what kind of helmet

[Raptor]

Need help with a helmet, I just bought a xs1100cc special, i dont have any road motorcycle exp. except motorcross type rideing, so i dont know the look i should go for. I dont think my motocross helmet is cutting it. I dont know if i should get a full face and look like a crotch rocket guy or a novelty and look like a harley guy, so if anyone could help point in the right direction that would be awesome. Thanks

[Pat Kelly]

Personally I wear a full-face helmet on both my XS1100 or my XL250. Some go for open face to be (temperature) cooler, I open my face shield. I prefer the added protection of the full face. I work at a hospital and see how much the turtle shell helmets protect. At least with a full face helmet they can identify your body.

[Snow]

I always go with full face Snell approved, so far, it has saved me from dying/being very badly disfigured...hopefully no more new helmets on account of crashing :/

[ratbyk]

Helmets

Definitely go for a full face. By far the safer and quieter. If you wear glasses I would suggest one of the Nolans with the flip chin guard and visor. You can be wearing the glasses while putting the helmet on. Don't have to try and wiggle the glasses ear pieces up into the small opening. Also a good tip for the sunglass wearers.
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk

[skippy344]

Full Face Definitely!

I agree with the full face. Having your chin destroyed while going over the bars doesn't sound like fun. Eating could difficult too.

I found that my full face was a little more aerodynamic at 70MPH, and the wind didn't bounce my head around so much.

Yeah, they are pricey, my Shoei RF-800 was about $370, but I believe 24 hour home care may be a little more.

Plus, with a mirror visor, they look damn cool!

Hope this helps,

[MaRtiB]

I would definitively go for a full face. I once received a bumblebee between my eyes at 40MPH. I almost fell off the bike ! Can't imagine what a small rock would do.

I like the Shoei models with the new color "Anthracite Metallic". But I don't owe one, a little too much expensive for me. Maybe one day I'll take a ride on the wild side. Dark colors are cool.


Shoei X-Eleven price:500$ and Shoei RF-900 price:300$

[nashville_bill]

Whatever helmet you decide to buy, you will need to know the size. Go to a big dealer and try a bunch of them on to find the brand and size that fits your head and then look on ebay for a new one like you found at the dealer. Be aware that different brands meen different sizes. You could be a medium in one brand and an extra large in another. You could save about half of the cost by using ebay and get the one you want. I did!

[wpc57]

Well ya know what they say..... $50 helmet for a $50 head...

Thats me ... even after years of motocross and full face helmets I wear a skid lid. Can't hardly stand them anymore but I know they are important to survival in a crash. Oooops I mean testing the laws of gravity.

[jkgrubbs]

I prefer a full face, for the protection. I have had a Shoei S 20, a Bell Star, and currently use a Shoei TZ. The TZ was bought from the Helmet Shop in Daytona via the internet for about $270. Go to a local dealer, try on everything, it should fit snug, not loose, and then order or buy off ebay. Always look for Snell Foundation approval. I wear glasses and have not had a real problem with the solid full face.

[Jerry]

Helmet sizing is key. Shoei and other top brands use different size shells for different sizes; cheap helmets make up the difference by using thicker or thinner pads in a generic size shell.

Try on several helmets. One will probably fit better due to the mold used for the shell. I have both a Shoei and an HJC that seem to fit me better than the Bell and other brands I try.

I endorse the full-face helmet after running 3/4 helmets in my early days, and I wear glasses. Putting on a standard full-face is a pain with glasses, but the extra quiet and protection is worth it.

Try a face shield other than clear. I run a high-definition (Amber) lens on my Shoei and would only switch to the stock clear for night riding or other low-light (primarily rain) conditions.

Try several helmets, find one that fits well and is Snell and DOT approved, and see if there are optional lenses, then buy it.

[Pat Kelly]

I use a clear shield and my (perscription) glasses are photo-grey, get darker when it's brighter out. The extra 3/4 second it takes to slip the glasses on after donning the helmet is worth it. Just don't lose your glasses (like I did on my way to BI Deuce ).

When I worked at a Honda dealer (early 80's) I had 2 'demo' helmets. Someone would ask "what's the cheapest helmet you have?" I would show them the demo $35 model, drop it, and have it bounce back almost to my hands like a basketball. I'd then drop a $200 helmet and it would hit the floor and stay there. "They'll both protect your head but what about your neck?"
I sold a lot of $140 helmets.

[Wayne]

I have one of each of the three styles. I wear the half helmet to boulevard cruise at the nearby Kemah boardwalk and Galveston seawall. But if I go for a long trip, I wear either the open-face or even my full helmet. Hey, I like to have choices ok.

Ride Safe.