All of my bikes run bright LED headlights. I KNOW my visibility has improved judging by the reactions of cage drivers. Another phenom is people pulling over to let me pass because they are dawdling and my bright headlight annoys them from behind. That low beam is white fire compared to a quartz bulb. High beam led is crazy bright.

I already made my statement on helmets that anything worth keeping is worth protecting. I’m only here today because I wore a FF helmet on 11/06/80. Been wearing mostly a 3/4 helmet these days but am starting to use a FF Arai Signet X that I had stored since new…$699 helmet my brother picked up at Americade vendor expo a couple years ago for me $220 because it was special order but the guy then didn’t want it. He calls me from the vendor table knowing I needed a new FF. Heck ya! I’m going To use it more. It’s light, flows air and vision wise it’s good. My gripe with FF helmets has been in order to look down at the surface where my feet will land at a stop I need move my head slightly downward instead of just moving my eyes. It’s ONLY an issue on my EGlide Ultra because of the bulk. Short inseam, I like to make sure the contour of the road isn’t falling away from where my feet land. I surely look ahead but some dips and irregularities are clearer up close.
One last antidote why I like 3/4 helmets I stopped a car that was close to T Boning me in an intersection this year…with my voice, yes I yelled - they stopped. I still see that front end coming at my right leg. I’m loud, in normal conversation. What led up to the close encounter takes up too much space but when I reflected on my moves I realized I had put myself in jeopardy trying to turn left at the light when behind a huge dump truck and the oncoming car has started to jump the gun…I had the arrow. It happened fast - I yelled “STOP”, it was a heart stopper for me, the kind that makes yer inners race after. I never said a word to family about it.

 

Part of the problem with our visibility is every car (up here anyway) has daytime running lights so its easy for a single headlight to be lost among all the white lights. So I was thinking, on my RK run yellow spot lights to make the bike stand out. On my sport bikes (80's and 90's) replace one head light with a yellow one and leave the other clear. Might draw attention for standing out and we can run yellow headlights where I am.

 

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Always thought this was weird: MA LAW
"Motorcycle riders should wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear."
Buit does not say required, refers to RMV, which does state MUST were a DOT helmet
Outdated ad not all helmets carry a DOT sticker

and just found this: Did not know about this, will probably be shot down should have already been voted on, nope currently in Committee
This has been popping up for almost 20 years now

An Act relative to motorcycle helmet choice

By Mr. Lombardo of Billerica, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3524) of Marc T. Lombardo for legislation to repeal the requirement for operators and passengers on motorcycles over the age of eighteen to wear protective headgear.

 

Learning top notch riding skills should be top of the list (Yes, I also need lots more practice, we all do). I haven't done much more than back and forth to work since the Covid, when I worked from home and would hit the parking lots and just cruise around for fun. I do try to get in slow maneuvers coming and going in my work parking lot, etc. along with the occasional brake test (AKA the break test).

ATGATT at best gives about 30% better odds of survival, the same for motorcycle ABS and Traction control, etc.

I never could find solid statistics on Full Face vs Open Face helmets. The picture you see floating around with numbers on different sections of a Full Face has no supporting documentation (plus the numbers are sometimes different). I have seen statistics that about 10% are facial injuries, the leader is leg and crotch, then spine and arm, also concussion damages from the jarring and/or impacts.

Once again, biggest factor is drunk and distracted drivers, high speeds (particularly in twisties) and new drivers (IIRC less than 5 years) though I would lean more towards actually mileage driven than years for experience. I have seen newish riders with lots of miles that were much better than those claiming decades of motorcycle driving. Also nighttime, which probably also includes some of the drunk driving statistics and high speed crashes.

Flashing brights is actually illegal in most states, for any reason not to restate that it serves the opposite purpose, means proceed (also causes road rage). Also a very bad idea, is riding with brights on, day or night, illegal and a bad idea, it throws off the depth perception. I posted previously in other threads the studies on that. What you want is the lighting triangle that makes you appear larger and closer, I posted previously on that.

FWIW, I wear gear on my 50 mile work commute, but not every time I ride, depends on my mood, but I do find myself wearing at least the full face and jacket most of the time more often than in the past.

 

I rode for years without a helmet for who knows how many thousands of miles. One day, I woke up and have worn it every time I get on the bike.

 

Up here in Canada we have no choice. For short trips I usually have my beanie, but for any longer trips I put on my FF with communications. I ride often in the US and many states don't require helmets. Once in a while I will roam around without the helmet, but wearing one doesn't bother me at all.
I have had a couple of minor accidents on the motorcycle in the last 50 years, helmet had no effect...however I have been knocked off the road bike (pedal) twice, and in both cases the helmet saved my bacon, in both cases one side of the helmet was crushed. An annoying little side comment, riding to work this past tuesday I had a rock hit my visor, the new photochromic visor that I installed on the weekend...nice deep scratch in front of my left eye...🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

I'm not sure that's the case. There could be many here that just read through these posts (especially the heart felt posts) from those that survived and those that have seen the carnage, and decided for themselves, "maybe I'll head to Cycle Gear and check out some cool FF or Modular Helmets". That's the beauty of these threads is the information shared could help others make the best choice for themselves.

Now if we were talking about brands of oil, then yes I would agree with you 2000 posts would not change anyone's mind! lol

 

Don't know about that. I know that me having to walk inside where I work with almost no clothing on after an accident may make some think about gear. If not for them maybe their kids, wife, SO.

 

I don't know if this will help persuade anyone, and I know everyone has their own opinion and you do you, but if telling this story convinces one person to wear a full face helmet and saves them in an accident than it's worth the 10 minutes to type this out.

I am a new rider, my younger 40 year old brother has been riding his whole life. He reluctantly wears one of the beanie helmets and if he legally were allowed he would never wear one and that is what he does when in states that allow that. He does the whole "wind in my face, freedom, if it's my time it's my time" lines that most people who don't wear them spout out.

We went out for a ride on 4/9 of this year, then went into a pizzeria for lunch. I brought my helmet in with me as it was a new pricey one and I don't have a lock for it. While at lunch, im showing him the helmet, and mention to him that the DOT rating on those beanie helmets is worthless, no testing, etc. We leave the restaurant and he comes back to my house to borrow a tool, it is lightly raining, just a sprinkle, but it is now night. He goes to leave the garage to ride home, and I tell him "hey, why don't you take that full face helmet off the shelf that you left here last year and wear that, its dark and it might rain again. Shockingly, he takes this helmet says "yeah ok." I still don't know why he listened to me because he is pretty pig headed.

So, 6am I get the call, he is in the hospital, and it's bad. It is a nurse calling, says I should get down there quick.

Details are fuzzy, but apparently he was coming off a highway, got cut off, had to make an evasive maneuver and hit a telephone pole at about 95mph. Crushed all ribs on left side, collapsed lung on left side, tons of road rash, lost his left leg from just below the knee. The leg was basically amputated by the crash, was called in by ambulance as probable DOA, and was revived 5 times including as they were wheeling him into the ER. Five transfusions, nobody thought he was going to survive.

He spent 3 months in the hospital as they fought to keep the knee, which the drs wanted to just cut above and be done with it as infections were bad from the asphalt and everything else. Spent another 3 weeks in rehab, and is still fighting some infections and has a nurse every day coming to change dressings.

Here is his crimson Road Glide Special



Oh, and his head/face, not a scratch, not a concussion, nothing.

He now wants me to figure out the best full face helmet on the market for when he gets his new leg and back on the bike. He realizes maybe he doesn't want it to "be his time," and we all realize that when someone gets in an accident, it isn't just that person that has to deal with it, there are kids, parents, siblings, family, friends, and a lot of them have to make major sacrifices and impacts to their lives based on decisions you make.