Another helmet question.......
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 3
From: OC SoCal
OK, keeping it nice...
I still say you're not makeing a good arguement. You may make some valid points, but you are baseing on assumeptions. You talk about law of physics, when maybe you should be talking law of averages.
A serious accident in a car versus a bike? What do you consider serious?
I'd say driving off a small cliff into a lake would be serious. I'd rather be on the bike. No chance of getting caught in the car and drowning.
I'd say being forced off the road into the dirt and into a tree would be serious. Would rather be on the bike where I'd have the chance to get away from the bike and not have a hunk of metel shoved into my gut.
Maybe you think this makes me sound silly. But I think you tend to view things in your own way. Open your mind. Think outside the box.
Like you, I believe everyone can make their own choice. I was wearing helmets before CA had a helmet law. But mostly because I had long hair and the helmet kept from getting tangles.
I still say you're not makeing a good arguement. You may make some valid points, but you are baseing on assumeptions. You talk about law of physics, when maybe you should be talking law of averages.
A serious accident in a car versus a bike? What do you consider serious?
I'd say driving off a small cliff into a lake would be serious. I'd rather be on the bike. No chance of getting caught in the car and drowning.
I'd say being forced off the road into the dirt and into a tree would be serious. Would rather be on the bike where I'd have the chance to get away from the bike and not have a hunk of metel shoved into my gut.
Maybe you think this makes me sound silly. But I think you tend to view things in your own way. Open your mind. Think outside the box.
Like you, I believe everyone can make their own choice. I was wearing helmets before CA had a helmet law. But mostly because I had long hair and the helmet kept from getting tangles.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 972
Likes: 23
From: NC
OK, keeping it nice...
I still say you're not makeing a good arguement. You may make some valid points, but you are baseing on assumeptions. You talk about law of physics, when maybe you should be talking law of averages.
A serious accident in a car versus a bike? What do you consider serious?
I'd say driving off a small cliff into a lake would be serious. I'd rather be on the bike. No chance of getting caught in the car and drowning.
I'd say being forced off the road into the dirt and into a tree would be serious. Would rather be on the bike where I'd have the chance to get away from the bike and not have a hunk of metel shoved into my gut.
Maybe you think this makes me sound silly. But I think you tend to view things in your own way. Open your mind. Think outside the box.
Like you, I believe everyone can make their own choice. I was wearing helmets before CA had a helmet law. But mostly because I had long hair and the helmet kept from getting tangles.
I still say you're not makeing a good arguement. You may make some valid points, but you are baseing on assumeptions. You talk about law of physics, when maybe you should be talking law of averages.
A serious accident in a car versus a bike? What do you consider serious?
I'd say driving off a small cliff into a lake would be serious. I'd rather be on the bike. No chance of getting caught in the car and drowning.
I'd say being forced off the road into the dirt and into a tree would be serious. Would rather be on the bike where I'd have the chance to get away from the bike and not have a hunk of metel shoved into my gut.
Maybe you think this makes me sound silly. But I think you tend to view things in your own way. Open your mind. Think outside the box.
Like you, I believe everyone can make their own choice. I was wearing helmets before CA had a helmet law. But mostly because I had long hair and the helmet kept from getting tangles.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,285
Likes: 0
I went down on a cbr at 80mph without a helmet and knocked myself straight out. Woke up in the ambulance. Luckily the median was grass where I hit and it scalped my hair off, was called patch for awhile. Looped a gsxr a few years later with no helmet but no head trauma that time, just awful road rash since I was in shorts and tee. Dumb and dumber. I wear a ff full time now. Course you can't tell smokers they are killing themselves either so who cares.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,915
Likes: 8
From: Austin TX
Wow! This time you guys really did it! yessir!! I think ya'll said it all this time! I think this has finally been the definitive helmet thread and therefore no more are going to be needed! Thanks to all who have participated in this helmet thread to end all helmet threads, you can be proud! I know I am.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Well I guess I'll be the one to do it. I started riding dirtbikes when I was 8 years old, always wore a helmet and still do wear one when on the dirt bike mainly because it is so easy to wipe out on one and it helps keep the wife off my ****.... I have been down plenty of times on the dirt, only once did my helmet even touch the ground, and then just barely. I have never been down on a road bike.
With that said, when I was 14 years old, my next door neighbor, gold wing rider- always wore his helmet and was a very experienced rider, had a cage pull out in front of him while doing 55 mph. He T-boned the car. He was kept alive for 3 days by machines until his wife had to make the decision to pull the plug because he was clinically dead, his brain just didn't know it yet. He had a broken neck, a scrambled brain, along with other assorted internal and extremity injuries. Personally, I believe that if it's your time to go, no amount of safety gear will prevent it. I would rather go quickly as the doctors said my neighbor would have gone had he not had a helmet on. So, there are cases on both sides of this personal choice issue. Of course some states have removed that choice for many folks, but that is another issue entirely.
With that said, when I was 14 years old, my next door neighbor, gold wing rider- always wore his helmet and was a very experienced rider, had a cage pull out in front of him while doing 55 mph. He T-boned the car. He was kept alive for 3 days by machines until his wife had to make the decision to pull the plug because he was clinically dead, his brain just didn't know it yet. He had a broken neck, a scrambled brain, along with other assorted internal and extremity injuries. Personally, I believe that if it's your time to go, no amount of safety gear will prevent it. I would rather go quickly as the doctors said my neighbor would have gone had he not had a helmet on. So, there are cases on both sides of this personal choice issue. Of course some states have removed that choice for many folks, but that is another issue entirely.
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 35,506
Likes: 27
From: Calgary eh
I know the helmet issue has been beat to death and the decision is ultimately yours. I just ran a call yesterday on a guy that dropped his bike in the driveway of his house. Low speed of course and only a broken mirror on his bike. Unfortunately he hit his head. When I got to him he was combative and vomiting, not a good sign. He ended up with a small bleed and will hopefully recover without deficit. If you think you are safe try this experiment. Go to your back yard and find a nice clear spot on the back of you house. Now run as fast as you can (maybe 5-7 MPH) and run into that spot on the wall that you picked out with your head. See how it feels at 5-7 mph and try to picture it at 20 mph. If you actually do this then you probably don't need a helmet anyway.
Here's mine. Stand on your driveway. Hands behind you back, bend at the waste , fall forward on your head.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
I stopped wearing my DOT approved dark red helmet about a month ago...
Because I received bright red DOT and SNell approved helmet.
If I could find helmet painted by kind of glowing paint (it doesn't glow in dark but looks super bright at day time), I would get it.
Recently I saw a car painted by that paint. Bike would be very noticeable.
Because I received bright red DOT and SNell approved helmet.
If I could find helmet painted by kind of glowing paint (it doesn't glow in dark but looks super bright at day time), I would get it.
Recently I saw a car painted by that paint. Bike would be very noticeable.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,352
Likes: 648
From: Vegas, baby!
I have been down plenty of times on the dirt, only once did my helmet even touch the ground, and then just barely. I have never been down on a road bike.
Personally, I believe that if it's your time to go, no amount of safety gear will prevent it. I would rather go quickly
Personally, I believe that if it's your time to go, no amount of safety gear will prevent it. I would rather go quickly
My two accidents on the street had similar results: a totaled motorcycle, trip to the hospital, no real injuries except for roadrash and a cut chin during one of them, checks from the other guys insurance companies, and my helmets took a lot of abuse from the street.
Now my last dirt bike wreck was a real killer, almost. It meant 120 days in a hospital which wasn't so bad because it was 6 weeks before I woke up. Then about 6 months of therapy and a lifetime of residual effects. Unfortunately, even if they don't use safety gear, a rider doesn't always go quickly.
The real sad cases are the ones in which someone, whatever the reason, suffers a head injury. If they don't "go quickly" they may face a lifetime of dealing with a 'life' they can't envision in their worst nightmares.
Ron
Last edited by rjg883c; Dec 3, 2010 at 12:18 AM.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
I have been down on the track as well as down on the street. Walked away with nothing more than bumps and bruises. I wear full gear most of the time. When I throw caution to the wind I go with a 3/4 helmet and non armored pants all other times its a full face and body armor. Do what you want its a blast either way.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,210
Likes: 1
From: LI, NY
With that said, when I was 14 years old, my next door neighbor, gold wing rider- always wore his helmet and was a very experienced rider, had a cage pull out in front of him while doing 55 mph. ... He was kept alive for 3 days by machines until his wife had to make the decision to pull the plug because he was clinically dead....
Gear increases the odds that you will walk way from an accident and reduce the level of injury, time to heal, and long term after effects.
Who walks into a casino and stands at the black jack table and says hit me when he already has 20 points?