Why I always wear a helmet

[In the jungle]

This photo shows my helmet after a low speed crash today. The head impact was pretty big. It wasn't a glancing blow.

Without this helmet I would certainly have facial injuries and possibly a serious head injury. As it was I walked away with no obvious injuries..

Look at the damage to the helmet and imagine the same scenario with no helmet or a cheap open face helmet.

For a period of about 20 minutes after the crash I had significant memory loss. I called my wife but could not remember that she was working 500 km away as opposed to being at home.

My last crash was over 30 years ago.

This happened at night. In this crash I was forced to the side of the road by an oncoming truck that, I guess, was avoiding potholes on his side of the road. The result was that I went through a huge puddle that had within it a big pothole around 8 inches deep. I was doing less than 40 kph at the time.

I am not sure what happened next but the locals rushed out and pushed a bamboo pole with a plastic bag attached to it into the pothole so it's super safe now :-)

People around here laugh at me for always wearing a helmet. In some cases they die laughing.

[andrew55]

Thanks for the post In the jungle.

Very sobering. I also get a ribbing about my full-face but wouldn't be without it.

Glad that you're ok.

Nice to see that your Brain Bucket is a bright colour for visibility although the pot-hole obviously wasn't looking at it...

Seeing your post makes up for all the hot discomfort of the full-face. I'm usually sweating my bits off under armoured jacket, gloves, boots. Worth it

Enjoy your new helmet

Edited July 13, 2016 by andrew55

[maewang99]

What about thick leather gloves? I almost always wear a helmet, but can't even imagine ever not wearing gloves. If you leave the bike, or just skid, you might hesitate to use your hands to slide on the pavement etc... because the hands have so many nerves in them. Am I not right? Can't imagine not wearing gloves. A learned habit of mine from bicycling on the strand in LA everyday to work.. and everywhere else. We even have special gloves for cycling that are webbed on the top and padded leather on the bottom. Also used to unwedge glass shards before they work there way into the inner tube, that being merely a great time saver from having to patch a tube on the commute. But for local scooter riding I always wear thick leather work gloves. Also keeps your always exposed hands from aging spots etc.

Edited July 13, 2016 by maewang99

[Happy Grumpy]

imagine the same scenario with no helmet or a cheap open face helmet.

Or a young child sitting in front of you.

[guzzi850m2]

Good to hear you are okay @In the jungle.

Did the truck stop? If not, I hope the police is on the case, people here seems to take responsibility for their actions very lightly.

Yes helmet is a minimum safety gear to wear, admittedly I only wear "top hat helmet" when riding the scooter but on the big bike; gloves, mesh jacket and biker boots and off-course full face helmet.

Yes the gloves is a very good point, in +75% of the cases when you crash you will use your hands. I use finger-less gloves that will give some protection if you slide and use your hands to lessen the fiction on other parts on your body.

[overherebc]

What about thick leather gloves? I almost always wear a helmet, but can't even imagine ever not wearing gloves. If you leave the bike, or just skid, you might hesitate to use your hands to slide on the pavement etc... because the hands have so many nerves in them. Am I not right? Can't imagine not wearing gloves. A learned habit of mine from bicycling on the strand in LA everyday to work.. and everywhere else. We even have special gloves for cycling that are webbed on the top and padded leather on the bottom. Also used to unwedge glass shards before they work there way into the inner tube, that being merely a great time saver from having to patch a tube on the commute. But for local scooter riding I always wear thick leather work gloves. Also keeps your always exposed hands from aging spots etc.

A good pair of gloves is essential. I'm sure the OP would agree that hitting a pot-hole at even just 40 means you hit the road too quickly for the brain to consider thinking 'I must not put my hands out to stop myself'

It's an automatic reaction and is extremely painful, been there.

I just can't ride, or couldn't ride without both helmet and gloves. Got one of those flip up front helmets that let you open up at the lights and get a bit of a breeze on your hot sweaty face.

[dingerbel]

I am glad you are ok mate, seems you would of certainly lost your winning smile if not for the full face. I was knocked off my bike on satdee in BKK, he side swiped me on Rama 9, which wasn't fun. But, like you I was wearing full gear and so, no injuries thank goodness. 10k damage to my bike and already fixed and back on the road, dude drove off so guessing no insurance. Is what it is.

[richard_smith237]

Good post - With a whack to the head such as that it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest the helmet may have even saved your life.

[cooked]

I once drove into a swarm of savage insects at 150Km/hour. That hurt and stung like hell as I had the visor up.

I would never drive a bike without visor, but then again some people will never learn. Seen three dead motor cyclists in four years, one in a remote rural area. All bleeding from the ear.

[Kwasaki]

Glad your OK OP, and all protective gear such as mentioned gloves etc are a good thing.

What annoys me more than anything is just not Thai people but western riders more so that take up motorcycle riding here without getting proper training.

I guess though maybe another topic.

Ride to live.

[In the jungle]

The truck driver did not stop but I don't think he did too much wrong by Thai standards.

He could not know that by forcing me to move to the left I was heading for not merely a puddle but a huge pothole.

My trip was a six km round trip to the Seven to buy a packet of cigarettes. Even for such short low speed trips I always wear my helmet.

I have a bit of a headache this morning and a bruised nose but other than that no injuries.

Fixing the bike will be relatively cheap. It's the helmet that is the big expense. It's an Arai GP6. Fortunately I have two though the other one is in BKK which is 400 odd km away.

[Still Living]

Glad you're ok. Thanks for sharing. I've been wearing my half lid a lot lately. Good reminder to wear the full face. Could save your life even at low speeds.

[akampa]

could you let us know how much for your Arai GP6.

[ardokano]

could you let us know how much for your Arai GP6.

Why you think it's gp6?

Why not gp5 or sk6?

And yes its auto or carting helmet. But it's help.

Not see any reason ask price. Top price helmet it's only more comfort.

PS

And yes Thailand expensive country. But topic not about price, cost .. Etc

Edited July 14, 2016 by ardokano

[ardokano]

Good topic..

OP

Glad you're ok. Wish no more try any moto armor

[In the jungle]

The Arai GP6 is a car racing helmet.

I have it because I do a fair amount of track driving outside Thailand and to be allowed on track it has to have the right approvals.

I have the cheap version which is around GBP 600. The GP6 goes up to about GBP 2500 for the carbon version.

I also use it for motorcycling because I find it way better than any of the motorcycle helmets from Arai or Shoei.

It is very comfortable, very quiet at speed and has an excellent but very simple visor mechanism with a nearly rigid 4mm thick visor. I believe the visor thickness is a regulatory legacy of Senna's death to reduce the risk of penetration.

It lacks a Thai approval sticker though

[Kunjay]

A good brand helment is also essential such as your Arai,

When im cashed up ill buy the same as the cheaper versions offer little protection.

[leggo]

Much too sensible a post for thaivisa!!!

[bazza40]

I am somewhat baffled how some Thais can be doing 80km/hr plus without any form of eye protection, let alone a helmet. All it takes is one bug in the eye at that speed to create an accident.

Well done OP, riders who have had the good fortune to be saved by their helmets become Turtle Club members.

[AlQaholic]

Good OP and good story, thanks for sharing!

[Oldgumshoe]

It doesn't matter what speed you come off a bike injury is always a big chance. I will not ride in Thailand but in Australia I ride a Honda ST1100 and I always wear my protection gear, full face helmet, gloves, jacket with body armour, kevlar pants and boots even if I am just going to buy bread or fuel up. I came of my smaller bike at 20kph one time without the kevlar pants just jeans and I'm sure if I had not been wearing gloves helmet and jacket I would have had a lot more bark off than I did. Your post is excellant advise for all bike riders.

[tcris52]

Before moving to Thailand, I rode big bikes for quite a few years in the US. I would not even consider getting on without a helmet, even in helmet-optional states. I rode for a few years after moving to Thailand, but gave it up after taking a couple of falls...luckily at low speed or nearly stopped and with a helmet. Being nearing 70 years old also played a part. Figured I'd better give it up while I still was smart enough to.

A good incentive for wearing a helmet is to pass an accident where a person is laying on the ground with an obvious pool of blood around his or her un-helmeted head. I've seen that at least twice since I have been here. Even knowing that friends have been killed is not enough for most riders. In Thailand, nothing will change as long as there is not enforcement.They wear helmets to avoid a fine, not to avoid death.

[williet98248]

What about thick leather gloves? I almost always wear a helmet, but can't even imagine ever not wearing gloves. If you leave the bike, or just skid, you might hesitate to use your hands to slide on the pavement etc... because the hands have so many nerves in them. Am I not right? Can't imagine not wearing gloves. A learned habit of mine from bicycling on the strand in LA everyday to work.. and everywhere else. We even have special gloves for cycling that are webbed on the top and padded leather on the bottom. Also used to unwedge glass shards before they work there way into the inner tube, that being merely a great time saver from having to patch a tube on the commute. But for local scooter riding I always wear thick leather work gloves. Also keeps your always exposed hands from aging spots etc.

Indeed. Gloves are derigeur. After a MB crash many years ago without gloves, I had big problems using my hands for a week or so after. Raw meat. I bought some armored motocross gloves. They came in very handy (no pun intended) in subsequent crashes. I always wore a helmet on the motorbike and that saved me injury on a couple of occasions as well. A couple of years ago I fell down on an oil and rain slicked hill along with several other motorbikes. That was enough; I sold the motorbike. But I ride my road bicycle about 125 kms a week for exercise and to run errands. I still use the motocross gloves and a helmet on the bicycle. What really gets me is that sometimes I see people riding a motorbike wearing a face mask; to guard against fumes, I guess. But no helmet! Duh.

[soidogbob]

Glad your ok, I am guilty of wearing a piss pot lid when its a nip into town but 99% its a full face.

I've had a few spills here and just a .5km trip to 7eleven can be deadly.

My trip was a six km round trip to the Seven to buy a packet of cigarettes.

Smoking kills

[oxo1947]

Yes you need full face helmet---as in dingerbel post #6

I used to wear just the normal kind, ended up with being flown down to BKK for facial reconstruction. The only draw back to them because of price--is the K̄hmoy.

Certainly no good just securing it with the strap, I put a chain through my last one & still a security guard at a shopping centre disturbed 3 kids diligently taking the helmet apart to leave me with just the chain.

[Kiwiken]

Definitely helmet. Full face for distance riding. Always wear a jacket though roasting, Long pants too and shoes. Cannot believe the amount of riders and ex riders I have met with toes or part of a foot missing. I guess I know should wear a full face all the time. Have met a few Thai locals with missing and broken teeth from coming off their motorsei. Consider myself lucky so far 45 years of riding and no broken bones and maybe only 70 stitches. Buried too many friends along the way though. Good Post

[NoshowJones]

How much did you get paid for advertising the helmet, probably go for that one myself now.

[NoshowJones]

I once drove into a swarm of savage insects at 150Km/hour. That hurt and stung like hell as I had the visor up.

I would never drive a bike without visor, but then again some people will never learn. Seen three dead motor cyclists in four years, one in a remote rural area. All bleeding from the ear.

You have seen three dead motorcyclists, and yet you are still riding way over the speed limit

[Shiver]

Much too sensible a post for thaivisa!!!

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Maybe it's a Friday mad minute thing, and we'll all settle back into our respective characters soon enough.

To OP, it looks like it saved you not only from some serious (likely permanent) road rash, but possibly also some jaw bone and dental trauma.

The fact that you say you had short term memory issues says a lot more, as without a helmet you may now be in a persistent vegetative state rather than writing this up on TV. So well done in being pro-active.

After all, we're not mountain goats having head butting competitions, and there's very little buffer inside the human skull to dampen a sudden G change.

It's one of those things that makes me think about helmet cams again. The pain of a mistake (be it physical or the truck driver losing a weeks wages) is a better teacher than only nodding along in a classroom (assuming he's licensed and insured). The same trucks likely contributed most to the pot holes when going the other way anyhow. The roads here have to accommodate so many different types of vehicles (that's a polite way of saying repair potholes properly so it only has to get done once rather than being a repeat income stream for those tasked with the challenge. If it weren't for the work permit thing, I'd happily donate a day a week for free to go around repairing them, even out of my own pocket if need be, but then I'd be accused of stealing someones livelihood I guess (a livelihood that costs peoples lives).

[phuketandsee]

Great thread, thanks.

A question - I need a new full-face. My current one has a lift-up chin section (sorry, I don't know the correct term) but when I went shopping it seems nearly all the good ones are fixed. Is this because this type is stronger? I like the lift-up capability for ease of use though.

Also, anyone in Phuket know of a good place to buy? I went to Phuket Pro Biker on Suthat Rd in PT but they only have the fixed type and not many XL needed for my big, fat head.

Thanks