radio volume knobs were broken off and the turn signal and wiper stalks were dangling from the steering column by their wires. As I saddled up to head to the wrecking yard to find the replacements, I said "Must have been one helluva bee."

[GoldOxide_imp]

... glad you didn't get it in the soft tissue eyeball.

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

I have a HJC modular and loved it. It was versatile, I could drink from a water bottle without having to take my helmet off or use a straw. In towns, I could pop it up and feel the place, in the toolies I could leave it shut and avoid the bugs and little stones. I had an unplanned get-off. The helmet was damaged badly at all, just broke the clear shield and got some scuffs, but everyone said not to use it anymore. I'd like to test it somehow to see if it was structurally compromised, scan it somehow. Maybe I'll make a plant vase out of it.

[Gone in 60]

Charlie, if you're into making plant pots out of old helmets, send me your address and I'll ship you a few.

I had an HJC modular as well quite a while back. Loved it, but for some reason, I've never found a modular since that was comfortable enough for me.