I have a GBP20 head so bought a GBP20 helmet from Lidl. Perhaps inevitably with being a jet helmet, it was noisy enough to keep my speed down to 60mph (not such a bad thing) on my Big Trip To Turkey. But it did the job. And I didn't worry about getting it scratched or nicked as I would have done had I taken my carbon fibre full-face. And it was cooler in the heat, and felt less claustrophobic. I felt more "Out There". Which is, after all, what it's all about.
I will echo the comments made by others who have pointed out how much easier it makes conversations with locals at petrol stations, junctions, etc. Yeah yeah, I know you can take your full-face helmet off, but after the tenth time in an hour it becomes a bit of a pain, especially if you wear glasses as I do. And because it's a hassle, you tend not to bother. So you isolate yourself from the culture you are riding through.
I recognise that in an accident I could possibly say goodbye to my chin. But at the same time, the enhanced peripheral vision, especially in cities like Istanbul, made me actively safer. I'd take an open-face again, especially if travelling on a slower bike.
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