Motorcycle.com

Dryfly · 05-30-2003, 05:01 AM

I couldn't have said it better!

Ducati Foggy Monster Man

electraglider_1997 · 05-30-2003, 05:01 AM

Life is a series of risks. I grew up in Iowa and never wore a helmet and hated to wear one when Nebraska, where I now reside, implemented a helmet law in 86. If you are honestly concerned that much about your safety and everyone elses then you should be preaching that we all should walk everywhere we go. People are maimed in cars, on motorcycles, and in airplanes. Since car drivers are in the majority by about 99% it goes to follow that they are the ones that enact helmet laws for the minority but never for themselves in their cars. They allow the majority to talk on cell phones while they drive their 2 ton cars. I imagine this is allowed because they certainly wouldn't want to inconvenience themselves with any rights taken away from themselves. Let's point the finger at the 1% to take the heat off the 99%. Sure, people die for a million reasons everyday and that is what keeps this earth from overflowing with humanity faster than it already is. If you want to wear a helmet then feel free, nobody is stopping you. The problem is I don't have the right to not wear a helmet when I don't want to. Next time, write about the car driver without the helmet that is laying in a coma because of a head injury. You'll never see in the newspaper that the car driver wasn't wearing a helmet. I always see that accompaning an article about a helmetless motorcycle rider.

ValkBandit · 05-30-2003, 05:17 AM

this whole helmet issue could be put to rest if we would all just stop riding bikes altogether. any rational person will agree that they are unacceptably dangerous and should be outlawed. but they are not, for some strange reason. anyone can buy them, even bikes tuned for high performance! can you imagine? oh the horror!

if you MUST ride one of these deathtraps, for gawd's sake buy one with no more than 40 horsepower, and keep it below 45 mph. at that speed your chances for survival will be much greater.

am i the ONLY one who is tired of the hand-wringing weenies telling me to be safe by wearing a helmet? who the hell ARE these people, mother surrogates?

personally, i always wear a helmet. but i sure ain't gonna preach, because riding is in and of itself a dangerous thing. what constitutes "acceptable risk" is up to the one putting his/her arse on the line.

lighten up, eh?

Abe_Froman · 05-30-2003, 05:21 AM

Frankly, with the way I've been riding lately, I'm not sure the helmet (that I always wear, and sometimes even my full suit) is going to help much if I lose it.

BBD_Racing · 05-30-2003, 05:30 AM

Uh . . . nobody has answered his question. Y'all just concentrated on *****ing at him for asking the question.

The question is simple: "What is the source of the desire to go helmetless?"

I wonder this as well. I tried riding without one and discovered deafening wind roar and a painful june bug in the face at 50mph. Didn't seem like fun to me.

So again: Without the liberty diatribe (which I agree with - I hate helmet laws), what is the motivation?

piinob · 05-30-2003, 05:33 AM

I wear helmets. My passengers wear helmets. I encourage everyone I know who rides to wear a helmet. The law has changed here in Texas several times in the thirty years I have been riding, and I always wore a helmet anyway.

That said, I don't agree with helmet LAWS. Something I learned in school about the land of the free....

torrnado · 05-30-2003, 05:34 AM

We all have stories about those who wore helmets that have been saved by them, but ultimately, it should still remain a personal choice. After all, life is survival of the fittest (read into that what you will). Given all the hype, stories, laws, etc., I still would not always ride with a helmet. There's nothing like a ride with the wind blowing in your face.

boru4761 · 05-30-2003, 05:50 AM

Eveyone is still meandering away from the point. Why not? I am curious as well and I even went so far as to try it. Riding without a helmet felt just like sticking my head out of a car while going 80 (what you guys dont have alcohol where you live?). It was neat for about 10 minutes but not how I would want to get around on a regular basis. Also, all sissy concerns about comfort aside what do you do when a rock hits your face at 60mph? I had a few bugs hit me and it sucked but it wasn't the end of the world. However, I have a large gouge in the front of my helmet where a tractor trailer ejected a rock at me from it duallie wheels in the back. Damn near knocked me off the bike as it was. Without the helmet I would have gone down for sure. Also, all the bugs I hit were pretty small. I dont know what it feels like to take a locust in the eye but it sure made a lot of racket when it careened off my Shoei. So, I am still wondering why?

TatdNPrcd · 05-30-2003, 05:52 AM

If you are in fact interested in finding out why someone would not wear a helmet and not just looking for a soapbox to get your opinion heard I'll attempt to provide my answer.

I live in a choice state and occasionally decide to ride without my Arai Quantum F. IÂ’ve made that decision while riding everything from sportbikes to tourers.

Why would I make that choice? I occasionally like to ride without a helmet on. ItÂ’s really that simple for me. IÂ’m not trying to snub my nose at the world or make a point when I do it. IÂ’m not trying to fit in to an image that many have a "free" rider. I just like going without on occasion.

The key is IÂ’m not a new rider, I continually work to improve my riding skills through both formal training and daily practice, I have been a licensed rider since I was 16 and I take into consideration the conditions of the ride before taking off. I am pretty sure when I start the bike IÂ’ll be arriving at my destination in one piece whether IÂ’m wearing protective gear or not.

It may be that IÂ’m not the guy you intended this question for. I happen to take great pleasure in riding my Road King with my 1-piece Aerostitch, full face helmet, full finger gloves and boots. At least I donÂ’t look like every other rider on a Laser-Rich Red pearl Road King. The funny thing is though YOU would group me in with those that have you "Â…absolutely appalled by the number of cyclists who did not wear helmets!"

That seems pretty appalling to me. Why donÂ’t you just ride as you like and leave me to my business?

To answer the question you didnÂ’t ask: Why do you wear a full face helmet all the time? For me itÂ’s not about being protected from hitting a pole after over cooking a turn and improper breaking technique. I just like keeping the flying crap out of my eyes.

Viffer-dude · 05-30-2003, 05:59 AM

Just like life, riding a bike is a series of risks too. Why not minimize the chance of becoming a drool-spewing vegetable - or a quashed vegi at that - by wearing a lid? Perhaps that lazy-ass, cellphone toting, SUV-piloting soccer mom may just not be the problem? You just might make a mistake yourself someday that causes you to eat asphalt.

With that said, I believe helmet laws should go away. I'm a firm believer in keeping government out of my face. But common sense tells me to minimize the risk of an inherently dangerous hobby simply by donning a helmet before I ride. I guess there will always be those organ-donors who choose to help keep others alive...

05-30-2003, 05:01 AM	#1
Dryfly Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 164	Re: Why not wear a helmet? I couldn't have said it better! Ducati Foggy Monster Man

05-30-2003, 05:01 AM	#2
electraglider_1997 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 640	Give me a break. Life is a series of risks. I grew up in Iowa and never wore a helmet and hated to wear one when Nebraska, where I now reside, implemented a helmet law in 86. If you are honestly concerned that much about your safety and everyone elses then you should be preaching that we all should walk everywhere we go. People are maimed in cars, on motorcycles, and in airplanes. Since car drivers are in the majority by about 99% it goes to follow that they are the ones that enact helmet laws for the minority but never for themselves in their cars. They allow the majority to talk on cell phones while they drive their 2 ton cars. I imagine this is allowed because they certainly wouldn't want to inconvenience themselves with any rights taken away from themselves. Let's point the finger at the 1% to take the heat off the 99%. Sure, people die for a million reasons everyday and that is what keeps this earth from overflowing with humanity faster than it already is. If you want to wear a helmet then feel free, nobody is stopping you. The problem is I don't have the right to not wear a helmet when I don't want to. Next time, write about the car driver without the helmet that is laying in a coma because of a head injury. You'll never see in the newspaper that the car driver wasn't wearing a helmet. I always see that accompaning an article about a helmetless motorcycle rider.

05-30-2003, 05:17 AM	#3
ValkBandit Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 473	this whole issue could be avoided, y'know .... this whole helmet issue could be put to rest if we would all just stop riding bikes altogether. any rational person will agree that they are unacceptably dangerous and should be outlawed. but they are not, for some strange reason. anyone can buy them, even bikes tuned for high performance! can you imagine? oh the horror! if you MUST ride one of these deathtraps, for gawd's sake buy one with no more than 40 horsepower, and keep it below 45 mph. at that speed your chances for survival will be much greater. am i the ONLY one who is tired of the hand-wringing weenies telling me to be safe by wearing a helmet? who the hell ARE these people, mother surrogates? personally, i always wear a helmet. but i sure ain't gonna preach, because riding is in and of itself a dangerous thing. what constitutes "acceptable risk" is up to the one putting his/her arse on the line. lighten up, eh?

05-30-2003, 05:21 AM	#4
Abe_Froman Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 878	Re: Why not wear a helmet? Frankly, with the way I've been riding lately, I'm not sure the helmet (that I always wear, and sometimes even my full suit) is going to help much if I lose it.

05-30-2003, 05:30 AM	#5
BBD_Racing Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 337	Re: Why not wear a helmet? Uh . . . nobody has answered his question. Y'all just concentrated on *****ing at him for asking the question. The question is simple: "What is the source of the desire to go helmetless?" I wonder this as well. I tried riding without one and discovered deafening wind roar and a painful june bug in the face at 50mph. Didn't seem like fun to me. So again: Without the liberty diatribe (which I agree with - I hate helmet laws), what is the motivation?

Sponsored Links	Remove Advertisements
Motorcycle Forum Advertisement

05-30-2003, 05:33 AM	#6
piinob Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 67	Re: Why not wear a helmet? I wear helmets. My passengers wear helmets. I encourage everyone I know who rides to wear a helmet. The law has changed here in Texas several times in the thirty years I have been riding, and I always wore a helmet anyway. That said, I don't agree with helmet LAWS. Something I learned in school about the land of the free....

05-30-2003, 05:34 AM	#7
torrnado Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 79	Re: Why not wear a helmet? We all have stories about those who wore helmets that have been saved by them, but ultimately, it should still remain a personal choice. After all, life is survival of the fittest (read into that what you will). Given all the hype, stories, laws, etc., I still would not always ride with a helmet. There's nothing like a ride with the wind blowing in your face. __________________ Torr San Diego, California

05-30-2003, 05:50 AM	#8
boru4761 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 406	Re: Why not wear a helmet? Eveyone is still meandering away from the point. Why not? I am curious as well and I even went so far as to try it. Riding without a helmet felt just like sticking my head out of a car while going 80 (what you guys dont have alcohol where you live?). It was neat for about 10 minutes but not how I would want to get around on a regular basis. Also, all sissy concerns about comfort aside what do you do when a rock hits your face at 60mph? I had a few bugs hit me and it sucked but it wasn't the end of the world. However, I have a large gouge in the front of my helmet where a tractor trailer ejected a rock at me from it duallie wheels in the back. Damn near knocked me off the bike as it was. Without the helmet I would have gone down for sure. Also, all the bugs I hit were pretty small. I dont know what it feels like to take a locust in the eye but it sure made a lot of racket when it careened off my Shoei. So, I am still wondering why?

05-30-2003, 05:52 AM	#9
TatdNPrcd Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 416	Re: Why not wear a helmet? If you are in fact interested in finding out why someone would not wear a helmet and not just looking for a soapbox to get your opinion heard I'll attempt to provide my answer. I live in a choice state and occasionally decide to ride without my Arai Quantum F. IÂ’ve made that decision while riding everything from sportbikes to tourers. Why would I make that choice? I occasionally like to ride without a helmet on. ItÂ’s really that simple for me. IÂ’m not trying to snub my nose at the world or make a point when I do it. IÂ’m not trying to fit in to an image that many have a "free" rider. I just like going without on occasion. The key is IÂ’m not a new rider, I continually work to improve my riding skills through both formal training and daily practice, I have been a licensed rider since I was 16 and I take into consideration the conditions of the ride before taking off. I am pretty sure when I start the bike IÂ’ll be arriving at my destination in one piece whether IÂ’m wearing protective gear or not. It may be that IÂ’m not the guy you intended this question for. I happen to take great pleasure in riding my Road King with my 1-piece Aerostitch, full face helmet, full finger gloves and boots. At least I donÂ’t look like every other rider on a Laser-Rich Red pearl Road King. The funny thing is though YOU would group me in with those that have you "Â…absolutely appalled by the number of cyclists who did not wear helmets!" That seems pretty appalling to me. Why donÂ’t you just ride as you like and leave me to my business? To answer the question you didnÂ’t ask: Why do you wear a full face helmet all the time? For me itÂ’s not about being protected from hitting a pole after over cooking a turn and improper breaking technique. I just like keeping the flying crap out of my eyes. __________________ Cages are for Hamsters! http://www.ridetowork.org http://www.ironbutt.com

05-30-2003, 05:59 AM	#10
Viffer-dude Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 44	Re: Give me a break. Just like life, riding a bike is a series of risks too. Why not minimize the chance of becoming a drool-spewing vegetable - or a quashed vegi at that - by wearing a lid? Perhaps that lazy-ass, cellphone toting, SUV-piloting soccer mom may just not be the problem? You just might make a mistake yourself someday that causes you to eat asphalt. With that said, I believe helmet laws should go away. I'm a firm believer in keeping government out of my face. But common sense tells me to minimize the risk of an inherently dangerous hobby simply by donning a helmet before I ride. I guess there will always be those organ-donors who choose to help keep others alive...