Helmets Motocross helmet anyone?

Baysidebob

Does anyone wear a motocross helmet on their ST? I already wear glasses and hate looking through the shield on my full face helmet. I love wearing my 3/4 helmet and adjusting the windscreen just below my field of vision for freeway speeds. There is that concern about less protection. Could a motocross helmet be the best of both worlds?
 
I defer to those more knowlegeable than I, but I also considered an off road helmet and my research convinced me that the large visor could become a stability problem at the speeds we travel at on our STs.

So, I opted for a full face.

I'm interested to see what other responses your question elicits.

Regards,

-Geo
 
Why not just ride with the shield up? That's what I do. If it bothers you that much take it off.
 
Throttlejockey said:
Why not just ride with the shield up? That's what I do. If it bothers you that much take it off.
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This statement makes me cringe and then laugh as well. All I have to do is remember all the times I was hit in the face while wearing a 3/4 open face helmet with sunglasses.

During that time I was hit by and have had all of the following bounce off my visor (Once I became smart and started wearing a full face helmet).

1) Rocks of varying sizes
2) Insects from grasshoppers to rather large dragonflies and bees the size of grapes.
3) Birds. Small ones and a rather large crow (Thought my neck was broken that time :) )
4) Stinging rain and hail stones too.
5) Wasps and other stinging insects. (Gets pretty interesting when one gets jammed between your cheek and the helmet liner.

So go ahead,ride with the shield up, or just take it off and throw it in the ditch :rolleyes:

I don't think I have seen such good advice for some time :crackup
 
So if it's not the way you do things then it's wrong?
If I want to ride with my shield down all the time I'll take my car.

Maybe they should only make full face helmets.
 
My Son wears his motocross helmet when we ride Shadowfax together. He's complained a few times about the draught getting under the peak and near dragging him up and over the top box (75mph into head wind passing trucks). Of course, he's of sensible stock and wears goggles, which aren't compatible with glasses, I assure you! The peak has since cracked at it's anchor from buffetting and it's a quality helmet, too.

BMW make a motocross-style helmet for the Long Way Round, Down, and Out crowd. It's a pretty serious looking piece of kit you might consider looking up. When offered the hat at our local Bahnstormer I asked why anyone would choose to wear one. He claimed it to be very stable at speed (made under licence Shuberth, I think) and that it was just a fashion choice to go with the rugged lifestyle but with more utility than a similar choice with HD.

I'm with the Blue One: protect your eyes as you do your knees, shoulders, elbows and back - only figuratively of course as those pads are devilishly difficult to see through.

Wear the visor; you only get two balls of any description and most people tend to value theirs.
 
My HJC Sapien dirt bike helmet is very comfy, plus it's DOT & Snell approved. But the wind grabbing the duck bill visor is too much for my neck at highway speeds. I've had my XRR up to about 95 MPH, and the wind is brutal when you're fighting it, tilt head up and it rips your neck off, tilt down and it's smushing my head & neck. I've never tried wearing it on my ST though.... Maybe I'll try & get back to you.

sbB
 
I don't think I'd want to take a slide down the highway wearing a motocross helmet. If that beak hit a crack in the road you might suffer some serious injuries. Dirt gives, pavement doesn't...

There's a reason they make specific helmets for specific purposes...
 
:censored! Not an evening since contributing to this thread and I'm in the rain closed up on queuing traffic and I raise my visor a smidgeon for some air when a bloody Garden or Cross-Backed spider* floats into my helmet off a truck I was crawling past and bites me on the :censored lip! This set my eyes and nose off runing within seconds and had me scrabbling about for the blighter like a panic-stricken :censored (apt description!)

7-hours later and my cheek's :censored numb, the bite site feels like the :censored Mother-In-Law is twisting a :censored needle in it and I've got a :censored of a headache. The trip home is going to be :censored irritable.

Visor / shield; call it what you :censored will, but it wasn't open much to let the little sh:censoredsalt in. B:censoreds to having an open helmet all the time :shrug1:


*ID's from two large, tiger-striped furry legs and movement on entry to helmet. (Still a guess, but I'm fairly sure it wasn't a tarrantula...fairly sure...but it smarts like hell!
 
Now now Pat, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

I agree though, I've had tiny little rocks hit my leg and hurt me, while I was wearing thick cordura MC pants with armor. Imagine that same rock hitting in your face area not protected by a visor... :shock:
 
Baysidebob said:
Does anyone wear a motocross helmet on their ST? I already wear glasses and hate looking through the shield on my full face helmet. I love wearing my 3/4 helmet and adjusting the windscreen just below my field of vision for freeway speeds. There is that concern about less protection. Could a motocross helmet be the best of both worlds?
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As with anything that has to do with motorcycles, there's always pro's and con's. I've considered a dirtbirt style helmet for summertime use due to the extra windflow. A set of vented goggles and I'd be good. (I wear glasses also) The downside, as has been mentioned, is that the visor is one heck of a wind brake. I almost lost a passenger once who, while wearing a motocross, popped her head out a bit to see around me. The wind caught the visor and snapped her head backwards. I felt something was wrong and slowed down immediately. Scared the crap outta her. Definitely something to keep in mind. You could probably just remove the visor or customize some extra vents. Check out the Arai XD3 It's designed as street and dirt.

You mentioned not liking looking through the shield on your helmet. Out of curiosity, what kind of helmet is it and how old is the helmet? The optics on older helmets (even 5 years ago) wasn't so spectacular and your vision was distorted slightly. The optics on the newer ones are greatly improved however, some of the newer "less expensive" helmets' optics aren't so great.

Whether you use a dirtbike, full face, 3/4, half, or one of those non-DOT beanie helmets, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable with after honestly considering all the pro's and con's.(Personal Risk Acceptance) If you feel good with a dirtbike helmet, I say "go for it!". It's your decision to make.

The only caution I will throw out there is watching out for your eyes. A standard set of glasses are not adequate protection while riding. Wind, dirt, and debris can come around the sides of them and leave you blinded. (Hopefully just temporary) Obviously, the ability to see is pretty critical for motorcycle riding. Look into the wrap-around style glasses for better protection. They make motorcycle designed ones that include a foam liner around the edges to help keep stuff out. If you are required to wear prescription glasses, you can get the wrap-arounds in a prescription. Regardless of the helmet debate, proper eye protection is one thing I don't joke around about. While crashing is a "might happen/might not happen" thing, the constant barrage of dust, dirt, bugs, rocks, small car parts is pretty consistent. A bug bite or cut lip will heal, but an eye injury may never.


Hope this helps.
 
skyboybry said:
I've never tried wearing it on my ST though.... Maybe I'll try & get back to you.

sbB
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Please do let me know. I most often wear a 3/4. With the electric windscreen breeze and birdstrikes are not an issue. Heat and sun are an issue with the full-face on days like today. Every time I uncover the bike I look at both helmets and choose between more comfort or more protection.
 
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