Modern Vespa

Which do you wear? Please reveal yourself. I have several helmets, including a radical ICON, but my favorite is my Davida and my Naninni Goggles.

Addenda: 10/29/2008 @ 07:45 PDT
OK. I just gotta show off my new Peter Frechette (www.frechetteartwork.com) painted Shoei. I had Peter paint it for Bonneville. I'm attempting to get there in 2009 to take a shot at the AMA/BUB 500cc Unstreamlined Record (M/AG) -- on a motorcycle.

10/29/08: Thanx, guys. I have cervical spine drama going on and wearing a full-coverage helmet for prolonged periods exacerbates it. I can't remember how many wins Mike Hailwood had at the Isle of Man wearing one of these stupid half-pots, but he held lap records there -- one that stood for several years. I had the dubious distinction of being the last AFM and ACA racer in the late sixties to wear a half-pot when every one else was wearing full-coverage helmets. But you're right Luthorhuss, the road is a dangerous environment. Nevertheless, I see California Highway Patrolmen almost daily riding Beemers at 95 mph wearing shorty helmets and short-sleeve uniform shirts. Perhaps they're immune from crashing?

I got with full face modular. Shoei Multietec

Nolan N102 with N-com( a flip-up full face helmet) and Nolan N42 with a Blueant Bluetooth kit.

IdefendM, That helmet and gloves combo looks great. Like something from a 1960's spy flick.

However, it won't look so good when you're falling off your bike, doing a 50mph face plant. I stick with full face, modular or not, as long as it covers my entire noggin. They can rebuild your bike or you can buy a new one. They can do skin grafts for my appendages. Face grafts...well that's another thing.

The closest I get to a half or 3/4 helmet is cracking my visor to let some wind in on a nice day.

Multitec here. Those goggles & helmet look sweet tho'.

Shoei open face and a HJC full face. Would love a Momo Devil though.

Nolan 103 here. However I can understand someone with a dodgy neck wanting something much lighter, and flip-front or full-face are not that light. It's a matter of assessing the personal risk.

I road dirt bikes for years and have gone down a LOT in the dirt. One thing I have found is the face is the first thing to hit the ground in most cases, so I ONLY wear full face helmets. I have an old Bell full face with a cracked chin protector on a shelf in my office at home to remind me to always where a full face helmet.

Wayne B

Mine's a Caberg Rhyno, or Caberg Trip as known in the U.K. I found out later that it has a pretty good review on webbikeworld:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/caberg-trip/

+1 Nolan N102. I also have cervical spine issuesand chronic neck stiffness/soreness. The weight of the helmet does bother me a bit. However I like having a lower face, and want to hang on to it!

Yes! The reason for having the Nolan N42 too. On days when I feel physically up to it, I will use the flip-front and when on days where I am feeling tired, I will just use the N42.

IdefendM wrote: 10/29/08: Thanx, guys. I have cervical spine drama going on and wearing a full-coverage helmet for prolonged periods exacerbates it. I can't remember how many wins Mike Hailwood had at the Isle of Man wearing one of these stupid half-pots, but he held lap records there -- one that stood for several years. I had the dubious distinction of being the last AFM and ACA racer in the late sixties to wear a half-pot when every one else was wearing full-coverage helmets. But you're right Luthorhuss, the road is a dangerous environment. Nevertheless, I see California Highway Patrolmen almost daily riding Beemers at 95 mph wearing shorty helmets and short-sleeve uniform shirts. Perhaps they're immune from crashing?

They're not immune from crashing, but I would probably consider half-pots and short sleeves too if everytime I came up on traffic everyone slowed down and started watching their driving. That's a luxury that the CHP have on bikes that I don't.

What about a full-face carbon fiber helmet? They are super light. Expensive, but I think, worth it.

I haven't priced one but I'm guessing a $1,000+?

BMW: $1,500
JoeRocket: $400
Icon: $390
HJC: $340

I saw an LAPD motorcycle cop the other day wearing a full-face modular flip-up helmet. I think this is the new standard.

full-face Arai here, comfortable at any speed 8)

THe HJC FS-15 Carbon is only $395:

http://www.helmetonline.com/HJC-FS-15-CARBON-FULL-FACE-HELMET_p_14-353.html

Read an in-depth review at Web Bike World:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/hjc/fs-15/

Web bike world has an helmet weight page which may help you make a decision as well:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-weights.htm

Todd.

I have a Zox Genesis SVS modular that I'm pretty happy with. The "SVS" part is "Solar Visor Shield" or "System" or something like that... It has a flip-down tinted piece inside the helmet activated with a slide lever on the left-hand side. For the money (~$200-) I think it's pretty sweet.

I've got a Shoei Raid 2 full face and I'm very happy with it. Big, wide aperture, so good visibility and not claustrophobic. It also has the pin-lock visor system, so steaming up isn't a problem.

If I knew I would never fall off, I'd buy a Davida classic. They look the dogs bollocks.

http://www.davida.co.uk/type.php?id=classic

Don't think they are legal in the UK.

Mate of mine fell of his (two wheel) bike last week, doing about 25mph. Back wheel slipped on a white line in the wet. His left motorcycle boot wore down to the steel toe cap and the side of is helmet and chin scraped along the ground. Thankfully he was wearing a full face and full leathers so was fine, just very bruised. He'd have needed a skin graft, a new chin and a new left foot if he was wearing jeans, an open face helmet and sneakers.

He put his open face helmet in the trash yesterday.

Having said that, it's all personal choice.

Yep, I can't stress enough to wear a full face. I don't do Toreador Pants, but I ALWAYS do a full face and groves all the time.

Wayne B

OK, Gentlemen, You've jogged my memory about three horrific crashes in the late sixties and early seventies. One at Riverside International Raceway (practice), one at Ontario Motor Speedway (practice) and one at Carlsbad Raceway (race). Head and face unscathed (knock on wood). Two late sixties crashes on the road in the San Bernardino National Forest, hitting sand in a corner in the shadows. Busted my chin open on one of them requiring suturing.

I'm going to bite the bullet and wear my ICON.

Damn! My Davida and Naninni's look soooooooooooo kewl -- and bring back a lot of memories.

California Highway Patrolmen in Southern California ride the freeways on Beemers in shorty helmets, short-sleeve shirts and ballistic vests.

I like the look of that, good price too, i searched it on flee bay, but could only find http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HJC-FS-15-Carbon-Fiber-Full-Face-Motorcycle-Helmet_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em63Q2el1177QQhashZitem350113714361QQitemZ350113714361
tempting for sure.

Full Face, I love my Shoei XR1000 - quite noisy, but comfortable

Interesting fact:
Distribution of impact locations on helmets based on a study by Dietmar Otte.

Dear Andrej,

My Peter Frechette-painted helmet pictured at the beginning of this blog is a Shoei XL1000. I chose this helmet for a run at Bonneville Slat Flats because the helmet is wind-tunnel designed/tested for low coefficient of drag (whatever in the hell this means).

Cheers.

Alan

Thanks for the info Adrej. You prompted me to look further and found a site (possibly the same one you used) with more details. For anyone interested here it is:
http://jeff.dean.home.att.net/swisher.htm

It certainly has me thinking about whether my Suomy nomad is really my best choice for the hot days of summer.

My is about 5 years old and it's still in pretty good shape and silver color is perfect for frequent polishing & waxing

Originaly that picture is from http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/helmets.htm.
About two months ago friend wrecked my year old Yamaha FZ1-N, car jumped from paring lot in front of him from and collision was unavoidable.
He fell from motorcycle after impact and slide more than 15 meters on front side of helmet that looks like one from Jeff Dean site

He suffers only massive headache for a few days just like I do when saw what is left of my loved Yamaha

If anyone thinks that the since the CHP wears half helmets its an endorsement of safety consider this... HOW many hours do those motor officers (of any law enforcement agency) spend annually..not just riding, but TRAINING. How about YOU??

Statisitically, an officer killed in the line of duty will be struck by a car and most officers are struck while outside their patrol car...at traffic stops... not while on motorcycles.

MOTOR officers are well trained..probably more training in one year than we'll take in our life... so no comparison.

BTW, my safety jacket and pants are made of mesh KEVLAR, same material as ballistic vests...my life is worth it. www.motoport.com

Plus, don't forget my comment about this the first time....Put me on a motorcycle and uniform that makes cagers slow down and start driving cautiously at the mere sight of me and I'll gladly don a half helmet. Plus having a gun on the side of my scoot wouldn't hurt either .

Vegetable peeler?? Plus having a vegetable peeler on the side of my scoot wouldn't hurt either .[/quote]

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Type in G U N without the spaces and see what happens.

GUN AHHH Intriguing...... thanks for the enlightenment of web editing and modifying my free speech! Type in G U N without the spaces and see what happens.[/quote]

I was on the AMA Winston Pro Circuit for many years. I had a high-speed practice crash at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1978. With 20 years of grand prix racing experience and many hundreds of thousands of miles of street riding (I'm now 60 years old and have been riding since childhood) I feel uniquely qualified to comment on most facets of pavement riding. Those of you who ride in full-coverage helmets, leather reinforced gloves, and kevlar reinforced jackets are smart. This is especially true on crowded freeways and turnpikes where average speeds are upwards of 75 mph. I've witnessed severe crashes both on and off the track. The worst one was at an intersection at 21st and Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino, CA in the late sixties. The rider's right leg was completely severed at the knee. I applied a tourniquet using my belt to keep him from bleeding to death. During a sidecar race at Riverside International Raceway in the late seventies while running in third place, the leader crashed and we luckily maneuvered our way through a flying debris field. The driver and passenger were both critically injured, including head injuries, and spent several months hospitalized at Riverside General. Despite starting this blog I am a HUGE proponent of high-ticket, high-tech riding gear -- even though I don't always practice what I preach.

Why did you take down the pictures? I wanted to show off your custom painted Shoei.

It's still on this blog.