Crash helmets for motorcycling. Which is best, open or full face? I wear specs..?

Question

Are their drawbacks to either type of helmet, e.g. weight , noise, visibility, level of protection etc.

Which are the best makes.

Answer 1

The vote for full-face is virtually unanimous and most are suggesting safety and protection is the main reason. But, there are other considerations: how is a person's preference affected by the type of bike they have? Those who feel the need to wear earplugs are further insulated from their surroundings by full-face hats. If you travel in a hot country (sometimes applies to the UK), you could experience heatstroke in a full-face; and a full-face flip-up is much heavier than an open-face with visor. To be brutally realistic, it does not matter a jot what you wear if a truck runs over your head. By nature bikers are chancers and risk-takers by nature (this is not an insult), otherwise they would never risk exposure to those who enclose themselves in cages. Just make sure you get a decent lid - not one of those 'half-helmets' seen in the U.S. although even they are better than none; and never take 'advantage' of the opportunity to do without as applies in some places.

Answer 2

I generally direct this answer towards someone who thinks it's cool to ride without a helmet. However it also shows why you should be wearing a full face helmet. Try this Find a large immovable object like a large oak tree or a brick wall. Stand about 30 paces away from this large immovable object Run as fast as you can towards this large immovable object As you get close to this large immovable object place your hands to your side, put your arms to your side, and put your face up, continue running as fast as you can. Notice how it feels when you hit this large immovable object while you were running as fast as you could. Most people can run about 15 MPH (24 km/h) You are still in first gear with most motorcycles. With many motorcycles you can't get them out of first gear at this speed. Think about how this impact would feel if you were going 4 or 5 times faster. By the way, did you notice that I suggested you hit this item face first? This is why you want a full face helmet. Don't really try this test. I just use it to get my point across. You never plan when you will have an accident It is better to be wearing a helmet and not need it than to need a helmet and not be wearing one. One last thing. How stylish does a smashed face look? I ride a metric cruiser. I always wear a full face helmet. My face may not be the best looking, but it is the only face I got.

Answer 3

Arai are good as are Shoei. I've had some others like a suomy but that actually came off my head in an accident (causing my to bite a couple of mm of the end of my tongue believe it or not.

Get a full face unless you live in warm climate AND ride a cruiser or something slow. It'll be warmer as well as offerring more protection.

If noise is an issue then be sure not to get a helmet with bumps on it. A top of the range Arai will be expensive and those vents that sit above the profile of the helmet will make a lot of noise. The Suomy had those and created a right din.

Make sure when you get a new helmet that it doesn't squash your head but also that its not loose enough to move when you pull the chin peice from side to side.

The golden rule is to buy the best you can - you do get what you pay for. MCN recently did a penetration test and only Arai passed this. They also don't mist like others. Perhaps its the shape?

HTH

Answer 4

Like most other people said, a full face is going to offer considerably more protection than any other kind. Fatal injuries in motorcycle accidents are often due to an impacting of the jaw, so you are going to want as much face protection as possible. You should try on a variety of helmets to see which one fits the best for you. People have different shaped heads and a helmet that is right for one person might not be right for another. Don't let advertising fool you into thinking that the most expensive helmets are the best. It's true that the more expensive helmets tend to offer more features and are usually quieter, but expensive does NOT necessarily mean safe. Check out the article entitled "blowing the lid off" in motorcycle magazine (you can find it online)... the best performing helmet in terms of safety cost about $90.

Answer 5

Best Open Face Motorcycle Helmet

Answer 6

Full faced, there are no helmets that are quiet I recommend ear plugs as well . The wind noise in a helmet will damage your hearing with time. Todays full face helmets are very light. There is no loss of visibilty in them either. Buy an Arai they have the best fit make sure you are fitted properly as they make several diff. shapes. I rode with HJC and Agv for a few years but once i tried the Aria I am a believer. All day comfort and better venting. I will never ride with anything else again I do 10 -15 thousand a year

Answer 7

I honestly don't know which make is the best,but i would say that full-faced helmet would be safer.
They maybe heavier than the open ones,but they offer more protection in the event of an accident,as they protect the neck better.
I know this is a big concern to both riders and paramedics.
With you wearing glasses as well,i would have thought a full visor would've been better for you,as you've less risk of anything catching you in the face.
There are always risks,whichever way you look at it.Your the one who's got to make that decision and i pray you make the right one.
Good Luck.

Answer 8

I wear specs too and I prefer full face but I accept what people say about the type of bike you ride. I don't have a problem wearing specs with a full face helmet - you just take them off before you put on helmet and then put them back on after - voila! I do sometimes wear contact lenses which is equally as comfortable. I used to suffer with fogging/misting on my visor and glasses, but then I found Fog City and later on 'pin-lock' which is on my new Shoei - these have solved the problem. Find a helmet that is comfortable (with a gold sticker on) and make sure you can fit the arms of your glasses down the side - squidgy plastic frames won't do the job! You might want glasses with straight arms but I have normal ones.
Happy biking!

Answer 9

Full face with out a doubt.
I've tested this theory out a couple of times (not my fault) and i was glad i was wearing a full face helmet.
As your flying through the air, because some blind old git pulls out on you, you have absolutely no control over your body and you could land in any position.

There was also a picture called "Me and my Harley" kicking about on rotton.com a few years ago and that should have been enough to put any one off open faced helmets. The guy cracked his lower jaw along his mid line and he ended up looking like Predator

I've had three helmets now and would reccomend either Shark or Shoei, the latter be the preffered choice. You should be looking to spend at least £300 for a decent one.

Answer 10

It all depends !! LOL
Being a custom bike rider i prefer an open helmet for the look and because speed is not the main thing on a custom bike. On the other side if you do speed"a bit" a full face will obviously bring a better protection for the bottom part of the face(jaws,chin).When i wear a full face helmet i usually don't put the "windscreen" lol and prefer wearing sun glasses or yellow colour glasses if dull or night.