Open Face Helmet Options?
 

Don't laugh - I'm currently wearing an AGV Blade helmet on my Yamaha XT's. I much prefer open faced helmets. Full faced helmets are uncomfortable and closed in (confined). I also like an open face helmet because it allows wider vision.

Here's a AVG Blade: Agv Blade Helmet | eBay

I know I'm taking a small risk and that these things don't protect the face as well as a full face helmet does. :(

I'm a retired (worn out) bike cop (50 years old). In the early 1980's I used to wear a Bell open face helmet and enjoyed wearing it on patrol. I always felt it allowed me to interact with joe public better, gave me wider vision and was comfy to wear all day. The only downside was the wind noise.

I'm prepared to put up with increased wind noise. I'm not a speed freak in any case (hence my sedate choice of bikes now).

Fast forward to 1986 and I was wearing a Bell full faced helmet which I hated wearing. By the 1990's I had moved onto other things in the job but my old mates in traffic were starting to wear odd hybrids - flip top helmets.

I have always trusted Italian AVG helmets. My first helmet in 1979 was a AVG X3000 Valenza which I wore on my Yamaha AP50 and MZ Simson S50/B1 (bet none of you know about that little gem).

I bought the AVG Blade a couple of years ago from getgeared (and excellent online supplier of most things bike). The AVG Blade is apparently designed for scooters but it looks okay on a big trail bike too (in my opinion).

I'm in need of another OPEN FACE helmet as my partner has finally agreed to go pillion. Like me she hates wearing full faced helmets.

I do possess a full-faced helmet (Shoei X-Spirit) which cost me £400 but this is only used when I'm riding the Honda XBR500. My mates said I looked ridiculous wearing the AVG Blade on it. My Mrs refuses to wear it on any bike.

The AVG Blade is still available but it's gone up in price quite considerably - £109 now. I only paid £60 for mine which at the time seemed a great bargain. Wonder why it's gone up so much in such a short time?

Nearly all the AVG Blade alternatives are the old basic "pudding basin Jet" style helmet, a version of which is sold by most helmet makers. I don't think they look good on a big trail bike being ridden on the roads.

I am happy spending up to £150 but it must be a bargain buy.

I suppose if I can't find another more modern looking "funky" alternative, I will have to simply bite the bullet and procure another AVG Blade for my Mrs.

Any thoughts would be welcomed. :helpsmilie:
Thanking you in anticipation.....bier

Nolan 43 Trilogy
 

Have a look at the Nolan 43 Trilogy, best of both worlds,:clap: just get rid of the chin piece !!!:thumbdown:
Cheersjeiger
paul

For what it's worth; my wife and I tried ALL the different types of helmets and we both swear by open face helmets. Although we are 20 years younger than you, and the safety issue is not an issue for us for various reasons, there's nothing in the world that would ever make us wear anything else anymore than an open face helmet.

We both have LS2 helmets (cheap, around 120€) and I just survived a crash with mine here in Mongolia, no problems whatsoever - the helmet has a strange shape now though... :innocent:

I don't think they will survive this trip, but for the next trip, I'll buy just the same one again...

:scooter:

To this I would simply that that once you have seen the bloody aftermath of a bike crash where the biker had lost his entire lower jaw, crushed beyond recognition ... you'll never consider an open face helmet ever again.
Yes, the poor fellow was wearing an open face helmet...

You can't get enough protection when it comes to bike impacts. I bear the scars and damage of a stupid decision I took when I was young.doh

Quality equipment does save damage and lives.

It's up to each of us to choose our own gear and accept the consequences.

Fully agree.
I will never ride with open face helmet. Recently my Tour-X saved my head and other gear the rest of me in Indonesia when I had collision with a truck (well crushed my wrist which I am healing now in Germany).
Open face could be more comfortable when it is hot, but for me "It´s better sweat than bleed".

Stick to the topic chaps...
 

If I read the OP rightly guys, he asked for open faced helmet suggestions, as opposed to open face vs full face opinions. He stated clearly in the OP that he already has a full face and specifically asked for ideas for a new open face. Even the title of his post is called "Open Face Helmet Options" That being the case, lets assume he is not asking for others opinions on whether he should get a full face or an open face.

As a former bike cop, long time rider and long time open face wearer (also from his well considered background OP), I would suggest he has earned the right to make his own informed choice. It just seems to me ridiculously patronising to be lecturing a 50 year old former motorcycle cop for choosing an open faced helmet ... especially when he has spent several paragraphs saying he knows they are riskier but is comfortable with that.

Guys nobody rides a motorcycle and doesn't get that an open face helmet is not riskier than a full face. We all get that. Similarly, no-one rides a motorcycle and thinks its as safe as driving a car. We all get that too. Yet we are comfortable taking that risk of riding a motorcycle. And many of us are comfortable with the risk of an open faced helmet. So let it go.

So in answer to the OP's actual question ...

I would look at:

Arai CTF
http://images3.revzilla.com/product_...elmet_zoom.jpg

HJC IS Multi 7 in 1
http://images.esellerpro.com/2189/I/...et-White-1.jpg

I have been riding for years with the Nolan N41, which was light, simple, inexpensive and kept the wind and rain off my face when I needed it, but I believe they have stopped making them now
http://www.ajbike.fi/images/webkuvat...110-N41-54.jpg

There have been a few other interesting ones I have seen pop up on this forum in recent years, but cant find them at the moment via the search function. If I find them, I will add them to the thread.

The Arai Walter's mentioned above is gorgeous but damn expensive. The HJC is great feeling like an open face even with the chinguard in place, and if you really don't like it just unclip the guard.

Sadly it was too small for my fat head especially as they're down as far as £69 on Amazon.co.uk.

I'm now after this:

http://auto.topsportracing.com/wp-co....01-Tourer.jpg

The same principle, the chinguard unclips to leave you open faced if you wish.

I have the Nolan N43E Air, its the EU version of the Trilogy and has additional vents on the top of the helmet.
I find it really nice to wear with a massive eyeport and the full length visor covers right down to below the chin.
Internal sunvisor which I initially thought was a bit of a gimmick but after riding through lots of sun this last week its been a real gift.
The ventilation system is brilliant, the coolest helmet that I have worn lately, including Arai MX lids which are usually good and the Airoh S4
You can find them for reasonable money now that the new N44 is out.
Detlev Louis has them for 185 delivered which works out to 159 stg.
You may be able to get one cheaper depending on your size.

That's the one I was wanting to mention but couldn't find. Whaat is it ? Givi x-01?

Yes, the X.01 Tourer. I've tried the older X.01 which suited my head shape so I'm now on the hunt.

Thx Walter for clarifying... :thumbup1:
I was almost tempted to write a whole answer to that doh

Anyway, I prefer the Nolan like Walter used (or my LS2 - same config) because you have more view. The whole front is made of transparent materials, so it should (test it!!!) keep the wind and rain out of the helmet but you see more or less twice as much as with another config. (with the chin piece)

The removable chinpiece was for us not ideal (= not what we wanted) as we would ride to much time without it anyway and you need to fix it somewhere in your luggage when it's not on the helmet. When your helmet is without, you get the wind in your face (eyes?!) all the time even if the visor is down as it is only a halfwayvisor. So it's a bit of the two worlds, but the bad bit in my opinion. You don't have the full advantages from a fullface and you don't have the full advantages from a open face... :helpsmilie:

It is all personal of course, but as stated for me (and my wife) the one helmet that does it all (open face that is) is one where the visor goes completely down as when it gets cold, rain or to much wind, you just close the visor and all your problems are gone and you still have a terrific view and the weight is always less than another option.

I have the LS2 OF560 and Kim has the LS2 OF552. They're not in the original options, but you get the idea. Make and model are just a personal thing, go to shops and try them out, what works for me won't necessary work out for you and the other way around. I would never ever buy a helmet through the internet or... without having tried it on. You will need to wear it for many hours so it needs to fit you nicely. When we tried ours, the more expensive models were not as comfortable as the cheaper ones, so our decision was made.

Best Helmet in the World - Ever?
 

Kentfallen,

Check out the Schuberth J1. It has all the upsides of an open face with most of the safety of a full-face.

Not only that, it's quiet and comfortable. I ride a Multistrada and am VERY fussy about wind noise. This is by far the quietest helmet I have - way better than my Schuberth C3 and my Arai TX3.

I can't recommend it enough. It may not be a thing of beauty but boy does it do the job...

:mchappy::mchappy::mchappy:

Morning Neil,

I use a Nolan N43 as my eeryday helmet.

This is my second one, the first saved me when I was involed in a hit n run accident, which wrote off my bike and I was more than happy to repeat buy.

I love the improved visibility when compaired with my Shoei Raid 2 and my BMW Enduro helmets.

The N43 has a retractable sun visor and flip up clear visor.

The only thing I don't like is the misting up of the visor in the cold, and this is the reason I use my Shoei (with pin lock) in Winter.

Regards

Reggie

+1 for Nolan N43 me and the hubby have them can be a bit noisy but a decent pair of ear plugs sorts that out. Is really like the flexibility of being able to have it as a full face or open faced helmet.

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

If anyone is after a Nolan N43 I have a silver medium sized one here going spare.I realise it's a second hand helmet but I wore it three times before deciding I didn't like open faced lids after all,it is like brand new.£40 plus postage of collection from near Nottingham.

Sorry,I have just realised that mine is an N41 not an N43,apologies.

You're a gentleman. Thank you for your kind comments.

Yes indeed I appreciate I'm taking a (calculated) risk but isn't this something we ALL do every time we mount our steeds?

Neil

Thank you all for your valued opinions and recommendations.

These days I try and stay well away from so called "top shelf" makes of helmet. That instantly discounts Shoei and Arai etc....

It's because I like to buy a bargain and that's hardly ever possible with those makes.

Same goes for the other love of my life - shotguns. I always steer well clear of expensive Italian makes (Beretta etc) as they are silly money. I use an almost identical Italian make of gun for less than half their price. The build quality of my gun is almost the same as the Beretta.

Although NOT an open faced helmet I have just been given one of these things by a good friend -

Spada Helmet Sting White | Dual Sport Spada Helmets | FREE UK Delivery

It appears an excellent BUDGET RTW helmet?

I rather like the Nolan range of open faced helmets too....

It would seem that some of us love our brains and good looks (!) just a little bit more and like to give them 'top shelf' protection ;)

What about the Shark Evoline 3?

Gives good protection when needed but also gives open face in stuffy situations. Also a good price/quality compromise.

With respect, there are many many helmets out there which provide (and sometimes surpass) expensive (top-shelf) helmets like those sold by Shoei/Arai etc. It's a FACT that some helmets costing a third of these helmets prices provide same or better protection. Just have a good look at the SHARP UK government test website.

I remember seeing that a helmet costing only £70 (5 star) or so, beat Shoie's top of the range X-Spirit helmet (4 star)!

Another aspect is comfort. I have found cheaper helmets sometimes offer the same comfort as top-shelf helmets.

You will always get riders who believe their heads are being better protected because they spend more. This isn't always true. Then you will get riders who brag they have spent ridiculous sums on helmets without much protective gain.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a bargain and not wanting to pay for expensive advertising and sport sponsorship.

I only pay £8 for a pair of jeans from Primark instead of paying £30 for Levi's as I used to when younger. They look and perform exactly the same.

I buy T shirts for £2.50 yet my son pays up to £15 for exactly the same thing. doh

I regularly beat other game shooters with my £400 shotgun who use guns worth £10,000 plus! :eek3:

I guess if you have the money to waste, it's perfectly okay to spend it as you wish.

I am lucky enough to be able to buy expensive items but I prefer to get the same level of protection for a bargain price. :clap:

I AM an ugly git though.....beer

That's an interesting comparison , shotguns and helmets . Both are of interest to me having bought a few over the years .
I think that fit,finish and longevity are important things to consider when you buy either of the above . Sometimes if you are going to use an item extremely hard then it pays to spend the extra money. But for lighter use , then a cheaper item will do the job just as well .
More expensive shotguns tend to last and have a better resale value [ if that's important to you ] helmets don't have quite the same appeal on the second hand market [ "beautiful condition sir - just the one ding and you can put a sticker over that - good as new !"]. I also admire the handiwork that goes into quality shotguns .
However , like yourself, I am always on the lookout for a bargain.
[ One day , I may even buy a Purdey for 200 quid :confused1: ]

:offtopic:

I use an old AYA Yeoman shotgun. My father bought it new in 1973 and used it until he was 70 or so. It's probably only worth a couple of hundred pounds sterling although it's still in excellent working order. I look after it.

To be perfectly honest I would love another over&under modern gun but simply can't justify taking another place in an already crowded gun cabinet.

My 2 firearms (.22LR rimfires) are all in MINT condition too - old BRNO's. I prefer older BRNO's instead of more modern (inferior) CZ's. I have a really lovely BRNO Model 5 made in 1966.

I can't justify buying another because my beloved dads gun does everything well. I sometimes find myself embarassed using such a gun in front of others using Purdey's etc...

I can afford whatever I wanted.

I did see a lovely Italian O/U a while back and was tempted. It was MINT and only £400.

I guess I'm stuck with my Dads gun. :thumbup1:

The Yeomans are excellent guns , so too are the BRNOs .
Funnily enough the Yeoman is now available in Canada under a different name and at a hugely inflated price, hang onto yours .
I have 2 BSAs one is a Majestic rifle from the late 1950's and the other is d/b shotgun from the early 1920's , not worth much but I like 'em and they'll be passed on to my son when I pop my clogs .
But if the weather is extremely foul both guns stay at home and something more modern and therefore expendable is used . [I would cry if I dropped either out of a boat and it was lost :crying:.]
Stay on target .

I agree with this ... its worth bearing in mind there has never (to the best of my knowledge) been a single study anywhere in the world that has shown expensive helmets like Arai or Shoei protect in real life accidents any better than any other approved helmet. There have been plenty of studies all right, but in not a single one has there been any conclusive evidence whatsoever that a motorcycle rider is better off with an expensive helmet. I have never heard of a single coroners report anywhere that implied 'had the lad worn a more expensive brand of helmet he would be still alive today'.

Its a marvel of marketing that expensive helmet manufacturers have been able to imply that this is the case - that there is a correlation between price and protection, when every helmet study done shows it to be false.

A very good point and I heartily agree .
However , you have to look at build quality as well . Some of the cheaper helmets may not hold up so well over time because of inferior stitching , cheaper materials or aerodynamics that make them uncomfortable or noisy after a few hours of riding .
I usually end up buying mid priced helmets because the big names don't impress me [or even fit me] and some of the cheaper ones make me cringe as regards build quality .
But it usually comes down to having a comfortable fit and a colour I can live with .:thumbup1:

Been using open face helmets for over 30 years - out of the many i have used over the years I rate the top ones as follows
Most comfortable and quiet, no drag or lift not affected by wind etc - without any comparison - Davida jet (but lack of flip up visor etc is a pain).
Most practical all rounder (but very expensive) Schuberth J1
Arai with visor is pretty practical, light but cold in winter and a bit noisy.
I also bought last year a Nolan air - its a bit noisy and there are two many moving parts (vents visors etc so it rattles quite a bit at times and feels a bit budget for a fairly expensive helmet) it had been worn four times and stayed in its bag for a year or so;
I currently use a caberg freeride carbon - open face - comes with a visor if you want to fit it, very very light (750grms), very comfy and quite. cost about £120.00


I have seen old stock Arai's and the like in sales over the winter for almost budget money (well £120) as open face lids dont sell well.

My next lid is the Caberg Tourmax, supposedly the first ever flip-up Enduro/Adventure helmet, cos it's got a peak!

Caberg Helmets - Tourmax

http://www.caberg.it/img/catalogo_caschi/T/MW/TMW_1.jpg
http://www.caberg.it/img/catalogo_ca...MaB/TMaB_3.jpg

Due out in Feb for approx 240 euros

I think it was either ADAC or Motorrad which did something like this, and the conclusion was that price is not equal quality...



Casper

http://www.jmcorp.com/media/helmets/..._n44_group.jpg

cutomize as you like. nolan n44

Cheaper helmets may not have the longivity of the racer fashion brands but if i drop a cheap helmet I will replace it and the replacement will protect my head far better than a top line helmet thats past its best!

If you wear a helmet everyday for over a year it may as well be binned so get something cheap.

I just payed £30 for a full face hi vis helmet, its light airy and better still it stands out a hell of a lot more than a black arai/shoei etc so hopefully I wont need to test how good it is in an crash, because I might stand a chance of the idiots actually spotting me!:scooter:

As somebody once explained to me.........

A $100 helmet in the wrong crash you'll be dead, a $800 helmet, you'll be a vegetable :mchappy:

The SHARP tests proved price said nothing about protection levels. There were £500 branded lids getting 3 stars and £30 unknowns getting 5.

Andy

Hello Andy, it's been a while.....

As the original poster of this thread I thought I would provide an update on my circumstances -

Now riding my 790cc Carbed ENGLISH made Bonnie.

Off to SCOTLAND next week with a few biker mates.

Blasting up the motorway wearing my venerable open face AVG Blade might not be a great idea in terms of wind noise etc...

I considered using my "top shelf" X-Spirit but I really hate full faced helmets in town and when it's hot (hopefully Scotland will not be too wet). :(

I went down my local bike shop and tried on a few modular "system" helmets including expensive "top shelf" makes costing £400 plus.

I decided on a £90 MT Flux. Don't laugh the build quality and comfort is at least up there with some helmets costing £300 plus! This helmet has not been tested by SHARP yet but MT helmets get between 3 and 5 stars. I read one costing only £79 gets the full 5 stars. :thumbup1:

The MT Flux exceeds the level of protection an open face helmet gives although once I get home my faithful AVG Blade will come out of retirement.

I reckon I have got myself a bargain. :innocent: I don't give a toss what others think of my informed choice. :D
Bye the way Andy, I have changed my gearbox sprocket on my bike from a 17 tooth to a 19 tooth for this trip. After reading your excellent and helpful website, I decided to take the plunge. Honestly, the whole bike has changed for the better - still plenty of go in first and it's reduced the revs for motorway work. It will be interesting to see what the bike does in terms of fuel useage. If you like, I'll let you know.....

All the very best.
Neil beer

I'm a fan of flip and open face helmets and a couple of years ago spent a lot of time evaluating various alternatives including

- Givi X.01
- Roof Boxer V8
- Shark Evoline series 2 or series 3
- Caberg Justissimo GT
- Caberg Hyper X
- HJC IS-multi
- Nolan N43
- Schuberth J1

I wanted a helmet that's suitable for both cold weather and hot weather in the same trip (e.g. Spain in winter, followed by southern Morocco). I wanted to be able to flip the chin bar to improve ventilation, but still have a full pull down visor that's effective against wind in my eyes. Also I'd like a pull down sunshield.

You'll note my criteria are all comfort based. beer

I ended up going for the Caberg Hyper X

A link to my rather long thread on UKGSer relating the testing and decision.

http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net...rekkammask.jpg

I normally wear ear plugs or in-ear speakers, so noise isn't an issue. The visor is really deep and covers all the way down to the chin. I now don't bother carrying the chin piece at all, and in bitterly cold weather I just wear a face mask. I recently needed a spare helmet to keep elsewhere and chose to get another Hyper X.

Hello Tim,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I will take on board what you say here bearing in mind who you are and your vast experience of world M/C travel (I greatly admire your achievements in this realm). :thumbup1:

Neil

Helmets
 

My wife and I just bought Shoei J Cruz helmets:thumbup1: & we love them.
Very nice fit, quiet & not to heavy. Yes expensive but you have them on your
heads for many hours.

Cheersbeer
Paul

Nolan N41, LS2 & Spada
 

I have only once owned a full face and that was for racing (30 years ago) and legally required.
Nolan 41, LS2, and now I live inside a Spada RP388 Helmet. And after all these years I still have a face.
I get wound up by the "full face is safest" brigade. Scare tactics are for children.:taz:
Parachute jumpers don't use them. Learn to slide and roll.:thumbup1:

Scare tactics? :smartass:
Depends on your personal experience. I witnessed (post event) a Gold Wing rider (open face helmet) hit in the face by a big piece of Tire debris on freeway at 75 mph. Knocked him clean off his bike, he was run over by following traffic. Dead. Sad. Eye witness confirmed. Would a full face saved him? Dunno? Maybe. :innocent:

i've been hit by road crap several times over many decades (300K miles) of riding. Usually in the leg, chest but sometimes in the head. doh Like the huge (6 ft. wing span) Owl that hit me at night on the Interstate at 75 mph. Full face helmet saved me that time.

I like my Shoei flip up helmet. The Flip Up design is good in town and slow riding and hot weather and riding off road. Good for communication when stopped, nice not having to remove helmet. (like open face)

Once underway, just lower/lock the chin bar and you've got a full face with a quality shield protecting you. I like it! I've had rocks and other serious debris hit my shield at high speeds. Glad I had the shield there! How about you? :innocent:

Lots of bad things can happen in a crash, this learned during 8 years racing AMA Enduro series. Siding and rolling don't always get it (but that IS good advice!)

I wish I had a picture of the woman I met who hit the road face first wearing Harley style "Beanie" Nazi type helmet. After 6 plastic surgeries over 8 years she still had NO CHIN and one side of her face ... was sort of ... gone. Hard to look at her. A full face helmet would have totally saved her.

All that said, it's always a personal choice. Risk management is up to individual.
Motorcycle riding is dangerous no matter what gear we wear.
Stay safe out there.

PS: If I wanted to scare you I'd tell you details about the dead riders I've come across at accidents and what that was like!

bier

Darwinism.......
 

A member of my family was killed when he face planted at moderate speed with an open face....pillion didn't even get a graze.

Carry on with your open face....just natural selection in action.

I could well believe the Wing rider episode. You do have unbelievable amounts of tyre debris strewn all over the interstates in the US - complete treads in one piece, hundreds of smaller bits scattered over a mile or so, wire bird nests in the lanes etc.

I came to the conclusion that the truck speed limit wasn't the posted one but whatever the tyres could take without exploding. We got hit by tyre debris several times - fortunately not large lumps but enough for us to become very wary when we heard a flap flap flap noise on a nearby truck.

I tried to find a large piece in a location where I could stop for a photograph but this is the best I could do on the St Louis ring road:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...pskqjdfwn0.jpg

Spot on!
You won't find "Re-Tread" tires on cars anymore but Semi Trucks still use retreads. I used to commute from L.A. to San Fran and back for about 10 years. 450 miles each way. All on Interstate 5. I've seen Semi truck tires blow out several times and of course a TON of tire debris all over the roads.

The most memorable I-Witness case was when the compact car loaded with farm workers ahead of me was overtaking a Semi truck. Suddenly, a tire exploded and a HUGE piece of tire went flying and smashed into the car's windshield, smashing it. The truck never missed a beat and continued on. The car severed wildly around but made it safely over to shoulder.

I continued on ... got the trucks plate number and called it into CHP. No idea the outcome. The driver can always claim ignorance but they know damn well when a tire blows. (I've talked to them)

On my bike I always pass quickly when going by a Semi truck. In Arizona and some other states truck speed limits are 75 mph. :helpsmilie: California is 55 mph. This translates to real world speed of 80+ in Arizona and 65 mph in California. 80 mph, IMO, is insane for a 20,000 lb. truck in questionable condition.

Ride safe out there! bier

It's crazy out there! About 30-40 miles north of Salt Lake City on I15 I was cruising about 75-80mph and was overtaken by a huge flatbed truck with something that looked like an aero engine under a cover on the flatbed. He came past me at around 90mph and then under a bridge that I was convinced by eye was too low. I hit the brakes hard but he got through with about 2" clearance. If he'd been in my lane he wouldn't have made it. Either a very skilled or a very stupid driver.

There's so many trucks on the interstates it's hard to avoid them. I started to wonder what percentage of the total traffic they made up and to pass the time (!) between Kansas City and St Louis spent a while counting vehicles on the other carriageway - trucks in one category, everything else - buses, bikes, cars, vans, pickups, everything, in another. The trucks were nearly half the total. And that's in numbers; in size they dominated everything.

Euro trucks are both smaller and engine speed limited to 56mph by law - I can just about keep with them on my 125 (and no flying strips of rubber)

open face
 

I use a held hero for commuting

worth a look!

I am very sorry to hear your relative died in a road accident it is sad, although wearing open or full face may not have made any difference in the impact.

I did about 15 years as a cop and had attended several Fatal RTA's (road traffic accidents) some involving motorcycles. I have seen dead casualties wearing full face helmets some with head trauma or broken necks but often with internal injuries or limbs lost. So fatal stuff happens - Fatal's are usually as a result of very rapid deceleration ie you hit something solid and you stop but your inside or some bits of your outside bits don't - so the full face helmet is just a small part of the safety system, it is however far from the cure to severe injury or death in an accident.

I accept an open face offers less face protection than full face when sliding down the road it's risk the wearer has to take on board for themselves, but hey ho !

The lighter any helmet the better for your neck and head. Less mass means less changes in speed for your neck to have to deal with in an accident.

I don't give a monkey if people wear a full face helmet so what's it matter to anyone what other people choose to wear whether it be open face helmet, leather, goretex whatever - it is all a personal choice.

One thing that has been evidenced is that the safer people feel (ie racer leathers, full face lids - abs brakes - traction control and the like) then they tend to ride faster, maybe take bigger risks - so maybe the opposite occurs when your less well protected ie self preservation kicks in a bit more when your less well protected. I don't know the answer but it's worth a thought.

I chose an open face over full face helmet, and have done for the last 43 years. its just a choice thing it really should not matter to anyone else. Currently use a caberg freeride carbon, weight 750 grm, very comfy, very light, very quite.


As for Natural selection - well it's really not worth an answer - Jake.:D

I'm in the "Full face or nothing" crowd too. Your face is pretty valuable and they won't be able to fix it after its been scraped down the road at 70 mph.

But that's just me. You should always do what makes you feel comfortable and happy on the bike.

If I had anything to say about Open face helmets it would be that you should get the most rugged, expensive and best rated one on the market.

Cheap ones are so rubbish they should be illegal. You can pop the chin pieces just by dropping them on a carpet. I've seen it LOADS of times. Too many horror stories about cheap 'Flip' helmets. A lot of people with no front teeth and plastic noses can tell you those stories.

Which is a great reason to avoid Interstates! Sometimes you have no choice and need to ride a section of Interstate to get from A to B, but they can really suck.

Shark Raw.
For longer distance you can use the visor/faceprotection plate, else it's a very comfortable open face helmet. Will even fit my ginormous head (size 65)
http://www.shark-helmets.com/images/...3012EKMA-1.jpg