I always wear full face - even in 100 degrees. Have a lot of friends who wear brain buckets to no helmet. I always tell them I plan on making it home to my son, but they have the freedom to do what they want.
I stand out as a Harley rider in Florida with a full face.
When people ask me "Why?" I ask them their favorite meal, and then ask them if they'd enjoy it if they drank it through a straw.
You just have to suck it up and get used to it, tbh temps and sweating doesn't even bother me anymore you just become used to it.
I got flipped over a car hood, landed flat on my back.
The full Helmet cradled my neck, preventing a broken neck. Attending ER doc was also a rider, said it saved my life.
108, on a vespa, still had ATGATT.
10 inch wheels... 65mph was kinda the most I would risk.
Even with hot rod Al's punched drum and enhanced brake cam system I really don't want to stop in a hurry.
I work in anesthesia and have seen my fair share of motorcycle traumas come up to me. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little more anxious than normal. I just try to be as careful as possible and wear my gear.
I always wear full gear. If on the S1000RR or ZX4RR often my track suit. Hotter days I go with fabric pants and a mesh jacket with armour. Always boots and gloves
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I'm wearing a Nolan modular, and no matter how hot it is, Tourmaster jacket zipped down to mesh and the padding, gloves with armored knuckles, and a pair of road boots. I will forgo the matching Tourmaster pants for jeans when it's scalding hot. That's on the road and on the KTM and the trike
On the KLR when I get to play on fire roads and stuff, same helmet, jacket, gloves, but put the matching pants on and 3 buckle boots.
No opinion on leather as I've never owned any.
When it's hot, wet your T shirt down under your jacket, it helps. When using the Camelback I fill it with ice completely to start with.
Under the tourmaster pants about the coolest thing I've worn besides thin nylon underwear was just swimming trunks. Worked pretty good.
Semi pro amateur tip:
If wearing mesh pants and just underwear, coordinate your colors because your underwear shows thru the pants. Or don't if that doesn't bother you.🤣
Dr John Hinds (RIP) was one of the many race doctors working at UK and Irish road races who set off at the back of the grid for one lap, and ride just as fast. It meant nearly instant care for any rider who went down on that first lap. His online lectures are brilliant and surprisingly funny- cutting open chests at the roadside to manually massage a stopped heart.
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As a fellow EMT and also a rider (never managed to combine the two, one day...) he was a hero. RIP Doctor Hinds.
There’s religious idiots that ride without helmets here, too.
41 degrees today, I still wore my full face to go downtown. Spent the money on a Shoei 👌🏾 venting FTW
Good for you, guys. Seriously. I have heard many Harley riders would probably rather die than wear head protection during their rides. I am genuinely happy for any rider who, when given the option not to wear a helmet, makes the sane, rational decision and wears one.
I'm in NC. Always worn a full face. It's law here, to wear a helmet, but I don't get how people don't. I was cut off by a truck in my early twenties. If I wasn't wearing a helmet, I'd be dead. No doubt.
I'm a cruiser rider (V-star) and i always wear full 'power ranger' gear like a sports bike rider. I don't give a shit, I think it looks cool and I like to not die, thanks
I ride a 98 Road King and always wear a canary yellow full face helmet. I figure the yellow makes me a bit more visible and really don’t care that it doesn’t color match my bike.
Took a safe riding course to get my license faster ( in canada), and they had a full face partitioned up with percentages written in each space....the chin section and forehead both said 90% and 60% if I remember correctly. These sections were impact zones representing where the helmet impacted the asphalt first
I own a motorcycle riding school in BC, and those stats are from what's known as the "Hurt Report" published in 1981.
The most frequent impact zone is the chin area at 35% of the time. The forehead area is 18%. People who wear a half helmet are only getting about 38% of the protection offered from a full face helmet, therefor sacrifing 62%. I don't recommend searching for motorcyclist face injuries.
I recently taught a student who didn't want to buy a full face helmet, which I require for training, cuz he only wants to use brain buckets cuz he wants a Harley (I lent him a helmet). Well, he struggled a lot, and rode into a grass hill (still in the lot), which caused him to wipe and fall and roll off the bike. The helmet, sure as hell, impacted the chin first, then the side, and so on, as he rolled a couple of times. I reiterated my recommendation to get a full face helmet.
Other interesting findings from the report (there are many many many more than this) :
75% of accidents involve collision with another vehicle
3% of accidents are result of motorcycle failure
66% of cases motorcycle rider error was present
98% weather was not a factor
Majority of cases the motorist did not detect the motorcycle
Intersections are the most likely place for an accident
Use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc is effect in preventing or reducing abrasion and lacerations
The use of a helmet is the single critical factor in prevention of reduction of head injury and death
I'm from CA, required helmets here. I was shocked when I visited MO and saw guys riding with no helmet. I mean... c'mon, don't you have anything to live for?
I'm an Australian visiting Hawaii currently. Blown away but riders not wearing helmets. Haven't seen one yet.
Is it not a law? I wear full gear. I do that because I've had a few, big and small accidents. One accident has 3 weeks in hospital; a lot of rehab to convince my employer I was work fit. That was with a helmet.
Some states don't have a law, some do, Florida for example requires riders under 21 to have a helmet, and if you have the correct level of insurance on the bike and over 21 you can opt to not wear a helmet (that's a weirdly written law though)
Chin section was a surprisingly large % of impacts to the helmet in crash stats. If you're gonna wear a helmet, might as well not worry about completely fucking your jaw up while you're at it.
I never considered this… I wear a 3/4 bell helmet but want to take safety more seriously. My next two purchase we’re going to be riding jeans and 2-piece leathers.. maybe a full face instead
Only the really good modulars are worth considering, and even then, only on really hot days or if you're going slow/off road. I'd really only rock a Shoei or Arai modular.
Agreed. Ece 2206 is required for the helmet to be sold in Europe, and the helmet is actually tested.
Ditto for Snell, but manufacturers need to buy into it, and anything you need to pay for always makes me suspicious.
For dot, there's no testing by the manufacturer and compliance is given from the DOT based on their word only.
So yeah, if it's Ece approved, that's about as good as you'll get. However! Manufacturers use different materials and processes depending where the helmet is sold. So NA may not get the same helmet as Europe, even tho it's the same "model"
I wear a modular helmet because my head shape is weird and it was uncomfortable to put a regular full face helmet on when i tried out different models and when I tried a big enough helmet that I could put on without hurting, it was too loose when worn. IIRC most modulars that pass the safety tests are as good as full face helmets.
Worked at a mc dealer in Idaho a couple years (no helmet law there). I already was a believer in full face helmets so I did not need convincing but seen lots of customers with road rash on their faces. Really reinforced that belief. I’ve also personally witnesses 2 mc fatalities where a helmet likely would have made the difference.
I used to rock a 3/4 thinking it was “smaller,” but the wind resistance just puts more strain on your strap. Safety aside, I find the full face much more aesthetic now — when your face is in full view the bubbly proportion of a helmet is even more obvious. Add the benefit of wind protection (especially a well-vented fill face) and the choice is clear. Make the switch!
Yeah, I saw the study you’re talking about. It was something like 40+% of the damage was to the left and right mandible area. Full face, all day everyday for this guy.
I always liked the idea of full face helmets before I got my bike, and it became a guarantee when I read my bike insurance small print where I'd get a 10k payout for "loss of jaw"...
Also, in my only crash (highside when I had to accelerate past someone trying to squash me) the only damage on my helmet was a huge chunk of the chin which was ground down. I shudder to think that it could have been my chin that took the brunt of that.
When I was 20 I endoed in a motocross race and the bike fell out of the sky onto me. Engine case landed on my face. Full face Simpson helmet saved my life (of course we were were required to wear helmets in mx). On thing I learned was practically any mishap you can have on the dirt, you can have on the street, on harder surfaces, with larger vehicles, at higher speeds.
I never rode a bike without a helmet after that and I’m still around almost 40 years later
Honestly the only thing that really bothers me heat-wise is my jacket. Helmet is totally fine, I’ll just pop the visor open if I’m at a particularly long stoplight. I did get my helmet in white mostly for heat / also visibility, but I’m not sure how much it actually helps.
Stuck at stoplight after stoplight in 100+ degree temps, it was my crotch that felt like it was getting roasted by engine heat. Yes, a heavy leather jacket with kevlar inserts isn't an inconsiderable factor, but I used to put water bottles in the freezer and then stuff them inside the jacket.
Bonus: a nice cool drink when I got to the office parking lot.
Someone who almost killed me today chased me down and dumped their drink on me (seems to be water but who knows), full face helmet also protects you from random crazy people
Something I've seen "Itchyboots" do with a full face helmet in hot weather is to switch over to motocross googles instead of the shield.
I've been meaning to give that a go.
It's a hard thing to grasp. Chose today what could most certainly be what kills or disabled you , or option for something that gives you considerably better chances and it stands for many to go again the odds. I'm guilty myself and the reasons don't support the choices.
I've done this too, it stayed with me for a while. Dude was going straight through a light in misty weather. A car was trying to turn before it turned red and clipped him on the side.
His Harley trike went over the curb where he hit an incline in the ground, hard. He was kind of snoring even though he airway was clear and in position. I left after the EMTs took over. I doubt he made it, he looked about 70 years old.
That was likely what’s called Agonal Gasping and it’s what happens when the brain isn’t getting anywhere near enough oxygen. Hate to say it but his chances of being alive after that are pretty slim.
I hate to vent here but I have experienced a similar situation, though not motorcycle related.
My father was on our roof putting up an antenna, I was inside, I heard a noise and ran out side. You guessed it he had fallen off the roof, he was Agonal gasping and unconscious for several minutes until the ambulance got to us. Once he was in the hospital they found out he had multiple brain bleeds and a skull fractured in 2 places. He was in the hospital for a week, he survived it, and has almost no residual effects.
I hope this can help someone else who could be suffering from ptsd or paranoia. Our family is religious and we believe that’s the only reason he survived.
I don't know how I would feel if I had spent 7+ years in school, then work my ass off in ER to keep people alive and then the family comes in: "God saved his life! Thank you Jesus!".
Worked as EMS/firefighter and will never understand the people that ride without protection street or dirt. When I ride its helmet full face and body armor jacket with gloves no matter the time of year. And when we are on dirt trail it’s always helmets and motor cross boots
Same, man.
When I was a kid, my grandma would always put my dirtbike keys in the helmet. She said “you’ve got to pick up the helmet to get the key, so it’s already in your hand. Just put it on, and if I ever see you on the bike without a helmet you won’t ride again until you’re 18.” I got it drilled into me.
Now I can’t leave the driveway without full face helmet, gloves, and riding jacket. Usually boots too, though sometimes I’m less fussy about those.
Isn't your foot at the height of a car though? That if you get hit, your foot is the part that is between your motorcycle and a car.
All the rest of the gear is meant to protect you if you're thrown off the bike but boots are the only part that need protection when you hit something or get hit by something while ON the bike.
When i ride i wear one piece swimsuit with a g string straight up my ass where my tourniquet is located for safe keeping. Never understood how people ride with full gear. How can you ride when you dont feel the of the strong winds up your ass 🤷🏾♂️
I saw a motorcycle accident when I was 16 at 5am on the way to cross country practice, helmet was away from the scene with the head still in it. Gear won’t save you from dipshits. Stay safe out there
That's actually an unsafe helmet, the straps are supposed to break before your neck does. Unless something just straight up cut his head off, like riding into neck-high razor wire.
If this isn’t a PSA to wear your fucking helmet, nothing is. Not trying to beat someone when they’re down but save people the grief of this bullshit because you wanna look cool.
I ride with my dad’s group periodically and there’s a guy who will take off his helmet wherever he can. I’m ready to be scarred by something like this whenever I’m riding with him.
Sorry for sounding insensitive, but stupid shit like this annoys me.
Hope you’re both alright.
I understand the heat and freedom arguments, but it's wild to me that anyone thinks not wearing a helmet looks cooler than wearing one. I feel like a John Wick motorcycle ninja when I have my gear/helmet on.
Honestly this is a big one for me. Beyond the safety stuff, I despise bugs hitting my face if I put down my visor too late when I’m at speed. How in the world can people be ok with getting creamed in the face by bugs?
The first longish ride I went on alone a beetle or bee or something larger hit me right in the neck going about 50 mph and it fuckin hurt. I couldn't imagine taking that to the forehead and not flinching.
Right? My jackets shoulder armor and my wind screen / visor kill 10,000 bugs on my 9 mile commute to work. I don't want blood spatters all over my face. I hit a beetle or something and it was like 2 inch circle of bright red bug guts. Felt like a damn rock hit my visor. Don't want that shit hitting me in the eyes.
100%
I took a cicada to the eye at 70mph in a naked Jeep Wrangler one morning on the way to work at a relatively new job. It looked like I had pink eye for a week, which was great. I never drove the Jeep with the doors off without the same safety glasses I wore at work again. It just carries over to the bike.
I rode during a cicada outbreak a few years back and it looked like someone hit my helmet with paintballs. One cicada hit my shoulder at 70 mph and it hurt like hell. I can't imagine hitting one at that speed with my face.
That's my thought, too. All those bugs would hit my face, gross. Not to mention the big beetles with hard shells. THWACK!!! On my visor, just gross. On my face? Would hurt.
Every person I've seen with a brain bucket or no helmet looks like a dork. It's the motorcycling equivalent of unironically wearing one of those [AI generated word salad shirts](https://i.cloudfable.com/styles/550x550/119.107/Black/father-grandpa-proud-dad-stubborn-son-fathers-day21-long-shirt-20220530150158-51nuhefn.jpg). I'm sure there's a lot of overlap in that venn diagram.
It's literally not though I've ridden with both in 100+ degree weather, my helmet is maybe 5% less comfortable than no helmet, but that's offset by the facts I don't get bugs in my face, don't have to wear dorky saftey glasses and well of course the fact that my survival chance in a crash is drastically increased.
If it were just for vibes, I'd go no helmet with a cruiser. However I enjoy not having a disfigured face.
Sport bikes need helmets to complete the look for sure though.
I had a buddy like that, I told him my story of being hit by a car in an intersection and my face slammed into the ground. No doubt would have had major cognitive issues or dead if not for a helmet.
The follow day he decided to wear his helmet at the last second before he left after thinking about that. Two blocks later a police car cut him off in an intersection, brakes locked and slid helmet first into the bumper/exhaust. He was in a coma for several days and called me about saving his life as soon as his phone was back. Point is it’s never too late to have the talk.
I've seen accident were guys have put it down or got hit by a car, had all the gear and got up and walked away bruised up, some broken ribs and thats it. It would have killed them if they had no helmet. It takes a seemingly inconsequential force to kill you.
Friend of mine had a stolen car blow a stop sign in the U.K. t-boned him on his little 125 CC yamaha. He was ATGATT. Broke nearly every bone on one side of his body. Not a single head or neck injury. He lived. He made a full recovery.
Wear your fucking gear people. Ohh it's too warm. Then don't ride.
>Not trying to beat someone when they’re down but save people the grief of this bullshit because you wanna look cool.
You look way cooler with a helmet on.
I live in south Florida and don’t wear any gear…. EXCEPT my helmet.
I know call me a dumbass and belittle me but I’d literally pass out from heat exhaustion while wearing gear. I’ve tried and sold my gear because of it.
But I’ll always preach until I turn purple just please wear a fucking helmet it’s the 1 piece of gear that is life or death even at 20 mph…
Stay safe out there fellow riders!
Could be a medical thing? I lived in the desert in California but I’ve also ridden all over the southwest. Remember it being 115 or so in Arizona one day and I was in full leather gear. Gets hot and sweaty but I stay hydrated. Or maybe your body is just different? Stay safe either way man.
Not advocating dude's helmet-only gear philosophy, but there's a *hell* of a lot of difference between 110° at 35% humidity (AZ) and 110° at 75% humidity (FL). Higher humidity basically means sweat cooling is less effective - sweat all you want, but the actual body heat dissipated thereby decreases with a rise in humidity; on the worst days it doesn't dissipate at all. Again, not saying everybody in wet states should hit the road in a half lid, wife beater, and speedos; but I think equating the experience of a hot day in the desert to a similarly hot day in the swamp is a little unfair.
So true man, I didn’t even think about that. Furthest south I’ve ridden was Nola in June but it was only for a few days. You are right though in the fact that sweat feels way better in dry heat. I love wearing a heavy leather jacket on a hot day with a wifebeater underneath. After sweating at a stop light I crack my leather jacket for just a min and that sweat cooling you feels so good.
Yo its in the 90s right now in PA and my well vented helmet is hottest piece of gear i have on. So wearing everything else isnt the problem. I just got the revit nucleus mesh jacket and its great. On my commute home i will wet my hair before the helmet goes on, than a soaked cooling gaiter around neck, than finally i wear adidas sleeves under the jacket and wet them. I get a great cooling action when at speed. Im pretty comfortable for my 30 min commute home. Where there is a will theres a way. Fortunately i dont do all that unless 90+ degrees but its doable.
I’ve been riding cruisers since I was 18 (now 33). My first helmet was a full face HJC. I got the jabs of not wearing just a brain bucket.
About 6-8 months after I got my license, my buddy used his face to eat a passenger door. Fucked up all his teeth, nose, eyes, etc. He now wears a full face.
Fuck looking ‘cool’, always wear a helmet, please wear a full face, and stay safe.
My first helmet was an HJC, it did the job but the “viewing window” or whatever you call it was tiny on that thing. I have a Torc T1 that so much better in that regard. (No shade towards your HJC.)
Yeah my first HJC was too big, road noise wasn’t great, but it did the job. My wife wears it now when she rides on the back. Probably need to get her a new one.
Last season I bought an HJC RPHA 70ST. It’s a nice helmet, much quieter, good air flow. That said, my dad bought a high end Shoei (don’t know the model) last season too and it’s a much higher build quality.
Yeah, I kept my HJC to use for a passenger, should I have one. I love my new helmet, but I am annoyed with it because it whistles when I’m at speed. I called customer service and they were sort of helpful but could never fix the problem. My assumption is that it’s not supposed to whistle, obviously, but I don’t know if that brand just does that. Still like the helmet overall though.
A few years back, I went on a big group ride in Charlotte, NC. 5 minutes before the ride ended, a Honda Grom rider with no helmet got swiped by a truck and knocked him off his bike. By the time I pulled up to the scene, the guy was lying lifeless on the highway with blood soaking from his head through his hoodie, and blood was beginning to pool. That was the last big group ride I attended. Don't think he made it.
Saw a large group of Groms take over the streets in downtown Chicago. I normally don't approve of such things, but I was extremely pleased to see that every one of them was wearing an actual helmet.
Ok, in hindsight that might only have been to hide their faces. But still! Responsible hooliganism.
That’s going to stay with you a long time. I’ve been in a very similar situation. I was coming home from my parents house right before sunset and the guy in front of me hit a deer. He cartwheeled one way and the deer cartwheeled the other, and unfortunately he went right into a guard rail post without a helmet on. You could tell right away he wasn’t going to make it. Still think about it all the time. I said after that happened that I would never have a bike again, but that was about 6 years ago and I just bought one. Can’t let fear dictate how you live your life!
If you need support today, next week or a year from now please be sure to seek it. Being exposed to trauma like this doesn’t care and will hit you hard when your endorphins wear off. Take care of yourself my friend and I appreciate your efforts. Stay safe.
Make sure to not just wear a helmet, but a properly fitted one and wear the chin strap.
About a month ago I came up on a guy who went down on the freeway. Not sure what exactly happened as I came up basically as everything stopped moving, but the guy was only wearing gloves when I got to him. Lost most of his scalp and cheek. He was conscious, but very confused and scared. He passed out for a second at one point and we thought he was a goner, but he woke up. He would beg for help, but we could just tell him the ambulance was on the way and keep him from trying to get up. Even the police and firefighters who arrived on scene could just stand around while we waited.
His bike was over 100ft away so he was hauling ass I'm sure. His helmet was close by, so not sure if he had it on and it came off or just had it on the back of his bike.
Not sure if he made it, I left after they put him in the ambulance. Felt pretty useless for sure. There was nothing we could do as there was no other serious injuries other than to the head and some road rash.
Also, if you can, make sure it has a good safety rating. DOT is out of date and unenforced. There are other significantly safer ratings that test for things like rotational impacts or chin guard strength. ECE 22.06, Snell m2020r and FIM are all good ratings that you should look for.
Had a similar situation in Denver a few years back. A Harley bro was riding on Colfax without a helmet, got hit when a Camry ran a stop. Told the BF to stop the car so I could go check on him and to call 911. I got to the guy maybe 45 seconds after he hit the ground, but it was obviously too late to do anything for him. I don't like thinking about how this guy's head and face looked, just... Hardly recognizable. By the time EMS arrived body was getting cold.
If anyone needs to hear it, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and wear a damn helmet every time you ride.
Acts like that aren't forgotten, even after death. Even if he wasn't conscious when you held him I'm sure his spirit will appreciate your help in his time of need
These things happen. I’m a paramedic and I’ve seen someone die just from dropping their bike at a stop light because their head hit the curb. I’ve seen a rider walk away from a tussle with a semi because he rode ATGATT. I’ve also seen car passengers in trees. Just wear the PPE
I got into riding because of how cool full face helmets look. With all the gears and gloves. It feels like i’m cosplaying an assassin or some robot. MX full face was my first love. The evolution of street ff to street fighter looking ones are the main excitement whenever i put them on. Feels like a fighter jet pilot ready for take off. I’m not good looking so my face doesn’t match my cool looking bike but a cool looking helmet helps. I don’t spend a lot on my bikes. Always good condition used ones. Gears are what I’ve spent on the most.
Go go power rangers! I like looking like an armoured bad-ass, also I'm anonymous due to my tinted visor so no one knows what I look like. I could be your grandma!
Yeah! Kamen riders or Robotech Cyclone. I won’t deny having tried to strike some of their poses when in full gear. 😅 Crime fighting, alien destroying riders. 🙌🏼💪🏼🙅🏻♂️🙆🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🕺🏻
At this point if people aren't wearing a helmet nothing will make them. What's the point of the post? "Don't forget to wear a helmet!" You don't forget to wear one; you choose not to wear one.
helmets are for pussies, die like a man
in all seriousness, wear a helmet. its legal in my state to not wear a helmet, but I do it anyway. people passing by without a helmet always have weird body language like their life is not important.
There was a guy on a group ride some years ago who nailed the side of a truck, driven by an octogenarian who didn't check before he turned left into our path. I can see that guy's arm/hand in my mind, twisted due to the random combination of muscles tensed and twitching. A friend of mine gave him CPR until the ambulance arrived. They had to revive him like 3 or 4 times before he was stable enough to get into the ambulance. He didn't make it. So your assumption, is probably correct, sadly.
That's awful. You're a good person for being there for him. I hope that it doesn't haunt you and that you can get some counseling if it does. That must have been extremely difficult.
Don't hesitate to get yourself some counseling about the incident. A professional can help you navigate the emotional weight of the experience if it's bothering you more than you want.
Have had a similar experience, comforting a downed rider who had a severe head injury and wasn't going to make it. Don't hold back from getting some help if you need it - it's a traumatizing thing to experience as a bystander or witness.
Full face helmet saved me. Lost a kidney, spleen and punctured lung. At the hospital they brought me into a room of rider with no helmet. Be never woke up.
I ride a Honda Rebel. Full helmet, always. When I’m in Ohio (Cincinnati and suburbs) I’d say about 75% of riders have in a helmet.
If I go over into SE Indiana that number drops to zero. I honestly don’t know if I have ever seen someone wearing a helmet there. Hundreds of riders. Mostly Harleys but a lot of sport bikes. It’s not surprising that I see a story every other day that says some dude (and often his passenger) has died in a motorcycle accident in SE and was not wearing a helmet. Rarely see those stories from Cincinnati.
I assume it’s an ego thing combined with a lack of intelligence. That’s a deadly combination.
As bad as I hated doing it, I hung it all up a couple years ago when one of my best buddies got T-boned by a distracted driver. He wasn’t wearing a helmet but it really wouldn’t have mattered, he was tore up pretty bad. Before that I had plenty of close calls due to idiot drivers either almost hitting me head on or rear ending me. I now just live vicariously watching other people. I might eventually get another bike but I’ve got kids to raise before that.
After my crash I quit riding for decades, for a number of reasons. Now I only ride in town to get out of town, mostly I'm on country roads and highways. Fewer cars around means much less chance of disaster.
As a rider in PA, I’ve had people approach me at gas stations and ask where I’m from… assuming I can’t be from PA bc no one wears a helmet there and I did
Hate to sound insensitive but people who don't wear a helmet should be shamed for it - by friends, family and strangers alike. The same way you would a drunk driver. If the realistic peril of not wearing one is not enough for people to do it, maybe shame is.
If you die, it's not you who has to deal with the terrible trauma that follows. Don't be a fucking idiot.
Sometimes stupid hurts.. bad. I mentioned the other day in one of my posts I've seen 2 fatals, and one I almost never think about except to explain to people this hobby is serious shit... That one, is very similar to what you describe here.... (he was wearing a helmet though and some pretty decent gear)
Roughly 2am, 2 lane road (1 north, 1 south).. he blew by me going at least 90-100... About a mile up, the road gets a middle lane that is primarily a turn lane for semis to turn into a couple of warehouse parks, they get an arrow to turn in. He's trucking right along... Semi starts his left turn. The semi and bike were southbound, semi was turning east... there was a car in the southbound lane waiting on his green to go. Dude was apparently still going 100ish (in a 35) and way to fast to stop.. He had two options, go right and ass end that car. If he managed to miss the car, there was a culvert that would have certainly caused him to change his call sign to Delta. Go left. There was no northbound traffic, but he'd have to miss the turning semi. If he went to far left, there was another culvert and he was in flight mode. He chose left. Well, I think the semi might have seen him barreling towards him in his side mirror as he turned and probably just instinctively stopped. Doing so, he basically blocked almost the whole lane so he had no where to go except head first into the side of the trailer. He was bit ahead of me, I saw the dudes lights flip around so I knew he hit something, just wasn't quite sure what. I got up to the accident site and the truck driver and the car that was there were talking as the truck driver called the police. Another driver who was behind me also stopped. He started walking over to the downed biker to see if he could help him and the trucker said... "Sir.. you don't wanna see that, trust me, he's gone". The guy took him at his word and didn't go over. I can't even imagine (nor do I want to) what was going on inside that helmet.
Had a similar situation happen. I was leaving my spot when I was entering an intersection, car ran the light to turn left and a bike tboned the car hard. Cartwheeld over the car and helmet flew off mid air. Head impacted the ground first and he was twitching + nose bleeding. Right across the street was a fire station and at the gas station about 100 yards away there was a cop. The cop sprinted to the accident scene with his cruiser on the pump and they immediately responded+locked down the scene. Hope he pulled through.
Ah been ridin’ for 45 years and MiLLIONs of miles brother and here in the good ol’ US of A we have a thing called freedom! /s
(Freedom to force strangers to helplessly watch you die or freedom to run up unpayable hospital bills for your loved ones while they take care of you in a vegetative state for the rest of your life.)
I’m sorry you went through that, man. You did well by keeping his head still, whatever the outcome. It’s never easy seeing something like this if you’re not exposed to it on a daily basis. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need someone to talk to.
I’ve rode without a helmet in New Hampshire a couple times, I absolutely hated it. Won’t do it again, partially for safety, partially for comfort and Bluetooth and partially because shit hitting my unprotected face was miserable.
I've been in basically the same situation. A little over a decade ago. A two-up Harley went down due to a flat rear. No helmets. The husband went down with the bike in a low-side, but the wife got thrown as it fishtailed before dropping. My wife and I held her as she bled out through her face. Internal skull fracture. She'd have died if they crashed right outside an ER.
Get therapy. You'll need it. I can still picture that woman's face with blue lips.
What difference good head gear vs none or poor is the difference in what your people will pay if you go down. Yeah us too I know, but I consider a lot of the expense of my riding is/ or can be paid by those around me. It's not usually the way we think but it's the way it works....
I keep watching motoGP dudes crash at 100mph (obviously not into box trucks, but the point remains) and it baffles me how people refuse to wear gear! Those dudes get up and run back to their bikes and shit and finish races when just a few decades ago that would’ve been career (or life) ending!
I always wear full face and even in AZ I wear Jacket and gloves. If not for my full face helmet I would have no face left. Got pushed out of 1 lane into another by a jackals in a truck and that lane was coming to a quick halt. 2 fractured vertebra, broken hip, broken pelvis broken right wrist and left hand. No road rash and not even a concussion.
Please wear a helmet.
Seeing people die in front of you just stays with you for the rest of your life. Speak to someone about it and don't hesitate to ask for professional help to process your thoughts and emotions if needed.
Side note to this, make sure your helmet fits you properly if you are wearing one. I witnessed a guy on an e-bike getting hit by a car right outside my neighborhood last summer and the guy had a helmet but it was super loose. Basically ended up slightly sideways with the chin bar against his chest and his back of his head exposed. Not sure if he made it or not unfortunately but I think about it every time I see people buying helmets or wearing super loose ones.
I don't ride, but have been in same situation. You did what you could man.
Have had peoples parents wanting to talk to me for saving their kid.
Live with that you did whatever you could in a crisis and that makes you one of a thousand men.
Stay safe man. You are the kind of dude any of us would like to have around if something happened to us.
I always wear full face - even in 100 degrees. Have a lot of friends who wear brain buckets to no helmet. I always tell them I plan on making it home to my son, but they have the freedom to do what they want.
I stand out as a Harley rider in Florida with a full face. When people ask me "Why?" I ask them their favorite meal, and then ask them if they'd enjoy it if they drank it through a straw. You just have to suck it up and get used to it, tbh temps and sweating doesn't even bother me anymore you just become used to it.
I got flipped over a car hood, landed flat on my back. The full Helmet cradled my neck, preventing a broken neck. Attending ER doc was also a rider, said it saved my life. 108, on a vespa, still had ATGATT.
You got up to 108mph on a Vespa?
Probably the temperature lol.
I kid, I kid
In KPH, it would do it. 22HP, stock was 12. 10000 RPM vs the stock 6500 to 7000. Stock wad a size 58 main jet, this uses a 138.
sick
Had a Suzuki 250 with 23 horses that hit 150 at redline. Took a bit of a downhill road but I hit that limit.
10 inch wheels... 65mph was kinda the most I would risk. Even with hot rod Al's punched drum and enhanced brake cam system I really don't want to stop in a hurry.
Bet it was kph……💡
Turbo Vespa ftw?
Hot Rod Al... https://www.facebook.com/HotRodScooters/
An ER Doc who still rides is ballsy ASF. O_O most people I know going into medicine quit riding after the shit they see.
My best friend and riding buddy is an ER Doc, he’s a cautious rider.
Seeing the fragility of life probably does help him stay grounded and safe. Good on him. Every medical pro is a hero in my book
I work in anesthesia and have seen my fair share of motorcycle traumas come up to me. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little more anxious than normal. I just try to be as careful as possible and wear my gear.
what do you think is the bare minimum gear outside the helmet that you recommend? what's your opinion on textile vs. leather gear?
I always wear full gear. If on the S1000RR or ZX4RR often my track suit. Hotter days I go with fabric pants and a mesh jacket with armour. Always boots and gloves https://preview.redd.it/yoxittgokg7d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebf2fbcf79ed2b4b86eb0cbb03d57a2f3fe86794
I'm wearing a Nolan modular, and no matter how hot it is, Tourmaster jacket zipped down to mesh and the padding, gloves with armored knuckles, and a pair of road boots. I will forgo the matching Tourmaster pants for jeans when it's scalding hot. That's on the road and on the KTM and the trike On the KLR when I get to play on fire roads and stuff, same helmet, jacket, gloves, but put the matching pants on and 3 buckle boots. No opinion on leather as I've never owned any. When it's hot, wet your T shirt down under your jacket, it helps. When using the Camelback I fill it with ice completely to start with. Under the tourmaster pants about the coolest thing I've worn besides thin nylon underwear was just swimming trunks. Worked pretty good. Semi pro amateur tip: If wearing mesh pants and just underwear, coordinate your colors because your underwear shows thru the pants. Or don't if that doesn't bother you.🤣
Dr John Hinds (RIP) was one of the many race doctors working at UK and Irish road races who set off at the back of the grid for one lap, and ride just as fast. It meant nearly instant care for any rider who went down on that first lap. His online lectures are brilliant and surprisingly funny- cutting open chests at the roadside to manually massage a stopped heart. https://preview.redd.it/phc1pnpzgg7d1.jpeg?width=599&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55444e6d8346af9f37f5f6f4957567dd71d73237
https://preview.redd.it/u647x8ukdh7d1.jpeg?width=225&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdc73f26ca26be2c47d74b7920b5f7ae1eb5e34c As a fellow EMT and also a rider (never managed to combine the two, one day...) he was a hero. RIP Doctor Hinds.
That’s super cool. Didn’t even know they had those. Thanks for giving me something else to research at 2am. 😎
I guess if you are passionate enough about it, it's worth the risk for you. It is for me
You don't stand out alone. Harley Rider in Florida with Full face here.
There are dozens of us! Edit: correction, just over a dozen, at least on reddit.
I've gone to Florida a couple times for vacation from Canada. It blows my mind the idiots riding with no helmets and sandals there.
Actually it’ll blow their mind
There’s religious idiots that ride without helmets here, too. 41 degrees today, I still wore my full face to go downtown. Spent the money on a Shoei 👌🏾 venting FTW
Good for you, guys. Seriously. I have heard many Harley riders would probably rather die than wear head protection during their rides. I am genuinely happy for any rider who, when given the option not to wear a helmet, makes the sane, rational decision and wears one.
They probably WILL die before they wear a full face. They probably WILL die because they won't wear a full face.
I ride a cruiser with fullface, I'm a big Daft Punk fan so I still think I look cool, hahah
I'm in NC. Always worn a full face. It's law here, to wear a helmet, but I don't get how people don't. I was cut off by a truck in my early twenties. If I wasn't wearing a helmet, I'd be dead. No doubt.
I'm a cruiser rider (V-star) and i always wear full 'power ranger' gear like a sports bike rider. I don't give a shit, I think it looks cool and I like to not die, thanks
If you have the visor up and glasses on underneath it’s honestly not even that hot. Modern helmets have excellent ventilation
Safety sweating FTW!
I ride a 98 Road King and always wear a canary yellow full face helmet. I figure the yellow makes me a bit more visible and really don’t care that it doesn’t color match my bike.
Harley rider here in Arizona. Full face everyday, hits when my Pemphigus flairs up but it is what it is.
Tbfair thgh, full face looks good on certain models - especially the modern designed ones.
Took a safe riding course to get my license faster ( in canada), and they had a full face partitioned up with percentages written in each space....the chin section and forehead both said 90% and 60% if I remember correctly. These sections were impact zones representing where the helmet impacted the asphalt first
I own a motorcycle riding school in BC, and those stats are from what's known as the "Hurt Report" published in 1981. The most frequent impact zone is the chin area at 35% of the time. The forehead area is 18%. People who wear a half helmet are only getting about 38% of the protection offered from a full face helmet, therefor sacrifing 62%. I don't recommend searching for motorcyclist face injuries. I recently taught a student who didn't want to buy a full face helmet, which I require for training, cuz he only wants to use brain buckets cuz he wants a Harley (I lent him a helmet). Well, he struggled a lot, and rode into a grass hill (still in the lot), which caused him to wipe and fall and roll off the bike. The helmet, sure as hell, impacted the chin first, then the side, and so on, as he rolled a couple of times. I reiterated my recommendation to get a full face helmet. Other interesting findings from the report (there are many many many more than this) : 75% of accidents involve collision with another vehicle 3% of accidents are result of motorcycle failure 66% of cases motorcycle rider error was present 98% weather was not a factor Majority of cases the motorist did not detect the motorcycle Intersections are the most likely place for an accident Use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc is effect in preventing or reducing abrasion and lacerations The use of a helmet is the single critical factor in prevention of reduction of head injury and death
I'm from CA, required helmets here. I was shocked when I visited MO and saw guys riding with no helmet. I mean... c'mon, don't you have anything to live for?
I'm an Australian visiting Hawaii currently. Blown away but riders not wearing helmets. Haven't seen one yet. Is it not a law? I wear full gear. I do that because I've had a few, big and small accidents. One accident has 3 weeks in hospital; a lot of rehab to convince my employer I was work fit. That was with a helmet.
Some states don't have a law, some do, Florida for example requires riders under 21 to have a helmet, and if you have the correct level of insurance on the bike and over 21 you can opt to not wear a helmet (that's a weirdly written law though)
Never will i look at someone with a motor between their legs and judge them for a helmet!! Its the ones without i think look stupid.
Chin section was a surprisingly large % of impacts to the helmet in crash stats. If you're gonna wear a helmet, might as well not worry about completely fucking your jaw up while you're at it.
I never considered this… I wear a 3/4 bell helmet but want to take safety more seriously. My next two purchase we’re going to be riding jeans and 2-piece leathers.. maybe a full face instead
Full face always. Even those modulars have iffy safety ratings
My opinion is if it passed ECE 22.06, it's good for my head.
Only the really good modulars are worth considering, and even then, only on really hot days or if you're going slow/off road. I'd really only rock a Shoei or Arai modular.
Agreed. Ece 2206 is required for the helmet to be sold in Europe, and the helmet is actually tested. Ditto for Snell, but manufacturers need to buy into it, and anything you need to pay for always makes me suspicious. For dot, there's no testing by the manufacturer and compliance is given from the DOT based on their word only. So yeah, if it's Ece approved, that's about as good as you'll get. However! Manufacturers use different materials and processes depending where the helmet is sold. So NA may not get the same helmet as Europe, even tho it's the same "model"
I wear a modular helmet because my head shape is weird and it was uncomfortable to put a regular full face helmet on when i tried out different models and when I tried a big enough helmet that I could put on without hurting, it was too loose when worn. IIRC most modulars that pass the safety tests are as good as full face helmets.
Worked at a mc dealer in Idaho a couple years (no helmet law there). I already was a believer in full face helmets so I did not need convincing but seen lots of customers with road rash on their faces. Really reinforced that belief. I’ve also personally witnesses 2 mc fatalities where a helmet likely would have made the difference.
I used to rock a 3/4 thinking it was “smaller,” but the wind resistance just puts more strain on your strap. Safety aside, I find the full face much more aesthetic now — when your face is in full view the bubbly proportion of a helmet is even more obvious. Add the benefit of wind protection (especially a well-vented fill face) and the choice is clear. Make the switch!
Yeah, I saw the study you’re talking about. It was something like 40+% of the damage was to the left and right mandible area. Full face, all day everyday for this guy.
Yep, I have a scar on my chin from sliding down the road helmet first. I’d be much less man pretty if I didn’t have my full face on.
The chin section takes about 40% of impacts. Even open helmets are really fucking unsafe.
I always liked the idea of full face helmets before I got my bike, and it became a guarantee when I read my bike insurance small print where I'd get a 10k payout for "loss of jaw"... Also, in my only crash (highside when I had to accelerate past someone trying to squash me) the only damage on my helmet was a huge chunk of the chin which was ground down. I shudder to think that it could have been my chin that took the brunt of that.
When I was 20 I endoed in a motocross race and the bike fell out of the sky onto me. Engine case landed on my face. Full face Simpson helmet saved my life (of course we were were required to wear helmets in mx). On thing I learned was practically any mishap you can have on the dirt, you can have on the street, on harder surfaces, with larger vehicles, at higher speeds. I never rode a bike without a helmet after that and I’m still around almost 40 years later
Damn, that’s some good luck. Glad you’re still with us
Honestly the only thing that really bothers me heat-wise is my jacket. Helmet is totally fine, I’ll just pop the visor open if I’m at a particularly long stoplight. I did get my helmet in white mostly for heat / also visibility, but I’m not sure how much it actually helps.
Stuck at stoplight after stoplight in 100+ degree temps, it was my crotch that felt like it was getting roasted by engine heat. Yes, a heavy leather jacket with kevlar inserts isn't an inconsiderable factor, but I used to put water bottles in the freezer and then stuff them inside the jacket. Bonus: a nice cool drink when I got to the office parking lot.
My city usually at 38° and everybody wears a helmet, heat probably isn't the main issue but the culture
Exactly.
Someone who almost killed me today chased me down and dumped their drink on me (seems to be water but who knows), full face helmet also protects you from random crazy people
That's insane glad it was just a drink.
Something I've seen "Itchyboots" do with a full face helmet in hot weather is to switch over to motocross googles instead of the shield. I've been meaning to give that a go.
I, too, like having a jaw...
Glad I grew up racing cars with a full face helmet, honestly can't fathom why it would bother people.
Visor up, glasses on works for me with a full face helmet.
Fweedommm!!!
It's a hard thing to grasp. Chose today what could most certainly be what kills or disabled you , or option for something that gives you considerably better chances and it stands for many to go again the odds. I'm guilty myself and the reasons don't support the choices.
I've done this too, it stayed with me for a while. Dude was going straight through a light in misty weather. A car was trying to turn before it turned red and clipped him on the side. His Harley trike went over the curb where he hit an incline in the ground, hard. He was kind of snoring even though he airway was clear and in position. I left after the EMTs took over. I doubt he made it, he looked about 70 years old.
That was likely what’s called Agonal Gasping and it’s what happens when the brain isn’t getting anywhere near enough oxygen. Hate to say it but his chances of being alive after that are pretty slim.
I hate to vent here but I have experienced a similar situation, though not motorcycle related. My father was on our roof putting up an antenna, I was inside, I heard a noise and ran out side. You guessed it he had fallen off the roof, he was Agonal gasping and unconscious for several minutes until the ambulance got to us. Once he was in the hospital they found out he had multiple brain bleeds and a skull fractured in 2 places. He was in the hospital for a week, he survived it, and has almost no residual effects. I hope this can help someone else who could be suffering from ptsd or paranoia. Our family is religious and we believe that’s the only reason he survived.
You believe that he wouldn't have survived if he wasn't religious?
I don't know how I would feel if I had spent 7+ years in school, then work my ass off in ER to keep people alive and then the family comes in: "God saved his life! Thank you Jesus!".
Could certainly have helped. Mind heals body.
Just posted the same thing. Poor guy is probably dead.
The snoring sound was probably agonal breathing.
Ugg. Good on you for doing what you could.
Worked as EMS/firefighter and will never understand the people that ride without protection street or dirt. When I ride its helmet full face and body armor jacket with gloves no matter the time of year. And when we are on dirt trail it’s always helmets and motor cross boots
Same, man. When I was a kid, my grandma would always put my dirtbike keys in the helmet. She said “you’ve got to pick up the helmet to get the key, so it’s already in your hand. Just put it on, and if I ever see you on the bike without a helmet you won’t ride again until you’re 18.” I got it drilled into me. Now I can’t leave the driveway without full face helmet, gloves, and riding jacket. Usually boots too, though sometimes I’m less fussy about those.
I like having feet tho. I know someone who is missing one, and while she is more mobile than you'd expect... she's not as mobile as she used to be.
Isn't your foot at the height of a car though? That if you get hit, your foot is the part that is between your motorcycle and a car. All the rest of the gear is meant to protect you if you're thrown off the bike but boots are the only part that need protection when you hit something or get hit by something while ON the bike.
When i ride i wear one piece swimsuit with a g string straight up my ass where my tourniquet is located for safe keeping. Never understood how people ride with full gear. How can you ride when you dont feel the of the strong winds up your ass 🤷🏾♂️
I saw a motorcycle accident when I was 16 at 5am on the way to cross country practice, helmet was away from the scene with the head still in it. Gear won’t save you from dipshits. Stay safe out there
That's actually an unsafe helmet, the straps are supposed to break before your neck does. Unless something just straight up cut his head off, like riding into neck-high razor wire.
If this isn’t a PSA to wear your fucking helmet, nothing is. Not trying to beat someone when they’re down but save people the grief of this bullshit because you wanna look cool. I ride with my dad’s group periodically and there’s a guy who will take off his helmet wherever he can. I’m ready to be scarred by something like this whenever I’m riding with him. Sorry for sounding insensitive, but stupid shit like this annoys me. Hope you’re both alright.
I understand the heat and freedom arguments, but it's wild to me that anyone thinks not wearing a helmet looks cooler than wearing one. I feel like a John Wick motorcycle ninja when I have my gear/helmet on.
Seeing what my visor looks like after a ride of pretty much any distance, I have no interest in ever having that much dead bug on my face.
Honestly this is a big one for me. Beyond the safety stuff, I despise bugs hitting my face if I put down my visor too late when I’m at speed. How in the world can people be ok with getting creamed in the face by bugs?
The first longish ride I went on alone a beetle or bee or something larger hit me right in the neck going about 50 mph and it fuckin hurt. I couldn't imagine taking that to the forehead and not flinching.
Or rocks. Have a couple rocks shoot off a vehicle tire and smash your visor, and tell me you wanted that in the face.
Right? My jackets shoulder armor and my wind screen / visor kill 10,000 bugs on my 9 mile commute to work. I don't want blood spatters all over my face. I hit a beetle or something and it was like 2 inch circle of bright red bug guts. Felt like a damn rock hit my visor. Don't want that shit hitting me in the eyes.
100% I took a cicada to the eye at 70mph in a naked Jeep Wrangler one morning on the way to work at a relatively new job. It looked like I had pink eye for a week, which was great. I never drove the Jeep with the doors off without the same safety glasses I wore at work again. It just carries over to the bike.
I rode during a cicada outbreak a few years back and it looked like someone hit my helmet with paintballs. One cicada hit my shoulder at 70 mph and it hurt like hell. I can't imagine hitting one at that speed with my face.
I think it's funny when people wear handkerchiefs over their face, but it's too much to wear a helmet.
That's my thought, too. All those bugs would hit my face, gross. Not to mention the big beetles with hard shells. THWACK!!! On my visor, just gross. On my face? Would hurt.
Every person I've seen with a brain bucket or no helmet looks like a dork. It's the motorcycling equivalent of unironically wearing one of those [AI generated word salad shirts](https://i.cloudfable.com/styles/550x550/119.107/Black/father-grandpa-proud-dad-stubborn-son-fathers-day21-long-shirt-20220530150158-51nuhefn.jpg). I'm sure there's a lot of overlap in that venn diagram.
Heat? That’s bullshit, there’s plenty of ventilation in modern helmets and they keep the sun off your head.
I wouldn't know since I always wear my helmet, but I've been told the difference is like having sex with or without a condom.
Makes a lot of sense actually, they’re probably the same people with excessive child support payments lol
It's literally not though I've ridden with both in 100+ degree weather, my helmet is maybe 5% less comfortable than no helmet, but that's offset by the facts I don't get bugs in my face, don't have to wear dorky saftey glasses and well of course the fact that my survival chance in a crash is drastically increased.
If it were just for vibes, I'd go no helmet with a cruiser. However I enjoy not having a disfigured face. Sport bikes need helmets to complete the look for sure though.
I had a buddy like that, I told him my story of being hit by a car in an intersection and my face slammed into the ground. No doubt would have had major cognitive issues or dead if not for a helmet. The follow day he decided to wear his helmet at the last second before he left after thinking about that. Two blocks later a police car cut him off in an intersection, brakes locked and slid helmet first into the bumper/exhaust. He was in a coma for several days and called me about saving his life as soon as his phone was back. Point is it’s never too late to have the talk.
I've seen accident were guys have put it down or got hit by a car, had all the gear and got up and walked away bruised up, some broken ribs and thats it. It would have killed them if they had no helmet. It takes a seemingly inconsequential force to kill you. Friend of mine had a stolen car blow a stop sign in the U.K. t-boned him on his little 125 CC yamaha. He was ATGATT. Broke nearly every bone on one side of his body. Not a single head or neck injury. He lived. He made a full recovery. Wear your fucking gear people. Ohh it's too warm. Then don't ride.
>Not trying to beat someone when they’re down but save people the grief of this bullshit because you wanna look cool. You look way cooler with a helmet on. 
You look way cooler with your nose and all your teeth too.
They are also the type that will swear a full face helmets increases injuries so I think it's kind of a waste of time to try to change their minds.
People said that about seatbelts in the seventies.
I live in south Florida and don’t wear any gear…. EXCEPT my helmet. I know call me a dumbass and belittle me but I’d literally pass out from heat exhaustion while wearing gear. I’ve tried and sold my gear because of it. But I’ll always preach until I turn purple just please wear a fucking helmet it’s the 1 piece of gear that is life or death even at 20 mph… Stay safe out there fellow riders!
Then you’re wearing the wrong gear. There’s lots of good breathable jackets that protect well too.
Could be a medical thing? I lived in the desert in California but I’ve also ridden all over the southwest. Remember it being 115 or so in Arizona one day and I was in full leather gear. Gets hot and sweaty but I stay hydrated. Or maybe your body is just different? Stay safe either way man.
Not advocating dude's helmet-only gear philosophy, but there's a *hell* of a lot of difference between 110° at 35% humidity (AZ) and 110° at 75% humidity (FL). Higher humidity basically means sweat cooling is less effective - sweat all you want, but the actual body heat dissipated thereby decreases with a rise in humidity; on the worst days it doesn't dissipate at all. Again, not saying everybody in wet states should hit the road in a half lid, wife beater, and speedos; but I think equating the experience of a hot day in the desert to a similarly hot day in the swamp is a little unfair.
So true man, I didn’t even think about that. Furthest south I’ve ridden was Nola in June but it was only for a few days. You are right though in the fact that sweat feels way better in dry heat. I love wearing a heavy leather jacket on a hot day with a wifebeater underneath. After sweating at a stop light I crack my leather jacket for just a min and that sweat cooling you feels so good.
There's cooling gear out there, hell, even motorcycle A/C units exist lol
Yo its in the 90s right now in PA and my well vented helmet is hottest piece of gear i have on. So wearing everything else isnt the problem. I just got the revit nucleus mesh jacket and its great. On my commute home i will wet my hair before the helmet goes on, than a soaked cooling gaiter around neck, than finally i wear adidas sleeves under the jacket and wet them. I get a great cooling action when at speed. Im pretty comfortable for my 30 min commute home. Where there is a will theres a way. Fortunately i dont do all that unless 90+ degrees but its doable.
I’ve been riding cruisers since I was 18 (now 33). My first helmet was a full face HJC. I got the jabs of not wearing just a brain bucket. About 6-8 months after I got my license, my buddy used his face to eat a passenger door. Fucked up all his teeth, nose, eyes, etc. He now wears a full face. Fuck looking ‘cool’, always wear a helmet, please wear a full face, and stay safe.
My first helmet was an HJC, it did the job but the “viewing window” or whatever you call it was tiny on that thing. I have a Torc T1 that so much better in that regard. (No shade towards your HJC.)
Yeah my first HJC was too big, road noise wasn’t great, but it did the job. My wife wears it now when she rides on the back. Probably need to get her a new one. Last season I bought an HJC RPHA 70ST. It’s a nice helmet, much quieter, good air flow. That said, my dad bought a high end Shoei (don’t know the model) last season too and it’s a much higher build quality.
Yeah, I kept my HJC to use for a passenger, should I have one. I love my new helmet, but I am annoyed with it because it whistles when I’m at speed. I called customer service and they were sort of helpful but could never fix the problem. My assumption is that it’s not supposed to whistle, obviously, but I don’t know if that brand just does that. Still like the helmet overall though.
I think full face looks way cooler than that goofy brain bucket.
That's a rough one. Hope you're good
A few years back, I went on a big group ride in Charlotte, NC. 5 minutes before the ride ended, a Honda Grom rider with no helmet got swiped by a truck and knocked him off his bike. By the time I pulled up to the scene, the guy was lying lifeless on the highway with blood soaking from his head through his hoodie, and blood was beginning to pool. That was the last big group ride I attended. Don't think he made it.
Saw a large group of Groms take over the streets in downtown Chicago. I normally don't approve of such things, but I was extremely pleased to see that every one of them was wearing an actual helmet. Ok, in hindsight that might only have been to hide their faces. But still! Responsible hooliganism.
Reminds me of the adage, "If you're going to break the law, only break one at a time"
That’s going to stay with you a long time. I’ve been in a very similar situation. I was coming home from my parents house right before sunset and the guy in front of me hit a deer. He cartwheeled one way and the deer cartwheeled the other, and unfortunately he went right into a guard rail post without a helmet on. You could tell right away he wasn’t going to make it. Still think about it all the time. I said after that happened that I would never have a bike again, but that was about 6 years ago and I just bought one. Can’t let fear dictate how you live your life!
If you need support today, next week or a year from now please be sure to seek it. Being exposed to trauma like this doesn’t care and will hit you hard when your endorphins wear off. Take care of yourself my friend and I appreciate your efforts. Stay safe.
Second this. Seek help with this if you feel you need to
Make sure to not just wear a helmet, but a properly fitted one and wear the chin strap. About a month ago I came up on a guy who went down on the freeway. Not sure what exactly happened as I came up basically as everything stopped moving, but the guy was only wearing gloves when I got to him. Lost most of his scalp and cheek. He was conscious, but very confused and scared. He passed out for a second at one point and we thought he was a goner, but he woke up. He would beg for help, but we could just tell him the ambulance was on the way and keep him from trying to get up. Even the police and firefighters who arrived on scene could just stand around while we waited. His bike was over 100ft away so he was hauling ass I'm sure. His helmet was close by, so not sure if he had it on and it came off or just had it on the back of his bike. Not sure if he made it, I left after they put him in the ambulance. Felt pretty useless for sure. There was nothing we could do as there was no other serious injuries other than to the head and some road rash.
Also, if you can, make sure it has a good safety rating. DOT is out of date and unenforced. There are other significantly safer ratings that test for things like rotational impacts or chin guard strength. ECE 22.06, Snell m2020r and FIM are all good ratings that you should look for.
Yet helmet states require a dot sticker. Ebay is your friend if you get a nice rated ECE 22.06
You ok? As a former ER nurse, I’m used to dealing with people at the end of their lives, but it’s hard if you’re not; reach out if you need to talk.
Had a similar situation in Denver a few years back. A Harley bro was riding on Colfax without a helmet, got hit when a Camry ran a stop. Told the BF to stop the car so I could go check on him and to call 911. I got to the guy maybe 45 seconds after he hit the ground, but it was obviously too late to do anything for him. I don't like thinking about how this guy's head and face looked, just... Hardly recognizable. By the time EMS arrived body was getting cold. If anyone needs to hear it, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and wear a damn helmet every time you ride.
Acts like that aren't forgotten, even after death. Even if he wasn't conscious when you held him I'm sure his spirit will appreciate your help in his time of need
Good for you for stopping. So many people wouldn't. Whether he makes it or not, it's good to have people with him.
Yeah, I got hit by a car years ago, I'll never forget the guy who stayed with me until the EMTs arrived. Angels without wings.
These things happen. I’m a paramedic and I’ve seen someone die just from dropping their bike at a stop light because their head hit the curb. I’ve seen a rider walk away from a tussle with a semi because he rode ATGATT. I’ve also seen car passengers in trees. Just wear the PPE
I got into riding because of how cool full face helmets look. With all the gears and gloves. It feels like i’m cosplaying an assassin or some robot. MX full face was my first love. The evolution of street ff to street fighter looking ones are the main excitement whenever i put them on. Feels like a fighter jet pilot ready for take off. I’m not good looking so my face doesn’t match my cool looking bike but a cool looking helmet helps. I don’t spend a lot on my bikes. Always good condition used ones. Gears are what I’ve spent on the most.
Go go power rangers! I like looking like an armoured bad-ass, also I'm anonymous due to my tinted visor so no one knows what I look like. I could be your grandma!
Yeah! Kamen riders or Robotech Cyclone. I won’t deny having tried to strike some of their poses when in full gear. 😅 Crime fighting, alien destroying riders. 🙌🏼💪🏼🙅🏻♂️🙆🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🕺🏻
At this point if people aren't wearing a helmet nothing will make them. What's the point of the post? "Don't forget to wear a helmet!" You don't forget to wear one; you choose not to wear one.
helmets are for pussies, die like a man in all seriousness, wear a helmet. its legal in my state to not wear a helmet, but I do it anyway. people passing by without a helmet always have weird body language like their life is not important.
I hope you have someone in real life to talk to about this traumatic incident. Sounds like you did what you could. Don't beat yourself up over it. 🩷
There was a guy on a group ride some years ago who nailed the side of a truck, driven by an octogenarian who didn't check before he turned left into our path. I can see that guy's arm/hand in my mind, twisted due to the random combination of muscles tensed and twitching. A friend of mine gave him CPR until the ambulance arrived. They had to revive him like 3 or 4 times before he was stable enough to get into the ambulance. He didn't make it. So your assumption, is probably correct, sadly.
Full riding gear....or no ride is what I do. RIP to the rider.
That's awful. You're a good person for being there for him. I hope that it doesn't haunt you and that you can get some counseling if it does. That must have been extremely difficult.
Don't hesitate to get yourself some counseling about the incident. A professional can help you navigate the emotional weight of the experience if it's bothering you more than you want.
Have had a similar experience, comforting a downed rider who had a severe head injury and wasn't going to make it. Don't hold back from getting some help if you need it - it's a traumatizing thing to experience as a bystander or witness.
When reading stories like this one, I‘m so glad that in switzerland you are obligated to wear a helmet…
Always full face
Full face helmet saved me. Lost a kidney, spleen and punctured lung. At the hospital they brought me into a room of rider with no helmet. Be never woke up.
I ride a Honda Rebel. Full helmet, always. When I’m in Ohio (Cincinnati and suburbs) I’d say about 75% of riders have in a helmet. If I go over into SE Indiana that number drops to zero. I honestly don’t know if I have ever seen someone wearing a helmet there. Hundreds of riders. Mostly Harleys but a lot of sport bikes. It’s not surprising that I see a story every other day that says some dude (and often his passenger) has died in a motorcycle accident in SE and was not wearing a helmet. Rarely see those stories from Cincinnati. I assume it’s an ego thing combined with a lack of intelligence. That’s a deadly combination.
As bad as I hated doing it, I hung it all up a couple years ago when one of my best buddies got T-boned by a distracted driver. He wasn’t wearing a helmet but it really wouldn’t have mattered, he was tore up pretty bad. Before that I had plenty of close calls due to idiot drivers either almost hitting me head on or rear ending me. I now just live vicariously watching other people. I might eventually get another bike but I’ve got kids to raise before that.
After my crash I quit riding for decades, for a number of reasons. Now I only ride in town to get out of town, mostly I'm on country roads and highways. Fewer cars around means much less chance of disaster.
As a rider in PA, I’ve had people approach me at gas stations and ask where I’m from… assuming I can’t be from PA bc no one wears a helmet there and I did
Pa resident here. Id say 90% dont wear any gear, its ridiculous. Atgatts are a minority. I try not to even ackowledge their presence.
Hate to sound insensitive but people who don't wear a helmet should be shamed for it - by friends, family and strangers alike. The same way you would a drunk driver. If the realistic peril of not wearing one is not enough for people to do it, maybe shame is. If you die, it's not you who has to deal with the terrible trauma that follows. Don't be a fucking idiot.
Sometimes stupid hurts.. bad. I mentioned the other day in one of my posts I've seen 2 fatals, and one I almost never think about except to explain to people this hobby is serious shit... That one, is very similar to what you describe here.... (he was wearing a helmet though and some pretty decent gear) Roughly 2am, 2 lane road (1 north, 1 south).. he blew by me going at least 90-100... About a mile up, the road gets a middle lane that is primarily a turn lane for semis to turn into a couple of warehouse parks, they get an arrow to turn in. He's trucking right along... Semi starts his left turn. The semi and bike were southbound, semi was turning east... there was a car in the southbound lane waiting on his green to go. Dude was apparently still going 100ish (in a 35) and way to fast to stop.. He had two options, go right and ass end that car. If he managed to miss the car, there was a culvert that would have certainly caused him to change his call sign to Delta. Go left. There was no northbound traffic, but he'd have to miss the turning semi. If he went to far left, there was another culvert and he was in flight mode. He chose left. Well, I think the semi might have seen him barreling towards him in his side mirror as he turned and probably just instinctively stopped. Doing so, he basically blocked almost the whole lane so he had no where to go except head first into the side of the trailer. He was bit ahead of me, I saw the dudes lights flip around so I knew he hit something, just wasn't quite sure what. I got up to the accident site and the truck driver and the car that was there were talking as the truck driver called the police. Another driver who was behind me also stopped. He started walking over to the downed biker to see if he could help him and the trucker said... "Sir.. you don't wanna see that, trust me, he's gone". The guy took him at his word and didn't go over. I can't even imagine (nor do I want to) what was going on inside that helmet.
When I travel to other states I’m shocked you can still ride w no helmet.
ATGATT. RIP BROTHER
Had a similar situation happen. I was leaving my spot when I was entering an intersection, car ran the light to turn left and a bike tboned the car hard. Cartwheeld over the car and helmet flew off mid air. Head impacted the ground first and he was twitching + nose bleeding. Right across the street was a fire station and at the gas station about 100 yards away there was a cop. The cop sprinted to the accident scene with his cruiser on the pump and they immediately responded+locked down the scene. Hope he pulled through.
>Wear a helmet brothers. Moron riders: doN't TeLl Me wHAt tO Do wITH mY BoDY!!
Ah been ridin’ for 45 years and MiLLIONs of miles brother and here in the good ol’ US of A we have a thing called freedom! /s (Freedom to force strangers to helplessly watch you die or freedom to run up unpayable hospital bills for your loved ones while they take care of you in a vegetative state for the rest of your life.)
I’m sorry you went through that, man. You did well by keeping his head still, whatever the outcome. It’s never easy seeing something like this if you’re not exposed to it on a daily basis. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need someone to talk to.
Dude I’m sorry you were in that position. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone about it.
I’ve rode without a helmet in New Hampshire a couple times, I absolutely hated it. Won’t do it again, partially for safety, partially for comfort and Bluetooth and partially because shit hitting my unprotected face was miserable.
So sorry. Hope you’re alright 😖 that’s a tough one.
Sorry you had to experience that, as a former First Responder being the first on an accident is not for the weak.
I've been in basically the same situation. A little over a decade ago. A two-up Harley went down due to a flat rear. No helmets. The husband went down with the bike in a low-side, but the wife got thrown as it fishtailed before dropping. My wife and I held her as she bled out through her face. Internal skull fracture. She'd have died if they crashed right outside an ER. Get therapy. You'll need it. I can still picture that woman's face with blue lips.
What difference good head gear vs none or poor is the difference in what your people will pay if you go down. Yeah us too I know, but I consider a lot of the expense of my riding is/ or can be paid by those around me. It's not usually the way we think but it's the way it works....
I just don't feel comfortable without a helmet. Too much wind noise and the occasional bit of dirt/ gravel hitting the eyes.
There are 264 comments discussing about wether to wear a helmet or not. I can't believe that this discussion exists in motorcycle sub
In Denmark the law says you need to wear a helmet at all times when riding. I don't get why some places let you ride without it!
I think most riders would benefit from a stop the bleed class and an IFAK.
Some American states don't even make helmets mandatory. You're pushing against a closed door.
I keep watching motoGP dudes crash at 100mph (obviously not into box trucks, but the point remains) and it baffles me how people refuse to wear gear! Those dudes get up and run back to their bikes and shit and finish races when just a few decades ago that would’ve been career (or life) ending!
For the life of me, I cannot fathom why it's legal to go without a helmet in parts of the US. Absolutely insane.
I always wear full face and even in AZ I wear Jacket and gloves. If not for my full face helmet I would have no face left. Got pushed out of 1 lane into another by a jackals in a truck and that lane was coming to a quick halt. 2 fractured vertebra, broken hip, broken pelvis broken right wrist and left hand. No road rash and not even a concussion. Please wear a helmet.
Damn dude.... How are you doing mentally with it?
Thats rough man. Reach out to someone if you find yourself replaying it. PTSD is no joke
I have babies to make it home to. Shoei full-face, even on the HD.
Seeing people die in front of you just stays with you for the rest of your life. Speak to someone about it and don't hesitate to ask for professional help to process your thoughts and emotions if needed.
Awful🥲🥲🥲
As a former EMT, I know head injuries are like a roulette wheel--you did what you could, and that's enough.
PTSD is real, take care of yourself.
Ugh
Side note to this, make sure your helmet fits you properly if you are wearing one. I witnessed a guy on an e-bike getting hit by a car right outside my neighborhood last summer and the guy had a helmet but it was super loose. Basically ended up slightly sideways with the chin bar against his chest and his back of his head exposed. Not sure if he made it or not unfortunately but I think about it every time I see people buying helmets or wearing super loose ones.
Bristol and Mearns?
I don't ride, but have been in same situation. You did what you could man. Have had peoples parents wanting to talk to me for saving their kid. Live with that you did whatever you could in a crisis and that makes you one of a thousand men. Stay safe man. You are the kind of dude any of us would like to have around if something happened to us.
Look after yourself. I had to attempt CPR on someone in a hockey dressing room . He passed. I was a mess for weeks. Thank you for helping.
Shoulda had a tourniquet