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Helmets... do you wear one or no? and why?

I live in Ct, no helmet law here. My then wife was rear ended on her bike back about 5 years ago. Thank God she wasn't seriously injured. The doctors told her that it was a good thing she wasn't wearing a helmet. They told her that the weight of a helmet would have broken her neck from the whiplash.

Helmets serve their purpose. I don't put down those who choose to wear one. I wear a brain bumper in the states that require it. I've tried full faced, 3/4 and 1/2 helmets before. My peripheral vision was blocked, my hearing was impaired and my neck was soar from supporting a heavy object that was bobbing in the wind. Therefore, the brain bumper is the way I go.

I hear horror stories all the time. One that sticks with me the most is about this poor soul that was riding with a full faced helmet and had a fatal accident. A car was traveling in the left lane coming up to a Y split in the highway and decided at the last moment that he needed to be in the right lane so he slowed down going into a curve cutting off a bike. The biker had no choice but to lay the bike down, sliding under the car. The helmet was the only thing stopping him from completely going under the car. His body made it but his head didn't. This was witnessed by a dear friend of mine.

What good is having your head in great condition when the rest of your body is wrecked and unusable in an accident???? I personally would rather not make it than live via a machine. I ride to feel the freedom of the ride and the wind in what little hair I have. What better way to go than doing what I love.....

Wear one, don't wear one... Your life, your choice...

Ride On!!!!

:rider
 
My wife and I both wear half helmets, our choice, Pa. does not require it.
In 1994 we were in an accident with a deer, I was not wearing a helmet and got hole in my head, still hurts at times.
Also our son has been in three serious accidents and the helmet he was wearing saved his life in two of them.
I believe in freedom of choice as well, we just choose to wear helmets.
 
TQuentin1 said:
I live in Texas, and in this State you are free to choose to wear one or not. Since '96, I have been riding without a helmet. On May 6th, I was in an accident with a cage that was going the wrong way on the HOV. When the SUV in front of me swerved to miss the on-coming car, that uncovered me and left me exposed. According to the police, on impact I was ejected from my bike and went left while the bike went right. The bike ended up under the back of the SUV. I ended up in the hospital.

I was VERY lucky. Apparently I was trying to swerve right (based on skid marks) and that probably avoided a full front end impact. But I still hit the pavement and banged up my head. A bunch of stitches closed all that up, and I was super lucky that there was no serious closed head injury.

So now I am recuperating slowly. Have a ways to go, but think I am making progress.

When I get another bike on the road, I will be wearing some sort of helmet. This will be MY choice. Everyone else is free to make THEIR choice where they have that option.

Cheers,

TQ
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All I can say is WOW! Praise God you're alive and can share this story with us. Best wishes for continued progress in your recovery TQuentin.
 
Here in NYC it is Required to have a DOT approve helmet I wear a ski lid even tho it's not DOT approve when riding around the Neighborhood when taking long trips I wear a 1/2 DOT approve if laws change here to not Required to have a helmet I wouldn't wear one when Riding in the neighborhood but always when going far and fast.
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First of all, good to see you here Baggh...! 2nd while I agree that it should be a matter of choice, I choose to wear a helmet because taking control of a random event (that is why it is called an accident) proactively IS to wear one.

That said this is not about a personal protection device, but one that protects you FOR your family and friends. I wear a helmet, but not wearing one should not impair the lawful riding of a motorcycle. I use to be an MSF instructor, rode a sportbike and full face helmet "religiously", because riding within 8/10ths of your abilities means you are skirting the edge and need that quiet zone to concentrate on the road, tactics and all the rest.

Turn the page to 2008 when I got the 04 Sportster...all that changed, in that I realized I was not "really" enjoying the ride nearly as much as getting to the destination in one piece. I had clocked nearly a million miles on perhaps 7 or 8 bikes and not enjoy where I was or how I got there.

I ride with a helmet...1/2 coverage HJC carbon fiber "beanie" with flowthru ventilation and faceshield. I am a much happier rider/pilot, not just a "presence" sitting atop a machine, but one within the full riding experience. Wear a helmet to preserve your legacy here on earth among your family and friends...THAT is what matters...how and what we ride is just a part of that!

Baggh said:
A co-worker and I were just discussing the topic of helmets and riding. He's a non-rider and feels as if there is no question that helmets should be mandatory... he asked me why anybody wouldn't wear one.

I gave him my quick view as to why there are times I may not wear one when I'm going for a quick jaunt to grab lunch a block or 2 from work, or a short chill country ride, etc. I wear a full face helmet 99% of the times when I'm riding, for obvious reasons. Also, it's simply more comfortable for me to wear one than getting pinged in the mug by bugs and misc road debris\ pebbles... especially on highways.

So to help me better explain why others do or do not wear a helmet fire away!
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Thanks NEWHD74FAN... glad to be actively back. Been away for a bit... getting my new Slim amped up my HD reading interest\enjoyment, which this site provides plenty of.

After all is said and done I think a helmet certainly offers a great deal of protection. Sure, it more than likely wont keep anyone safe from some sort of epic accident but I'm certain it can make a difference for those subtle types such as simply falling over at a stop light (foot in oil or something), sliding in some parking lot gravel, etc.

I recently purchased a half helmet... I'll be using the full face for those longer highway rides and the half for nearby commuting. I've decided to wear a helmet 100% of the time... this thread coaxed me into always wearing one. You never know when an accident will happen. A couple weeks ago I fell over on my WR250X... I was rounding a bend at probably about 5 mph and the front end slipped on some wet brick design in the road... Iwent down... the side of my helmet hit the pavement... all that happened was I had a sore knee, elbow, and a scratch on my footpeg... if I wasn't wearing a helmet... ... who knows...?

Like HD74FAN says... its not only about protecting yourself... its about protecting yourself for your family.
 
I always wear a full-face helmet even when riding in states that don't require it. Of course, I also wear one when I'm just moving my bikes around the driveway. Guess I am just compulsive. I'd rather be wearing a helmet and not need it then needing it and not having it on. I see riders without helmets and it looks like it would be a lot of fun. I just can't do it.
 
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