| Author | Message | ||
     Dr_greg |
..because I forgot it when the wife drove me up to the dealer after my sidestand work to pick up the Uly. I decided to ride home via surface streets and just be VERY cautious. Probably only ten miles. It was scary. I did notice that I fit right in, though; every other rider I saw on the way home was sans helmet. Although I never got over 45 mph it just amazes me how anyone could ride a motorcycle at any speed over 25 mph with any degree of comfort/safety without a helmet. But...I do support the right to choose (whether to wear a helmet or not, that is) | ||
| Aeholton |
Yeah, we have some little 50cc bikes we ride around here and I ride with just a lid type helmet. Typically ride 30-40mph. Wind noise and wind in the eyes is almost unbearable at those speeds. | ||
| Dennis_c |
Just see that don't happen again  n | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Dr_greg, I generally don't wear my helmet on my ATV when I'm only plowing my driveway, but any other time I can't stand to be without it. I find the sandblast here to be amazingly painful. I'm surprised cars have much paint left with all the sand that is in the air on the roads. Most of my HD riding friends at work ride without helmets, and I just can't figure out how or why they would. Joel | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I grew up riding in Iowa and never wore a helmet unless I left the state where I had to wear one. Wiped out now and then but never hit my noggin. Now I live in Nebraska and have to wear one. I'd still rather not have to unless I wanted to. Funny thing is, plenty of folks buy the farm and they are wearing their helmet. | ||
| Diablobrian |
While I do not support the government's right to legislate my life beyond the limitations the constitution placed on them, I personally believe in not just wearing a helmet, but ATGATT. It makes me nauseous to see what some people consider proper riding attire. I have to remind myself constantly that it's a free country, and it's their right to neglect their personal safety. I can't believe in my personal freedom without supporting everyone else's too. (BTW) I'm gllad riding without the lid freaked you out! It means you'll be less likely to forget it again  | ||
| Xbimmer |
Both times I crashed on pavement I contacted the street with my face, in a full face helmet. My brother hit the side of a hill in a full face and cracked off the shield. Got spit off a Z1 at over the ton and ground away the right side of his Shoei S20 which would have been his ear and scalp. A friend groggy and cold in the morning after an outdoor camp during a rally actually forgot (I'm NOT joking) to put his feet down as he pulled out into the street to wait for my ex and me to check out. Rotated over and whacked his Bell Magnum against the curb. Could have been bad but wasn't. Another friend had an uninsured illegal do the left turn in front of him, full face helmet probably saved his life, but he had so much damage to his face he was in reconstructive surgery for months. Afterward we joked with him that it turned out OK since he was so ugly before they fixed him back up. And yes, a helmet isn't 100% insurance. And yes, I would prefer the choice in my great state of KA. But one can't ignore the advantage gained when wearing one. What disturbs me more is that here in KA kids are required to wear helmets when bike riding, yet I've watched lidless kids riding right by cops without any action taken. Think I might try that tomorrow, ride around town with just my Buell cap on. Wonder how many units will descend upon me and how long it will take? | ||
| Jim_sb |
I have crashed countless times in the dirt. I wear armored boots, knee, elbow, back and shoulder pads, FF helmet and goggles and of course gloves. So far [knock on wood] I've been able to walk away from each one. The gear works. I haven't crashed on pavement [knock on wood] and hope I never do, but I wear all the gear anyway. You just never know. What if you're cruising down the highway and your front tire hits a nail and blows out? Stuff happens. Dress accordingly. Best, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Aeholton |
...have to wear one. I'd still rather not have to unless I wanted to. Now I understand why you like a big windshield.  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Eye protection seems just as important but rarely talked about. I have nothing against helmets, just non-bikers legislating laws while ignoring the need to outlaw cell phone talking while driving. I notice that race car drivers wear helmets but the general public doesn't have to wear them in a car. Head injuries happen all the time in car accidents. I'd just like the ability to cruise around my small town (Ralston) without a helmet whenever I feel like it. Protective gear is great but I still wonder how hot some of these guys get that wear these winter looking gortex adventure type jackets in 90+ degree weather just to ride their bike a few miles to work. My feeling is that if they are that worried about wrecking then maybe they are just too uptight to be on that motorcycle to begin with. I don't want the legislative Nazi monkeys to see these types and then the light bulb goes off in their pea thinking that this is a good idea for the rest of us on bikes. And you guys that wear these jackets or coveralls or whatever, not all of us are grinding the tabs off our pegs (and bragging about it). You guys need that kind of gear because you'll have a high probability of testing it. | ||
| Old_bird |
I dislike mandated safety gear, even in cars. I'm ATGATT when riding and use my seatbelt in the cage. Even if it were optional I would buy airbags and ABS on the cage. I just dislike some scared safety nut making a living off tax money telling me what I have to do. Okay, rant over. I went down May 11, 2004. Don't remember the accident, just the date. Apparently I highsided in rush traffic on the interstate. According to the report, I slid 228 feet on the concrete pavement. The real injury was a severe concussion, spent three days in the hospital. Minor burn on my right elbow from heat. Minor cut on my left wrist from the watch band. Some soreness, no broken bones or road rash. The right side of my helmet looked like somebody had taken 40 grit on a die grinder to it. Wish I had taken a picture of it, but my thinking wasn't too clear for sometime. (Like that's unusual.  ) The only accident damage to the Roadcrafter was a small puncture in the right shoulder. Then the paramedics got there and wouldn't let me take it off. If you aren't familiar with a Roadcrafter, one zipper and the whole thing practically falls off. They just had to cut it up.  I'm told I was alert and people were having to hold me down, I just don't remember it. The point is the gear certainly saved me a lot of pain. I credit living through it to someone wanting me to be here for awhile. Don't wear gear if you don't want, just don't whine about not having it if you need it. EG, actually it was cooler to ride in the heat with the Roadcrafter, than without. It did get hot if I was stopped for more than a few seconds and walking in it would have been unbearable. The Roadcrafters are very well vented. Add a soaked absorbent cloth around the neck and I was very comfortable while riding in high heat. Got stopped at a checkpoint once, the officer asked if I was hot. I smiled and commented that he was sweating and I wasn't. Thank goodness he only stopped me for a few seconds. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Glad you survived. I've never had one of those type of jackets so I guess I should take back my comments and I do. | ||
| Dr_greg |
I forgot to mention on my brief helmetless ride I was indeed ATGATT minus helmet. Jacket, gloves, overpants, boots...everything except the lid! Must have looked a little strange. I even had my earplugs (which actually helped with the effect of the wind). I went down at 75 mph on I-40 on August 22, 2003 due to a violent tankslapper; my helmet saved my life. Sustained an open fracture of the humerus; the bone was poking out of my jacket! And I still got the jacket off without cutting! | ||
| Frankf |
Ouch. Down at 70mph. What caused the tank slapper? What kind of bike, just don't tell me it was a Uly... | ||
| Pwnzor |
I despise helmet and seatbelt laws. I rode without a helmet 100% of the time unless it was raining, until the helmet law had been in effect here for almost a year and then they really started cracking down. ATGATT is not for me, more like SGST. I know, I know, you'd rather sweat than bleed. Me too, but I'd rather do neither TBH. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Frankf, it was not a Uly. It was a bike which I refuse to name because it had been modified by people who didn't know small changes in suspension geometry can have large consequences. I should have known better as well. | ||
| Stevenknapp |
I still wonder how hot some of these guys get that wear these winter looking gortex adventure type jackets in 90+ degree weather just to ride their bike a few miles to work. Mine isn't bad. Keeps the sun off, when moving the air blows through it easily. I've worn it in some VERY hot temps. When it's 100 and humid it's hot no matter how you look at it. Having said that, I do respect everyone's right to choose. And more so that everyone has an idea what's right/wrong and what risks they want to take. | ||
| Lorazepam |
I wear protective gear because I have had grit and gravel scrub brushed from my skin (what was left) by a very unsympathetic er nurse. I wear mesh when it is hot, leather or cordura when it isnt. BTW, you can get some really nasty road rash at 30mph depending on how you land, and the surface you land on. I know from experience. I also seriously doubt I will ever scrape the pegs on my Uly. with 5000 deer strikes in one county of Ohio alone last year, the speed at which I ride isnt the issue, it is the other guy and deer that I worry about. Helmet are optional here in OH, and I will always wear one, I have killed enough brain cells voluntarily to have any lost in an accident. |
