Helmets and motorcycles

[Jax]

Okay. So I do not ride a motorcycle. I am, however, curious about why some of those who do, do not wear helmets. It would seem a bit of a risk. But I do not know. So........thoughts?

[Oldfart]

Wind through the hair, bugs in your eyes, the feeling of freedom.

They made it compulsory in Oz, about 3 weeks before I stacked my bike.

Without the skid-lid, I'd have been at best badly injured, at worst dead.

Shortest life of a helmet I know of.

[Lord Snow]

I wear one because it's law in my state. I find for a short ride (the closest gas station is 1/5th of a mile round trip) the helmet, vest, gloves, etc is a bit much for less than 5 minutes. Personally I'd rather the choice rather be made to wear one. My dad first started riding in Connecticut where there is no helmet law, so for him it's just what he grew up with.

[Scarecrow]

Pro-choice

[Oldfart]

[[ Assumes Devil's Advocate Role]]

How many here are happy with contributing to a multi-million dollar assistance bill looking after someone who opted for the dangerous alternative? If you're going to take extra risks, should you pay higher insurance to cover it?

[[ End Devil's Advocate Role]]

[Fangtasia]

Your not wearing a helmet you're an idiot <-----my opinion

I am a motorcyclist

[gekkogecko]

I'd be OK with someone having their own choice to not wear a helmet:

*if* that was taken as an absolute agreement on their part, that when they crack up, nobody, and I mean nobody else, directly or indirectly ended up paying for their hospital bill. Their choice.

However, I would still insist that wrap-around eye protection be mandatory. If a biker gets a bug in his/her eye, that person is an instant hazard to everyone else on the road.

[AZRedHot]

[[ Assumes Devil's Advocate Role]]

How many here are happy with contributing to a multi-million dollar assistance bill looking after someone who opted for the dangerous alternative? If you're going to take extra risks, should you pay higher insurance to cover it?

[[ End Devil's Advocate Role]]

See, the problem with charging people for "risk," is that we all take risks. Some of us jog, and will blow out our knees eventually. Some of us smoke, but don't do anything else risky. Some of us drink. Some of us eat carcinogenic steaks. Some of us engage in dangerous sports, or have dangerous work. Some of us have genetic risks that we may or may not know about. Some of us are with abusive partners that will send us to the ER many times over our lives.

I worked with a lady who died of mesothelioma. She was an office worker her whole life. But her dad was an asbestos worker, and when she was young, they didn't know the risks, and mom washed everyone's clothes together. 60 years later, she's dead. They were all high risk...should they have paid more?

So whose risk is acceptable, and whose is not? And how is it my right to tell you how to live your life? I certainly don't welcome you telling me how to live mine. Personally, I take the view that when it comes to insurance and social safety nets of other kinds, we're all going to have our turn sooner or later with something, and everyone contributing covers that. Sometimes you won't be taking much out of the system, for years. And then down the road you might have a car accident, or find a lump, and you'll get way more than you ever paid in. Mr. AZRH had surgery this summer. He was in the hospital one day; the bill (without insurance) was over $23K, just for the hospital--everyone else billed separately. We've never paid that much in premiums; we've always gotten individual coverage as a benefit at our job. And given the astronomical profits insurance companies make, I don't know that any individual other insured is paying that much for me, either.

I think we all chip in, and it all works out in the end. I wouldn't ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but other people have to make their own choices.

[jay-t]

What??? you want me to have helmet hair!?

[Oldfart]

Better than tarmac head.

[Lord Snow]

I've tried riding once without glasses....It sucked. Ridden a couple of times without a helmet. It was rather nice not having the extra weight on my head. Like I said though, for me it would depend on how far I'm going. 1 mile round trip, no helmet. To work and back (roughly 25 miles round trip), I'd wear one.

[Oldfart]

I rode with a 'jet" style helmet with a perspex shield down to just below the nose. This was before full-face helmets were common.

[Lord Snow]

Mine is a half helmet and I wear sunglasses for eye protection. I haven't tried a full face, but with as hot as the three quarter helmets get I don't want a full face. Doesn't really stop them from being heavy though.

[pinkFlames]

I've tried riding once without glasses....It sucked. Ridden a couple of times without a helmet. It was rather nice not having the extra weight on my head. Like I said though, for me it would depend on how far I'm going. 1 mile round trip, no helmet. To work and back (roughly 25 miles round trip), I'd wear one.

Most accidents happen close to home.

When my ex was in rehab after his stroke I saw people with serious brain damage caused by accidents. It was pretty scary. I wouldn't knowingly risk putting my family in the situation of seeing me like that.

[Lord Snow]

I live on the back roads where there isn't a lot of traffic during the day. When I say not a lot of traffic, I mean at most one car every 3 hours.

[PantyFanatic]

Give the individual choice and keep cost fair and low. Only allowed to ride without helmet if you maintain average road speed of 70/mph+ [112/kph+]. Enjoy the MAX freedom and adventure and if you screw up, don't generate a bill above average funeral cost. :shrug:

[scotzoidman]

Wind through the hair, bugs in your eyes, the feeling of freedom.

They made it compulsory in Oz, about 3 weeks before I stacked my bike.

Without the skid-lid, I'd have been at best badly injured, at worst dead.

Shortest life of a helmet I know of.
This is, I believe, the best argument for the helmet. Like with seat belts in cars, it's not the high-speed crackup that would kill you either way, but for the avoidable crippling injuries that can occur even at very low speeds. EG, about 30 yrs ago, if my wife & I had both had been belted when she didn't see the guy wire, she might have still have normal feeling in her lower lip, & I might be able to breathe more normally today.

[Teddy Bear]

How can you spot a happy biker ?



By the bugs in his teeth. :D

[Oldfart]

How can you spot a happy biker ?



By the chick riding pillion with her hands in his pockets.

[Lord Snow]

Have you ever seen a motorcycle outside a psychiatrist's office? Neither have I.

[Oldfart]

You can only afford one or the other LS?

[Lord Snow]

If you've got the bike, you don't have a need for a psychiatrist.

[Oldfart]

In the opinion of some you don't need a shrink, the rest think you're mad to place yourself at such risk of injury and pain. Glass half full, glass all over the road.

[Lord Snow]

Risk of injury is higher on a motorcycle than in a car, however the chances of accident are the about the same. I've become a much better driver since I've become a rider. It's amazing what you learn to look for on a bike that most drivers I know never even thought about.

[WildIrish]

I've become a much better driver since I've become a rider. It's amazing what you learn to look for on a bike that most drivers I know never even thought about.


I had that same observation after I started riding a few years ago. It's not as much a matter of my being more cautious than it is my being so much more aware of everything around me. I notice everything now.

And I always wear a full helmet. For safety sake and as a practical matter. The wind bothers my eyes a lot, even with goggles (which make me look stupid as hell). Couple that with the fact that, so far, I've killed three birds. One hit my mirror and the other two bounced off of my helmet. I'm lucky that all I lost was control of bodily functions.

[Oldfart]

I spent too long watching for escape routes to enjoy city riding. It was a cheap way to get from A to B, but it had none of the joy of country riding.

[Lord Snow]

WI, I've almost hit a wild turkey with my head. I prefer a half helmet though.

Oldfart, I prefer the country riding as well. Less traffic, twisty roads, beautiful scenery. Doesn't get much better than that.

[Noah]

I am starting to look at putting my bike back on the road, its been in storage for around 15yrs lol.

I miss it and its cheaper (providing i dont fang it lol) to run petrol wise than the car. Cost the same in rego through, bastards!

[Lord Snow]

Techno helmet (http://xmotorcycle.com/2013/06/17/is-this-the-future-of-motorcycle-helmets/)

[Oldfart]

Interesting helmet. There's one under development which has built-in rear vision.

[Lord Snow]

I'm not sure how I feel about the techy helmet. I like the idea of having a display that gives me information like weather and traffic conditions, but at the same time with that kind of an internet up link and phone capabilities how many motorcyclists are going to be more concerned with watching that new music video on youtube rather than watching the road? I see riders every year in flip flops, shorts, and a tank top with a full face helmet.

[WildIrish]

The last thing I need to be doing while riding down the road is arguing with my helmet.

"Call Lilith"

"Did you say Tall Monolith?"

"No...Call Lilith"

"Did you say Fall Locksmith?"

"NO!!! Call Lilith"

"Did you say James Naismith?"

NO...STUPID ASSHOLE!!!

"Calling yourself"

[Lord Snow]

The last thing anyone needs to be doing is arguing with their helmet while going down the road.