Let's argue about helmets....

....Let's see how badly i get flamed or how my choice of not wearing a helmet you will judge me..
I do not wear a helmet, helmets block hearing and vision in my opinion.... I would like to know the statistics of how many motorcycle accidents acured when one was wearing a helmet and when one was not....I am not talking about people who have died from not wearing a helmet...I am talking about accidents that have accured.
I live in a state that you have a choice as to weather or not you want to wear a helmet or not, i believe wearing a seat belt should also be a choice.. ......I understand that some of you have no choice so you have to wear a helmet because of the law..
If its 100+ degrees out i will even ride shirtless at times...... I ride to enjoy...If i ever bought a motorcycle and worried about crashing, i would have never bought a motorcycle to begin with.....The hayabusa was my first motorcycle.....Some say you should start on a 600cc and work your way up, why?
Some say dress for the crash......
I say ride not skii because its not winter in this 100 degrees heat. Every one should have their own choice, am i wrong?
I believe in the near future no one will have a choice, it's where were headed.....
 
I wouldn't judge anyone for not wearing a helmet - the choice is yours. As I've said before, over here in the UK the choice is made for you. Now they're thinking of making it compulsory for cyclists to wear helmets just as motorcyclists have to. MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) are against compulsory helmet use as they argue its an infringement of civil liberties. Read what they have to say here if you can be bothered.Motorcycle Action Group
 
A personal choice is just that. No flaming required! :) However, that choice is not 100% personal in the event of head injury b/c of the life impact to family and friends and the financial impact to all that are part of the insurance system, including non-riders. Of course, that idea can be extended to choice to ride a motorcycle with or without a helmet...so where do we draw the line. No perfect answer there, so I choose to leave helmet choice as a personal one, albeit a choice that clearly has the potential to have consequences that go far beyond the individual rider.

As for helmets, specifically full-face helmets, being an overall detriment to environmental perception in terms of hearing and vision, I believe this to be a complete fallacy.

Vision: In addition to providing protection in the event of a crash, a helmet provides vision protection from the wind, elements, insects and foreign objects. Though the extreme edges of peripheral vision may be slightly reduced, the impact is negligible with today's helmets and, again, even without a helmet, anything in the extreme peripheral vision that is important enough to consider would require a turn of the head and/or head check. In addition, the various shield choices for helmets can ensure better vision and reduce vision strain. Reward of wearing the helmet FAR outweighs the risk.

Hearing: While the claim that helmet "blocks" hearing isn't technically in correct, the effect is negligible and less than the impact of driving any vehicle that encloses the driver in a soundproofed cabin with the windows up and the radio on. That said, there is probably a "learning curve" while one adapts to locating sound in the context of wearing a helmet. I would estimate this learning curve to be a no more than a few minutes. Reward of wearing the helmet FAR outweighs the risk.

Noise: Though helmets do not eliminate noise, neither do they create it. With or without a helmet there will be wind noise, road noise, engine noise, etc. Any rider that values their hearing has already accepted the fact that earplugs are necessary while riding, with or without a helmet of any kind. The caveats here are, of course, that the amount of noise are unique based on the variables of rider+bike+environment. A quiet exhaust on a bike with a full windshield with a top of the line helmet on a rider completely out of the wind riding at 30 mph in a serene environment will experience less noise than a rider with no helmet on a bike with an un-baffled exhaust and no windshield at 100 mph. In any case, Reward of wearing the helmet FAR outweighs the risk.

Protection from cold and heat: This really shouldn't require much explanation. Think a helmet as coat for your brain and face in the cold and sunscreen and heat-stroke protection on hotter days. I will concede, for short rides on hot days, a helmet can make you break a sweat that you wouldn't otherwise break. Still, the overall benefit of wearing a helmet far outweighs the risk of going without.

IMHO, all of these benefits contribute to enabling the rider to maintain better physical status which enables the rider to better focus on riding and avoiding a crash in the first place. In the final analysis, riding with a full-face helmet, increases rider comfort and control and decreases the risk of a crash while increasing the likelihood that head injury will be avoided or minimized in the event of a crash.

The choice is for each rider to make for themselves, but the argument that a helmet is a detriment to rider safety is without merit.

Ride...Ride Smart...Ride Safe!
 
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I live in a 18+ helmets are optional state. In my younger years I'd take a quick ride under 35mph without one. I rode my wife's 250 down the block last year with no lid, but other than that I always wear one. I don't think I'd have much of a nose right now if it wasn't for my full faced helmet after hitting a deer once. I feel like the best gear is gear you will actually wear. I wear a modular because I like being able to talk to someone without "undressing", and it's much easier to put my glasses on and off. Are they as safe? Probably not. But I wear one, and they have saved my head twice. On a similar subject I just bought a mesh jacket. Not as safe as my leather, but when it's 110° I find myself not wearing a jacket. Overall I think it should remain a personal choice, but I feel that the risk is not worth going without a helmet. It's no longer "cool" when you have no skin on your head/face.
 
having been in motorcycle right for 14yrs now, I have just seen way too much to not try and wear as much gear as my wallet and ego allow.
knees ground down to a tendon or two still holding the lower leg on. faces missing the jaw. helmets 100 yards from the scene of the accident, head inside, body jammed in the back of a semi. feet ground off.
nasty nasty stuff!!

Slider Gilmore puts on some pretty good accident scene management seminars. "the golden hour of an accident"", and "tar snakes, road gators, and blue haired ol ladies", are both excellent seminars.

here, check him out.

Two Wheel Trauma : The Original Programs

and if he doesn't make you want to buy stock in cows and kangaroos.....Brittany Morrow most likely will!






:beerchug:
 
It's a personal choice that each of us has to make (depending on local laws).

We lived in TX, which is not a mandatory helmet sate, and I watched as my wife laid her bike down in front of me and was taken via careflight 40 miles to a trauma center several years ago. If it hadn't been for her helmet, I would have watched them put her in a hearse instead. It's never even been a consideration since then.
 
So despite my past loyalty to Arai helmets, I went out with the fiancee on Saturday and we bought her a brand new Shoei RF-1100 because it fit her the best and had a great pink graphic that matched her Icon jacket perfectly (apparently this matters)... So far its a very nice step up from her Bell Vortex as I would hope, mostly she is thrilled to have a much lighter weight helmet and I am happy that she has a much safer helmet for our upcoming trip to Eureka Springs AR for the Hayabusa.org meet and greet...
 
....Let's see how badly i get flamed or how my choice of not wearing a helmet you will judge me..
I do not wear a helmet, helmets block hearing and vision in my opinion.... .....


I'm not flaming, just asking..

How well is your vision going to be when you take a rock to the face? I can see this being a reason if you were on a cruiser with a full windshield, but on a sportbike that directs the wind almost totally to your helmet, I can't "see" how you can even see with your eyes watering and getting filled with road dust.. :dunno:
 
I've ranted on this before... but EVERY person in Va. that has a motorcycle was out riding this weekend. Many haven't ridden since fall last year and many are carrying passengers - all with helmets its the law, but I can't believe all the exposed skin. I could not in good conscious carry around anyone without all the gear. Even someone I hated much less someone I cared about!

Saw a guy on a route 211 on a full dress Harly run off the road yesterday. He was in the weeds and managed to stop... probably less than a 10% chance of finding that much run off on that part of route 211 He had a much better chance at finding a cliff, gaurd rail or tree. He had nothing but a skull cap helmet! So lucky on so many levels. With that said I support this guys freedom of choice / stupidity to ride and gear up anyway he wants - even though it makes me mental.

Incidently - over the years I've had my visor and helmet clocked at least 3 times with debris that would have done serious damage. Think about star cracks in windsheilds - they don't happen often, but that stone, bolt, or nail hitting you in the face might do you in. And no matter how high a windsheild you have, flying debris takes a ballistic trajectory will find it's way over even the highest wind screens from time to time.
 
(I have several thoughts so, please forgive my sporadic thoughts!)

I think there is more to it than just wearing a helmet. Having raced for several years and crashed at speeds that would have killed most on the street (90+ mph crashes) I appreciate the limits that exist on the street compared to a race track. Helmets help however, the run off or lack of run off on the street is the critical factor. If you have full leathers/pads/helmet/etc...and crash at even street speeds and hit a curb or a tree you are probably going to have a fatal or severe injury. In a straight line your chances are much better however, after a certain speed anything can happen since you slide so far. I am fairly certain that we all have our fun yet try to keep things from getting too crazy.

My view on the helmet laws...

I would never tell force anyone to wear a helmet since each time we ride our bikes, drive a car, or do anything the danger exists. I think it is a personal choice which has consequences however, wearing a helmet and gear will help in most cases but NOT all. With that being said, I think what is most important is to simply ride within your limit and think ahead at all times. Being "safe" and thinking ahead will at least limit the danger however, with anything we do the danger exists. The reality is that no amount of gear can fully protect a rider if they are riding very fast and end up crashing and hitting something which is fixed (tree/curb/car...etc...). I think the reason helmets are targeted is obviously to protect the brain but what good is that if you end up paralyzed or lose your arms/legs...etc..???

So, whether it is helmets/gear/etc...the important factor above all of it is to do your best to limit the danger however, realize that no matter what we are doing danger exists. This is the problem with non-riders is that they think that being in a car is "safe" yet fail to realize that in life...anything can happen at any time whether it's on a motorcycle or not! We all know that each time we throw a leg over our bikes that it could be a great day or our last day...but the same goes for simply waking up!
 
I live in the great state of Iowa. We have a choice here whether to wear helmets or not. I think it should remain that way. I shouldn't be told i have to wear my seat belt. I shouldn't be told i have to wear a helmet. Safety objects are a matter of choice and should remain that way. I am about 50/50 on if i wear a helmet. I have seen the horrors of not and i have seen the horrors of wearing as well. Helmets may protect you from rocks dirt bugs etc. They even help protect you from impacts i agree. One thing i know they don't protect you from is breaking your neck. Helmets though great at protecting the head don't always save lives. I had a couple good friends who sadly lost life because of helmets. My one friend broke his neck from the whiplash effect and the added weight of the helmet. I know some say bs but there was no impact marks on the helmet anywhere other then some grass. I had another friend who died as a result of his brain swelling after impact and the helmet didn't allow for this.

I am one of those that thinks helmets are a good thing but damn if they aren't uncomfortable and a hindrance. Flame me if you like but i am firm that it should be a choice.If you think i should pay higher insurance as a result i ask you to think about this, do you have to pay higher auto insurance because you drink? Because i guarantee you drinking and driving is way more likely to cause a death then me not wearing my helmet. Theres my peice....Ride safe my friends!
 
....Let's see how badly i get flamed or how my choice of not wearing a helmet you will judge me..
I do not wear a helmet, helmets block hearing and vision in my opinion.... I would like to know the statistics of how many motorcycle accidents acured when one was wearing a helmet and when one was not....I am not talking about people who have died from not wearing a helmet...I am talking about accidents that have accured.
I live in a state that you have a choice as to weather or not you want to wear a helmet or not, i believe wearing a seat belt should also be a choice.. ......I understand that some of you have no choice so you have to wear a helmet because of the law..
If its 100+ degrees out i will even ride shirtless at times...... I ride to enjoy...If i ever bought a motorcycle and worried about crashing, i would have never bought a motorcycle to begin with.....The hayabusa was my first motorcycle.....Some say you should start on a 600cc and work your way up, why?
Some say dress for the crash......
I say ride not skii because its not winter in this 100 degrees heat. Every one should have their own choice, am i wrong?
I believe in the near future no one will have a choice, it's where were headed.....
it ur choice to be a squid no one else's. squid don't live very long and neither will riders like you unfortunately. so u enjoy riding shirtless huh? do u enjoy skin grafts too? cause their fun and enjoyable....:whistle:

and ur ignorance that helmets impair ur vision or hearing is just that ignorant!. I wud recommend u sell ur bike immediately before either die on it or become seriously disfigured.

and as far as statistics go drive to the grocery store and by a 10 lb. watermelon (about the same weight as a human head) and drop it from a 4 story building which wud b about equivalent to a 30 mph crash in an oak tree.

tell me what the watermelon looks like when it hits the pavement....:whistle: and thats far worse then striking a tree with a car at 30 mph cause ur head has no crumple zone like a car does. it wud b sudden impact at 1/50 of a second.

how do u think ur head will look after that? and thats at 30 mph. imagine 60 or 70 mph?
 
Sorry for bringing an old thread new life but just noticed this on a search...me being slow these days?...I'm about a month late but here's my current thoughts...which vary vastly from just a year ago.

Please pardon my bi-polar shift but this is just me sharing my experience....as a sport bike rider?....I lobbied HARD for wearing the gear...always....matter fact?...one particularly hot summer where temps were close too (if not right at) triple digits here in S.E. Florida?....my middle daughter begged to ride with me....and it was during those 2-3 hottest weeks that I myself had resigned myself to just boots, lid and gloves...and up until that point?....had ALAWAYS worn at least a jacket....of which I had several...but even a t-shirt was sweltering for around town stuff let alone my Joe Rocket Ballistic Mesh jacket....I told her to get her gear on...and then my gleeful daughter came bouncing out of the house...lid, gloves, boots and no jacket...I was like "Where's your Jacket!...Get It On!".....her?...."c'mon dad...it's hot as hell and you're not wearing one."

She'd been riding with me since age 8...always made her keep her hands in my jacket pockets so I could "FEEL" if she was struggling to hang on or slipping away....

risa1.jpg


On her 8th birthday?....she even rode with me with a cast on her arm from a roller skating accident where she broke her wrist...and riding with her father was all she wanted for that 8th birthday...she even test rode an aprilla with me that day...

maprilla.jpg


she even rode the dragons tail with me and got her name on the "Twisty Sister" t-shirt at T.W.O.

Frances4.jpg


This was after almost 10 years of riding with me...she was 17...We were one block from the house....coming home...rounded the corner in 2nd and when I had snicked into 3rd?...she had let go to waive to a friend on the side of the road playing basketball...and I didn't even feel her fall off the back...the lid saved her life but she lost a lot of skin off her back and forearms...I've since edited and deleted the graphic pix...but here's the 4 year old thread of when it happened...

https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/gene...59-lost-my-17-year-old-daughter-off-back.html

She couldn't imagine not riding with me anymore...but her mother forbid it....and so did I...matter fact?...all 3 of my daughters used to ride with me on a regular basis...sometimes even arguing who's turn it was...but I came very close to taking myself out over that...and God forbid anything like that ever happen again?...so I have a new rule....nobody gets to ride with me....ever again.

And now I'm going to switch gears on ya'll real hard! LOL!

After owning and riding my beloved busa "Oren-Ishii" for 8 fun filled years?...I sold her and bought a 1500 Vulcan Classic...and put a real vocal Vance & Hines exhaust system on it....but not to be cool....I just got tired of covering my horn button for texters and talkers who weren't aware I was there...now they know whether they want to or not. LOL!...and it might be noteworthy to mention that I used to loath the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" mantra thinking "What BS!" LOL!....but tell ya what gents...come off a nimble over-powered sport bike that can stop on a dime and cut a turn like something out of a cartoon and swing your leg over an 800lb curb weight cruiser with all the torque but 1/2 the ponies?...and the term "Evasive Maneuvers" nearly becomes a thing of the past......word up.

And today?...If hours upon hours of traveling super-slabs isn't on the agenda?...weather permitting?...this former helmet/gear nazi doesn't wear his full face shoei RF=1100 Diabolic Revelation lid...to be cool?...yes...temperature wise...to "fit-in"?...yep...in part...but there's another reason...as follows...

After literally decades of me riding sport bikes with all the gear no matter what?...I still wear protective boots...and yes gloves....and if it's cool enough?...I'll even slide into my black leather jacket....but if the weather/ride permits that I don't wear a lid?...I don't....why?...couple reasons...one is I just enjoy the ride, sites and smells a whole lot more without one...but the other more important reason?...I feel absolutely naked and vulnerable without one...(Insert Note Here: if those feelings ever dissipate?....I'll run for my lid)....but having those feelings of nakedness and vulnerability as such?...the bottom line for me is this...

I tend to be in a much higher state of situational awareness and a safer rider without one.

Now that said?...that's on my sub triple digits V-Twin metric cruiser...put me back on a sport bike of any sort?...and indeed...I'm dressing for the occasion....lid, jacket, boots, gloves and pants if I got a pair left I can fit into! LOL!

That said?...I would NEVER....EVER......imply that anyone else do as I do...live your own life....ride your own ride...but the only ones death I'll ever be responsible for will be my own.

Thanks for reading, Ride Safe!...and L8R, Bill. :cool:
 
Sorry for bringing an old thread new life but just noticed this on a search...me being slow these days?...I'm about a month late but here's my current thoughts...which vary vastly from just a year ago.

Please pardon my bi-polar shift but this is just me sharing my experience....as a sport bike rider?....I lobbied HARD for wearing the gear...always....matter fact?...one particularly hot summer where temps were close too (if not right at) triple digits here in S.E. Florida?....my middle daughter begged to ride with me....and it was during those 2-3 hottest weeks that I myself had resigned myself to just boots, lid and gloves...and up until that point?....had ALAWAYS worn at least a jacket....of which I had several...but even a t-shirt was sweltering for around town stuff let alone my Joe Rocket Ballistic Mesh jacket....I told her to get her gear on...and then my gleeful daughter came bouncing out of the house...lid, gloves, boots and no jacket...I was like "Where's your Jacket!...Get It On!".....her?...."c'mon dad...it's hot as hell and you're not wearing one."

She'd been riding with me since age 8...always made her keep her hands in my jacket pockets so I could "FEEL" if she was struggling to hang on or slipping away....

risa1.jpg


On her 8th birthday?....she even rode with me with a cast on her arm from a roller skating accident where she broke her wrist...and riding with her father was all she wanted for that 8th birthday...she even test rode an aprilla with me that day...

maprilla.jpg


she even rode the dragons tail with me and got her name on the "Twisty Sister" t-shirt at T.W.O.

Frances4.jpg


This was after almost 10 years of riding with me...she was 17...We were one block from the house....coming home...rounded the corner in 2nd and when I had snicked into 3rd?...she had let go to waive to a friend on the side of the road playing basketball...and I didn't even feel her fall off the back...the lid saved her life but she lost a lot of skin off her back and forearms...I've since edited and deleted the graphic pix...but here's the 4 year old thread of when it happened...

https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/gene...59-lost-my-17-year-old-daughter-off-back.html

She couldn't imagine not riding with me anymore...but her mother forbid it....and so did I...matter fact?...all 3 of my daughters used to ride with me on a regular basis...sometimes even arguing who's turn it was...but I came very close to taking myself out over that...and God forbid anything like that ever happen again?...so I have a new rule....nobody gets to ride with me....ever again.

And now I'm going to switch gears on ya'll real hard! LOL!

After owning and riding my beloved busa "Oren-Ishii" for 8 fun filled years?...I sold her and bought a 1500 Vulcan Classic...and put a real vocal Vance & Hines exhaust system on it....but not to be cool....I just got tired of covering my horn button for texters and talkers who weren't aware I was there...now they know whether they want to or not. LOL!...and it might be noteworthy to mention that I used to loath the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" mantra thinking "What BS!" LOL!....but tell ya what gents...come off a nimble over-powered sport bike that can stop on a dime and cut a turn like something out of a cartoon and swing your leg over an 800lb curb weight cruiser with all the torque but 1/2 the ponies?...and the term "Evasive Maneuvers" nearly becomes a thing of the past......word up.

And today?...If hours upon hours of traveling super-slabs isn't on the agenda?...weather permitting?...this former helmet/gear nazi doesn't wear his full face shoei RF=1100 Diabolic Revelation lid...to be cool?...yes...temperature wise...to "fit-in"?...yep...in part...but there's another reason...as follows...

After literally decades of me riding sport bikes with all the gear no matter what?...I still wear protective boots...and yes gloves....and if it's cool enough?...I'll even slide into my black leather jacket....but if the weather/ride permits that I don't wear a lid?...I don't....why?...couple reasons...one is I just enjoy the ride, sites and smells a whole lot more without one...but the other more important reason?...I feel absolutely naked and vulnerable without one...(Insert Note Here: if those feelings ever dissipate?....I'll run for my lid)....but having those feelings of nakedness and vulnerability as such?...the bottom line for me is this...

I tend to be in a much higher state of situational awareness and a safer rider without one.

Now that said?...that's on my sub triple digits V-Twin metric cruiser...put me back on a sport bike of any sort?...and indeed...I'm dressing for the occasion....lid, jacket, boots, gloves and pants if I got a pair left I can fit into! LOL!

That said?...I would NEVER....EVER......imply that anyone else do as I do...live your own life....ride your own ride...but the only ones death I'll ever be responsible for will be my own.

Thanks for reading, Ride Safe!...and L8R, Bill. :cool:


Well, I respect everything you've put to words here. That said, I have to disagree with some of your conclusions.

First off, sorry to read the bit about losing your daughter off the back. I can only image what is probably a mere shell of what that experience would bring with it. Hopefully, with time, you've been able to leave the guilt behind and recognize that experience as a lesson learned that allows you to make better choices for you and yours as a result.

As for your choice to gear down...

1) Heightened situational awareness due to a lack of protection/increase in vulnerability does guarantee that one will not be involved in a crash. I think we can all agree that such a guarantee simply does not exist.

2) The idea that a helmet/gear is somehow less necessary on a "sub triple digits V-Twin metric cruiser" vs. a sport bike is akin to only needing a seat belt if you're doing over a 100 mph. There are two truths’ that indicate otherwise:
a) Helmets (and gear in general) are not designed to deal with the forces of 100+ mph direct crash forces. Rather they are designed to mitigate the much lower forces involved in glancing/bouncing/tapping that occurs in a crash. Running head first into a concrete piling will likely be an endgame even with the best helmet known to man. On the other hand, tipping over in the driveway could be lethal without a helmet or just an embarrassing story with a helmet.
b) Most accidents occur in the sub-triple digit realm. So, it could be argued that a rider that always rides under 100 mph is also more likely to be involved in a crash. That said, the 100 mph crash is much more likely to cause greater injury than the lower speed crash. In either case, better gear is almost certain to reduce the number and severity of injuries. But, the important point here is that full gear is MUCH more likely to help you WALK away from a lower speed crash compared to a higher speed crash. There is simply less force to mitigate with lower speeds. On the other hand, a crash at even the LOWEST speed can result in traumatic injury and even death without a helmet.

Another very relevant point to consider is that, IMHO (as is this entire post, lol), one of the primary benefits that a helmet offers is that of wind/debris/sun protection. While your situational awareness may be heightened and may help you avoid an accident, your vision is compromised as is your ability to ward of bugs, BIRDS!?!!?!, rocks/stones, sand/dirt, cigarette ash, and any other airborne debris that happens to head for your, well, head.

Perhaps where we differ most fundamentally is this: I ABSOLUTELY IMPLORE others to wear ATGATT and to make that gear the best they can find/afford.

As a man that obviously loves his family so very much, I would think that you would wish to put yourself in the best position to avoid a crash and, if one occurs, to avoid injury/death.

There is no getting away from the fact that riding is a risk in and of itself and one that is a total and complete choice. The "smart" choice is to not ride at all. For most of us, to not ride is to become someone that we are not and, therefore, is no choice is all. On the other hand, doing everything we can to gear up and make each ride what it's supposed to be, a great addition to life, is also a choice. And, to me, one that is always worth making.

For me, if I'm not willing to wear a helmet that day, then I'm also not riding. For the rest of the gear, it's about abrasion resistance first, armor second. Motorcycling has always been part of my life. But it's never been the only part. And I want to get back to my non-riding life and the family and friends in it after every ride.

Ride, but ride smart and ride safe. ATGATT! :beerchug:
 
If gear is your choice, I RESPECT that. If I don't agree with your choice RESPECT MY DECISION for myself. Preaching your beliefs is not respect. It feel a lot like those groups that come knocking on your door trying to change your religious beliefs. I show them my dogs when they arrive because they aren't fun to be around because they pound their beliefs down your throat. Same with this very topic. If you are all gear and we ride, please, rock your gear... If I'm not, don't preach, because we'll end up not riding together.
 
I could never ride without a lid. After racing dirt bikes for 15 years, your helmet becomes part of your wardrobe. Besides the obvious reasons, imagine a car or truck tossing something up from a tire and it hitting you in the face? Picture a bird hitting you in the head at 50, 80, 150 mph? No good. If there going to make you wear your seat belt, EVERY state should have a helmet law. YOU MUST WEAR ONE NO MATTER WHAT. I think we should have freedom of choice for the most part, some people are not bright enough to make all of there decisions good ones. I would rather go somewhere with messed up hair, or people don't know who is riding that bike because they can't see your face. Who gives a crap if anyone can tell if its you or not? Helmets keep simple crashes and mistakes from turning into something life threatening. End rant. LOL
 
We would save more lives by making helmets mandatory in cars and on ladders.

"Actually, auto accidents account for 17.3% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the U.S., second only to falls, and lead the nation in TBI-related deaths."

I'm an ignorant person, according to several previous posts, who chooses to ride without my helmet much of the time. I hope you're all wearing helmets when you drive your cars, otherwise you might just be a little hypocritical.

Helmets in cars foolish? What does NASCAR think? Better yet, ask the stock car drivers at the local 1/4 mi. dirt track where they're not even breaking the speed limit much of the time- they all wear helmets. Helmets in cars makes sense. It would cut down on my insurance rates.
 
1) Heightened situational awareness due to a lack of protection/increase in vulnerability does guarantee that one will not be involved in a crash. I think we can all agree that such a guarantee simply does not exist.

Who mentioned "guarantees"?...I only pointed out an observation of self that as far as "my riding" goes on my current ride?...I tend to be a far less thrill seeking or risk taking rider with an elevated sense of alertness...hence concluding that I seem to be a safer rider without one than I am with one.

2) The idea that a helmet/gear is somehow less necessary on a "sub triple digits V-Twin metric cruiser" vs. a sport bike is akin to only needing a seat belt if you're doing over a 100 mph. There are two truths’ that indicate otherwise:
a) Helmets (and gear in general) are not designed to deal with the forces of 100+ mph direct crash forces. Rather they are designed to mitigate the much lower forces involved in glancing/bouncing/tapping that occurs in a crash. Running head first into a concrete piling will likely be an endgame even with the best helmet known to man. On the other hand, tipping over in the driveway could be lethal without a helmet or just an embarrassing story with a helmet.
b) Most accidents occur in the sub-triple digit realm. So, it could be argued that a rider that always rides under 100 mph is also more likely to be involved in a crash. That said, the 100 mph crash is much more likely to cause greater injury than the lower speed crash. In either case, better gear is almost certain to reduce the number and severity of injuries. But, the important point here is that full gear is MUCH more likely to help you WALK away from a lower speed crash compared to a higher speed crash. There is simply less force to mitigate with lower speeds. On the other hand, a crash at even the LOWEST speed can result in traumatic injury and even death without a helmet.

See there?...The above is an ideal example of what I love about recovering from having been an O.C.D. extremist...I couldn't own just any bike...I had to have the worlds fastest production bike...my Hayabusa...then?...I had to make it faster because it wasn't fast enough?...and those same thought patterns and behaviors carry over into other topics in life such as "GEAR"....and while I deeply appreciate your heartfelt concern?...following your above train of thought?...you're right...theoretically?...technically?...I could have a simple fall over in the driveway and crack my grape on my concrete driveway and die...but the same could hold true tripping over an air hose walking through my garage...or slipping on my tile floor where the wife spilled her coffee...or climbing up into my attic?....so where does it end?...should we notify rock climbers and cheerleaders as well?...because casual motorcycling falls right in between them as far as dangerous activities go.

Another very relevant point to consider is that, IMHO (as is this entire post, lol), one of the primary benefits that a helmet offers is that of wind/debris/sun protection. While your situational awareness may be heightened and may help you avoid an accident, your vision is compromised as is your ability to ward of bugs, BIRDS!?!!?!, rocks/stones, sand/dirt, cigarette ash, and any other airborne debris that happens to head for your, well, head.

So now that you yourself can somewhat agree that my situational awareness may be heightened and that it may help me avoid an accident you turn you last shot at justifying and supporting your end of the debate over to the..."bugs, BIRDS!?!!?!, rocks/stones, sand/dirt, cigarette ash, and any other airborne debris? :laugh:

ALL...great reasons why: I love my full windshield and sealed riding glasses...of which I have two pairs...one dark tint sunglasses for day riding and my amber lense ones for evenings and both stay with the bike at all times and?...which my bike and I wear wherever we go! ;)

Perhaps where we differ most fundamentally is this: I ABSOLUTELY IMPLORE others to wear ATGATT and to make that gear the best they can find/afford.

and see...this is where we actually don't differ at all...because up until a few months ago and experiencing first hand what life is like on V-Twin cruisers?...I followed your very doctrine regarding the support of "ATGATT" to a "T". LOL! (matter fact?...I was around when that acronym was first conjured up)

In about an hour I'll be leaving to meet up with about 20-30 other riders....some from the "Rough Riders MC"...some from the "Sons Of God MC"....some from the "Wing Of Gold MC"....and maybe even some from the "Buffalo Soldiers MC"....we're all riding north to visit a well known member of the "Outlaws MC"...who's dying of cancer...to give him and his family both moral and spiritual support...as I myself now ride under "CCMM"....(Calvary Chapel Motorcycle Ministry) colors...it's a far departure from the sport bike world I've known and loved for so long...and a serious lifestyle (and riding) change...but I think I've found my final calling in life and I've come to believe there is no gear made that will hinder Gods plan for me one way or the other...and often times?...He's that little voice in my head that keeps whispering to me...

"You're a Safer Rider Without One"

but...

don't forget to wear you glasses. ;)

Now all that said?...I truly do appreciate your concern for myself and others...and I know it is deeply heartfelt...but the title of this thread started out with the words....

"Let's Have an Argument"

so how am I doing so far?...and as always...Ride Safe! Bill. :cool:
 
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