helmets, let the argument begin

[penetrator]

Personally I have always preferred wearing a crash helmet even when riding on dirt fields back in the UK where legally it mattered not because you were off road and riding illegally anyway. I just dont feel 100% not wearing one and it distracts me from what I should be doing which is concentrating on the stupids ****ers who given half a chance would knock me off.

The Pattaya comments were really quite sad and low, I'm here with my GF right now for 3 months and she is a university educated Senior Nurse, and most of my friends who live and work here have jobs that are nothing to do with the sex trade.

 

[Pikey]

A quick one to Jon - I think you're dreaming about A/C in a helmet, BUT what you might want to try is a good quality bicycle helmet. Not used one myself but for spinning around town at low speeds, with all those slots cut into them, they have got to have a pretty good airflow I would reckon.

Cheers,

Pikey.

 

[Rigger]

I find the shark helmets breath well also easy to pull the lining out to wash

 

[cdrw]

quote:

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Originally posted by enduro250

..... CDRW, I apoligize to you too, my comment was very stupid, and good for you that you are donating your time to help people. I will refrain from stupid outburst like that. Can you please explain to me what myopia means?

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Being that you asked....
myopia is a noun with the following meanings:
1 - short-sightedness. [also a common clinical word for
near-sightedness]
2 - lack of foresight or intellectual insight.

My use of the word seemed appropriate at the time, considering
your prior 'myopic' comment on Pattaya. Apologies readily accepted!
Good luck to you...and your helmet [8D]

 

[mikerust]

quote:

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Originally posted by jon

I have enjoyed reading the posts on this subject . I have found that a helmet can get really hot here

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That's why one should consider the ventilation of helmets before buying, regardless of cost. Most helmet testers will comment on this. One of the reasons [:I] I will cough up 24,000 for a Shoei X11 or whatever the latest version is. My old X(?) is OK above 50 kph. White helps if one can find one. My mother has a gel thing for walking, it doesn't last very long so building that into a helmet wouldn't be worthwhile especially in US/Europe in the spring and fall. Do you wear a CamelPak to replenish lost fluids?
Wear a silk or cotton "balaklava"(spelling) and soak it frequently?

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

enduro250-

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....Dave, I will come to Chang Mai to do a little touring, what kind of bike are you riding, as you can guess, I am on an enduro 250, not a good match for a street bike. I really do want to tour with you guys and get familiar with your "stomping grounds". But I will wait for a little a while till things cool off and you all realize that I want to be friends. Cray Pot, you have an excellent point about big brother ( see Dave, I am making friends and meeting like minded riders). Yes, that,s why a lot of people are over here, you just have to be careful how you say it or you will be misunderstood.

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Peace offering and apology accepted. There are a lot of very knowledgable people on this board who have done many extraordinary things while traveling on their bikes. Far more than I. It is better to tread lightly and take in some of their knowledge before jumping in with both feet sometimes.

I ride a Yamaha TDM850 and a Suzuki Djebel 250. If you go to the "members" section and click on a particular member it will bring up their profile. Under "Total Posts" you can get a list of all posts by that person. It is good if you want to see who can help with particular info or who has similar interests. Also just using the "search" in the upper right of this page can get you a lot of info.

At least we managed to keep the board "fired up" for a few days.

 

[Peter Hooper]

I have to buy a new helmet when I get back to Australia and of course it has to be Aus Stds approved so I can't take one from here. One of the irritations I have with my present helmet is that is is very noisy. At anything above about 100kph the whooshing is quite noisy. When I have tried helmets on you can get the fit right but things like noise and ventilation and lateral stability can only be tested on the road. In my mind I pictured an enterprising helmet seller with a wind tunnel with an air flow meter that you can stick your head into and test these areas at different speeds but I have never seen anything like that.
What is it that distinguishes a medium priced helmet from an expensive one. Do the expensive ones take care of all that ?
Cheers, Peter

 

[Rhodie]

Peter
I am still using my Arais thst I brought out with me from the UK.
The top of the line Rx7 [then circa 1999] was £500 and lightweight in comparison to for the more modest, in cost terms, the Quantam [£350]. However, the trade off for less weight was in noise reduction - the quantam was superior in terms of safeguarding your hearing.
I use foanm earplugs when using the RX7 on long highway journeys.
The helmet I use the most is their TourX-2, here again noise is an issue, but i favour being able to hear what the traffic around me is doing over aural protection.

 

[jon]

Yes Pikey , I have thought about one of those bicycle helmets but with my lack of hair I am worried about the sun getting through and me ending up looking like a piece of charcoal grilled steak . I was dreaming about an air conditioned helmet . I got the idea from my wife who often suggests I should put a bag of ice on my " airport " ( bald patch ) to help me to remain cool and calm over here . I do have a reasonable helmet , a Dianese , which fits well but but can get a bit noisy at speed . It seems a bit strange to me that we can spend so much on a good well ventilated helmet yet then have to buy a 10 baht pair of earplugs to prevent hearing damage . I suppose it has to do with different shapes and sizes of our heads and ears ? I had a GSXR 1100 back in the U.K. and if I rode without earplugs I would have a ringing in my ears for ages afterwards . I was convinced the fairing was amplifying the engine noise and sending it up under my helmet . But then again I don't like wearing earplugs as I never seemed to make them fit properly and I don't think it looked very cool to pull these yellow things out of my ears at every stop .

 

[mikerust]

quote:

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What is it that distinguishes a medium priced helmet from an expensive one. Do the expensive ones take care of all that ?
Cheers, Peter

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Peter,

Helmet manufacturers spend quite a lot on development and noise is one on the things they try and avoid. If you read helmet tests they usually quote numbers of give opinions on relative noise levels. Some higher end helmets have a "flap" at the back to seal the gap between the helmet and your neck but unless there is a headphone like seal around your ears you will still get noise.
I think all helmets will be noisy at higher speeds that's why most people wear ear plugs at least on the highway. As you say above say 100kph.

Rhodie likes his Arai, I like my Shoei.

quote:

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While most of our riders wear earplugs, it's still obvious that the X-11 is a quiet helmet. You hear the wind but it's like white noise, evident but not bothersome. Even when turning your head or opening a combination of vents, there's no hint of the dreaded wind whistle. The ear pockets are comfy and seem to allow the rider to hear necessary sounds while subduing the annoyances

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BTW Check imported helmet prices here before you go to Aus. don't assume that they are more expensive here.

 

[flyingkiwi]

just about drink driving,,,,personally after a couple of beers,,,dont touch anything with an engine on it,cars,boats,bikes.jetskis,lawnmowers,chainsaws,,especially chainsaws,, garden mulchers..especially them too....just to dam dangerous...beer and bikes dont mix................cheers

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

cdrw posted this under a new topic, but it really should be read by everyone here,

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The article give an overview of the different helmet testing certifications (DOT, Snell, etc) and the ability to protect the rider. It will sure surprise a few readers.
An interseting read...

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearb ... et_review/

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Although the test results are a little difficult to decipher, as there are different viewpoints, this study I think is valuable to our discussion. If you don't read the whole article at lest think about these points;

quote:

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First, about half of all serious motorcycle accidents happen when a car pulls in front of a bike in traffic. These accidents typically happen at very low speeds, with a typical impact velocity, after all the braking and skidding, below 25 mph. This was first revealed in the Hurt Report but has been recently backed up by two other studies, a similar one in Thailand and especially the COST 327 study done in the European Union, where people have fast bikes and like to ride very quickly on some roads with no speed limits at all.

Actual crash speeds are slow, but the damage isn't. These are serious, often fatal crashes. Most of these crashes happen very close to home. Because no matter where you go, you always leave your own neighborhood and come back to it. And making it through traffic-filled intersections—the ones near your home—is the most dangerous thing you do on a street motorcycle.

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Not to sound like a hypocrite, I admit I sometimes do a quick run to market or such without a helmet on a small bike. Everyone has a choice but the above makes you think about when and where.

The article also says a lot about price versus actual protection. Read the article if you have a chance, good stuff.

 

[mussen]

Very intersting article Silverhawk.

I'm just wondering though, do helmet companies, testing companies etc., class the earth as flat or round? If I hit my head on the ground I would say I hit a flat surface, whereas I really hit a round surface[].

Sorry just food for thought, maybe my skulls hit flat surfaces too many times.......

 

[dotcom]

About 15 years ago you had an interesting situation out in California. The Hells Angels joined up with the Sikhs to protest wearing helmets. The Sikh's on religious grounds. I got just 3 words for any dipstick that doesn't want to wear a helmet. Ride the Bus.

 

[dotcom]

quote:

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Originally posted by wimpy

As someone who ALWAYS wears a helmet, I strongly believe it should be a personal decision. Not something mandated by big brother. Should people be forced to wear life jackets while boating as well? Where do you draw the line on this slippery slope?

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As a matter of fact the answer is Yes. People riding in boats should be required to wear lifejackets.

Should airlines compel all passengers to fasten their seatbelts prior to takeoff & landing? YES - hell yes. Does that impinge your freedom? Possibly but who cares? Smoking cigarettes kills people. Imagine trying to introduce that product today.... not happening.

This is not a flame my friend ... just my personal opinion ... since you asked. And yeah I choose to wear a helmet. I'm 55 now & had my first cycle at 15 - so 40 years experience. I go with Cmdr Silverhawk. I'll bet you all emergency room physicians wear helmets.

 

[wimpy]

quote:

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Originally posted by dotcom

quote:

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Originally posted by wimpy

As someone who ALWAYS wears a helmet, I strongly believe it should be a personal decision. Not something mandated by big brother. Should people be forced to wear life jackets while boating as well? Where do you draw the line on this slippery slope?

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As a matter of fact the answer is Yes. People riding in boats should be required to wear lifejackets.

Should airlines compel all passengers to fasten their seatbelts prior to takeoff & landing? YES - hell yes. Does that impinge your freedom? Possibly but who cares? Smoking cigarettes kills people. Imagine trying to introduce that product today.... not happening.

This is not a flame my friend ... just my personal opinion ... since you asked. And yeah I choose to wear a helmet. I'm 55 now & had my first cycle at 15 - so 40 years experience. I go with Cmdr Silverhawk. I'll bet you all emergency room physicians wear helmets.

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How about helmets while riding in a car then? In a side impact your head hits the center pillar and you’re a vegetable.

Why not ban motorcycles altogether? They are obviously dangerous.

 

[flyingkiwi]

2 wimpy..i agree wear a life jacket everytime i go out in the boat..about ban motorbikes..think u are in the wrong place to say this..bikes can b safe as long as u wear your safety gear..helmets in a car.. racing drivers do it,,,, but we aint racing drivers....the argument can go on 4 ever....

 

[wimpy]

Bikes are safe? Excuse me?? Safety gear or no, bikes are very dangerous.

 

[flyingkiwi]

its obivius u dont ride... go and play some where else

 

[wimpy]

Try looking at some of my other posts... I have been riding bikes for 28 years (and sailing boats for 32 years).

 

[flyingkiwi]

i aint a fool..i have been biking for 40 yrs..and boating about the same.. shit i dont beleive it here we fu...king go again .> kevin bloody wilson.>same enduro 250...well its all about safety gear ..no mater wot do..........sport is sport..iam a biker..its safe guna kill this cu..t if i get my dooks on him..............sorry bit pissed

 

[wimpy]

I'm not exactly sure what you are saying in your last post.

As I said in my first post, I always wear a helmet when biking. My point was, whether it is a helmet, a life jacket, or a Marlboro, I believe it should be a personal choice. I am quite capable of deciding for myself what risks I shall take.

 

[tomdegerth]

Nice reading here... i agree with some of u, didsagree with a few others...
Here in BKK i wear full leather anywhere i go, including spine/back protector. People look at me like i'm insane when i stop at gasstations etc. I guess i've been through my fare share of close inspections of asphalt, 2 years ago in samui, me + rented CBR hit a dog, went down. Was wearing shorts and helmet at that time. Thats why i like to wear all the stuff nowadays, no matter how hot it gets some days. Being a "night rider" here in town is best, no traffic, not that hot etc.
Cheers (juice!)
Tom

 

[flyingkiwi]

just one thing about helmets,,,,have seen a lot of guys riding with hemets on,,,but the strap not done up,,if u do have a get off,, it will b the 1st thing to fly off your head...had a bit off a heated discusson with a rider last night,,was about motorbikes being unsafe ,,and should b banned,,,i stated that they are safe as long as u wear your safety gear,,and rode sensably.as things went on i copped a bit of verbal from him..so i sent a bit back,,wasnt in the mood for this ,, so i left....next day reading the colum,, i c the guy has edited his post,, taken the bad out,, mine is still there,for all to see,made me fell like an idiot,funny how as we read on,,you pick up peoples personalities,wont post this guy again,,ride safe

 

[wimpy]

Got a little pissed off when flyingkiwi wrote "its obivius u dont ride... go and play some where else". I have since edited an unnecessarily nasty response. I stand by everything else I wrote.