what are people's thoughts on full face vs. gumball-style helmets?
what are people's thoughts on full face vs. gumball-style helmets?
Just look at every other thread regarding helmets.
there are lots of people who yell about full face helmets, those people generally are louder than the people that don't have a full face helmet.
The main difference is, the fullface gives you jaw protection that isn't on those other helmets. Also, it protects you from the potential dangers of your face getting dragged down the street.
But! The fullface is hotter---temperature wise---and you probably ride during the summer. This could bring about dangerous riding and all that if you're dying inside of your helmet of heat exhaustion.
The fullface also limits your peripheral vision.
I suggest you go and try your helmets on, if they don't fit, they're useless. While you're at the motorcycle shop trying them on, you can probably ask a salesperson any other questions you might have.
A full face is safer and it can be cooler than no helmet in that it keeps direct sunlight off your head. Generally I don't find the helmet to be hot unless I am struggling to kick start my ped or peddling or something.
Who needs a stinkin helmet
oversized novelty foam cowboy hat. plenty of shade from the sun and cushion in the event of impact, plus it draws potential negative attention away from the moped.
I wear a combination of a skate helmet, full face dh bike helmet, and full face motorcycle helmet. Generally leaning more and more towards the motorcycle full face the faster I am making it... of course it's also a factor that DOT helmets are required in mass, but I still wear a skate helmet if I'm just cruising around the neighborhood.
hmmmm this is a topic i have been considering as well...Currently i wear an old mx helmet that the visor broke off of...it doesnt get hot at all...and i agree that it keeps the sun off of my face. My wife says i look dumb when im only doing like 15 up a hill but going down i was clocked at 45....if i flew off at 45 i wouldnt want my face to look all jacked up...i think ill stick with the full face, allthough the dumb and dumber look is hella cool!
Alex, you've got a lot of bad information in your post, and I don't mean that in a mean way. Lots of people have common misconceptions on full-faced helmets. You are right about the fit though - any improperly fitting helmet is useless for any kind of accident you may (and hopefully not) get into.
Fact is, if you buy a decent enough CURRENT helmet, it won't be hot at all. I've been wearing my GMax Crusader this whole riding season and never once had a problem overheating. It boasts 5 vents at the top alone, and a total of 9 altogether - it's like I'm not wearing a helmet at all (and it was only about $100 shipped, DOT approved and everything).
Another misconception is that the visor inhibits peripheral vision, which is completely untrue. All helmets are require to have a minimum viewing angle, which I think is close to 160 degrees - just about an entire field of view. If the helmet you're looking for comes with an excellent visor, it'll be like you're looking through nothing.
As for the raging debate between full, half and 3/4, really it boils down to how safe you want to be protected. Yes, generally speaking full-faced helmets are more money; but _statistically_ speaking a full-faced helmet allows you the most amount of protection possible, plain and simple.
The other misconception not mentioned that's off base is people say they don't go fast enough to warrant having a full-face. Like I tell everyone, it's not you slipping on a patch of sand through a corner at 15mph you have to worry about, it's having someone T-bone you or rear-end you at an intersection which is (once again) _statistically_ the place on the road where a two-wheeled vehicle is most vulnerable.
It really is still personal choice, but after switching from a half to a full, I'd never want to go back...for me, it's just not worth the risk.
I have a half helmet that I use for riding around on campus, and I have a full face for whenever I'm off campus. I was just going to use the half helmet, but I reconsidered that decision the more I heard. I don't remember the exact stats, but there's a diagram somewhere showing where on your head most impacts from motorcycle collisions occur. An awful lot of them are on areas not covered by half helmets. My parents spent a lot of money straightening my teeth, and I don't want to see all that go to waste if I knock them all out. (No, that's not the only reason I have one, but it's one of the reasons.)
If you have a helmet with good venting, the hotness shouldn't be an issue. I have a helmet on the lower end of the quality spectrum, and the vents aren't the greatest. Even so, if I ride with the visor cracked, I'm usually fine. It may be hot in the summer, but there are plenty of times at night or in the spring or fall when it's cold outside. I feel rather smug, all nice and warm inside my full-face helmet while everyone else's noses freeze off.
As for vision, I maybe lose just a teeny bit of peripheral vision, but I think the peripheral hearing (if there is such a thing) is a greater loss. I usually try to slow down and check that no cars are coming at intersections. During the day, you can't see headlights coming, so you have to rely more on hearing. Everything is more muffled inside the full face, so you have to be more careful to make sure some idiot isn't going to go flying through the intersection while you're using it.
My biggest concern with the full face vision loss is glare and light reflection during the night. Again, I'm sure this boils down to my somewhat low-quality helmet. If you got a helmet with some decent anti-glare coating or whatever, you wouldn't have a problem.
Finally, half helmets have a major advantage in terms of convenience. It's awfully hard to eat, drink, talk on your cell, or carry on conversation with another rider when you've got a helmet covering your whole head. Yes, you can take them off, but full-face helmets are more of a nuisance to put on and take off (specially if your face is sunburned!) Half helmets definitely win the convenience award over full-face helmets.
I wear a full face and couldnt be happyer with it. You can buy a street bike helmet or a dirtbike helmet. The dirtbike helmet is wider around the eyes more than a street bike helmet due to the use of goggles. Street bike helmets kind of lack in this area but if you want to spend a little more cash than planned a more expensive helmet will have more of an area of veiw depending on the brand. simply go to a motorcycle shop and try on some helmets. Find one that suits your needs and is comfterble. I have an HJC dirtbike helmet set me back about 250 bucks. It has neoprene lining 9 vents and a little spoiler on the back (you read that right) it has never seized to fail me when I need it the most.
Jane, just get a full face like the rest of us cool kids.
I bought 2 here on sale
Also bought one at Champion Cycle on Western.
This is the one I got...highly recommend it!
http://store.dsrpowersports.com/20gmcrhewled.html
The LED's on the back look pretty cool when you use the (included) smoked cover for them...
So I think the consensus is
"I like half helmets because I'm only wearing a helmet to appease the safety freak lawmakers and police"
or
"I'm wearing a full face helmet because i don't want to die/get my jaw wired shut when some asshole pulls out in front of me"
Also, in the no duh dept. "cheap shitty helmets and shitty and cheap."
Full Face helmet saved my life when I wrecked my GSXR-600. I was only going 60 at the time which is not unheard of on a moped, so I suggest a little bit of extra protection if you are scared to die.
I am kinda considering letting myself die if I ever get in a bad enough wreck so I carry a big knife or gun with me most of the time.
I do not suggest riding without helmets at all just because it is a terrible way to die. I would much rather die from old age than a bump on the head.
Want to post in this forum? We'd love to have you join the discussion, but first: