What kind of motorcycle helmet should I get?
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at
9:48 am
My boyfriend just bought a motorcycle & I need to get a helmet but I’m not sure what kind I should get. Do you recommend a full face helmet or just a half or 3/4 face helmet? What do most people wear? He has a 2006 Honda VTX 1300. Its not a crotch rocket.
Get what feels comfortable, but remember the more protection you have the more likely you are to survive an accident.
The big motorcycle magazines, Cycle, Rider, Cycle World etc., do an article every so often where they buy some helmets and send them to an independent testing laboratory and report the results. What they find is that all helmets work about the same in terms of impact protection. The most impact resistant is usually one of the cheapest, made of ABS plastic, which is cheap but heavy. You pay more for comfort and for features.
There is usually also some kind of graphic or chart showing what percentage of impacts in motorcycle accidents hit the helmet from which direction. About half are in the front, so a full-face helmet definitely provides the best protection. A half or 3/4 helmet is like protecting your 4-door car by locking 2 or 3 doors. 8^) I think this is especially important for a girl, because, as your mom told you, your face is your fortune. 8^) I wear a full-face (actually a flip-up), only after landing on my face once in an accident. I figure it might not save my life but at least I’ll look good in an open casket.
The problem is that riders of cruisers (like your BF) usually don’t wear a full-face. So it’s come to look a little out of place. That wouldn’t bother me, but if the BF rides around with a lot of other cruiser guys, you might be the only one there with a FF.
Different brands of helmets seem to be made for different shapes of head. Last time I was shopping for a helmet I fell in love with a Nolan, but when I tried it on it was very uncomfortable. I found I have a Shoei-shaped head, or KJC or Bell. So ideally you want to go to an M/C accessories store that has a good selection and actually try them on to see what fits you best. It should be kind of a squeeze going on but comfortable once it’s on.
Remember also, please, that it’s important to wear a jacket, gloves, pants, and good shoes at least. I see lots of Harley riders around here where the guy has a helmet and jacket and his lady on the back has bare legs and arms and sandals. I wonder if he’s still going to want to put her on display when she’s all covered with big red scars. 8^P
Buy a helmet that is comfortable and one with a good amount of airflow. I love the brand SHOEI. Cyclegear.com has great helmets on sale!
I HIGHLY recommend a full face helmet. Especially on a Crotch rocket.. Most Rocket riders wear a full face helmet. Is what I have seen..
I just bought my crotch rocket, helmet and gear 2 years ago, and thats what I have.