Riding without helmets?

[carver]

i just did a bit of this around my area while adjusting my headlight, even did a few wheelies!
it made me think of how much fun it is riding around town without a helmet, thats why a MX or open face is so much fun to ride with, it makes it feel more fast, more pure

any of you do this, i met a dude on a b king who was going to do it down some back roads, at first we thought he was mad, but i guess he wasn't going to go hard

[yod]

oh look, carver's trolling again

how clever

can someone PD this, or better yet delete the whole thing?

[CookMySock]

a real nice bloke down the street rode his dirtbike out the gate onto the road, turned around back toward the gate to ride straight back in again, and slipped on a patch of gravel and high-sided it. Now hes a fuckin vegetable. He had just got married too, and his mrs was pregnant with their first.

No, this is a true story. Oh, he had no helmet on. haha, funny ay. not.

DB

[carver]

oh look, carver's trolling again

how clever

can someone PD this, or better yet delete the whole thing?

so you dont eh?
how about we PD YOU!

[yod]

so you dont eh?
how about we PD YOU!

:killingme

whatever

[carver]

a real nice bloke down the street rode his dirtbike out the gate onto the road, turned around back toward the gate to ride straight back in again, and slipped on a patch of gravel and high-sided it. Now hes a fuckin vegetable. He had just got married too, and his mrs was pregnant with their first.

No, this is a true story. Oh, he had no helmet on. haha, funny ay. not.

DB

not funny no, but its his life, his head, his risk.

[yod]

.... his life, his head, his risk.....

....your taxes.....

:killingme

[carver]

....your taxes.....

:killingme

sucks eh....why should i be forced to pay for him

[Disco Dan]

not funny no, but its his life, his head, his risk.

Can we not just hit you over the head with a large brick and save you the trouble? And save the rest of the trouble of paying for your care with our taxes?

...more I think about it the more problems it would solve. :whistle:

[Soul.Trader]

Lets not indulge this idiot.

[mstriumph]

*wonders how long it will be before this degenerates into yet another 'full safety gear' debate*:whistle:

[carver]

Can we not just hit you over the head with a large brick and save you the trouble? And save the rest of the trouble of paying for your care with our taxes?

...more I think about it the more problems it would solve. :whistle:

your welcome to try danny boy.
im not dead or injured yet, till then...

[mark247]

you are the king of all trolls.

[ZeroIndex]

....your taxes.....

:killingme
I'm stealing your taxes..... Carver will vouch for me

[sosman]

do what ever you want! who gives a toss

[McDuck]

Fuck-i agree with carver!

It is very pleasant riding without a helmet. At tech i have a locker that i can store my riding gear in during class but i park my bike withen a few meters of the room i am in (dont really work when i am upstairs) so i ride across the campus very slowly c=and carefully and it is such a nice feeling, i wish it wasn't so dangerous.

[carver]

I'm stealing your taxes..... Carver will vouch for me

exactly, your have been on the dole for over a year, thats over ten grand in tax money.

[Big Dave]

No no no - this is where you bleat about 'my acc levies' and then some will start lecturing on how 'see! it's not motorcycles that are dangerous - it's riders.'

Then we moan about 'ruining our reputation'.

[carver]

Fuck-i agree with carver!

It is very pleasant riding without a helmet. At tech i have a locker that i can store my riding gear in during class but i park my bike withen a few meters of the room i am in (dont really work when i am upstairs) so i ride across the campus very slowly c=and carefully and it is such a nice feeling, i wish it wasn't so dangerous.

good on ya mate, i blast around here without a helmet cause getting caught out here is slim.
not often though, and usually at night!

[SixPackBack]

Yeah its bad okay, dangerous as all fuck. But consider many American states still reject the use of helmets and it gets you thinking........having tried it meself I can confirm how enjoyable the wind blowing through the hair is, while Taupo trackdays would not tickle my pee-pee without a lid, cruising some back-roads on a fine sunny day has to be experienced.

[carver]

Yeah its bad okay, dangerous as all fuck. But consider many American states still reject the use of helmets and it gets you thinking........having tried it meself I can confirm how enjoyable the wind blowing through the hair is, while Taupo trackdays would not tickle my pee-pee without a lid, cruising some back-roads on a fine sunny day has to be experienced.

but you always agree with me!
its great eh, thats why i always have a open face at my place with no visor, its the closest you can get, almost perfect peripheral vision, and the wind in your face.
a feeling of PURE FREEDOM

[Jiminy]

For those who are thinking about riding without a helmet, here is some nice reading:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=73213

And the guy DID have a helmet...

[Motu]

Having started riding bikes before helmets were compulsory (they were required above 30mph,but everyone just rode without) I've ridden plenty without a helmet,at speeds over 100mph (160kph) and crashed plenty of times too.Only hit my head on the ground once....felt a bit woozy,but no grazing and no concussion.

Guess us old guys were just made of stronger stuff than the young pretenders.

[Boob Johnson]

Riding on a farm bike flat out without a helmet, now that is fun :clap:

[yod]

Having started riding bikes before helmets were compulsory (they were required above 30mph,but everyone just rode without) I've ridden plenty without a helmet,at speeds over 100mph (160kph) and crashed plenty of times too.Only hit my head on the ground once....felt a bit woozy,but no grazing and no concussion.

Guess us old guys were just made of stronger stuff than the young pretenders.

or maybe you were just lucky you didnt end up using your face as a brake?

[Big Dave]

or maybe you were just lucky you didnt end up using your face as a brake?

maybe he's just a skillful rider.

[yod]

maybe he's just a skillful rider.

maybe

worth the risk?

[Metalor]

Believe it or not, riding without a helmet was actually what got me into riding bikes in the first place. It was my mates mini chopper (haha:o) at the time... pissed and riding down royal road at about 3am. The feeling of the wind in my hair (as gay as it sounds) is what did it for me. All I could think about after that was getting a motorbike, so i did!

[Big Dave]

maybe

worth the risk?

Yeah - occasionally.

[HungusMaximist]

For all the chums who says riding without a helmet is fun I recommend you visit this site www.Ride2Die.com

[Crasherfromwayback]

Only hit my head on the ground once....felt a bit woozy,but no grazing and no concussion.

Guess us old guys were just made of stronger stuff than the young pretenders.


maybe he's just a skillful rider.


Yeah - occasionally.

I'm going with the fact that you're taking the piss.

[Big Dave]

OK - I wouldn't/don't recommend it to anyone - and particularly not noobs. Which was PTing.

But then, yeah, there are low speed conditions where I wouldn't wear one, the vast majority of time I would.

They are compulsory so it's all moot anyway.

Off road and round Mabel's farm is where I would absolutely wear one.

[muzz]

Gee Motu you showing your age a bit there, but hey I now where your coming from and yes riding with out a lid is a good feeling just crusing around the back roads. Helps clear the head and let you know that your still alive.

[Big Dave]

Would TE Lawrence have penned his prose from behind a pinlock visor I asks ya?

Would Che have written the motorcycle diaries if they had their conversations via nudges or an intercom.

I guess they weren't dealing with chip seal, B-doubles and bikes that do 200mph. Or the Punjabi, Fijian and Korean road codes all being applied simultaneously.

When Motu was blatting around without a lid 100mph was a target. Now it's first gear.

Riding up that street with all the Oak trees in Hastings, at dusk, on a sunny summer afternoon.....oh well. Gimme Hi tech over romance any day.

Buckle up and Roll that power on.

[swbarnett]

....your taxes.....

:killingme
And well worth the price for a free society.

I'm not condoning their actions but I will defend their right to be a prick if they want to. Hell, there a lot of people that thinks we're pricks for riding in the first place, no matter how much protective gear we wear.

[Subike]

Having started riding bikes before helmets were compulsory (they were required above 30mph,but everyone just rode without) I've ridden plenty without a helmet,at speeds over 100mph (160kph) and crashed plenty of times too.Only hit my head on the ground once....felt a bit woozy,but no grazing and no concussion.

Guess us old guys were just made of stronger stuff than the young pretenders.

Yeah what he said.
Learning to ride back in the days of oil leaks, cross ply tyers, 40c a gallon (4liters) 100 octane fuel, and smoking two strokes,( i mean smoke, lots!)
mini skirts and Traffic Patrol cars , with out helmets....yeah, that was good,
No wind noise, just noise, no dirty visor, just a pair of Sharkies. If it rained? well you got wet hair....but could see the road clear as .
But there was only %40 of the traffic volume of today,
You could ride from CHCH to Nelson and pass only 100 cars the entire trip, not 100 cars on the "motorway" heading out of town. And another 1000 idiots cutting corners, hugging center lines, traveling at 90k....Progress??
Your bike could do 100mph, and that was about it, unless you rode a Triumph!
Yeap riding without a helmet on todays roads......suicide.
Riding without a helmet 40 years ago......bliss!

[awayatc]

Maybe people should be able to get exemptions ftom having to wear a helmet...?:clap:
Like when it has been established that there is nothing inside a persons head worth protecting....?;)

Sue Breadbox comes to mind....:spanking:.....

[SixPackBack]

but you always agree with me!
its great eh, thats why i always have a open face at my place with no visor, its the closest you can get, almost perfect peripheral vision, and the wind in your face.
a feeling of PURE FREEDOM

Dude I can't agree with myself some times:shutup:

The helmet thing; Probably the best place to experience the freedom these days would be Fiji or one of the islands!

[Grub]

it made me think of how much fun it is riding around town without a helmet,

Mate, given that a teen was killed doing just that on the weekend and given some of your other recent posts (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1558300&postcount=1), I'd say go for it.

Do it, do it soon and do it fast.

[Zuki Bandit]

i just did a bit of this around my area while adjusting my headlight, even did a few wheelies!
it made me think of how much fun it is riding around town without a helmet, thats why a MX or open face is so much fun to ride with, it makes it feel more fast, more pure

any of you do this, i met a dude on a b king who was going to do it down some back roads, at first we thought he was mad, but i guess he wasn't going to go hard
Ahhhhhhh NO!

[madbikeboy]

Shit, can't help myself...

risk mitigation falls into two categories -
Category one is the stuff I can control to reduce my chances of dying.
Category two is the stuff I can't control.

Wearing a lid falls firmly into category one. The more stuff in category one = the more chance you have of not becoming road kill. Have you ever had a brain injury? I had a series of concussions from mountain biking, I was wearing proper protective gear, but your brain suffers deceleration trauma when it's stopped suddenly. You have precisely zero control over that.

I had 2 years of bad memory (forgetting peoples names, whom I'd known for years), reduced problem solving ability, more insomnia, low patience levels. I wasn't allowed to ride or drive for two months. You think whoever you're bonking right now would stay around and hang with you if you were like that?

Keep in mind that my impacts were low speed, onto soft sand and dirt.

You're young and stupid, it takes life's lessons to become old and wise. Some people never graduate to being old and wise, I suspect that you will be one of those that Darwin and Grim will be taking care of.

[yungatart]

Its good to see that you value yourself as much as the rest of us do....

[Morcs]

I ride with a MX helmet on the motard. With goggles.

I feel so cool yet so gay at the same time.

[ManDownUnder]

oh look, carver's trolling again

how clever

can someone PD this, or better yet delete the whole thing?

Don't be mean. Someone had to fill Skiddy's shoes. (Done a good job too)

[ManDownUnder]

I ride with a MX helmet on the motard. With goggles.

I feel so cool yet so gay at the same time.

Try adding a pocket proctector - you get to include that hint of geek at the same time

[BOGAR]

The first time a big bug hit me square in the middle of my visor with what sounded like a gun shot i swore i would never even try riding without a helmet on. Aside from all the other risks.

[Morcs]

The first time a big bug hit me square in the middle of my visor with what sounded like a gun shot i swore i would never even try riding without a helmet on. Aside from all the other risks.

yep ive had that. 30 seconds after putting my visor down. Now that scared me.

[EJK]

I'm preety sure there should be atleast one here on KB whos got bug-slapped on his/her face...

Well yeah, bugs hurt like hell even when it hits your chest... I mean big ones

[megageoff76]

Its worse when a bee finds it way in, and then stings you in the neck while trying to escape.

[Big Dave]

Oooh a bee! How terrifying. What will we ever do.

[megageoff76]

Dunno...Bee there or Bee square??

[Big Dave]

:-)

bee hard

[PrincessBandit]

well, lotsa replies seem to fall into the category of visor up/down rather than lid/no lid. As far as helmet wearing is concerned, I was about to say I always wear mine but there was one incident (shock, horror, a whole one time :spanking:) when out with bandit girl where we had to move our bikes about 50 m up the road from a carpark area to just outside the shop we were stopped at. Neither of us wore our helmets but judged the risk factor low enough to not worry about it; short distance, low speed and all that. But bug splat alone would put me off riding without a helmet. Some of those big things make such a huge mess on the visor that the thought of that on my face is pretty disgusting. The whole "what if bike and i part company" is another complete issue, and that safety message is taken care of on other threads.

[bomma]

my aunty (in india) went to pick up my cuzzie from school, she had a faceless helmet on. on her way back a guy on a bicycle cut her off and she stoppied, flew over the handle bars and my cuzzie landed on her back. she face-planted and had a fair bit of damage to her face and she knocked a lot of her front teeth out....moral of story......when you ride you're in charge of you....shit happens so its up to you to be prepared as you see fit.....

[kevfromcoro]

Done a ride in asia a few moths ago....
Helmet on..visor up..and this flying bug.about the size of a piper cherokee.slams into the side of my helmet.....
Hate to think if it had coped me in the face......
visor down.....and kept riding..

[Matt Bleck]

I prefer to wear one, I hate getting bug's in my eye's

[nodrog]

Oooh a bee! How terrifying. What will we ever do.


Dunno...Bee there or Bee square??


:-)

bee hard

beehave!!!

[ManDownUnder]

I'm preety sure there should be atleast one here on KB whos got bug-slapped on his/her face...

Well yeah, bugs hurt like hell even when it hits your chest... I mean big ones

LOL.... yup!

Taranaki, North bound past the NP crematorium Lake Mangamahoe... bumblebess square in the middle of my forehead at 100(ish)kph! FARK - felt like I copped a gold ball (fuck it hurt!)

Got to my (then) girlfriends house with what looked like the pimple from hell suddenly erupting front and centre on my face! NEVER EVER AGAIN!

[Boob Johnson]

LOL.... yup!

Taranaki, North bound past the NP crematorium Lake Mangamahoe... bumblebess square in the middle of my forehead at 100(ish)kph! FARK - felt like I copped a gold ball (fuck it hurt!)

Got to my (then) girlfriends house with what looked like the pimple from hell suddenly erupting front and centre on my face! NEVER EVER AGAIN!
I hope that wasn't why she is dumped you lol :bleh:

[LilSel]

I got sconned in the eye by a bug... had visor up as just pulled outta drive, got about 50m down the rd n *whack*... right on my eyelid... shit it stung really bad!! I pulled over straight away n told fireball to get off (pillion) n pulled helmet off real quick!! ended up with a bruise & a scab on my eyelid... not so nice!!


on another note....

I was at A&E on botany road last night... went out to the truck at about 11.15... saw too 'bikes' coming down the rd... so I watched... one was a red GN250 (i think) & the other was a black scooter...
BOTH bikes had pillions with no helmets... :argh: stupid tossers... I thought to myself... 'they'll be here soon if they bin'
also as well as no helmets & no gloves... the chick riding pillion on one of them had jack shit clothes on... I was horrified to see such stupidity!!
Shook my head n hoped not to see something in the paper about an accident killing two people with no helmets/gear on. learner bikes... prob with learner riders with learner or no licences... after hours... no L plates n pillion's...

If I didnt have to stay at the A&E I would've gone n given them an earbashing n offered to take their pillions in my ute safely to where they were going.

anyways... rant over :calm:

[ManDownUnder]

I hope that wasn't why she is dumped you lol :bleh:

LOL.... I married her...

[Boob Johnson]

Had a plenty of bug smashers & birds lol. Had a bird hit the wind screen & actually left feathers between the fairing & the screen :crazy:

Had a bug come up in to the helmet & fly around while on the Forgotten Highway, pulled over pretty quick to let him loose, had the visor slightly open. Had a big one smash in to my chest, hurt a little, was the sound that surprised me though, a rather large THUD & one hell of a mess on the jacket :girlfight:

Nothing a ride in the rain couldn't fix :ride:

[Boob Johnson]

LOL.... I married her...
lol she must have felt sorry for ya, Naki girls are good like that :laugh:

[ManDownUnder]

lol she must have felt sorry for ya, Naki girls are good like that :laugh:

True - imagine if she was Indian - could have been a GREAt series of Bindi (sp?) jokes...

[Big Dave]

beehave!!!

bee real!!!

[Boob Johnson]

True - imagine if she was Indian - could have been a GREAt series of Bindi (sp?) jokes...
Still could be?

[Bonez]

Bees pfff. Wasps have more street cred.

[Motu]

Tall slides,merry go rounds,lulabies,fireman poles and bullrush - you are the people who banned all those and paved play grounds in rubber.

[megageoff76]

Bees pfff. Wasps have more street cred.

Well, they do now that the Killer Bees are in the slammer.

[mctshirt]

I wear or don't wear a helmet depending on what I'm doing, where I am, what I'm riding, and who's watching. Helmets decrease peripheral vision and spatial awareness which in certain situations almost guarantees needing a helmet. Prevention can be better than cure. Knowing when and how to dismount safely when the traction circle and ability had been exceeded was always more of a priority with us. It's not rocket science that bending a bike is cheaper than a guy on ACC (or worse). Not a skill that is cheap or convenient to learn at home though. I wouldn't think of cruising down the road at 100 kph without a helmet just in case you think I'm anti-helmets. Just not all the time on every motorcycle.

[xwhatsit]

I love the feeling of riding with no helmet. Same as in a t-shirt and normal shoes. Carver said it right in the first post -- pure.

Unfortunately, this whole `crashing' threat means I put on all the fancy gear and hide away in my full-face.

My next helmet is going to be an open-face.

[Magua]

I occasionaly ride without gear around here. It's fun, but I've becomed so acustomed to wearing gloves that they are one thing I never go without, oh and a Helmet. _b

[carver]

I love the feeling of riding with no helmet. Same as in a t-shirt and normal shoes. Carver said it right in the first post -- pure.

Unfortunately, this whole `crashing' threat means I put on all the fancy gear and hide away in my full-face.

My next helmet is going to be an open-face.

if you dont crash its ok to wear less protection, it makes you more aware of the risks

[MisterD]

My next helmet is going to be an open-face.

Make sure you still have a full-face, rain at 100k's really hurts...the only reason I leave my Davida for a few days a year.

[NOMIS]

Ive done this before up the road ect, turn around come back.. Wont any more... I crashed my bike 200m from my house on friday night Lucky I had all of my gear on

[Subike]

sounds like a lot of you people would be in for Helmets in convertables.
Geezzee....Yeap bugs, birds, stones (off truck tyres) all things that hit you smack!
but the worst are those fucking live ciggy buts from cagers..I am sure that nearly everybody has a tale to tell about them.
Next to that are Ice creams!!!! Ever had one hit you? I hope you never do.
Kid in back of car with 3/4 melted ice cream, mummy tosses it out the window so the upholstery dont get dirty..Splat!!....Super yuck! I would rather hit a flight of mossies, even bees rather than an ice cream that just enters every thing you wear, then stinks!!!!
But whats this to do with not wearing helmets? Nothing.
Traffic congestion is the best reason for wearing a helmet, those fuckers are all out to get you.
Defence of your brain is a must. Yet to ride without a helmet on the open road, warm sunny day,pair of good shades on and the wind whistling past your ears (not causing a tornado in your helmet) is very very enjoyable. But we are not able to enjoy this because of those in the past, who acted like noobs, road at stupid speeds without helmets, got killed and caused the laws to change.
Helmet laws were the answer to a problem riders caused (with the help of stupid cage drivers I agree) by riding outside the realistic speeds of what could have been called safe. So who do we blame?
We have to abide by laws introduced to protect the fuckwits amoungst us,
A leather helmet and goggles are just as good for casual riding,( up to 100kph) pity they are not legal any more.

Remember this is just my opinion, and as such I am alowed to express it :woohoo:

[xwhatsit]

Make sure you still have a full-face, rain at 100k's really hurts...the only reason I leave my Davida for a few days a year.
I dunno, I ride almost everywhere with my visor open. Motorway too, unless I'm behind some big earth-works truck shaking dirt at me. Especially keep it open in the rain, otherwise you can't see shit through the visor.

When it's particularly cold and I don't have my scarf around my face I close it.