full face helmets, what do you use?
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 514
Likes: 134
From: Clayton,N.J.
I'm seriously considering switching to a full face this season, as you get older, you begin to question your mortality, well, lol at 53, I'm at that point, but that's an entirely separate discussion. That being said, a half helmet doesn't quite cut it protection wise.
What do you guys use? weight is a big consideration, hearing my music is another, I need to hear my music lol, sorry, not sorry. I know from my sport bike days, cheaper lids were worse with wind noise, but, I had a couple $$$ AGV lids that were light but still pretty loud. so give some input on what you guys are using, include your thoughts on comfort, weight, wind noise, ability to hear your music, thanks!!
What do you guys use? weight is a big consideration, hearing my music is another, I need to hear my music lol, sorry, not sorry. I know from my sport bike days, cheaper lids were worse with wind noise, but, I had a couple $$$ AGV lids that were light but still pretty loud. so give some input on what you guys are using, include your thoughts on comfort, weight, wind noise, ability to hear your music, thanks!!
HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
Most chinbars latch onto a pin in the helmet, one on each side. Some mount that pin into a helmet protrusion that easily fractures, leaving the pin loose. Some use a very small pin, often of soft metal like brass, that is easily bent or broken. These are not rare things, I see it a lot in examining helmets.
It is not simply that the chinbar breaks free in a crash, but they can also be false latched as a result.
Do not get me wrong, I am not anti modular helmet. I wear them myself. But I have observed lousy designs in many, and have broken several with my hands. I have also blown open several testing them on my head just smacking the bottom of the chinbar with the heel of my hand.
Even seemingly robust ones can show problems after a while. My old Nolan N43? The one with a removable chinbar. That amazingly strong and rubbery chinbar delaminated, revealing a much flimsier plastic chinbar underneath that rubber. It also became unreliable in latching. It would sound and feel secure, but then pop out sometimes while riding.
Last edited by foxtrapper; Mar 14, 2023 at 11:08 AM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,171
Likes: 4,244
From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Full Face Helmets
Even though many folks like the modular helmet features and who doesn't ? There is a reason you will never see one at race track.. When we spoke to Arai America's they said they do not and will not make a modular helmet, because when a helmet takes a frontal impact in a accident the pivot mechanism breaks upon impact. The helmet front and lens then shatters into the riders face and head. This was duplicated in Arai's testing lab.Arai helmet shells are round with everything designed to graze off and snap away n a collision if it comes in contact with something so the helmet does not get caught on anything which could injury or kill the wearer. If anyone is to look at the pictures I posted above of my brothers Arai helmet there is not a surface that wasn't scraped or dented. He took down a metal road sign which was mounted in concrete and also hit a telephone pole. If, he had been wearing a open face helmet or a quarter helmet he would have lost his life. He was taken by ambulance to Westchester hospital ICU Neurology, spent the night and walked out the next morning. By the grace of God and that helmet he his alive today. After loosing my other brother in December at 59 years old and then my youngest brother having his accident in February, it makes me realize how precious life really is.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,443
Likes: 2,457
I originally went with Shoei Neotec 2 because I wanted modular helmet, but I returned it. Couple reasons. First, modular helmets are heavier and bigger. Second, I would never ride with it open, except if I had a situation where I would need to open it, like take a drink or something. The thing is, I never drank anything while riding, so why would I do it now? Part of the reason also was what TheMurf above me said....although those helmets are better than open face or half helmets, they are still not as good as full face helmet. I wanted protection, so I went with X14.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 78
Likes: 32
From: Massachusetts
I found the modular to be really loud and uncomfortable. So i brought it back and went with a full face helmet as i described earlier.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,443
Likes: 2,457
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,251
Likes: 3,132
From: Texas
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,443
Likes: 2,457
Uhh yeah, I am not sure why it's showing up a virus for you. The site is clean. Maybe because there is a pop-up there?
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,251
Likes: 3,132
From: Texas
I wear an Icon AirFlite full-face. I have always worn a full-face. I got the AirFlite because I live in the Houston area and needed as much airflow as possible.
Then, on an offroad ADV trip, I ended up hitting a tree which resulted in my body impacting with two big thick meaty branches. I took one branch square in the middle of my chest (which shattered my T7, broke my T8 and T9 and a rib, and resulted in partially collapsing both lungs), and simultaneously I took the other branch across my face (which resulted in just a little tiny cut on the bridge of my nose, from my glasses).
So, yeah, I got myself another AirFlite, this time the MIPS version. That thing absolutely saved my life.
Then, on an offroad ADV trip, I ended up hitting a tree which resulted in my body impacting with two big thick meaty branches. I took one branch square in the middle of my chest (which shattered my T7, broke my T8 and T9 and a rib, and resulted in partially collapsing both lungs), and simultaneously I took the other branch across my face (which resulted in just a little tiny cut on the bridge of my nose, from my glasses).
So, yeah, I got myself another AirFlite, this time the MIPS version. That thing absolutely saved my life.
Last edited by FatBob2018; Mar 14, 2023 at 12:54 PM.
