You Saved My Chin!

Samson · Post by **Samson** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:05 am

First of all, the posters at Modern Buddy have provided me with the information I needed to make excellent choices in scooter and gear. Thanks.

Being new to scootering and overconfident (hey, I know how to ride a bicycle), I've been riding my Buddy to work, prior to taking my MSF course starting on May 1st. Well, today I spilled the scooter during an overly wide right turn from a stop. I simply misjudged the lean and acceleration required. If I hadn't taken your advice and not purchased a full-face helmet, my chin would have scraped the pavement. Yes, I will be buying a new Shoei to replace my three-week old one (ouch!) and I need to replace my headlight bezel, but the scoot and I escaped with just a few scratches.

Live and learn.

brimstone · Post by **brimstone** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:26 am

dang, that was a close one. at least you were going slow. glad to hear you weren't hurt....well...besides your pride. now what you need to remember next time is jump up and yell...TAADAAA!!!

madtolive · Post by **madtolive** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:11 pm

"improper cornering is the number one cause of motorcycle accidents." they made us say that over and over again. at least you know you're not alone. i'm glad you came out of it okay. good luck with your new shoei, i bet dropping all that cash on a new helmet hurts more than the spill. ouch.

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:18 pm

or you can look at it in a positive MC way:
- new Shoei helmet, cost $400, recovery time; 30 minutes
vs.
- chin reconstruction, cost $10,000+, recovery time; weeks

Being able to jump up and yell TADAA . . . priceless!

I take the helmet !

louie · Post by **louie** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:32 pm

just ordered mine yesterday. they have a good rep, have a grand pricetag and they fit my pee size head.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:46 pm

hey, samson. the weather here was crazy (again). did the just dropped moisture have anything to do with your mishap? i know downtown the sun was bright, but t was snowing. of course, it melted right away, but that sort of barely wet pavement can, and has, caused many a spill.

are you going to take your msf over at sand point? if so, take your own water cuz it is very minimal there. also, take your own food. the options there are nothing. but there is a gas station across the street at the entrance to the complex if you want to pay their prices and be a slave to their selections. oh, there's a coffee shop just a couple feet down from them, too.

good luck, neighbor!

PTB · Post by **PTB** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:53 pm

I wiped out last fall (hit some sort of an oil/diesel spill--yuck).

Was wearing a 3/4 helmet, a softshell jacket, and my work slacks/shoes. Didn't hit my head but ruined my pants/socks/shoes and scraped my ankle. The clothing was scraped up AND full of the oil/fuel/whatever-it-was.

I tend to pick scabs, and ended up with a badass scar on my ankle.

This spring, I didn't take any chances and got my full-face helmet and armored jacket. For my ankles, I've been rolling with high-top sneakers instead of boots, but I haven't decided if that's safe enough. They're just a pair of Chuck Taylors.

If you're thinking of spending the Shoei premium, consider that I got a high-end HJC for only $173 at newenough.com. With a spare smoke-tinted shield, it totaled $200. MSRP was mid-to-high 200s, and a comparable Shoei would have been even more.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:12 pm

Shoei is a nice helmet brand, but I think HJC and bell helmets can compete with them. A major part of the cost in a shoei helmet is the brand name. Big japanese name, big japanese price.

golfinguy · Post by **golfinguy** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:39 pm

Don't forget that fit is the ruling factor - I didn't get to try Nolan, but I did try HJC and the fit of the base Shoei was much better for me (and my wife). So we went with the least expensive Shoei, for fir. It didn't hurt that the Shoei helmets we got were noticeably lighter than the less expensive brands we tried on.

As other have said, the helmet you wear is the safest one

vitaminC · Post by **vitaminC** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:08 pm

Glad you came out relatively unscathed!

Do you have insurance? You may be able to get them to cover the costs associated with gear replacement...

heavypetting · Post by **heavypetting** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:12 pm

I wish we had kept my husbands old helmet from when his wiped out on my bike. I required he take MSF & get a full face helmet before he got a motorcycle.

The right side of his helmet, shield & chin bar were scraped pretty deeply.
He was glad I'd insisted on it.

This time he got a 3/4 helmet. The guy selling it assured him it was safer than a full face flip-up because it had a Snell rating. How soon we forget...

Glad you had a favorable outcome!

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:15 pm

golfinguy wrote:Don't forget that fit is the ruling factor - I didn't get to try Nolan, but I did try HJC and the fit of the base Shoei was much better for me (and my wife). So we went with the least expensive Shoei, for fir. It didn't hurt that the Shoei helmets we got were noticeably lighter than the less expensive brands we tried on.

As other have said, the helmet you wear is the safest one

Such a good point and one that cannot be overstressed. I've been shopping for a new helmet since early March and I've spent time inside of pretty much every helmet brand that's readily available in the USA (so, no Roofs or Schuberths for me). I badly wanted a Shark because of their cutting edge materials, light weight and plush interiors but couldn't find one that fit. I spent a weekend with an Shark RSI that I thought fit perfectly and felt great, only to find it incredibly noisy at speeds over 40mph. Why? I realized that the neck roll wasn't as large as most helmets and left an open space for air to enter at speed. After spending literally hours in every model of Arai, Shoei, Suomy, HJC, Scorpion, Shark, AGV, Icon, Nolan and KBC I came to the conclusion that, for my head, Shoei and Scorpion offer the best overall fit with lowest overall noise. For me, noise is the second most important factor after comfort because riding at speed for any length of time becomes painful with a noisy helmet.

So, to complement my aging silver EXO-400, I purchased a new pearl gray Shoei RF-1000 and couldn't be happier with the choice. Comfortable, quiet and construction quality that's at least a cut above the old Scorpion.

Samson · Post by **Samson** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:30 pm

scullyfu, I can't really blame it on slick conditions, since the spill occurred before the shower hit. A car was approaching the intersection in the street that I was turning into. When I realized my turn was too wide, my adjustment was too harsh and I spilled. It was just plain ol' unskilled driving. Reading that great MSF course review that appeared on the boards last week, I know I'll be working on turns ad nauseam next week. I am taking the course down in Renton and Kent for you Seattlites.

vitaminC, I have insurance, and I bet I could make a claim for a new helmet. I can't imagine that it would change my premium much.

I tried on a bunch of helmets before choosing the Shoei TZ-R. It just felt the best. An HJC helmet also was a good fit. This second helmet may require that I go a little more budget, since my wife flipped (after she got over the shock that I biffed) that I would need to get a new helmet. "This scooter is supposed to save us money" was her comment. Another "ouch!"

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:52 pm

I have a Shoei RF800 that's a few years old and needs to be replaced pretty soon. I think I paid $225 for it on clearance, and it's always been comfy and quiet. I've had a few $100 or $180 helmets that fit fine, but just weren't nearly as comfortable and quiet. My wife has a flip-up that fits, but I think it's too noisy and heavy.

Just ignore brand names and find one that meets whichever safety standard you believe in, is comfortable and light, and quiet enough that you'll wear it all the time,. Even if it's $400, think about how important it is and how much use you'll get out of it, it's probably worth it. If it lasts a few years and stays comfy, or saves you in an accident, it's not too much to pay.

Also doesn't hurt to make sure it fits in your topcase or pet carrier.

Bb.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:31 pm

samson: check your pm's.

for anyone looking for a terrific buy on an hjc sy-max II, go to newenough.com; i picked up a candy red metallic for $209+shipping. i've seen this all over the net and in stores for $289!

luck for me, i have an hjc head.

Roose Hurro · Post by **Roose Hurro** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:43 pm

I found helmet Nirvana in an Arai Ram II 3/4... perfect fit, light weight. I also discovered the same size in a Nolan flip-face fits nearly as comfortably, for a bit less dough. No other brands I've tried, so far, have matched either of these two brands for fit and comfort. Pretty much every other helmet has either pinched my head and/or tried to tear my ears off. After reading all the threads about full-faces saving chins, against my need to have a helmet I can put on and take off without removing my glasses, the Nolan flip-face... or any other brand flip face that's a comfortable fit... looks to be my best choice. Too bad Arai doesn't make a flipper style. If they did, I'd be willing to pay the extra dough for one!

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Christy · Post by **Christy** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:57 pm

Slow Look Press Roll
that is what I repeat every time I'm cornering...MSF beat it into my head. It's very helpful too.

Samson · Post by **Samson** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:36 am

Decisions, decisions...

I just took my helmet to the large gear dealer from whom I bought it. Both an employee and the owner thought that if the helmet were theirs, they would not replace it--admirable since it delays a potential sale. Of course, reading Shoei's user guide makes it sound that the slightest of impacts requires replacement. Yes, I know it's my head and brain we are talking about, and I ultimately have to decide after weighing the pros and cons.

Here is a picture of the scratch--there is no visible interior damage.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:28 am

Samson wrote:Yes, I know it's my head and brain we are talking about, and I ultimately have to decide after weighing the pros and cons..

Ah, yes, that's a tough call! You're right, the helmet companies are probably overcautious, but then again, you never know what happened inside the helmet.

If it was me, I'd probably keep wearing it but start looking around, until I found a good deal on a helmet I really liked.

Bb.

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:38 am

Kinda agree with the 'noise there. If you hit the top of the helmet I'd worry a wee bit more about a quick replacement. After an impact the styrofoam gets compressed reducing it's ability to absorb and dissapate the energy from a fall. It may look fine, but if it's effectiveness is compromised I'm sure you wouldn't want to find out! Where that scratch is... shop till you find the right deal.

sc00ter · Post by **sc00ter** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:05 am

I went down in my Arai Quantumn E many moons ago when it was just a few weeks old and dealer sent it back to Arai and I got a exact new replacement for a quarter of the price I paid new. Granted, mine was totaled, but it was a nice gesture from the dealer and Arai. Now I use a Nolan 100e flip which I love and a have a Vega flip-up that I paid $135 new for that I also love but it gives me bedhead. Fulmer makes nice helmets for a fair price, the flip-ups are awsome. Oh, and if it was me- I would still use the scraped chin bar helmet.

Modern Buddy

You Saved My Chin!

You Saved My Chin!

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