In most countries, wearing a helmet is mandatory, both for the rider and the passenger of the motorcycle. Wearing a high quality helmet while riding on a motorcycle helps protect you from fatal injuries in case of road accidents. Many would rather not wear a helmet because they want to feel the freedom of the wind blowing their hair. Wearing a helmet can be hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable especially during hot weather but it helps save permanent injuries and lives.
Majority of us know that wearing a helmet protects our head, brain, face, It is the responsibility of every motorcyclist to make sure that he or she wears a good quality helmet whenever riding on a motorcycle whether the requires it or not. There are different types of helmet designed and constructed for different types of ride. Motorcycle helmets are mainly classified into full face helmet, modular, open face, half helmet, off-road, and dual-sport helmets.
A full face helmet covers the top, back and front of the wearer’s head except for the eye port and it has a chin bar to protect the chin and the jaw. Choosing the right full face helmet depends on your riding position. A full face helmet with higher chin bar and the eye port angled slightly towards the top of the helmet are best suited for the hunched over riding position of sport riders. A full face helmet has special aerodynamics to prevent helmet lifting at high speeds and constructed with ventilation ducts near the top of the head to draw in air in a tuck position.
For cruisers or casual riders who usually ride their motorcycles with a more upright position, they need to find a full face helmet with a slightly different shape to match their ride. Full face cruiser helmets have lower chin bar, the eye port angled straight out, and more frontal air ducts. Cruiser helmets are designed to provide comfort and sound proofing. Some of these modern helmets come with add-ons such as Bluetooth, mps, rider-to-rider communications, etc.
Wearing a full face helmet with the visor closed will protect you from flying bugs or particles from hitting your face or eyes. Choose a full face helmet with adjustable ventilations to suit all weather conditions. The ventilations can be open to allow in air when riding in hot weather and they can be closed when riding in cold weather. Another thing to look for is the removable and washable lining or padding inside the helmet to avoid a smelly helmet.
If you are enjoying sunny weather most part of the year, then you will need to choose a cruiser helmet with visor that is of dark coloured lens to protect from the glare of the sun. Clear visors are suitable for those who prefer to cruise in the night. Another helpful feature is the built-in breath box to direct your exhalations away from the visor to avoid fogging your visor or a pinlock system having a second lens to create a double-paned barrier to prevent fogging.
When riding in cold weather, a full face helmet will keep the cold wind out and keep the warm in. Besides a full face helmet, motorcycle gloves will keep the motorcyclist hands warm during winter months and also protect the hands and fingers from fatal injuries in case of a fall or accident. Motorcyclists will also need a good quality all weather riding jacket to keep warm when riding in the night or when the weather is cold or rainy.