Modern Buddy

Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

I've _thought_ about it... several times.
I even bought a new 3/4 helmet... that I returned before using [for unrelated reasons].

I'm glad that I returned it.

My face would be gone if it wasn't for the full face helmet that I was wearing when an SUV driver T-boned me.

I still think about getting a 3/4 helmet. It would be pretty cool, and it is more enjoyable to ride wearing a 3/4 helmet than it is to be totally encased in a full face lid.
But then again... I don't remember being hit. I was knocked out and didn't wake up until the next day in the hospital (and then, for only a handful of minutes).

I'm just glad I returned the 3/4 helmet before I used it.

Yep. I got knocked off, and would have scraped my face off too.

"only 45mph". Unless you're wearing a real nice set of gear and are lucky, 45 is enough to outright kill you, or break many bones, even if you're wearing track gear.

I'm trying not to sound preachy here. I know a lot of people who wear half and 3/4 helmets, and have no problems. If you want to wear one, feel free, but you can't justify it on the basis of safety.

Nolan, I think, makes a helmet with a minimal chin bar. You might look at that.

Syd wrote:Nolan, I think, makes a helmet with a minimal chin bar. You might look at that.

Yes, they sure do - the N43e/N44. It is lighter than most other helmets with chin protection, has a large face opening with good visibility, and has good ventilation. I have two of them and can say that it is my hands down favorite.

Only protect the parts of your body that you'd like to keep...

Try a dual-sport helmet. It's basically a dirt bike helmet with a flip down shield and a little more sound-deadening. The front is very open for the breeze to come in when you want it and the visibility is great. That's all I wear now.

I really don't care what you wear. I wear a Nolan modular so I can smoke when I ride.

There is a reason why you don't see experienced motorcyclists wearing 3/4 helmets.

It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when.

I wear a 3/4 helmet and sometimes a half helmet made by HJC and Shoei. May lose my teeth but at least they protect your brain. It's a riders choice. I also wear an armored jacket. Don't know if anything you wear will save you. As long as you ride totally alert and be aware most vehicles on the road can kill in my case I've ridden 50 years in cities as well as rural areas and only been hit by a truck once

I'd say don't. I started with as 3/4 and ended up with a number of stitches on the chin and loose teeth. Been full face or modular ever since.

How about an X-Wing pilot helmet from HJC (soon to be released)?

A customer of mine has many dark spots around his face where he went down in gravel with a 3/4 hat. The surgeons left the gravel under his skin.
You're more likely to hit your face is a crash than other parts of your head. It is after all a very large part of your head and it's up front

I've always worn a full face helmet with my street bikes, so the weight doesn't concern me because that's all I've known. That being said, I've been thinking about a 3/4 helmet by HJC because I like their FG-Jet helmet, or maybe an LS2 Infinity, which also looks great. Heck, all of the motorcycle cops around here wear 3/4 helmets, so...

Anyway, it's an individual choice. It's like smoking (which I don't because it killed both my parents and two friends), some will do it anyway, fully aware of the consequences. At least it's better than those "skull-cap" helmets that protect your hair, and not much else.

I would echo the Nolan N44 series of helmets for their versatility in converting from a semi-full-face helmet to 3/4 visored or totally open-face helmet as desired. I have had the previous model, the N43 and have been quite happy with it.

iamryan25 wrote:Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

My every-day helmet is a 3/4 HJC with a flip-up visor. I've tried out full-face helmets in dealer show rooms over the years but as an eye-glass wearer they just don't fit very well. Too crowded inside. So, please tell me: are there any full face helmets that will work with us eye-glass wearers? Please don't tell me to get contacts. That's just not going to happen. TIA,

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

Thanks for all of the thoughtful responses everyone.

I have also seen several post scooter accident faces, as I work at the local dealer. The stories you shared are on point, crash damage to the face is terrible. I had seen some statistic about 20% of head injuries on motorcycles are to the face and jaw area.Even a twenty percent chance of face injury is too much to risk for me.

I started with a Fulmer 1/2 helmet, then went to Fulmer 3/4, then to an HJC modular full face. Once I learned that most modular full face helmets, including the one I owned at the time, do not offer the same kind of chin protection as a real full face, I decided there was no substitute for a real full face.

I've owned the Gmax 69 for a long time because it was light with great venting.

More than anything, I miss being able to take a drink from my beverage in my cup holder easily. Even a CamelBak is difficult with my current full face. Which is what prompted the idea to consider 3/4.

Again, thanks for the input as I needed a refresher to why it's worth it to continue wearing a full face.

Now I'm back to drooling over the Biltwell Gringo.

skipper20 wrote:

iamryan25 wrote:Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

My every-day helmet is a 3/4 HJC with a flip-up visor. I've tried out full-face helmets in dealer show rooms over the years but as an eye-glass wearer they just don't fit very well. Too crowded inside. So, please tell me: are there any full face helmets that will work with us eye-glass wearers? Please don't tell me to get contacts. That's just not going to happen. TIA,

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

I've had 2 Shoei's (TZ-R and Quest), and have never had any problems with glasses (except when I forget to remove them before putting the helmet on or taking it off - OUCH!).

skipper20 wrote:

iamryan25 wrote:Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

My every-day helmet is a 3/4 HJC with a flip-up visor. I've tried out full-face helmets in dealer show rooms over the years but as an eye-glass wearer they just don't fit very well. Too crowded inside. So, please tell me: are there any full face helmets that will work with us eye-glass wearers? Please don't tell me to get contacts. That's just not going to happen. TIA,

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

I'm also a glasses wearer, and I too have found most full face helmets I've tried don't fit well with glasses and are hard to get on without disrupting the position of my glasses. Plus they all caused severe fogging of my glasses. I'd imagine being able to see the road would protect better than a wearing a full face and having my glasses fog up.

iamryan25 wrote:Thanks for all of the thoughtful responses everyone.

I have also seen several post scooter accident faces, as I work at the local dealer. The stories you shared are on point, crash damage to the face is terrible. I had seen some statistic about 20% of head injuries on motorcycles are to the face and jaw area.Even a twenty percent chance of face injury is too much to risk for me.

I started with a Fulmer 1/2 helmet, then went to Fulmer 3/4, then to an HJC modular full face. Once I learned that most modular full face helmets, including the one I owned at the time, do not offer the same kind of chin protection as a real full face, I decided there was no substitute for a real full face.

I've owned the Gmax 69 for a long time because it was light with great venting.

More than anything, I miss being able to take a drink from my beverage in my cup holder easily. Even a CamelBak is difficult with my current full face. Which is what prompted the idea to consider 3/4.

Again, thanks for the input as I needed a refresher to why it's worth it to continue wearing a full face.

Now I'm back to drooling over the Biltwell Gringo.

Life is full of choices, chance, and risks. We go through all of these on a daily bases. If we are afraid of everything that might go wrong, we'd be living in fear every minute of our lives. I say give a 3/4 a try and see if you like it. With the face shield down, you'll at least have some protection. When I was young and rode an enduro bike all over the city and in the dirt, all I had was an open face helmet because that's what everyone wore. Never had a problem, even as a crazed sixteen year old who rode like he was indestructible. I walk with a limp now, but that's a different story...

Dooglas wrote:

Syd wrote:Nolan, I think, makes a helmet with a minimal chin bar. You might look at that.

Yes, they sure do - the N43e/N44. It is lighter than most other helmets with chin protection, has a large face opening with good visibility, and has good ventilation. I have two of them and can say that it is my hands down favorite.

This helmet has by far the best visibility of a helmet with chin protection that I have owned. The only problem is that Nolan shape does not fit everybody. I was also a bit concerned about how sturdy the chin guard is. I have no factual information to indicate it is not as strong as a FF or modular but it just felt that way to me.

I have been rocking a Shoei Neotec modular for awhile now and it has the best ventilation for a modular or FF that I have experienced including the Nolan. I can actually FEEL air flow over the top of my head!

skipper20 wrote:

iamryan25 wrote:Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

My every-day helmet is a 3/4 HJC with a flip-up visor. I've tried out full-face helmets in dealer show rooms over the years but as an eye-glass wearer they just don't fit very well. Too crowded inside. So, please tell me: are there any full face helmets that will work with us eye-glass wearers? Please don't tell me to get contacts. That's just not going to happen. TIA,

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

I've never had a problem with glasses and a FF helmet. Take glasses off, put helmet on, put glasses on. Reverse procedure for removal.

BuddyRaton wrote:

skipper20 wrote:

iamryan25 wrote:Anyone make the change from full face to open face?

I'm thinking I really only get into the 40-45 mph realm, and the lighter weight might be worth the sacrifice to having chin protection.

I never thought I'd consider less than a full face after getting into a full face years ago.

Nonetheless, I'm sure due for a new helmet.

Anyone else make this change? Thoughts on this?

My every-day helmet is a 3/4 HJC with a flip-up visor. I've tried out full-face helmets in dealer show rooms over the years but as an eye-glass wearer they just don't fit very well. Too crowded inside. So, please tell me: are there any full face helmets that will work with us eye-glass wearers? Please don't tell me to get contacts. That's just not going to happen. TIA,

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in Tucson
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

I've never had a problem with glasses and a FF helmet. Take glasses off, put helmet on, put glasses on. Reverse procedure for removal.

Seconded. I'm either wearing prescription sunglasses or my normal glasses when I ride and have never had a problem.

BuddyRaton wrote:

Dooglas wrote:

Syd wrote:Nolan, I think, makes a helmet with a minimal chin bar. You might look at that.

Yes, they sure do - the N43e/N44. It is lighter than most other helmets with chin protection, has a large face opening with good visibility, and has good ventilation. I have two of them and can say that it is my hands down favorite.

This helmet has by far the best visibility of a helmet with chin protection that I have owned. The only problem is that Nolan shape does not fit everybody. I was also a bit concerned about how sturdy the chin guard is. I have no factual information to indicate it is not as strong as a FF or modular but it just felt that way to me.

I have been rocking a Shoei Neotec modular for awhile now and it has the best ventilation for a modular or FF that I have experienced including the Nolan. I can actually FEEL air flow over the top of my head!

I do remember reading somewhere that the chin-guard on the Nolan N-43/44 helmets is not as sturdy as the rest of the helmet. I would assume, however, that it is at least as sturdy as the clear plastic visor. Regardless, it is at least an additional shock absorbing surface in between your face and the street. I would think that there would have to be a very specific set of circumstances in a drop to get significant lower face damage while wearing one.

Ironically, I originally bought my N-43 specifically due to the configurabilty of the helmet but probably have only worn it without the chin-guard in place on only 1-2 occasions.

cummingsjc wrote:, I originally bought my N-43 specifically due to the configurabilty of the helmet but probably have only worn it without the chin-guard in place on only 1-2 occasions.

Indeed. The Nolan N-43e works so well in its standard configuration with chin guard in place that there is really no reason to convert it to the 3/4 helmet configuration, even though you could.

The problem is that the chin is where most impacts occur. And drinking you dinner through a straw can't be considered good eats.

I'm not telling you what do (I'd like a 3/4 myself), but you should have the facts.



I didn't look at all the recommendations, but there are some decent 3/4's with chin bars.

JettaKnight wrote:The problem is that the chin is where most impacts occur. And drinking you dinner through a straw can't be considered good eats.

I'm not telling you what do (I'd like a 3/4 myself), but you should have the facts.



I didn't look at all the recommendations, but there are some decent 3/4's with chin bars.

I recently saw a helmet for sale (don't remember the brand) at a dealer that was decorated with that pattern on it. No, it wasn't a demo piece to show the value of a full face, but an actual helmet one can buy. Just thought it was interesting.