May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, so there's no better time to present to you a series of articles highlighting the equipment you'll need to help limit injury to yourself and look good while doing so.
Today's topic: Helmets
A lot of people have a lot of opinions about helmet laws. I'm not here to argue whether or not there should be a law governing the protection of your one and only brain. Instead, I'll just say that wearing a DOT approved helmet, in addition to being required by law in the state of California, is just a very good idea.
It is in your best interest to buy the best helmet you can afford. If you happen to be interested in protecting your face as well as your brain I recommend a full face helmet. Remember, even at low speeds, a trip over the handlebars will send you head-first toward the concrete.
When choosing a helmet you'll want to shop at a place that has a broad selection. The more helmets you have to choose from the more likely you are to find one that fits just right. If your helmet is the right size and the right shape the more likely you are to wear it every time you ride.
Here's a few examples to contemplate:
Full face. photo: ngepress.com
Modular. photo: image.automotive.com
Open face. photo: scootershop.com
I wish I could tell you which helmet would be best for you but I can't. Every head is different, luckily, there's a lot of different helmets out there to accommodate them. With a little perseverance, I'm confident you'll find the right bucket for your brain.
=o)
Comments
Recently moved to Denver from SF, and I'm still shocked when I see people riding without helmets. It is rather common here, as there is no helmet law. My fingers tense up on the steering wheel. I'm just not used to it. Be it a brain bucket, or a full helmet, I think you can still look "cool", feel the wind as you ride and keep that "edge" in a helmet.
I've two friends that died in motorcycle wrecks while not wearing helmets. In both cases, they weren't at fault.
Helmets have come a long way toward being lighter, quieter and more comfortable. Styling is a personal choice, of course, but I prefer the half helmets as a good compromise.
Helmets have come a long way toward being lighter, quieter and more comfortable. Styling is a personal choice, of course, but I prefer the half helmets as a good compromise.
So May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Whooptee Friggin' Doo. Some of the names will change, but expect the same old hollow proclamations, pointless pronouncements and self-serving photo ops ... the same clueless cub reporting confusing "motorcycle awareness" (the cause) with "motorcycle safety" (the commodity) ... and when all the hoopla is history, yet another annualized increase in the number of responsible motorcycle riders left dead and dying on the side of the road, their tickets punched by care-less motorists whose cell phone calls, texting and other discretionary distractions take precedence over paying attention to their driving. And why should we expect otherwise, when the cost of maiming or even killing a biker in America is often no more than what you'll pay to beat a speeding ticket?
More at tinyurl[dot]com/motorcycleawarenesswhitewash
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