Ok ok ok i came to a giant conclusion on full face helmets and most of u are gonna call me crazy!!! i used to bee all about the full face... However i went for a trek on my roomates 1000 cc crotchrocket on some nice twisties yesterday omg what fun ii had for the first time in years i went to a full face and all the benifits were here no wind in the face ect... however it took my relitive notion of speed and through it out the window... i couldnt feel the wind in my face... i was cruisin along and i wouldnt say recklessly i was enjoying the ride... i look down and holy shat 160mph i new i was clippin but i figured i would bee around 100 i was wrong... the bike felt great smooth and solid at that speed and never felt "unsafe" but by speed alone unsafe is not a word that can be used... I should never feel comfortable at this speed

I also came to the conclusion that no matter how bad i may want something for the twisties i need to just saddle up in something my careless acts cant follow... i know the protection form the full face is there but if i was wearing my half shell there is no way i would have been clippin at that speed... this is just food for thought and am curious on the replies...

I never have that problem wearing my full face. But of course I usually ride with the shield cracked open a little bit to let some more air in so I hear more of the wind and engine noise. Also with the shield open or fully closed, I've learned to listen to the sound of the engine at speeds so I have an idea of what it should sound like at 55MPH in 5th or 65-90MPH, I also look at my speedo every few minutes when I look at my mirrors just to make sure. My usual routine is Left mirror-Speedo-Fuel-Tach-Right mirror about every 2-3 minutes. I've been trying to teach myself to shift by sound but still always check my RPM's. So I guess because I'm so use to paying attention to my gauges, I have only ever found myself only going 5MPH faster than what I'm trying to go.

I also noticed this - as I got a full facer about a week ago - did the same thing looking at the speedo and going way faster than I thought - I was also less fearfull at the speed than if I was with a turtle shell helm. Not fearless cuz of the full face - was just a feeling inside - cant really explain in text heh.
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Never mind feeling safer at high speed........

My wife and I went down at 20 mph in May wearing half helmets. She broke her eyebrow and cheekbone and only her goggles saved her from losing her eyesight in one eye. If you think you ever will go down (plan on it if you ride long enough) then definitely full face is a good idea.

I really prefer the half helmet - I think it gives me better situational awareness in the city - but I think it will be FF from now on.

tough luck on the accident sorry to hear that...
like many i and my passenger are more then lucky to be alive....
A motorcycle can turn an accident into an assault/homicide in a split second how much are u willing to risk????

A passenger has no control over throttle and brake, When a bike goes down the passenger tends to have a lot less reaction time there is a lot of input and output in the seconds befor impact...
i request my passengers to be in full gear full face esp boots and gloves .
I couldnt handle hurtin anyone...
Keep it vertical and stay safe!
Never mind feeling safer at high speed........

My wife and I went down at 20 mph in May wearing half helmets. She broke her eyebrow and cheekbone and only her goggles saved her from losing her eyesight in one eye. If you think you ever will go down (plan on it if you ride long enough) then definitely full face is a good idea.

I really prefer the half helmet - I think it gives me better situational awareness in the city - but I think it will be FF from now on.

The only downside I ever had with the full-face was a hayfever sneezing attack at 60 ....

Had to pull over and let the chin bar drip for 3 minutes .....

Have only worn a FF, so don't have anything less to compare it to. The engine sound pretty much tells me about how fast I'm going. I check the gauges frequently, but don't recall ever going a lot faster than planned.

This is a new idea on the pro`s and con`s of wearing a FF helmet. I know from reading that a high percentage of strikes to the head in an accident are to the lower face, which is not covered by my present "turtle shell" 1/2 helmet. However all the FF helmets that I have tried on are claustrophobic to me and seem unwearable with eyeglasses. I suppose that I need to expand my search to more manufacturers, and a higher price range than I have to this time.

BTW seebeeare, IMHO, I think much of the reason you found yourself traveling so fast, was because the helmet was only one of two new variables on this ride. Certainly it cut down on the wind in your face buffeting, and also the engine noise. But if you have been riding only your vn750 for some time, getting on a "1000 cc crotch rocket" will make it very easy to exceed your normal cruising speed with all that power still on tap, at the point where the vn is giving her all.

or hittin a bump and swallowin a full mouth of chew spit ..oh shat i need to puke :drool:
or how do i light my smoke: :beerchug:
:motorcycl

When it is chilly at all or possibly wet, or if I am doing alot of miles in a day I prefer the full face. I feel less worn out at the end of a long day.

That said, I really prefer the 1/2 helmet. When I am just out for an enjoyable ride in warm weather I can't stand being "cooped up" in the big helmet. It is a risk I am aware of and accept.

This is a new idea on the pro`s and con`s of wearing a FF helmet. I know from reading that a high percentage of strikes to the head in an accident are to the lower face, which is not covered by my present "turtle shell" 1/2 helmet. However all the FF helmets that I have tried on are claustrophobic to me and seem unwearable with eyeglasses. I suppose that I need to expand my search to more manufacturers, and a higher price range than I have to this time.

I've never had a problem wearing my glasses with my FF Hoss. It's a cheaper HJC FF.

As far as the accident side of it, I went down at about 25MPH up in the north GA mountains a few months back and the way my helmet hit the road was right on the lower side of my cheek. Had I been wearing a 1/2 or 3/4 shell, I probably would have broken some bones in my face and would have had some pretty serious road rash.

I wear a 1/2 Outlaw everyday to work and around town:motorcycl.I also own 2 FF & a modular,I always carry one of these in my trunk{you never know}.I use these when riding in the rain,snow,cold weather,Mtn. rds & Hwys. I'd like to know what other folks put on there shields to keep from foggin up,I use Cat Crap anti fog.I was thinkin about wax ,any thoughs?

I wear a 1/2 Outlaw everyday to work and around town:motorcycl.I also own 2 FF & a modular,I always carry one of these in my trunk{you never know}.I use these when riding in the rain,snow,cold weather,Mtn. rds & Hwys. I'd like to know what other folks put on there sheilds to keep from foggin up,I use Cat Crap anti fog.I was thinkin about wax ,any thoughs?

i always used ski goggle defogger but no matter how hard i try there are weather conditins and shield conditions that can make defogging impossible... start with plastic windshield polish....

I have this problem as well. The cat crap anti-fog didn't work so well the other day in the rain. The inside of the shield still kept fogging up to the point that I could not see under 45MPH and I was in stop and go traffic (5-30MPH) for quiet a few miles. I was thinking of buying one those anti-fog inserts that stick to the shield.

Anyone tried one of these? I'd like to hear some reviews first before sticking one to my shield because there are permanent.

i havent tried those fog shields however the only thing i could ever make it visable through was to keep it cracked but once the inside gets moisture its unstopppable ive always wanted to install a little aquarium hose to breath in and out of...

I have this problem as well. The cat crap anti-fog didn't work so well the other day in the rain. The inside of the shield still kept fogging up to the point that I could not see under 45MPH and I was in stop and go traffic (5-30MPH) for quiet a few miles. I was thinking of buying one those anti-fog inserts that stick to the shield.

Anyone tried one of these? I'd like to hear some reviews first before sticking one to my shield because there are permanent.

It might depend on how well vented the helmet is.

I think anytime you try and rationalize that wearing better protective gear actualy makes you less safe because you tend to ride harder/faster is a crock of crap.

Riding a bike is all about control, and by saying you found yourself going alot faster because you did not feel the wind on your face is admiting you are not aware of what you are doing while riding a bike.

80% of helmet impacts in a crash are to the front of the helmet...so wearing a full face helmet seems to be a no brainer if you are concerned at all about your own well being.


If you can't feel the wind in your face you should still be able to judge your speed by the SOUND of the air going past you , the sound of the motor, or by the readout on the bikes speedometer.

I think if a cop pulled you over for going 160 mph ...the excuse that you didn't know how fast you were going because you had a full face helmet on would only make the cop laugh a bit as he handcuffed you.

You are in control of the bike and can not blame anything but yourself for anything that happens to you. Wearing the best safety equipment you can is just responsible protection, not an excuse to act irresponsibly.


KM

I am one to own to my careless behavior and take riding safely seriously... ive takin my life in my hands by getting on the bike and at every speed id take it to... time places and any justification would not get me out of a ticket for 160 id be locked up for good ... the bike i was on was designed for high speeds and dosen't like to travel at less the 60 tucked in and movin the difference between 100 and 160 was next to unchanged in relative noise and visual conditions... I was careless to want to travel at 100 and i refuse to justify my head place when i chose to kick it up a notch. I also know this is a reason crotch rockets are looked so negatively and i was foolish childish and selfish... (honestly bike was designed for super high track conditions ... been down at highspeeds in carless situations... i also concluded on this trip that a hyabussa was not gonna be my next ride...

thread was to display perspective and judgment of things we can take for granted when we get use to things ... being focused and riding cautousely is the only SAFE way to ride

I think anytime you try and rationalize that wearing better protective gear actualy makes you less safe because you tend to ride harder/faster is a crock of crap.

Riding a bike is all about control, and by saying you found yourself going alot faster because you did not feel the wind on your face is admiting you are not aware of what you are doing while riding a bike.

80% of helmet impacts in a crash are to the front of the helmet...so wearing a full face helmet seems to be a no brainer if you are concerned at all about your own well being.


If you can't feel the wind in your face you should still be able to judge your speed by the SOUND of the air going past you , the sound of the motor, or by the readout on the bikes speedometer.

I think if a cop pulled you over for going 160 mph ...the excuse that you didn't know how fast you were going because you had a full face helmet on would only make the cop laugh a bit as he handcuffed you.

You are in control of the bike and can not blame anything but yourself for anything that happens to you. Wearing the best safety equipment you can is just responsible protection, not an excuse to act irresponsibly.


KM

And do u think a cop is gonna pull out or turn around at a blue blurr at those speeds ??? by the time he got to 60 ud be 3+miles away....100 5 - 10miles....120 10 -15 ... 140 15+miles hellicopter air born in 8 min at 160mph = 24miles away (next county) ...

And whatever u do dont try to sneak pass the buss on the offramp it will be painfulll

And do u think a cop is gonna pull out or turn around at a blue blurr at those speeds ??? by the time he got to 60 ud be 3+miles away....


Yes, but cops have radios, helicopters and cameras.....

Do understand that I was not trying to attack your statement that wearing a FF helmet had you going faster....You should know yourself that your excess in speed was more do to the fact you were not used to the bike. A few weeks of riding with the right helmet and you would have a better handle on gauging your speed.


The first week I got my FJR I had to make a concious effort to check the speedometer frequently, as I was discovering that I was doing 90 mph ALOT...because the bike just did not feel like it was going that fast and seemed "happy" at that speed.

Now I am used to the feel of the bike and can actually tell the difference between 50 and 90 , or 90 and 130.

There is a saying that goes..."With great Power comes Great Responsibility"... fast bikes are like carrying a gun...you really need to take the whole thing seriously...lol


KM

no hard feelings:beerchug: and attack away ... this was intended to be a extreme thread and i was sure it was gonna be controversial :hitanykey all aspects of riding should be discussed debated and talked about... And honestly my taking to a higher speed was a lot want and the ended speed was faster then intended ...

and i also only condone running if u can get away these are all life threating situations scenarios and responsible and irresponsible behaviors ...

160 MPH?
WTF are you thinking? You wreck at that speed and you're dead... I don't care what you're wearing. FF, 1/2 Outlaw, newspaper hat.... you're an obituary.
It's your life and your ass, but slow down man. I'm sure there are people who'd like you to stick around a while.

I learned to ride many years ago on dirtbikes using a 3/4 helmet. I learned to shift by the sound of the engine, and when I learned to drive a car, it was on a stick-shift. I knew when to shift by the sound of that engine, too.

My guess is that two things interfered with the "normal" auditory inputs you're used to getting: 1) I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the crotch rocket is geared just a *tad* differently, and thus doesn't sound quite the same at the same speeds as your VN. OK, maybe it's more than a *tad*. 2) The fact that you were wearing a FF helmet also changed what you hear. I ride with a FF all the time, but will occasionally wear earplugs as well (I'm picky about my hearing). When I do that, it messes up what I'm used to hearing, and I will find myself going faster than I thought I was going because the engine doesn't sound the same, for that speed, that I'm used to. After a while I'll get used to it and get my brain re-calibrated for riding with the earplugs, and the speed comes down.

All of that being said, 160?!? I'm not thinking that all of that can be blamed on the new bike and the FF helmet... :doh:

--FA

Regarding glasses, my EXO-1000 will allow me to put my sunglasses through the faceshield after the helmet is on. It's a little fiddly, sure, but it works, and the sun shade will even go down over them.

It's a pretty affordable lid, and if you don't want the internal sun shade or the inflatable cheek pads, the EXO-700 is even less expensive.

My parents have gone with modulars for a while now because they make dealing with glasses easier and, while they're not Snell, they might be a decent compromise to look into if you find you can't deal with the pure full face. The new EXO-900 can even have the chin bar removed in the event there are times you'd rather wear it as a 3/4, though the face shield goes with the chin bar, so you'd need eye protection.

For what it's worth, I was also able to put glasses through the face shield on my brother's Harley Stealth Flame Modular when I was borrowing it before I got my own helmet and before I realized it was a modular.

Regarding the sensation of speed, how do you maintain your intended speed in a car?

Thanks for the helmet tips IMB, I`ll try some of those on if I can find them.

Regarding maintaing speed in a car without cruise control, I rest the side of my throttle foot against the hump in the floor. It tends to keep my speed steadier on long drives on the highway.

I do the same in the car as I do on the bike. That's where I actually started my routine except in the car, I just add the rear view mirror to it and minus the tach and fuel. So in the car it would be, Left side mirror-Speedo-Rear view mirror-Right side mirror about every 2-3 minutes. My dad taught me this when he taught me how to drive. If I happen to be driving a stick shift, I also listen to the sound of the engine as I do on the bike.