Open face helmet in the UK?
Discussion
13aines said:
But, if you want to risk that, you are well within your right to, and wear an open faced helmet. It's about free choice.
Agreed - and for me it's the combination of risk and outcomes. I believe an open face does make a significant reduction to my risk and also a massive increase to my enjoyment - which is why I ride a bike in the first place.As I said in my first post, if any of us were that worried we'd be staying at home or driving a crumple box with airbags.
Edited by GadgeS3C on Tuesday 28th May 12:30
Talking of risks… my friend turned up to the pub yesterday on his new (to him) K9 GSXR750. When he passed me his helmet and said ‘have a go’ I couldn’t turn him down. So off I went with my shorts, flip-flops and short sleeved shirt with my only protection being a helmet. I must have looked like a right dipstick and it wasn’t overly comfortable… but what a bike! The gear shift is so silky and easy with flip-flops too. 
mu0n said:
Talking of risks… my friend turned up to the pub yesterday on his new (to him) K9 GSXR750. When he passed me his helmet and said ‘have a go’ I couldn’t turn him down. So off I went with my shorts, flip-flops and short sleeved shirt with my only protection being a helmet. I must have looked like a right dipstick and it wasn’t overly comfortable… but what a bike! The gear shift is so silky and easy with flip-flops too.
We know you're trolling, anyone will tell you changing gear with flip-flops or bare feet really hurts your toes.OP - try a Roof Boxer, I have one as my 'popping into town' lid, best of both worlds albeit a bit draughty as a full face lid.
ZesPak said:
On another note, I see a lot of riders in the summer with their flip-up open, looks even more dangerous to me?
Worth bearing in mind with flip ups, some are rated as full face helmets, but not as open face (ie won't give you as good protection with the front open as a proper open face helmet would), while a some are effectively open face helmets with an aerodynamic faring on the front. Very few pass the safety ratings for both open and closed face helmets (I believe the Shark Evoline does).RizzoTheRat said:
Worth bearing in mind with flip ups, some are rated as full face helmets, but not as open face (ie won't give you as good protection with the front open as a proper open face helmet would), while a some are effectively open face helmets with an aerodynamic faring on the front. Very few pass the safety ratings for both open and closed face helmets (I believe the Shark Evoline does).
And I always think, if I fall, I'd want my helmet to be round so my head can move with my body, if you open a regular flip-up, you get a big cone on top of your helmet, which to me looks like a hazard when falling. (on top of the unprotected chin of course)
GadgeS3C said:
As for safety, you're choosing to ride a bike, nuff said...
come on mate, thats a ludicrous statement to make. not everyone who rides has to accept the fact that they are gonna die on one as an inevitibility of riding. you minimise risks by wearing the safest gear available to you!..
Not really, if you wanted to minimise the risk you'd stay at home or drive a Hummer.
There's a whole risk/reward thing here. We know we're more likely to have an accident, and that the outcome of that accident is likely to be more serious, riding a bike compared to a car, but we ride bikes because we enjoy it. People that wear jeans or open face lids know that they're taking a slightly bigger risk than wearing a gimp suit and full face but prefer to do so.
Everyone has thier own level of acceptable risk, personally I'm happy on a bike in textiles and full face, but not keen on an open face, others are happy in an open face and no gloves, while others consider a bike too risky.
There's a whole risk/reward thing here. We know we're more likely to have an accident, and that the outcome of that accident is likely to be more serious, riding a bike compared to a car, but we ride bikes because we enjoy it. People that wear jeans or open face lids know that they're taking a slightly bigger risk than wearing a gimp suit and full face but prefer to do so.
Everyone has thier own level of acceptable risk, personally I'm happy on a bike in textiles and full face, but not keen on an open face, others are happy in an open face and no gloves, while others consider a bike too risky.
RizzoTheRat said:
Not really, if you wanted to minimise the risk you'd stay at home or drive a Hummer.
There's a whole risk/reward thing here. We know we're more likely to have an accident, and that the outcome of that accident is likely to be more serious, riding a bike compared to a car, but we ride bikes because we enjoy it. People that wear jeans or open face lids know that they're taking a slightly bigger risk than wearing a gimp suit and full face but prefer to do so.
Everyone has thier own level of acceptable risk, personally I'm happy on a bike in textiles and full face, but not keen on an open face, others are happy in an open face and no gloves, while others consider a bike too risky.
i dont disagree with that, i disagree with the 'you chose to ride a bike' comment. suggesting that you've signed your own death sentance by sitting on the thing...There's a whole risk/reward thing here. We know we're more likely to have an accident, and that the outcome of that accident is likely to be more serious, riding a bike compared to a car, but we ride bikes because we enjoy it. People that wear jeans or open face lids know that they're taking a slightly bigger risk than wearing a gimp suit and full face but prefer to do so.
Everyone has thier own level of acceptable risk, personally I'm happy on a bike in textiles and full face, but not keen on an open face, others are happy in an open face and no gloves, while others consider a bike too risky.
Looks like i have opened a can of worms
I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think. I have also spotted the jacket I want but its £500
So maybe that will have to wait a bit or until I find something cheaper.
This biking malarkey isnt cheap
I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think. I have also spotted the jacket I want but its £500
So maybe that will have to wait a bit or until I find something cheaper.This biking malarkey isnt cheap
AceOfHearts said:
Looks like i have opened a can of worms
I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think. I have also spotted the jacket I want but its £500 So maybe that will have to wait a bit or until I find something cheaper.
This biking malarkey isnt cheap
If you want somewhere else close(ish), Krazy Horse in Bury St Edmunds are Davida agents I believe. They had a pretty good range in there when we bought the old man's helmet a few years back. Also, Bowers just around the corner are AGV; that's where I saw the Diesel things I posted I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think. I have also spotted the jacket I want but its £500
So maybe that will have to wait a bit or until I find something cheaper.This biking malarkey isnt cheap
AceOfHearts said:
Looks like i have opened a can of worms
I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think.
If you want as big a selection of types of open face to try on in one place, then head up the road to Moto Central at Hinkley, just off the A5 I will be popping down to Haywards in Cambridge this week to try on some of their Davidas and see what i think.
http://www.openfacehelmets.co.uk/
peteO said:
GadgeS3C said:
As for safety, you're choosing to ride a bike, nuff said...
come on mate, thats a ludicrous statement to make. not everyone who rides has to accept the fact that they are gonna die on one as an inevitibility of riding. you minimise risks by wearing the safest gear available to you!..
I have completely the opposite view. I choose to ride a bike because I believe by riding well I minimise my chance of injury. If I didn't believe that I wouldn't do it. The outcome of crashing can be minimised by wearing protective equipment.
Objectively no-one would make a decision to ride a bike based on the safety or otherwise of doing so - hence my point above.
I just find it odd that people can decide they will ride a relatively dangerous form of transport but then justify it by wearing lots of safety equipment. Seems a very odd risk assessment to me.
Firstly, you can't claim to way up the risks if you're not accounting for the severity of possible consequences. They have to be viewed together. If you minimise the severity (with good kit and good riding) that's fine by me.
Secondly, I use both types, an open face (actually a roof boxer - that chin guard would offer very little protection) for nipping around in the summer, and a full face for most of my riding. It's obviously possible to hurt yourself worse in an open face but you're a grown up so can make your own choices. Doing it with your eyes open and not ignorant to the risks is probably the key point.
Secondly, I use both types, an open face (actually a roof boxer - that chin guard would offer very little protection) for nipping around in the summer, and a full face for most of my riding. It's obviously possible to hurt yourself worse in an open face but you're a grown up so can make your own choices. Doing it with your eyes open and not ignorant to the risks is probably the key point.
mu0n said:
Talking of risks… my friend turned up to the pub yesterday on his new (to him) K9 GSXR750. When he passed me his helmet and said ‘have a go’ I couldn’t turn him down. So off I went with my shorts, flip-flops and short sleeved shirt with my only protection being a helmet. I must have looked like a right dipstick and it wasn’t overly comfortable… but what a bike! The gear shift is so silky and easy with flip-flops too.
What the f
k are you on! - I find the gear shift less "silky and smooth" in soft trainers, compared to my race boots.mu0ns foot
I got hit it the neck with a bee at the weekend... feck getting than on my actual face.
There was a lovely chap around here that used to race with the classic racing motorcycle club, he wore an open face everywhere. He is sadly not around anymore, with much speculation as to whether his untimely death was as a result of wearing an open face.
If you can wear something that gives a better level of protection, I'd say go for it, sod fashion. You only have one face / body.
There was a lovely chap around here that used to race with the classic racing motorcycle club, he wore an open face everywhere. He is sadly not around anymore, with much speculation as to whether his untimely death was as a result of wearing an open face.
If you can wear something that gives a better level of protection, I'd say go for it, sod fashion. You only have one face / body.
GSP said:
I got hit it the neck with a bee at the weekend... feck getting than on my actual face.
There was a lovely chap around here that used to race with the classic racing motorcycle club, he wore an open face everywhere. He is sadly not around anymore, with much speculation as to whether his untimely death was as a result of wearing an open face.
If you can wear something that gives a better level of protection, I'd say go for it, sod fashion. You only have one face / body.
There's a few who race with the CRMC that still wear open faced lids, one of which is a sidecar passenger. Anyone who knows a sidecar racer/passenger and knows how often they injure themselves (forgetting the fact their face is inches from the road, even when they're doing it 'right') would probably agree that's a bit more of a risk, and I think even I would draw the line there There was a lovely chap around here that used to race with the classic racing motorcycle club, he wore an open face everywhere. He is sadly not around anymore, with much speculation as to whether his untimely death was as a result of wearing an open face.
If you can wear something that gives a better level of protection, I'd say go for it, sod fashion. You only have one face / body.
As for being hit by a bee - I've had a bee strike or two in the face. Yeah it hurts, but it's survivable! I always wear eye protection though unless I'm going very, very slowly.
srob said:
As for being hit by a bee - I've had a bee strike or two in the face. Yeah it hurts, but it's survivable!
What's worse is when a fly gets down the side of your lid & starts buzzing into your ear halfway around a bend. I was trying to undo my lid at 40+ to get the bugger out Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff