I have a Daytona skullcap very thin and light, I just don't want to get hassled on the trip. I have heard horror stories from Mass and NY about having the bike towed with a fine for a non DOT helmet. My just get a thin DOT and carve out the foam so it sits right.

 

I have heard this story as well, but I'm guessing it's mostly a myth as I have not known anybody that it actually happened to. Just a friend of a friend type story.

A helmet is a safety item, much like a seat belt. I can cut the seat belt out of my truck, and while I might get tickets all day long, they can't make me sit at the side of the road until I get a new one installed. Same thing with turn signals and mirrors. MD does not require sigs, so I don't run fronts. If I ride through a state that requires sigs, they can't make me install them in order to ride on their roads.

If there are any cops reading, chime in on this, curious to find out the real story.

 

Here in Vermont the Leo's are cracking down, had a buddy pulled over last week $158. and 2 points on his lisense..

jreichart, I've had the local Leo's make me get a tow truck to get a car home less then 1 mile from home for a violation, I geuss it's how much of a ***** they want to be.

 

I live in Taxachusetts and they require a dot, but my cousin runs a non dot without a sticker and in the years I have ridden with him he has never been stopped. If you live in this commie state, not only do you get the fine, you get a $100.00 plus insurance surcharge for 5 years...not worth it to me...that's a lot of Guinness to waste! I have a place in New Hampshire, near Laconia, and NH is a true FREEDOM state and you don't need a helmet. Ride safe.

 

How about just buying a real helmet? if you gotta wear one, it might as well actually save your life.

A red light runner hit me at 45 mph and my head and other body parts hit the concrete at 45 mph in a different direction. just sayin...

 

Blk and Chrome...I think you can directly influence your potential experience. The solution to the possible ticket on your trip seems obvious; spend $50 on a DOT helmet and wear it. When you get home, do what you want. As far as the hassle part, you're out of state on a motorcycle. If you don't want the helmet to be the "stated" reason for getting stopped, the more substantial it looks, the less likely that you'll be stopped. i.e. skull cap vs full face.

 

Wear my Non DOT in Mass all the time, and I havent been stopped.

 

I've been looking at DOT lids. I never wear one here at home or in RI. It's just most times I have no place to carry one so I have to wear it the whole trip.

 

I will get a DOT one just to be hassled with one less thing. As far as a fullface I have one but wear it only when real cold.

 

Full face helmet, every single day, 20 degrees to 110 + degrees. I have a chart from the insurance institute. shows where helmets are impacted by percentage. the top of your melon (skid lid) single digit percentages. your face /chin 70+%. you'd be better off with a full helmet with a large hole cut out of the top than a helmet that looks like a yamaka.