What Type Of Helmet To Take...

[-noodles-]

Hi all, i have decided not to bring my AGV full face road helmet with me to LOS because it's not very practical especially when taking it on and off regularly. I think i will get an open faced helmet like this one. I'm thinking of getting the camo colour.

Silly question, but do you think i'd have any problems with it in LOS or would it draw unnecessary attention to me?

Would the locals think i'm trying to parade around as someone from the military and take offence?

If it sound slike a bad idea, i'll go for the matte black one

Thanks for any advice.

Here's a review i read on it. It costs US$108.

"This is a great open face helmet. The quick release strap is priceless, the flip down visor is perfect for blocking out wind and sun while letting you feel open and smell the air. I recommend having a full face also for longer trips, but this one is perfect for a commuter. All the military bikers I've come across love the camo."

AGV Dragon Helmet is for Street and Cruiser enthusiast. All-around plush-finish helmet with luxurious velour interior. Lift-up, double radius, clear scratch-resistant face shield (additional 80% tinted shield in box). Features a retention system with quick-release buckle and assisted ejection. DOT certified.

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/6819

Edited July 10, 2008 by transit

[T_Dog]

You see all kinds of helmets here, and the one you are thinking of certainly would not be unique or draw attention to you.

I don't ride with a full-face helmet but the "smart" part of me tells me I should. Jaw injuries are pretty common without a full-face version and the chances of having an incident are pretty high here. (Two friends in the past two weeks.) If you are not used to riding here, bring the full-face unit.

[RusticCharm]

Open face are okay for short trips but for longer rides I'd seriously recommend a full-face.

[PeaceBlondie]

My brother in law was scarred for life around his lower face due to jaw injuries. I have had two - ooops, make that three, including the one T Dog just referred to --with some nasty scratches on the visor and lower chin. I have scars and lost body parts from those wrecks, but no facial injuries. I agree: bring the full face.

Ooops again, how soon we lose count. Make that four times the world has rushed past my full-face visor while I tumbled across the ground,. It is a frightening scenario, but if you value your face, wear a full helmet.

[-noodles-]

thanks for the tips, it sounds like i might need to bring 2 helmets with me as i hope to do some longer rides. A mate who brought his full face over said it was amazing how much extra things he could stuff into it and it wasn't really wasting much extra luggage space.

I agree that the full face is much safer but it's difficult to talk through and takes longer to take on and off than an open face.

[-noodles-]

just found these interesting looking open face helmets from AGV for US$112

[ZZZ]

I'm not sure shorter trips are safer than longer. Shorter trips are normally in the city and that's where most of the accidents happen. The speed might be slower but if you travel at 50 kmh and hit a car doing 50 kmh in the opposite direction you will want to have a full face helmet, even much slower speeds can do a lot of damage to your face.

If you bring a full face make sure the ventilation is good. In any case do bring a helmet as good helmets are hard to find and very expensive in Thailand.

[thaicbr]

what size bike are you going to ride. for open face helmets you can get index or snell brand helmets here. with much cheaper visors than an imported helmet.

i've had an accident with a snell open and it performed ok.

but must admit for my big bike would much prefer a name make full face, rather than the Thai brand Index helmet i have now.

open face helmets move around on your head ALOT at speeds above 120kmh.

Allan

[PeaceBlondie]

I think the last open-face helmet I wore was 10 bikes and 44 years ago. I wear wire-rimmed glasses, and only one of my full-face models had a movable jaw bar. No big problem. But even at cheap Thai prices, maxiofacillary surgery can take a million baht and six months. Not only can you crash while going forward into another vehicle. A fall from a dead stop can shove your face and jaw into a bike, curb, car, tree, etc. When I went sailing off into the side of the road last week, ........

[mikethevigoman]

I'm not sure shorter trips are safer than longer. Shorter trips are normally in the city and that's where most of the accidents happen. The speed might be slower but if you travel at 50 kmh and hit a car doing 50 kmh in the opposite direction you will want to have a full face helmet, even much slower speeds can do a lot of damage to your face.

If you bring a full face make sure the ventilation is good. In any case do bring a helmet as good helmets are hard to find and very expensive in Thailand.

Reminds me of a joke with a sense of truth in it, a guy walks in from work at night after buying a bike and his wife says wheres your bike? ,he says ive left it at johns ,3 miles away, .whys that she says ? ,he replies ,well i read in the paper nearly all accidents happen within 3 miles of home, and im taking no chances !

[mikethevigoman]

I think the last open-face helmet I wore was 10 bikes and 44 years ago. I wear wire-rimmed glasses, and only one of my full-face models had a movable jaw bar. No big problem. But even at cheap Thai prices, maxiofacillary surgery can take a million baht and six months. Not only can you crash while going forward into another vehicle. A fall from a dead stop can shove your face and jaw into a bike, curb, car, tree, etc. When I went sailing off into the side of the road last week, ........

Everoak was it ?,. me too, with cork inside !

[basjke]

what size bike are you going to ride. for open face helmets you can get index or snell brand helmets here. with much cheaper visors than an imported helmet.

i've had an accident with a snell open and it performed ok.

but must admit for my big bike would much prefer a name make full face, rather than the Thai brand Index helmet i have now.

open face helmets move around on your head ALOT at speeds above 120kmh.

Allan

Why should open face helmets move around on your head?Ever thought about buying the correct size and strapping it on.

[PeaceBlondie]

I can only guess that he is talking about those cheap, Thai half-head helmets on the rental bikes, that move around. I think they sell for 188 baht. Even my ugly old head is worth over 1000 baht.

[dotcom]

We all wish we could buy nice helmets like that for 3600 baht. At Red Baron a helmet like that from the big 2 are 18,000 baht. Arai if i remember correctly.

Bring all the AGV helmets you can bring & we will pay you 2x what you paid.

[-noodles-]

I'm not sure exactly what bike i will get but it will be either a 150cc scooter or perhaps a CBR400 as i'd like to do some longer rides.

I currently ride a CBR900RR Fireblade and have plenty of experience on the roads as well as in Thailand. I always get a monthly rental on a bike when i visit and have ridden around areas like Samui, Phuket, Ko Phang Nan, Chiang Mai, Pattaya with lots of traffic & tourists.

But i agree with the comment that a lot of accidents happen when you are near your home, in fact i think the statistic is something like 'most accidents happen within 2km of your home when you're feeling complacent and not paying as much attention'.

the matte black colour is growing on me

[dave_boo]

I'm gonna agree with all the others; get a full faced helmet. I don't know why people say that they take longer to take off/put on because how often do you actually need to speed remove a helmet? The extra 0.5 seconds won't kill you, but having your lower jaw worked on will kill your bank account as alluded to by others.

Oh, and if people are serious about being willing to pay me for bringing helmets in to Thailand, I can do it since I visit every 4 months and have never had problems bring my personal one through.

[JSixpack]

the matte black colour is growing on me

Don't let it. Means you're probably succumbing to the desire to pose. Much better that you get a bright color. Anything that helps other drivers see you is all to the good.

Why don't you get a flip lid? Best of both worlds. I have one and like it a lot. Flip it up a long traffic stops and cool off, leave it up when you're feeling lucky, etc.

Edited July 11, 2008 by JSixpack

[Pikey]

Agree - get a flip up. One hand operation so easy to flip up in shops, petrol stations, if you smoke e.t.c. I used an Airoh Mathisse back in the UK for about 40,000 miles (long daily commute) and loved it.

See choices here: http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-hel...cle-helmets.htm

Cheers,

Pikey.

[PeaceBlondie]

The only flip-top I ever bought was a Nolan, which got too hard. My dealer here has lots of Nolan such as N37, but no flip-tops. Where can you get a flip top in Thailand for under 5,000 baht?

I checked the Nolan N37 from the previous wreck, when the dog more or less stopped us dead in the road (he died) and my fall was basically vertical. I lost a humerus, but nothing around my head. The deep gouges on the chinbar and visor would have remodelled my face into something much uglier and I would have eaten through a straw for months.

[willy1957]

A full face helmet is the safest to wear. It protects your teeth better;)))

No, seriously that kind of helmet is the best, I wear a Shoei Raid II. Not really cheap, but you only have one head.

[soihok]

A full face helmet is the safest to wear. It protects your teeth better;)))

No, seriously that kind of helmet is the best, I wear a Shoei Raid II. Not really cheap, but you only have one head.

100% agree . You dont get much luck in an accident or just simply grinding gently down the road on your face when you are doing any thing above 1 kmh.

I cant think why any one would want to run the risk of wearing a piss pot,,

You would ,nt look cool with no mouth.

I wear an Arai RX7 Doohan rep.

Edited July 24, 2008 by soihok