Open face helmet vs full face helmet - whats better for GTA?

[SunnY S]

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Even a flip front helmet is better than an open face, because it'll save your teeth from a thrown-up rock. It's also easier to get glasses on with. Not worth much more in a crash though, because manufacturers seem reluctant to properly fasten and brace the flips.

That is changing. There are Snell approved modular helmets on the market now.

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[Baggsy]

Flip seems to be the smoker's choice for some reason.

 

[carrotlover]

Thanks guys. Lots of good tips and things to consider I haven't even thought of. Gonna be that much smarter now when picking one

 

[N3WMAN]

Aside from a few rants, this has been a good thread. It has made me think about my riding habits. I confess that I have riden since '03 with an open face helmet - over 140,000k. I own a full face, but I feel it limits peripheral vision and it is hard to get on with glasses. I am definitely considering changing my ways.

I don't know what the big deal is with glasses. Put helmet on, slide glasses in through front. If you were trying to put it on with your glasses still on, that aint gonna work.

 

[psycho44]

I drink at red lights with my full face helmet on. Just flip the visor up, tilt head 45 degree and pour liquid down. Be prepared for cars honking. I've rode with some cruiser riders that have a cig in their left hand the entire ride. I think it's bad a** kool but unfortunately I'm not a smoker nor will I take up the hobby.

I started off with the 3/4 helmet but since I bought my first full face I've used it 99% of the time. It hides my ugly face better lol. And besides it's so much kooler to hold a full face helmet at a grocery line than a half one.

Interesting needs.
I've never had to eat/drink/smoke while I've been riding. I can still speak and be heard with a full face. I've never had a problem seeing anything at all, shoulder checks are quite handy. And I've never had a problem taking my helmet off or on in a few seconds.

Conveniences and preferences are totally individual of course and it's interesting to read. When I tried the half helmet it was quite a unique experience.

 

[psycho44]

Aside from a few rants, this has been a good thread. It has made me think about my riding habits. I confess that I have riden since '03 with an open face helmet - over 140,000k. I own a full face, but I feel it limits peripheral vision and it is hard to get on with glasses. I am definitely considering changing my ways.

uhm do you try the helmet on before buying them? Because I wear glasses too and the first thing I look for when trying a helmet on is to see if I can slide the glasses in comfortably and that it won't fall out easily. Don't have any persistent peripheral vision riding with full face I can recall except the obvious can't see to my left because of the left eye being blind. But than I'm not a constant weaver.

 

[Riceburner]

hmmm....almost 25 years riding with a full face and glasses.....no problems.

 

[nakkers]

You might have a problem trying to fit those fancy D&Gs with your helmet but, you shouldn't if you wear these.........

 

[HERBXX]

An open face helmet does not provide adequate protection to the front. (Duh!) As far as I am concerned, there is no valid excuse for not using a full face helmet all the time and I wouldn't even think of doing otherwise ... anywhere.

There are useful for solo 1 and 2 , where they make you use a helmet in your car.

 

[emortal1333]

One of the first things I was shown at my M1 exit course was a group slides of why we wear full gear when riding. One slide was of a helmet worn by a previous student who went down while on a bike going between 10-15 km. The helmet was shredded on the entire face from the bast of the jaw, across the visor and slightly over the forehead.

Bugs and debris aside, while two fantastic reasons on their own, understanding that your face won't wear a 10-15 km/h asphalt massage as well as your helmet is the best reason I can think of for not even considering a 3/4 or a skull cap


... call me biased! ;p

 

[mototrek]

Local riding (north GTA) on back roads after 4:00 pm - open face!!
Before 4:00 pm - full face! trucks whip up crap from both the road and their bins!

Distance riding to Pa. On Slab - full face - again trucks
On secondary roads - open face!

Yes, you have to carry both. (or have someone ride B!tch who doesn't mind changing helmets according to environments... a rather MEAN solution)

 

[Shaggy]

I cant understand why someone would choose to wear a half helmet over a full face. Imo you might as well not wear a helmet at all (I know thats a little extreme.) How often in a crash does the rider flip and land on the top of his head? Or hit a solid object head on then superman into(not over) it? I know these things due happen but in the vast majority of accidents this is not so much an issue. Physics of a crash are far more likely to find yourself on your chin or face.

This seems like common sense to me but I also speak from experience. I've been in two accidents, both a combination of unfortunate events and rider error. The first I high sided and went superman, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I came down mostly on my chest/arms and slid down the road with the face of my helmet grinding on the road. The slide was long enough that I had time to think and try to save my helmet (there was no impact on it) by holding my head up (this is what I was focusing on at the time) but I just could not keep it up. I walked away from this accident relatively un hurt and with my face intact. My second accident was the complete opposite and a low side. Everything happened so fast. Out went the front tire, down went the bike and it smashed my chin/face into the cement leaving me with a minor concussion. I was doing less then 40, maybe even 20 as I was braking for a stop sign/turn when I was cut off. The chin area on the helmet was completely destroyed. Once again I walked away from this accident relatively un hurt and with my face intact. I believe I would of survived the first crash either way (just perhaps without skin on my face) but the second one was a kill shot if I had a half helmet. Instead I got up and walked back to my buddies house which I had just left and asked him to help me pick up the bike cuz my hand was sore.

Ps. sorry for the old bump. Just bored going through some posts.

 

[Shaggy]

Sorry just realized the advantage of the half helmet. Can't believe I didn't realize it before. I was just looking at my two crashed helmets (kept them kinda as a reminder Im not invincible I guess). Looking at the damage they are complete write offs. It's too bad I wasnt wearing a half helmet during my crashes. That way I would never of had to buy new helmets, just a new face. Going by the marks on the helmets from the concrete... If I had a half helmet it would still be in perfect condition as those parts never once touched the ground. Damn, if only I had been smart enough to protect my helmet with my face. Could of saved over $1000. Oh well live and learn.

 

[nakkers]

Shaggy,

I don't think you'll find too many folks that wear half helmets defend the merit of protection over a full face. It's pretty clear. However, knowing this, I think having the ability to choose which type of helmet is just as important as the protection they offer.


For your second experience, travelling at a relatively slow speed, do you think bicyclists should wear full face helmets as well? Some travel at that speed and the same risks/principals apply.

I think it's important to promote the benefits/protection full face helmets and encourage their use. But, I do like my beannie and glad to have a choice.


Cheers.

 

[Wingboy]

It's all just a matter of choice mostly.There are times when extremes come into play tho.I ride with a 3/4 lid sometimes on my Wing.The heat from the flat six motor will bake you in combination with 30c temps.On my Hyper or on the track of course,i wear the best lid i can afford.

 

[Shaggy]

People can and will wear whatever they want. I'm sorry but I have developed a very strong opinion on this subject and feel it is a completely stupid choice that people are free to make. It was the 2nd incident that mostly led me to this strong opinion. My buddy lives at the 3rd house from the corner (residental side streets). Leave his driveway, turn left after the 3 houses. Short road with 5 or 6 houses then a "T" intersection where I can turn right or left. I'm going left, here happens to be a wooden fence in the yard on the corner blocking the view of what's comming down the street. I start braking for the stop sign and a cargo van comes flying around the blind turn IN MY LANE. I avoid the van but as I was already braking, add in the swerve and shock of the moment and boom my face is crushed into the road at what felt like 100km/hr. This could happen to anyone. I mentioned rider error in my first post because perhaps I could of done a better avoidance but with lack of time, space(curb) and cold tires I didn't really stand a chance. I wasn't even 200ft from my buddies house. Thanks to my full face helmet I was fine with just a sore hand and a lil headache instead of being dead. Spent the rest of the day chilling with my friends like nothing happened.

I don't ride a bicycle so I'm not sure but it is obvious that most people don't wear a full face helmet on one. I have infact had a buddy ask to wear(and did) a spare full face helmet of mine while he bicycled to work.

 

[Shaggy]

Irrelevant but I walked back to my buddies house to help me pick up the bike because the guy who caused the accident of course didn't even bother to stop. Had I died, no one would of had a clue what happened.

 

[nakkers]

Well, I have to admit, I did wipe out riding my BMX of the top of a half pipe sans helmet. Landed face first into the asphalt from about 12-15 feet of air. Rode my bicycle to the hospital and spend a few days there. Left a very impressive amount of rash to my entire right side of my face that summer. Most people couldn't even look at me or they stared in amazement.

I've had a few encounters while dirt biking but, always had full gear. And the ground is much more forgiving.

I'm definitly not the shapest knife in the drawer. I think my wife just sticks around because she feels sorry for me.

 

[AjaxRider]

Similar to Turbo, I use the FF but shield up at low speed. I have a flip, but wouldn't even try using it flipped up. I love the open visor, so I wear good glasses open at low speed, but always closed on the highway. I just ordered a pair of similar glasses with clear lenses to allow me to open up at night.

I've tried riding with my flip open around town, but it catches the wind and tends to turn the helmet into a bit of a top-heavy sail even at lower speeds and that is not very confidence inspiring. So now it's flip-closed unless I'm stopped. I do prefer to ride with my visor open whenever possible. My visor usually goes down only when it's very cold, raining, or when traffic ahead of me is stirring up debris or dust.

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