Would you? If you could?

[placidfemme]

I was reading the thread (and article) on the american football player in the accident on his busa... ended up with a broken jaw and nose and some other injuries...

I know that helmets are required in NZ, and most other countries...

However, if they made helmets optional in NZ, would you ride without one?

[The Stranger]

No way.
Hey I enjoyed my bins, but a big chicken at heart.

[Str8 Jacket]

Hell no! Accidents always seem to "find" me and thats not just when im on the bike! I would rather be prepared for the worst. You can live without limbs etc but trying to function with a damaged brain would just be cruel, not only for you but for your friends and family.

[SimJen]

I don't like flies hitting me in the eye or face at 140+ :) so no i'd definately wear one.

[Colapop]

i WEAR A LID COZ i LIKE MY HEAD....

[Nicksta]

Never...... i wrap up in all my gear even if its to go to the supermarket.....
over here in New Hampshire tho, it is not a requirement by law... and i have seen a few thousand bikes this week on the road... i counted 3 helmets so far.... :(

[Ixion]

I have, back when they were not compulsory. On the other hand I also wore one when they were not compulsory.

All depends on circumstances. As a philosophical prionciple I do not agree with helmets, seat belts etc being compulsory (And please spare the diatribes about the cost of medical treatment ACC etc. I'm pretty confident I've paid far more into the coffers of government and ACC over the years than most on this site, and never cost them a penny. )

[Str8 Jacket]

i WEAR A LID COZ i LIKE MY HEAD....

Yeah, but your the only one! :blah:

[Colapop]

- s'ok Hels you can try an scare them all off but my charisma keeps 'em coming! Sorry mate you can't keep me for yourself....

[Lou Girardin]

I have ridden without one. But, like seat belts, they are a habit for me now. I can't imagine not wearing them.
(Seen too many accidents not to)

[WickedOne]

I would not ride without a helmet, I have seen what accident victims look like who do wear helmets, let alone without...

[Sniper]

Nope, seen enough brains and asphalt to know that they dont mix well

[Str8 Jacket]

- s'ok Hels you can try an scare them all off but my charisma keeps 'em coming! Sorry mate you can't keep me for yourself....

NO! No, surely you dont mean that :cry: :cry:

I'll do whatever it takes, i'll even stalk you if I have to.... I know where you live!

[Kendog]

Would always wear a helmet (except for a a quick buzz to the end of the driveway), for the same reason as I would never ride in shorts,a tee shirt and jandles.
Funny though, when I was young and used to ride horses constantly, I never wore a helmet, never thought of it, until I met someone who had had their head stood on by a horse. Went out and bought myself a helmet the next day ( as well as having to wear one when competing), and just feels weird to not wear one now. Same principle I guess, just about 120 kms faster!
Mrs KD

[MSTRS]

It's a no brainer. What a nong I am :slap: - ticked the 'yes' thinking it meant with - doh!! Meant I'd wear one all the time.

[emaN]

Nope.
Don't knock it 'til you try it. (excuse the pun).

Yes it's dangerous... but it's a wikkid feeling!
Did it whenever i could when we did our US trip; nothing like riding through a Rocky Mountain national park with complete freedom.
Nothing like walking over to yer bike, starting her up & just riding off...

[Pumba]

I have seen the result of a minor head injurry in my father as a result of a car accident and I can asure your it is shit you dont want to go through, let alone the head injury that I am sure would result from not having a cage around you and hitting the road

[WRT]

I have ridden atv's and farm bikes up and down quiet rural unsealed roads without a helmet, but I'd be damned if I would get on a road bike round town without one. Gone without gloves once or twice, but now the bare minimum I will wear is helmet, mx gloves (if its hot), jacket and jeans. Even on hot days I still tend to wear leggings etc.

One thing for sure - I would NEVER take a pillion on the road who wasnt wearing one. Even back in the day pottering round Great Barrier Island on a trailie, if I picked up a mate on the side of the road, they'd get my helmet and I'd go without.

[Squeak the Rat]

FREEEEDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOM!

I would ride without a helmet on VERY RARE occasions.

But I've suffered enough concussions already in my life though so it would be very rare (and short) indeed.

What I find amusing is that people who don't wear helmets are labelled as stupid from what I can work out because they are taking a risk when they could make their heads safer by encassing it in a helmet. The same bikers could also make their whole bodies safer by enclossing it in a car! (Slight tangent, and apologies it's been done to death)

PS - Ditto on the pillion thing. My worst nightmare is the person on the back getting hurt.

[Goblin]

I have "tested" my bike up & down my old country road without a lid on & hated it. The wind & bugs got in my eyes and I had ear-ache for hours afterwards. I love my lid & would never even consider riding without it, even if it were legal.

[Lazy7]

considering its possible to kill yourself if you fall wrong off the bottom rung of a ladder standing still - even a minor spill from a bike without a helmet is deadly.

whats worse. you could wind up a vegetable.

broken bones - okay.
broken head, not being able to think right and/or spend the rest of your life drooling. fucken shit.

[terbang]

Helmets keep me hair from getting too wind swept..!:weird:

[Squeak the Rat]

broken bones - okay.
broken head, not being able to think right and/or spend the rest of your life drooling. fucken shit.

A decent concussion can affect people for 12+ months - mood, memory, mood, memory etc. You are right, a big hit would not = nice.......

[SpankMe]

Wouldn't mind not having to wear a helmet on hot days for short trip to the shops.

[chickenfunkstar]

I've ridden around the block a few times after push starting my old bike. I'd probably consider going to the shops without one. I've ridden push bikes at about 50kph and the sensation of speed is more than 215kph down the back straight of Pukekohe. I could understand why you'd want to ride without one.

[Motu]

Not a good set of choices on the poll,I don't do track days.There are specific times I would ride without a helmet,I would choose the time and place.I rode in the days when a helmet wasn't compulsory,but there were times when I chose to put a helmet on....these days I would choose when to leave it off.I survived the horendous stupidity of my teenage years without a helmet,after many falls I had no head injuries.I would like the choice - but after all these years of wearing All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT) I don't feel comfortable unless I've got it all on.

[Jamezo]

I'm not a fan of the wind, nor brain damage, so I'd never consider it.

Finn's avatar is enough of a discouragement. On both counts, it looks like.

[kiwifruit]

broken head, not being able to think right and/or spend the rest of your life drooling. fucken shit.
i agree
I'd always wear a lid

[HDTboy]

I'd ride without one on rare occasions, such as: Cruising around at The Mount in the peak of summer, and going for a short blat round the block after just getting the bike running and not wanting to go inside all filthy

[bobsmith]

I'm allergic to wind and element and.... extremly allergic to nature... so I always ride with full face helmet, neck cover and lid closed... which is why I just got myself a antifog insert for my visor... I hate leaving my lid open for any minute... I would walkaround with my lid on if I wouldn't look so stupid.

[onearmedbandit]

I've done a couple rides up the street sans-helmet, felt ok at the time. (low speed stuff). Then I thought about the consequences, no definately would wear a lid. Just isn't worth it imo.

[2much]

Only reason i wear a helmet when round town is the legal aspect. Done a few trips down the street without it and love it. So yeah I'd go without it around town in the 50k zone.

[Biohazard]

DAMN even open face helmets make me worry -

Full face lids all the way with me...

Better safe than sorry - sod the human rights thingy people use as an excuse.

Keep it wrapped :blip:

[Lou Girardin]

So why aren't cagers forced to wear helmets?
It would undoubtedly cut the road toll.

[placidfemme]

wow, thats a lot of responses...

I personally wouldn't ride my bike without my helmet on for the following reasons:

1. I like my head intact and looking normal (well as normal as possible)
2. Wind in my face will make my eyes water, causing too much danger at any speed above 60kph
3. Wind in my face makes my lips super dry and then they hurt for days afterwards

And a few other reasons... but basically I think its not a good idea (safety wise), but as a few people have mentioned already, it should be choice for some people, not forced on everyone...

Like maybe all learners and restricted license holders should be made to wear them, once you've got your full its your head, your life, your choice...

[Bend-it]

Had a crash in Thailand on a rental. There, helmets are optional, and the only ones available are open face ones... Had abit of scrapping on the helmet there, and it would have been my head if not for the bit of plastic there.

Lost enough skin on my right arm and leg (riding in shorts and tshirt, as happens there, real smart). Quite happy to have kept the skin on my head. Could see MY skin and blood on the road along where I had slided while limping back to pick uo the bike... Not pretty... Always wear a helmet.

[Korea]

Had a crash in Thailand on a rental.
Lost enough skin on my right arm and leg (riding in shorts and tshirt, as happens there, real smart). Quite happy to have kept the skin on my head. Could see MY skin and blood on the road along where I had slided while limping back to pick uo the bike... Not pretty... Always wear a helmet.
Yep... saw a couple of travellers walking around with similar road-rash last time I was in Thailand.

[u4ea]

i am a rare occasion rebel:blip: .......ok at low speeds but otherwise would like to keep my hair on and brains intact:eek5:

[Korea]

Saw a truely horrific medical photo which will not be reposted here...
Guy did a penguin dive over his handlebars and touched down chin first.
Entire jaw gone, ground away up to the nose... the term 'Squid Face' springs to mind. Worst of all... I think he survived.

And now for something completely different:
"What is the point of the helmet when you are skydiving? If you jump out of a plane and your parachute doesn't open, that helmet is now wearing you for protection," - Seinfeld

[Bend-it]

Yeah, took a photo of my road rash as well... will have a hunt around for it...

[Wolf]

Years ago would have answered differently but now, frankly, I feel "naked" if I just have my jeans and not my leggings.

I've aged into a proponent of ATGATT.

Will happily ride around safe private areas without a helmet at low speeds but not out on the road with all the other morons and not at speeds where insects can hurt like hell and the wind noise over exposed ears drowns out the bike's engine.

Even at low speeds, though, the danger is there. The big danger is a sideways topple onto the ground and bashing your head. Even on "soft" earth your skull is going to stop suddenly and the soft squishy pink and grey stuff is going to keep going in accordance with Newtonian physics - and it's going to slam hard into the bone of your skull.

A helmet's lining is designed to deform slowly, decelerating your skull slowly so that the brain is likewise decelerated slowly with hopefully less disastrous results.

So even toppling from a stationary bike - especially an enduro bike - can potentially brain damage you for life if you don't have a helmet.

You don't have to be travelling at speed to seriously fuck yourself up. The only way travelling slow makes it safer is the increased reaction time.

As to blatting down the road at speed with no helmet on - how safe are you really when your eyes are screwed up against the wind and watering like hell? Can you actually see anything smaller than a truck?

[Biff]

Having recently seen the mess not wearing a lid can make of your head (and brain) while travelling at slow speeds, and being hit by car, I'd wear mine 99% of the time.

[Wolf]

It's a no brainer. What a nong I am :slap: - ticked the 'yes' thinking it meant with - doh!! Meant I'd wear one all the time.
I did precisely the same thing. :doh: :slap:

We're gettin' old, J, all the more reason for us to wear lids to protect what little addled brains we have.

My correct answer is "No, not at all" - in the context of legally riding on the road without a helmet. Cautiously off road, but even then rarely.

[blacksheep]

most motorcyclists look better with thier mugs covered up,speaking for myself of course.

[Ixion]

I actually went for a little ride the other week, without helmet, gloves, jacket, anything.

I'd stopped for a drink at the Grand Hotel in Helensville.

Parked the bike out the front of the building.

Got inside and settled down, Speights and coffee to hand and decided I needed my phone. Drat, 'tis out at the bike, locked up.

So I trundled out with key, got there and thought "Hm, this is silly, bike's parked HERE where I can't see it, if it was round the corner in the other street, outside the window beside where I'm sitting, I could keep an eye on it. Ought to move it"

But I'd taken off helmet, gloves jacket , all back in pub. And I couldn't be bothered to go back and get them all, let alone get into them .To move 100 yards round the corner.

So I done did it, started up and rode round the corner, up the road a bit, U turn and back to park outside the window.

No helmet, no gloves, no jacket , no leggings (still had my boots on).

Felt DECIDEDLY odd! All sort of naked and exposed.

[Wolf]

Felt DECIDEDLY odd! All sort of naked and exposed.
You look suspiciously at cars three blocks away and wonder if they're going to hit you and before you turn across the road you look left then right then left then right then left then right then...

[Ixion]

No not really. Just kept thinking "there's something wrong here"

[Waylander]

Hell yea. Hardly used my helmet till I left the states.

Though admitedly the bugs hitting me in the face would get annoying here.

[Wolf]

No not really. Just kept thinking "there's something wrong here"
Got that feeling the other night when I suited up and rode up the street only to discover I'd left my glasses on the TV set at home.

I also get it when I just throw on jacket, helmet and gloves and go up to the shops - the cool wind over my jeans is a constant reminder I'm half naked.

[trumpy]

Having to visit 35 yr old patients who dribble constantly, are fed by a tube, pee thru a tube into a bag and have to wear oversize nappies to prevent them shitting on the floor, all for not having worn a bicycle helmet when they should have gives one a little perspective on the possible consequences of bouncing your head on the road at even a low speed.
Never mind the money, it's a sad and tragic waste of what might have been a great life. I love eating great food (check my waistline):love: , drinking fine drinks, disposing of the execess into a toilet rather than my pants or bed, conversing with friends, riding my bike, having sex (yes even at my age):blip: , fooling around with my kids etc, etc. and want to continue to do so for some time yet.
Wear your lid.::yes: :

[Edbear]

Nope.
Don't knock it 'til you try it. (excuse the pun).

Yes it's dangerous... but it's a wikkid feeling!
Did it whenever i could when we did our US trip; nothing like riding through a Rocky Mountain national park with complete freedom.
Nothing like walking over to yer bike, starting her up & just riding off...




HAd a Bumble Bee whack into my visor at 120k/mh the other week. MAn it sounded and felt like a rock! HAte to think what would have happened if it hit my bare head!

[Edbear]

(yes even at my age):blip:



Whaddayamean, "Even!" :innocent:

[Wolf]

HAd a Bumble Bee whack into my visor at 120k/mh the other week. MAn it sounded and felt like a rock! HAte to think what would have happened if it hit my bare head!

Got a bee between the top of the goggles and the helmet on my bare forehead one time when wearing an open face. I can testify that it's not fun. Its last act was to sting in self defence.

Now I wear full face helmets.

[bobsmith]

And a few other reasons... but basically I think its not a good idea (safety wise), but as a few people have mentioned already, it should be choice for some people, not forced on everyone...

Like maybe all learners and restricted license holders should be made to wear them, once you've got your full its your head, your life, your choice...

Completely agreed. I would never go riding without a helmet, but at the end of the day, it's your life and you're responsible for it. It's supposed be a free country anyway. Otherwise hell they might as well make it illegal for people to participate in sports which could be dangerous (i.e. motorsports, etc...)

As for your idea of making it compulsory for learner's and restricted licence holders - well something I never thought about but it sounds like a great idea. Suppose they are deemed not experienced enough to ride bigger bikes, etc, they can have a year or so to decide if they really want to go helmet-less.

Anyhow, I'm glad someone's thinking...

[ZorsT]

what is the fine for no helmet?

around where i live, i'd go lidless some of the time

[ajturbo]

there was this one time.....

that i was up MT Egmont, it was the middle of the summer ( after wanganui) and it was HOT, my brother and i were on CX 500's and it was HOT.. so on the trip down the montain road, i decided NOT to ware the helmet... oh it was sooo HOT.. and the cooling wind in my hair was just orgasmic... lol.. but then we got closer to the main rd and i pulled over and put the helmet back on.... turned the very next corner..... and yes there was a revenue colect!!!.. luckly we weren't speeding eh!

luke and i don't use the helmets on the road outside our place when we are popping down the road to do something, but i do make him ware one when he is on th DT..

[Edbear]

[QUOTE=Wolf]I've aged into a proponent of ATGATT.QUOTE]



Me too!

In the old days before full face helmets became the norm, I used a leather face mask with the goggles. Riding gear was my old forestry work boots and an Army Greatcoat! Should have taken a picture of meself in full riding gear back then! LOL!!!! :second:

[Big Dave]

It should be my choice - sometimes I wouldn't - mostly I would.
Helmet Laws Suck.

[scumdog]

wow, thats a lot of responses...

I personally wouldn't ride my bike without my helmet on for the following reasons:

1. I like my head intact and looking normal (well as normal as possible)
2. Wind in my face will make my eyes water, causing too much danger at any speed above 60kph
3. Wind in my face makes my lips super dry and then they hurt for days afterwards

And a few other reasons... but basically I think its not a good idea (safety wise), but as a few people have mentioned already, it should be choice for some people, not forced on everyone...

Like maybe all learners and restricted license holders should be made to wear them, once you've got your full its your head, your life, your choice...

Most (if not all) STates in the US require 'eye protection' even if not wearing a helmet.

Most guys out on the interstates I saw had big-arsed screens to protect them anyway.

Most freeway/interstates are two lanes each way over there - no traffic crossing the centre of the road and no road debris being flung at you from the other side of the road.

[oldrider]

I believe in the freedom to choose for my self but I would always choose to wear a helmet when I ride my bike seriously.

I would not wear one to go round the corner to my son in law's house to pump up my tyres. (less than 100 meters minimal traffic)

I do not wear one to ride up my one way street and back in the gate after washing my bike outside the gate on the side of the road.

Any further than that I put on helmet, jacket, gloves and boots minimum protection.(must get some draggin jeans)

I never had any protection gear for years (didn't have to) and I learned every safety lesson the hard way, lost a lot of skin and lost a lot of friends the hard way too.

Fifty two years of riding bikes and having seen most of the harm that we can do to ourselves, I choose to wear the gear but I want it to be my decision not some frigging bureaucrat threatening to take something off me if I don't.

I love the wind in my face too, it's like the freedom you feel when skinny dipping but would you want to feel that freedom in a pool full of alligators?

Old proverb: "Learn from the mistakes of others, we haven't got time to make them all our selves!"

I dedicate my still being alive to all my friends who died teaching me the lessons. I choose to wear safety gear almost without fail. Damn it! Cheers John.

PS: I voted "Yes all the time" there was no other category suitable. (IMHO) (I see a lot of enrolments for the school of hard knocks, good luck!)

[avgas]

i had 32 fractures in my leg, 16 that were full brakes. I crashed at 30kph, and was wearing armoured everything except my jeans.
I did not crash but was hit.
Anyone else want to pop down to dairy without a helmet?
Saying goes, got a $20 head wear a $20 helmet. How much head u got wif no helmet?

[Gremlin]

I have tried accelerating hard with my visor up, and I struggled to breathe. The same for speeds above 100, although the visor can close the last few notches at about 130-140... I have no idea how the hell people can ride in open face helmets :gob:

I have ridden around the sub-divisions I am working in, without the helmet, as its a few hundred metres etc, and the bike is way too loud.

It would simply be impossible to ride without a visor'd helmet for simple reasons like that, let alone the thought of being barely alive, with head injuries etc.

[Ixion]

Uh, we did manage with open face lids back in the day. And managed to keep breathing.

[onearmedbandit]

I posted this in another thread:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about this then. Now most of the people here talking 'individual-choice' are experienced riders, some with many miles and years under their belts. Shit some of these guys might not have had an 'off' for many years as well. So from their perspective, I can see why they feel that way.

But stop to think of other riders for a minute, especially those who are maybe considering their first bike. Now as we all know, image is a part of motorcycling. Whether you want one or not, you've got one. So young newbie wanting to look as cool as possible, takes advantage of the no hemlet law and rides the streets for the first time. Ever. I'm not saying he's destined to come off, but his chances are higher than most. I not arguing that this is the sole reason we should have helmet laws, but I feel it is an important one.

New riders and those with little experience are the ones we need to be thinking of here, not only ourselves.

[Motu]

I think people should be made to ride across a city with no helmet - selfpreservation is a great learning tool....it might wake them up.

[SARGE]

I was reading the thread (and article) on the american football player in the accident on his busa... ended up with a broken jaw and nose and some other injuries...

I know that helmets are required in NZ, and most other countries...

However, if they made helmets optional in NZ, would you ride without one?



i rode for 30 years without one .. ever had a problem.. only time i had one on was in the pissing rain and long trips on the freeway ( over 80 mph)..


but we actually WATCHED for bikes back home .. not ike the cock smoking cagers in Aucklad

[Badcat]

i always wear a full-face - can't even wear an open face without feeling very insecure.

[NC]

You have to wear a helmet, it's fucked if you don't!

[Dooly]

Yep, I'd wear one always on the road.

I know I should wear a helmet off road, but I only ride the dirt bikes on my land, and dont, so.....:wait:
Bad habit I guess.

[bobsmith]

I posted this in another thread:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about this then. Now most of the people here talking 'individual-choice' are experienced riders, some with many miles and years under their belts. Shit some of these guys might not have had an 'off' for many years as well. So from their perspective, I can see why they feel that way.

But stop to think of other riders for a minute, especially those who are maybe considering their first bike. Now as we all know, image is a part of motorcycling. Whether you want one or not, you've got one. So young newbie wanting to look as cool as possible, takes advantage of the no hemlet law and rides the streets for the first time. Ever. I'm not saying he's destined to come off, but his chances are higher than most. I not arguing that this is the sole reason we should have helmet laws, but I feel it is an important one.

New riders and those with little experience are the ones we need to be thinking of here, not only ourselves.

Your concern is understood, and I actually feel the same way, so I'm pointing you to the earlier post by placiefemme:



Like maybe all learners and restricted license holders should be made to wear them, once you've got your full its your head, your life, your choice...

I thought that was a great idea...

[onearmedbandit]

Yeah, sounds good to me. However how do the Police know who can and can't wear a helmet without pulling you over first? Sure they can run a license check from the rego tags, but you can't be sure if the rider is the owner.

[Ixion]

No more difficult than for the cops to tell if the guy on the 600 is allowed to ride it. Or if he's allowed to be riding at this time of night. Or if he should be carrying that pillion. No way they can tell if he's only on a restricted. So, same deal. You get pulled up for something and , oh dear, you're only on a restricted . And on a 600cc. With a pillion. After 10pm. AND no helmet either. Kar-ching.

So it just becomes another condition of the restricted licence. "Must wear a helmet at all times". Not necessarily endorsing the idea, but it would be workable enough.

[Lou Girardin]

No helmet, no gloves, no jacket , no leggings (still had my boots on).

Felt DECIDEDLY odd! All sort of naked and exposed.

I do that at work, to get bikes to and from the workshop. I had a cop drive past and not batt an eyelid, I was on the footpath as well.
Must be that discretion thing huh.

[oldrider]

It's rules for this, rules for that, that really gets up my nose.

How well did the traffic behave in Auckland during the power outage and loss of 300 traffic lights?

My understanding is that personal responsibility took over and everything went very well!

No accidents or injuries through people cooperating with each other to get through the problem period.

There is a video of an Indian street intersection with no lights apparently no rules, just a desire to get about their business without incident.

Works for them!

NZ is one of the most highly regulated countries in the world.

Rules rule here and any problem is fixed with a new rule or a bloody tax to slow things down. Wake up NZ. :nya:

[ManDownUnder]

I wouldn't ride without a full face - but that's just me.

Others are welcome to - no worries. Personal responsibility as OldRider said. If you/they want hurt your good selves... be my guest. Just don't put up my ACC or anything else to pay for your injuries...