| Author | Message | ||
     Tombo |
I was on my normal morning interstate commute two days ago when I saw burning rubber smoking off the back tires of a truck a few cars ahead. I then saw parts of a bike flying in the air just ahead of the pickup in front of me and a rider rolling into the Jersey barrier in the high speed lane. First reaction was to block the lane with my car, which the pickup ahead did as well. After calling 911 I went to the rider who was slowly starting to move. I stayed on with 911 until the ambulance arrived. By the way, don't assume someone else will make the call, they were receiving conflicting reports as to where the accident was even as I was on the phone with them and it was helpful when I could tell them the mile marker I was standing right in front of and that I was with the rider. While the rider seemed to be hurting pretty badly and his FLH was likely totaled, he was able to sit up and ultimately stand. He was lucky the pickup in front of me was able to stop in time and smart to be wearing a helmet and a decent riding jacket. A good reminder to wear the gear, this one could have easily have turned into a fatality without it. Went for a nice ride myself yesterday and chose the full face and the Vanson. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Had a poker run a few weeks back for a charitable cause. One of the participants on a cruiser of some sort blew a rear tire at about 40 MPH and the rider ended up landing on his head. I have to think if he was wearing a real full face helmet he might be with us today. Of course his survival of the incident is pure speculation, but let's just say he would have been much more likely to survive with a quality full face lid protecting his brain. | ||
| Strokizator |
Having personally tested the integrity of a full face helmet on I-15 north of Las Vegas, I can attest to the amazing amount of protection they afford your noggin. The next time you're driving down the freeway at 70 mph, look out the window and say to yourself, "OK, on the count of 'three' I'm opening this door and jumping out". I don't ever want to experience that again. | ||
| Zane |
December 18th 2008 I laid my Blast down. Going about 40mph I hit a lane shift in a construction zone. I high sided off and landed on my head. When I got to the hospital the E.R. doctor didn't mince words. He said that my helmet saved my life. Instead I limped out of the E.R. later that day. | ||
| Steveford |
Every time I've crashed my helmet's taken a beating. Remember the old Bell ads? If you have a $10 head wear a $10 helmet? Dress for the crash, not for the ride because you just never know. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Mr Shoei saved my life. | ||
| M2owner |
A good helmet is a good thing. What are you wearing? I am looking for a new hat and would like something with less wind noise. Do you like what you have and any suggestions? | ||
| Stevel |
For many people finding a helmet that fits is an easy task, if so, your lucky. For others like myself very few fit and it isn't just tight liners, which if used as a fitment guide can be very misleading causing the buyer to end up with a hat too large. Correct fit is very important to protection and it is a good bet that the buyer will have to buy several before he gets the experience he needs to get it right. Another concern is that the helmet must match your intended rider position. I have a helmet that fits and functions perfectly when I'm riding my Road King, but useless when riding my Buells. The reason is that the helmet rim above the eyes is too low and when riding a sport bike, the rider's head is low and he's looking out of the top of his eyes, which on this helmet and many others blocks the rider's forward vision. The rider then unconsciously rocks his head rearward stressing his neck to maintain forward vision. It is very tiring and without this experience, is rarely a test point when fitting for a new helmet. In my experience, selecting a helmet with low wind noise is a crap shoot unless the seller will allow you to go for a ride before buying and few will. Sizing from manufacturer to manufacturer is not the same. Even with the same manufacturer there can be size differences from model to model.....buyer beware. I also believe quality as a choice factor is misleading at best. All helmets are better than none, but how does a buyer determine the quality of its construction without taking it apart? That leaves the buyer making a subjective choice, perhaps using the brand name as the ultimate guide. Again a crap shoot. Lastly, all helmets deteriorate over time in their ability to absorb shock. Helmets should be replaced after 5 years of use and immediately after a crash. The takeaway of this is never buy a helmet without trying it on first. In order to receive the best price, once you find a helmet that fits, wait until you see the same model on sale or special offer. You may have to wait 6 months or more, but often you can save more than 50% off retail. |
