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If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 dollar helmet!
O.K. your choices are two; wear a helmet or not!
If you choose NOT to wear a helmet, then this article is not for you, consult your local mortician for pre-paid facial / head reconstruction so your family / friends will recognize you after your head cracks open like a melon on the sidewalk. But nooooo, you don稚 care about your son/daughter, father/mother and friends, your living free with the wind in your hair and bugs in your teeth, enjoy!
If you wisely choose TO wear a helmet, then read-on. Helmet construction materials vary widely, as do styles, so do some homework, use the internet. Go to several shops that offer a variety of helmet styles and fit. Ask questions about safety, size and fitment. DOT (Department Of Transportation) and Snell foundation approved helmets are plentiful and inexpensive. To use anything less is foolish and inconsiderate--- and could cost you or your loved oneç—´ life. Think about the life of your family when they have to take care of the vegetable that is left behind because you were too cheap to buy a good helmet! The style of helmet you buy is important just like the style of bike you ride. Your bike will fit into one of the 3 basic styles of street rides, Touring, Cruisers and Sport bikes.
Letç—´ start with a basic piece of crap I call a Brain Baskets or Half- (numb) skulls. No padding, covers the top of your head above your ears. A couple of thin straps keep your brains contained so they don稚 make a slippery spot on the highway (how considerate of you). Some may be DOT, a lot are not! Yes, they do make some with a approved interiors, but you still have the bare minimum protection only to the top of your head. You must wear glasses, goggles or have a windshield for this model. Sure, theyæ±*e cool in the summer, but as far as protecting your head in a crash--- a good hairspray and a hairnet will do about the same thing! These helmets can be used for Touring or Cruisers or those that don稚 have anyone that will miss them. Theyæ±*e especially not good for sport bikes, as you may/may not know, they have a very unique air flow to the rider and tends to lift your head off your shoulders and stretch your neck. The straps then choke you until you pass out!
Next are the much better styles, Open face helmet (aka 3/4). This style covers your head more completely and has rigid foam padding and softer foam for areas around you ears and cheeks. This style provides a good overall protection for you Medulla oblongata, (itç—´ under that little bump at the base of your skull and it sends all your brains thoughts into body movements via the brain stem). This is also an impact point when you fall backwards on the hard asphalt. So itç—´ kind of important to keep that safe. They offer many models with air vents on the helmet for air circulation. This style of helmet can be used with glasses, goggles, fitted with sun visor or a face shield and can be used with/without windshield. Good for Touring and Cruiser types. Again--- not good for Sport bikes for the same reasons as above.
Now to the full face style or total protection helmets. I consider this type to be the safest helmets out there. Your entire head is covered and affords the most protection from all the elements thrown at you from motorcycling: rain, stones, debris, wind, flying critters (bugs to birds) and impacts of the unwanted kind such as pavement, trees, sign posts, guardrails?well you get the picture! This style will even protect your pretty face, should you meet the asphalt up close and personal. And consider that more than 1/3 of all impacts are in the chin/jaw area! You do not have to wear glasses (except prescriptions), goggles or a windshield as these come with an attached face shield already installed. And like the open face helmet, you can get models with air vents for circulation, the more vents, the better in hot weather.
They can be used with any style bike. You may also consider the full-face flip-up style helmet. It provides full facial protection, but conveniently opens up the entire front face for talking, drinking, smoking or air circulation etc.
No matter what style you choose, make sure that the helmet fits your head properly! Do not buy a helmet just because it looks pretty or has cool graphics as the paramedics really don稚 care what it looks like.
...read the full guide with pics here
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Originally Posted by RandyO
