Riding with 'flip top' helmets up.

[jellywrestler]

I see a few riders with flip top helmets riding with the chin peice up. when these first come out it was an absolute no-no as it was a great way to break ones neck if the protrusion got caught on the road in a crash, are there now brands out there where this is OK to do or are these riders being naughty?

[eldog]

IMHO naughty
Some like to ride at slower speeds with it up.
I have heard nightmare stories of open faced helmets where the chin meets the road.

I like to have it closed. Doing it before I ride off is the only way I can be sure that both locks on the chin section engage. Its also quieter, no KB web access though.

How many riders on the track wear open faced helmets?

Probably same reason flip up ones aren't allowed there as well, I could be wrong.


You should start a survey

[ruaphu]

Yeah i got a couple of flip top helmets. Quite like the feature. Bonus when stopping to have a yack, drink, fuel up n stuff.

Won’t ride above fifty with it open, just feels all sorts of wrong.

Ambling through town, will occasionally have it up, bit of a bonus when stinking hot too.

And before the safety hecklers start their rants....... yeah I know, i ain’t perfect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gremlin]

Some helmets hold dual homologation (P and J) for having the chin bar down or up, and the helmet is legal in either configuration. There was talk a while ago that if the helmet wasn't dual homologation then riding with it up was actually breaking the law (which technically is correct, as the helmet would not hold certification in that configuration). Not all flip front/modular helmets are dual homologation (I know the Nolan N104 and N100-5 are, as I've had/have both). You've also got stuff like the N44? I think, where the chin is removable, and the 70-X2 or something, that has a removable peak, chin bar and so on (and also dual P and J)

As for safety, I hold the dubious honour of high-siding the BMW in front of a cop (it was midst cycle race and I'd just been speaking to him while rolling up a hill in front of the leaders) at ~40kph, with chin bar up. Helmet hit the deck, I mostly wondered how the fuck it happened at such a low speed as I sat on the road, and yes, ultimately, you're less protected, but in that situation I was fine, and I threw away a 6 month old helmet (that hurt the most). The Nolans also have a lock out to keep it up, so it doesn't suddenly shut on you as well.

I particularly like the Nolan N104/100-5 because the flip is actually elliptical, as it goes up it tucks into the helmet, rather than a straight pivot, which in my mind would catch the wind far more. I do a fair bit with events, marathon, triathlon, ironman, cycling etc, so having the flip means easier communication on the move, particularly with athletes, but also generally moving around and interacting. With the Nolan, the sun visor is independent of the state of the chin bar, so I can have the chin up, visor down and keep some eye protection against bugs etc. Higher speeds if I'm moving between groups or re-positioning, I'll generally close the chin bar, otherwise you get a decent amount of wind burn over the course of a half/full day.

[jellywrestler]

Some helmets hold dual homologation (P and J) for having the chin bar down or up, and the helmet is legal in either configuration. . it's not about the safety of the lid to protect the head, it's having something six inches longer sticking out that can catch on things and twist a neck to breaking point????????

[sidecar bob]

Sounds like people need to attend some training.:msn-wink:

[jasonu]

Sounds like people need to attend some training.:msn-wink:

I hear the IAMS course is a good one.

[Ulsterkiwi]

I ride with a Neotech, having used a Caberg and LS2 modular before.
I really do not like riding with the chin bar up. I do not feel well protected.
I will open it when stopped at lights or in a car park in hot weather.
I always open it when stopping for fuel etc.

In Fox township a few years ago I was fuelling up and walked into the shop on the forecourt to pay. My chin bar was up. I whacked it into the door lintel and nearly took my head off, just walking. Hence my comments above. ( I am getting on for 2m tall so doorways are a daily risk for me, my scalp has a series of scars)

I do not like the sense of imbalance either. To me the Shark EVO design where the chinbar roates to the back of the helmet is the only one I would ride with the bar open. They do not fit my ugly head so its not ever going to be an issue.

[pete376403]

Some people should not have flip front helmets (or motorcycles, for that matter) https://www.facebook.com/franciscogustavo.fernandezramos/videos/569817423907970/

[Navy Boy]

I have a Neotec and the thing I love most about it is the fact that I can simply flip the front open when I get to the security gate heading in and out of camp when they check IDs.

And yes I have ridden with the front flipped up. Normally around town and never above 30 Km/hr but they are a real godsend for security. :yes:

[jellywrestler]

I bumped into Dave who used to be the head honcho of ridesafe nz in mitre ten today, asked him, they are legal to ride open to 50km hour. There's speculation that what contributed to Michael Schumachers injuries was a small go pro camera on his helmet, imagine some thing many times the size helping twist a neck

[rustys]

I always ride chin part closed, if you want fresh air open yah visor. Picked I rider up once who had gone down with an open faced helmet, was'nt pretty.

[jellywrestler]

I hear the IAMS course is a good one.

IAMS is a pet food brand, what the fuck has that got to do with bikes?

[caspernz]

IAMS is a pet food brand, what the fuck has that got to do with bikes?

It serves as bait when someone is using a line that they expect a response to...only to bore those in the know :yawn:

[GazzaH]

It's flippin' useful while filling up with petrol, and for a breath of fresh air when stopped in traffic in the summer.

And yes I should be even more careful to flip down - and latch it properly - before moving off. Good call.

[Berries]

It's flippin' useful while filling up with petrol,
Why, do you open the petrol cap with your teeth or something?

[nerrrd]

To me the Shark EVO design where the chinbar roates to the back of the helmet is the only one I would ride with the bar open. They do not fit my ugly head so its not ever going to be an issue.

There’s an LS2 equivalent now if anyone is interested in the type that locks to the back.

https://www.motomail.co.nz/estore/style/ls2heff399g.aspx

[jellywrestler]

There’s an LS2 equivalent now if anyone is interested in the type that locks to the back.

https://www.motomail.co.nz/estore/style/ls2heff399g.aspx


all those marketing degrees let out into the country every year and yet an advert for a flip top helmet can not even have a photo of the top flipped!

[SaferRides]

It's a modular Jim, but not as we know it.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200630/87fa106a54c0755791c59c5a20e43e8b.jpg

[Bonez]

It's a modular Jim, but not as we know it.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200630/87fa106a54c0755791c59c5a20e43e8b.jpgMah..........

[Bonez]

It's a modular Jim, but not as we know it.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200630/87fa106a54c0755791c59c5a20e43e8b.jpgMah..........

[jellywrestler]

It's a modular Jim, but not as we know it.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200630/87fa106a54c0755791c59c5a20e43e8b.jpg

so you're spoon feeding the add people and doing their job for them?

[SaferRides]

so you're spoon feeding the add people and doing their job for them?Just curious how a flip up can flip that far.

Also found out that LS2 made the only modular that passed Snell 2010. Don't know who else tried though.

[GazzaH]

Why, do you open the petrol cap with your teeth or something?

Only if the key refuses to turn. Doesn't everyone? Love the whiff of petroleum fumes in the morning.