Helmet from now on for me
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 23,003
Likes: 11,441
Good call. While I support the right not to wear one. I wore mine most of the time. The last year I Hvae been wearing it less. No sure why I have been riding 43 years and pretty much always wore one.
I just happen to be wearing mine August 30 when I hit the Deer. 900 lbs of Harley resting on my head, but happy it was in a helmet..
Deer dead bike totaled and in the junk pile I am mending.
Granddaughter ask me to start wearing it all the time again.
I just happen to be wearing mine August 30 when I hit the Deer. 900 lbs of Harley resting on my head, but happy it was in a helmet..
Deer dead bike totaled and in the junk pile I am mending.
Granddaughter ask me to start wearing it all the time again.
Glad your dad is OK and you'll get used to the helmet pretty quick, I feel naked without mine. Hopefully the Insurance with get the bike back in order quickly. Good luck on the painted parts from Harley though, I've been waiting close to a month for a tank and fender...
The issue with helmets, seat belts or other safety equipment is that it should not be mandated that we have to use/wear them.
I do wear a full face helmet all the time, too many years of off roading taught me that it was a good thing. My Helmet also saved me an ER visit a month or so ago when a deer tried to ride my front fender.
However, if someone wants to take their chances with no helmet, no seat belt, or air bags, then by all means let them not use the stuff. Smack them when that accident does happen and let the insurance Company refuse to pay for their medical, if they weren't using the safety gear.
Insurance companies could also up the rate of safety gear use, by covering that stuff in the policies, I had to fight with my insurance company to get them to cover my Helmet and they refused to cover my gloves, Jacket or boots. Even though they were motorcycle specific gear. (I'm starting to shop around for safety gear coverage.)
The issue with helmets, seat belts or other safety equipment is that it should not be mandated that we have to use/wear them.
I do wear a full face helmet all the time, too many years of off roading taught me that it was a good thing. My Helmet also saved me an ER visit a month or so ago when a deer tried to ride my front fender.
However, if someone wants to take their chances with no helmet, no seat belt, or air bags, then by all means let them not use the stuff. Smack them when that accident does happen and let the insurance Company refuse to pay for their medical, if they weren't using the safety gear.
Insurance companies could also up the rate of safety gear use, by covering that stuff in the policies, I had to fight with my insurance company to get them to cover my Helmet and they refused to cover my gloves, Jacket or boots. Even though they were motorcycle specific gear. (I'm starting to shop around for safety gear coverage.)
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 5
From: Coweta, Oklahoma
I will be wearing a helmet from now on after seeing my dad wipe out. We were riding threw town saturday when some dumbass slams on brakes to make a left on a two lane road . I was able to get stopped but his front tire locked up and he lost control and lucky for him he came off the bike and slide down the road . The bike ( 2008 superdlide) wasn't so lukcy it slide into the back of the truck and we're pretty sure that its totaled. We weren't wearing helmets but no broke bones or head injuries just some bad road rash we were very very lucky
Same as a few posters here, I always wear a full faced helmet I have personally been down the road a few times (not in a good way) And I still remember my head smashing into the ground when I lost my leg, dont think I would have been here if I didnt have it on. Locked the rear up the other day going home from work (city traffic would you believe), like a number of people have said you never know what ride it will happen on but it will happen at some point.
Last edited by ==ShaDoW==; Sep 17, 2012 at 09:15 PM. Reason: typo
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
From: Houston
Those in the know know that helmets are not false security. Will a helmet guarantee you don't die? No. Will a helmet guarantee you are less likely to die? Yes, in many instances it will. Is wearing a helmet every second one rides a sign of intelligence and sensibility? Yes. There will be plenty to disagree, some because they can't for whatever reason see the intelligence of wearing a helmet, some because their need to be oppositional is greater than their intelligence and sense, some for whatever reason.
Congratulations on making a smart decision. Being very blunt, it's fortunate the prior stupidity didn't cause your dad his life because it certainly was and it certainly could have.
Congratulations on making a smart decision. Being very blunt, it's fortunate the prior stupidity didn't cause your dad his life because it certainly was and it certainly could have.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,352
Likes: 648
From: Vegas, baby!
Wake up man.
I live and ride in new York city, and you want me to think you have a tough time navigating the Vegas strip. The ambulances run people over here...don't talk to me about lunatic drivers.
And no, I don't know your boyfriend John, so I'm sorry I insinuated anything about him.
But what I do know, is if you can't keep your head on a swivel enough to not have "too many close calls" then you should park the bike and walk.
Accidents will happen, that's a given...freak things happen on the road. But if you get home from every ride feeling like Bruce Willis at the end of die hard, it's probably because you ride like ****.
I live and ride in new York city, and you want me to think you have a tough time navigating the Vegas strip. The ambulances run people over here...don't talk to me about lunatic drivers.
And no, I don't know your boyfriend John, so I'm sorry I insinuated anything about him.
But what I do know, is if you can't keep your head on a swivel enough to not have "too many close calls" then you should park the bike and walk.
Accidents will happen, that's a given...freak things happen on the road. But if you get home from every ride feeling like Bruce Willis at the end of die hard, it's probably because you ride like ****.
And I almost never 'navigate the Vegas strip'. The strip, and Fremont street, are only two very small parts of Vegas. But I quess you have to live here to undertstand my point. I didn't mean to offend you, could you grant other members the same consideration? Reread my first post, sometimes "close calls" means your "head is on a swivel" and you have avoided trouble. But it still may qualify as a "close call".
Ron
Last edited by rjg883c; Sep 17, 2012 at 09:43 PM.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4,046
Likes: 398
From: sugar land, gulf coast, tx
Glad you are both gonna make it. Like others, I always wear a helmet. Used to wear a 3/4 or std for almost four decades, then went to 1/2 helmet, then to full when I started riding a160hp crotch rocket. It's now gone, but the full/modular helmet stayed.
The main reason I've always ridden with a helmet is that I've had several friends killed while not wearing a helmet. Lost my best friend who crashed right in front of me, and I was holding the helmet he refused to put on before testing a screamer dirt bike, back in '73.
A helmet won't always save a life, but it improves the head injury odds, many fold. tomp dd50
The main reason I've always ridden with a helmet is that I've had several friends killed while not wearing a helmet. Lost my best friend who crashed right in front of me, and I was holding the helmet he refused to put on before testing a screamer dirt bike, back in '73.
A helmet won't always save a life, but it improves the head injury odds, many fold. tomp dd50
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 480
Likes: 14
From: Wellsburg, IA
Do you know John5395? If not, what do you base your comment on?
John may consider "too many" 2 close calls a week. Or he may consider 2 a year "too many". Even more important is where he rides, Do you know where he rides? For some people, that live and ride in areas with less traffic, 2 close calls a year may be a lot. For people that ride in heavy traffic, 2 close calls a week may not be a lot.
I live in a major, and growing, city and ride amongst cagers that are new to the area and trying to figure out where they want to go. Or cagers that are tourists and have no idea where they are trying to go but it doesn't matter because they are in VEGAS and they are happy just being here and looking around at the city. Both groups aren't really concerned with driving and are accidents waiting to happen.
And then the idea of what is a "close call" is subjective. Does that mean when a rider actually has to avoid an accident by braking, or taking evasive action? Or does it mean when a rider anticipates something and avoids the "close call" previously mentioned? I very rarely have "close calls" that require me to take action to avoid hitting a cage or having an accident.
But I have quite a few "close calls", in the sense that cages could present a problem if I wasn't ready for their actions. Sorry if this post offends anybody. But I see, and talk to, so many riders that don't really know what they are doing or talking about. And I think it is sad to take cheap shots at other members.
Ron
John may consider "too many" 2 close calls a week. Or he may consider 2 a year "too many". Even more important is where he rides, Do you know where he rides? For some people, that live and ride in areas with less traffic, 2 close calls a year may be a lot. For people that ride in heavy traffic, 2 close calls a week may not be a lot.
I live in a major, and growing, city and ride amongst cagers that are new to the area and trying to figure out where they want to go. Or cagers that are tourists and have no idea where they are trying to go but it doesn't matter because they are in VEGAS and they are happy just being here and looking around at the city. Both groups aren't really concerned with driving and are accidents waiting to happen.
And then the idea of what is a "close call" is subjective. Does that mean when a rider actually has to avoid an accident by braking, or taking evasive action? Or does it mean when a rider anticipates something and avoids the "close call" previously mentioned? I very rarely have "close calls" that require me to take action to avoid hitting a cage or having an accident.
But I have quite a few "close calls", in the sense that cages could present a problem if I wasn't ready for their actions. Sorry if this post offends anybody. But I see, and talk to, so many riders that don't really know what they are doing or talking about. And I think it is sad to take cheap shots at other members.
Ron