Ive been riding motorcycles my whole life. When i was younger, i rode dirt bikes and just tore the hell out of them. Been riding harleys for the last 20 years , im on my 6th one. Ive never wore a helmet riding them, i live in illinois, so no helmet laws. Im a Captain on the fire department, 20 years of service. I guess all the years of picking people up off the road, some of them horrible sites, has made me think of buying some helmets and beginning to wear them. im not really sure why ive never wore one, maybe just cause its not cool. I guess maybe im just thinking out loud here, but i just wanted to see if what your opinion was on helmets and why you do or dont wear one. I say a prayer every time i get on mine, and so far, the good lord has brought me home safe every time. So whats your thoughts?

 

I say the prayer everytime I get on the bike for him to watch over me and I wear a 1/2 helmet just incase he was a little busy when I was asking for him to watch over me. I live in AZ, no helmets here but what if ?

 

When you were on dirt bikes did you wear a helmet and why? Just a thought.

 

Well I could dig out my pics for a 45 mph crash entering the hiway on a wet onramp covered in diesel fuel and show you the pics of me and our (wife was on the back ) helmets.. She had her leather on and fared well just a bruised azz... I got 2 1/2 dollar sized puncture wounds to the bone on my right elbow and road rash everywhere gotta love them tank tops .. The insurance company replaced our helmets and being from michigan ive ridden all the states around with no helmet law and no helmet. Not anymore... This was exactly 1 year from having a massive heart attack and the doctors saving my life.?.. Ill never ride without one again . Oh ya I dont smoke anymore either as its also bad for you too ....

 

I don't wear one around town and short rides. If I'm jumping on the freeway for an hour or more than the lid goes on. The way I look at it is unless it's slow speed, a helmet probably isn't going to save your life anyway...I sure don't want to be a vegetable hooked up to machines because I WAS wearing a helmet. When the Lord is ready to take me, he'll come calling.

 

I wear it due to state law. I'm considering a move to be able to go lidless.

 

I took my grandson who was visiting to the skatepark we have in town this weekend. I told him he had to wear a helmet. After a short time he got more and more daring. Then it happened. He took a king size digger and his head SLAMMED into the concrete. I was right there, watching the entire event. I would never have believed how hard he hit his head just riding on a stupid skateboard. But that helmet saved his head. I live in Montana, NO mandatory helmet laws, and so there's a few times I don't wear one either. From now on, I'm going to have one on. That little lesson may just have saved my life. Guess you had to be there to appreciate it, but it was really dramatic. He is fine btw, just a bad headache. But I could just see his head split open and his brains rolling out without that helmet.

 

Natasha Richardon sustained a traumatic brain injury (and subsequently died from it) due to a "simply fall" while taking skiing lessons (yup, NO helmet).

Imagine what happens to an unprotected skull when it makes contact with a slab of concrete when one falls while going 70 mph or greater.

Heck, I am preaching to the choir here...you're a Captain in a FD.

 

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that I'm stupid.

I don't like wearing any type of helmets whether it's DOT or Non-DOT approved. In NY and By Law, I'm supposed to wear DOT approved helmet, but I wear the Non-DOT cuz it's my preferred choice. Just that I'm taking the chances of survival when riding. I pray all the time before I get on my Ultra. If the man upstairs says it's my time to go....So be it.

Death/Injuries sucks,

Thorey

 

I wear mine every time I get on the bike for two reasons.
1. When I was younger, I suffered two concussions, one while riding a bicycle and the other while playing football.

2. When I bought my first motorcycle three years ago, my wife and I made a deal. I can get a motorcycle as long as I wear a helmet and never drink and drive. Her end of the deal was that she can look cute in all the harley clothes. I figured it was a good deal.

I have no problem with wearing a helmet. Cool or not, it could mean surviving a crash, dying in a crash, or surving a crash but living the rest of your life as a vegtable.