| Author | Message | ||
     Rick_A |
I saw a Real TV clip today where a European moto-journalist crashed a Bimota of all bikes on a public road...and went headfirst into a large curb...he was wearing a helmet and walked away...were he not I am certain the outcome would've been much different. Just thought I'd share. If you've been in an accident or know people who have been saved by helmets, the figures become meaningless. I do, however, also believe that it should be an individual's choice. | ||
| Milehi |
I live in in a Freedom of Choice State have/use two helmets. Youthful exuberance and a lid means that I'm still here after all these years. Ten years of volunteering (back in the '70s and '80s) and working in an ER cured me of any thoughts of riding w/o one. "...and like to feel the wind in your thinning hair, good for you." simply means a MEAN case of sunburn as I'm past the thinning stage. My H-D riding friends, as rugged individualists, are required to ride w/o a lid... I have to laugh when the complain about the bugs/grit/heat/cold/whatever when we ride... I just shake my head and laugh... I prefer to increase my odds whenever I can. JMHO | ||
| Jmartz |
I like to wear a helmet and an armored suit when I "road race" in the mountains, but I hate to have to wear one when I travel the 1 mile from my house to the local pub. | ||
| Jmartz |
I've seen a few motorcycle injuries in my day as well as several deaths. Most of the injuries have been leg and arms and invartiably the riders were not wearing protective clothing. I understand that head injuries are least common, altough most serious, and that infection from abrasion kills more people that initially survive an accident, then do head injuries. All that died at the scene were fully protected. The last of these I encountered was in NC during the Deals Gap event. A young man in an S3 wearing light summer clothing and shoes along with a Snell/DOT full face helmet wiped out while negociating a labeled 10 mph curve. His most severe injury (along with rather severe abrasion) was internal trauma to tissue surronding the heart, something no gear could have protected him from. Maybe we should just realize (and accept) that this endeavor is 15 times more dangerous than driving our car and ask our politicians to outlaw it outright. | ||
| Oldman |
it's like wearing a seat belt, how many people have survived because they were ejected from a car and not wearing a belt and viesa versa. bottom line is to ride smart. i ride defensively, and allways trying to second guess the other guy. like swapping lanes on 275 yesterday a minivan decided to do it at the same time, he got within maybe 6 inches off my rear end, had i not listened to that one guy when i started riding again after a number of years when he said always assume that your invisible and that no one can see you on that bike you will stay up on two wheels alot longer. the helmet is a greater since of security while on the buell. | ||
| Kevyn |
...a slight aside,...any suggestions for what to do with all these old helmets stuffed away in our closets...my inital thoughts were leaning towards ballistics testing... | ||
| Whatever |
I think why to wear a helmet (which I am humble enough to be all for, see previous posts) and who decides are two entirely different issues. Our government is already trying to decide way too personal things for us that I will not discuss here because it pisses me off too much that they are trying to shove it(ie religion) down our throats (midly amused at the topic on the quick board). Another discussion. Blah  Of course it should be our choice. I live in a "freedom of choice state" where there is a big rally every spring to protect that choice at the state capitol. The fact of the matter is I choose my battles very very carefully and it is not really one I wish to invest a lot of time into because the government will always try to say what we should do and act like a paternalistic grandparent. Losing my train of thought here. Hence the name "Whatever". Oh yeah "opinions are like a-holes... everybody has got one". Charlotte | ||
| S2no1 |
FB, Your confusing two issues here. One: The right to chose whether to wear a helmet and Two: whether wearing a helmet is a smart thing to do. On the first, I'll support your right to choose. I despise when legislature and insurance companies regulate what and how I can do things. It infringes upon my rights and erodes the freedom we hold dear. That said, I have very strong opinions about helmets. I believe that wearing helmets is the "right" thing to do. Helmet save lives. They saved my Dad's when a car pulled in front of him and mine on two occasions when I did not exercise good judgement. It is my opinion that riding without a helmet shows a decided lack of responsiblity and lack of recognition of potential harm from an accident. This is not a religous argument. Any motorcycle accident has the potential to kill. Wearing a helmet will never take the place of riding responibly and within your limits. We enjoy a high risk sport. It is our responsibility as mature adults to take reasonable action to reduce our risk. Wisdom is defined as the ability to apply knowlege or experience or understanding or commons sense and insight. Having been hit, on more than one occasion, by large insects in the shield of my full face helmet the resulting impact and cracked face shield became an experience. From that experience a bug hitting you face at 65 mph will hurt. I am applying that insight by wearing a full-face helmet. I used the term imbecile correctly, this is defined as a person of sub-normal intelligence eguivalant to 3 to 7 years of age. I have two children in that age group. Both require guidance and supervision since neither recgonize all of the danger involved in activities. I believe that people who do not wear helmets, at a minimum, don't recgonize the bugs at 65mph. Arvel  | ||
| S2no1 |
FB, Please don't take my strong rehtoric personally. I've done some things that show a shortage of intelligence on more than one occassion. Lately, being politically correct has become more than a little crass to me. Rhetoric needs to be strong. We need to express our passions distinctly and with strength else we do not protect our freedom and run the risk of loosing our rights. Arvel | ||
| FB |
no worries, Arvel :-) and no confusion, either. i believe my odds of living to a ripe old age are greater with a lid on my head than without. and i believe even more strongly that as an American adult taxpayer THE CHOICE SHOULD BE MINE. and i can't even begin to express my feelings about being called an imbecile because i would choose to go helmetless on occasion if legally allowed to do so. i bet in 10 minutes i could round up 10 people who would ban motorcycling all together, if given the legal right to do so, because of what they consider to be the unacceptable risks of same. what would you say to them, especially if they called YOU an imbecile for even riding a bike in the first place? i mean, come on Arvel, look at the risks involved, dude. don't you care about your family? and if mandatory helmet laws equate to the Holy Grail, why not mandatory airbags on bikes? and crash bars. and side-impact beams. and roll bars. and, and, and... by God, we've just created a Volvo!!! your version of reasonable and prudent may be different than mine, but that doesn't necessarily make either one of us an imbecile. right? best, Ferris | ||
| FB |
"sub-normal intelligence"??? Damn, Arvel! geez, i better jump over to the California BRAG Ride page before i blow a head-gasket (which, i suppose, would be a lot less serious an issue if i put my helmet on...... | ||
| S2no1 |
FB, I have been called an imbecile for riding a motorcycle. Some are family members, one of whom is my wife. She really doesn't like the 500 mile day rides I used to take to blow off steam. Without risk there is no life, acceptance and managment of risk is the coin for living life to the fullest. Like I said, I have strong opinions about helmets. Helmet are a tool to manage risk. Don't run off to the BRAG board on my account or blow a gasket. I'm a little fish here and not worth the trauma. I also find your posts informative and useful, even when I don't agree with some items in them. Oh and my family cars and company vehicles have all of the modern safety features you described. I wear my seatbelt, and shut off the Type I passenger airbags when my children are in the company trucks. There is also a strong possibility that my next family car will either be a LARGE SUV, Volvo or equivalent. I tend to like my family in one piece. Sorry for making you mad on this, it was not really my intention, just wanted to make sure everyone really took a hard look at helmets and why they don't wear them. Arvel | ||
| Bigblock |
I never wore a lid until we had the law here in CA, and only wore a open face or beanie until I noticed... ALLERGIES(ARGGH) I've been wearing a full face now for 2 years, and wouldnt have it any other way. And it sure is nice when it's cold(often, here on the coast) or wet! Although on the ocasional nice day, maybe a backroad PUTT sans lid... There are sopposedly stats to show that the accident rate RISES after a helmet law goes into effect, I've had more than a few fellow riders tell me this, and I was involved in an ABATE fund raising effort about 9 years ago, where I heard this... | ||
| Jmartz |
The one thing I can say about helmet law is the it exposed me to the concept w/o which I would have never ever tried one on. Fact is I hate wearing the darn thing most of the time but when its cold, or I'm going to do a long freeway ride or when I "road race" and dress for it, its sort of ok. I wish a device existed that protected your face from the wind and the sun w/o being heavy, thick and cumbersom. For fall protection the current generation of lids is ok. I like "roof" as they seem to be lighter than our popular domestic brands. If you want one of these you'll need a friend in Europe since these helmets are not snell/dot approved they are not sold in the US of A. | ||
| FB |
nah, not mad Arvel, just having a little fun :-) i respect your strong opinions about the pros of wearing a helmet, and am appreciative of this forum, where we can exercise one of the rights we hold dear in a democracy, the right of free speech. and i couldn't agree more with your "acceptance and management of risk" comment, which is why when i ride helmetless i accept the risk and manage it to the best of my ability. one of Clement's comments in his article i mentioned before is his belief that accidents on motorcycles are NOT inevitable, a position i'm in total agreement with. this belief makes it a little easier for me to troll thru Sturgis or Mount Rushmore without a lid. why, the last time i was there i even rode around with open-toed sandals on!!! (gasp Ferris, think of the risk! :-) Arvel, if we ever meet face-to-face, the first pitcher (of oh-so-dark and chewy Guinness Stout) is on me :-) ride to lean, Ferris | ||
| Djkaplan |
I'm a fervent believer in wearing fullface helmets (for myself). I'm not overjoyed with the fact that I'm required to wear a helmet by law, but it doesn't bother me too much. Kind of like pants; I would wear them anyway. I did get a chance to ride in Illinois sans helmet recently. A friend let me take his new Wide Glide for a cruise in Frankfort. First time without a helmet and I was absolutely surprised at how enjoyable it was. It really was fun! Not going to make a habit of it though; I've destroyed two fullface helmets so far... | ||
| todd |
hey blake how's it going? i'm still alive [gasp] despite my helmetless ways. i could and did in fact start to write out a reply, but then i remembered why i quit posting and deleted it. i stop in once in a while. nice to see your site is still up and running. bike is over 50,000 now. still no problems to speak of. later o and i guess i should at least say FUCK. just cause i can :<] | ||
| Hans |
Hi Todd, helmetless? I dunno. Who does intimidate cage drivers by pulling the visor up and carrying an hammer or heavy torch in his belt? He he. | ||
| Henrik |
todd, good to see you around. stay safe henrik | ||
| Blake |
todd: Thanks for lettin' us know you are alive and kickin'. I thought you quit posting when the username/pw thing became mandatory? Hope it wasn't anything I did/said to chase you away. Holy shit! You found the durn "Shift" key!  Blake | ||
| Roadrunr |
WHEN YOU GO OUT TO WEST TX YOU DAMN WELL BETTER WEAR A HELMET, OR DEM BIG ASS BUGS'L TAKE AN EYE OUT! THANK GOD I HAD IT ON SATURDAY! | ||
| Seatonii |
I have a statement about all this, not like it really matters, but I would like to express it anyway. I lived and rode in a state that did not have a helmet law for a number of years and I did not wear a helmet. I now live in a state that requires it and I wear one all the time now and do not have a problem with it. I can understand that some people do not want to have their rights infringed on, and I am one of them. My point is we should have laws that state if you do not want to wear a helmet then you are not required to do so. Although I think it should also state that you must have a minimum amount of medical coverage that would cover said person incase they were injured and anything above that point the tax payers would not be required to pick up the tab. I, as a TAX PAYER, do not feel I should pay for someone that elected to not wear a helmet and now they are in the hospitable and we are picking up the tab, if it could have been avoided with a helmet. If someone what to crack their head open it is that person’s choice, just let them and/or their insurance company pick up the bill not me. Thanks for listening ”reading” Just my .02 DWIGHT | ||
| Jmartz |
Seatonii: The problem with the public burden theory is that motorcycles comprise less than 1% of the vehicles on the road (in ga we have a 2% registration ratio). The majority of head injuries occurr to to people in cars. If the goverment really wanted to reduce the public burden imposed on all of when a young uninsured male (person) gets whacked in the head and needs care, it is to car operators that the helmet law should apply. Recently Fl repealed its helmet law. Out of this came out that the cost of protecting (in terms of protective equipment) the state's thousands of riders was much greater than the cost of caring for the handful that sustained head injuries. the 1st Daytona bikeweek w/o a helmet law saw fewer fatalies than in many previous years. Opponents of the new freedom of choice law were hoping for some ammunition but got none. | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
Taken from MCN online: "The start of the world’s biggest bike festival, Daytona Bike Week, has been marred by three riders receiving head injuries in accidents. None were wearing helmets. Florida ruled that those over 21 could ride without a lid if they chose, two years ago. During last year's event, six people lost their lives in accidents involving bikes. Of the four motorcyclists killed during the event in 2001, two were not wearing lids and one had on a hard plastic skull cap which is not approved by Florida’s Department of Transportation" This is why I wear a helmet. | ||
| Jmartz |
LB: Did you know that 12 people lost their lives the previous year when there was a helmet law. How can this be explained? | ||
| Jmartz |
I'm leaving Thursday for Daytona and the only reason I'll have a helmet when I get there is because I need need to roll trough my home state that requires one. Last year I trailered and did not take one. It was miserable though with cold temperatures and ocassional sprinkles. Jose | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
1) Bike Week Fatality Rates: 2000: 15 1999: 5 1998: 2 1997: 5 (taken from the Daytona Beach News-Journal) 2) More distrubing Daytona info (from same source) Ribel was taking a demonstration ride on a Buell motorcycle when the accident occurred, said Steve Piehl, an employee of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Last October during Biketoberfest, John R. Weaver, 41, Edgewater, died at the same intersection while also taking a demonstration ride on a Buell motorcycle. 3) Wearing a helmet lowers a motorcycle rider's risk of fatal injury by 29 percent and reduces the risk of traumatic brain injury by 67 percent. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I could go on but you get the drift... | ||
| Blake |
The festival has NOT been "marred", only the noggins of the those injured. | ||
| Loki |
If memory serves me right.....from last years six fatalities. Two involved heavily intoxicated operators. One pair were on the same bike, a G-wing I believe. Another was was in exess of the legal speed and t-boned a pedestrian. Just trying to remember what I read a year ago. Using Daytona to prop up any kind of stat is rediculous. Like using Sturgis, Laconia....... | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
I'm not trying to use Daytona to "prop up any kind of stat". I'm just stating another example of why helmets are good. The MCN piece just happens to be a current event and I thought I'd share the info. I just thougth that Buell demo bikes were "involved" in a couple accidents to be interesting. |
