New riders: should we armour up? | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

New riders: should we armour up?

Blackfin said:
Probably more for air pollution. 2-stroke exhaust plus diesel exhaust is a pretty nasty combo in those places.

What kills me is that mom and dad have helmets but their little one stands on the seat between them with no helmet. WTF?
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Those helmets don't do much. They probably have them on cause it's the law, not cause they add any safety. They probably can't find one that would fit the kid anyways. I rode a bike in China ages ago and the helmet they had was similar....felt safer without it.
 
Iv had 2 downs. R years ago I Dropped one on an on ramp at 90+ slid 40ft then tossed into a ditch, rode the bike home. The next day I went to work and didnt have a scratch on me. I was in my 2 piece, with full gontlets, alpine stars smx5 boots. The bike behind me hit the same oil but was wearing short boots, messed up his ankle real bad.

Last year august i dumped a wheelie @ 120+ kph. Was wearing a textile jacket (got destroyed) helmet, gloves, shoes and jeans.
You can still see the marks on my ass, knees, legs from the road rash. I havent been on a bike again without my 2 peice.

I can blast a track day after day, but on the street, anything can jappen.
 
Riceburner said:
Those helmets don't do much. They probably have them on cause it's the law, not cause they add any safety. They probably can't find one that would fit the kid anyways. I rode a bike in China ages ago and the helmet they had was similar....felt safer without it.
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I'm sure some factory in Asia spews out little kid-sized helmets by the container-load every second. Hell, mom and/or dad might even work in the factory that makes the things... Even a helmet designed for bicycle use would be better than nothing.

No matter what the law states I cannot fathom the negligence of any parent, no matter the country or culture, that sees them riding a motorcycle/scooter like that with their child as a passenger with no head protection. Some places around the world are just alien to me.
 
Kid sized helmet....maybe. As for safety, I don't think they see it that way....we do. Like I said, I felt safer without the "helmet". I don't know the rules/laws there, so can't comment on that.
 
You should wear a helmet, jacket, and armoured pants. I for one do not plan on having many gaping road rash wounds when I go down ugly.
 
JustinRR said:
Do you see people riding all over Vietnam, Taiwan or Thailand on bikes as their only mode of transportation wear gear?

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Monkey see, monkey do. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
 
Is this seriously a real question? Why would the people most likely to crash not wear any protection?
 
I gear up when I know ill be doing some riding, also over time you will get used to the jacket and pants. some days I don't feel like wearing gear but then I don't enjoy my ride as much cant really let loose in the turns
 
The short answer: Yes.

The long answer: Definitely.
 
The main question to me is how much?

I have some extra gear which I do not always wear (although I should).

More often than not I wear extra knee protection under my riding pants:



Ear plugs are more for extended highway rides.
 
OP it's up to you man. Do what you want. Really. There is no right answer because everyone's unique. If you're only concerned with safety then the choice is obvious. But if you choose to make yourself more vulnerable because you feel it's worth the experience then that's perfectly acceptable. We all do this in some aspect of our lives.
Not knowing anything about you--except that you're a new rider--I recommend that you start out with all the usual gear and decide later whether you want to continue wearing it. You might be surprised to discover that you actually prefer gearing up. It's the safer approach to an activity that you have no experience with yet.
 
Guys,
What's the most minimal kind of helmet that's legal in Ontario? Does anyone have any links to some on the web?

I am new, but, if I am comfortable, I would like to have a minimalist helmet just for short 10-15 minute rides in the city.
 
It needs to be DOT to be legal. What do you mean by minimal? Small? Cheap?

AFAIK 1/2 helmet is the smallest that's DOT legal.
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You can buy cheap full face helmets by brands you've never heard of starting at about $70. No idea what the quality or safety level is, but they are supposedly DOT approved.

Also, prepare to be lectured.
 
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spray____ said:
Also, prepare to be lectured.
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Wow, I really like that style of helmet! That's perfect for the summer. What are these types of helmets called?

Well, if I am going to get lectured, might as well go for full disclosure...I rode without a helmet while I was down in Mexico. They have helmet laws but they are not enforced. And it was fine.

I plan to abide by all Ontario's laws, of course, but if I am ever in a country that allows no helmets, where I feel comfortable not wearing one, I would consider it. Different countries have different standards than we do.

Also, FWIW, I didn't see people swerving and lane splitting at 150 km/h in Mexico. With the amount of riders out there I see doing that in Toronto, its no wonder there's so much fear over safety. Even when I see those people in my cars, I feel nervous. As a new rider, unless I am spending excessive amount of time on busy highways, I don't see myself dressing up full-on as basically, a knight.

Actually, a version of that helmet you sent me, but with a visor, might be perfect! Does that exist?
 
You may have seen this graphic before or something like it:A full face helmet is obviously the best choice you can make but it is your body and your head and brain. What could be a minor off with a full face helmet could be a broken jaw, several lost teeth and a possible ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) with a half helmet.The problem here might not be your own riding skills. Distracted drivers are everywhere. I drive a transit bus for a smaller city and we average about a bus a day which gets hit by another vehicle and more often than not it is a distracted driver. These are 40 foot long vehicles all lit up and they still get regularly hit!Just the same a DOT approved half helmet is street legal. Here is one:http://gpbikes.com/street/helmets/gmax-gm55s-half-helmet-fully-dressed.html
 
Nice helmet. I actually didn't know those stats on impact, but it doesn't surprise me. I took a tumble once on my bicycle and its true that the mouth hits hard if you're in the right position. I'll get a hefty helmet for my first one, and then if I'm comfortable, I'll see what else is out there and keep the full helmet for passengers or when I'm highway riding.

question though: ideally, are there half helmets out there with a "jaw protector"? Either like those foam chinstraps you see on hockey helmets, or the "football-style" cages that would attach to the bottom of a half-helmet? To protect from that initial impact?

i can see how being concerned about other drivers would be a concern. I guess it depends on how lucky you are that you don't run into other bad drivers. I've driven in the city, my car and bicycle, for almost 20 years, and never had an incident of anyone hitting me, that caused me any significant injury. I'm a huge believer in covering my brakes all the time, even though it's a little more uncomfortable when cycling, and that's what saved me. As a n00b, I obviously can't say if braking preparedness means as much on a motorcycle. What do you think?
 
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