Like the boots we choose to wear when we ride, our helmets also speak of who we are and our personal biker style. What we ride does, too some degree, dictated what style of helmet we wear however, a greater influence is our individual biker style.
Full Face Helmets - Once rarely seen on any motorcycle rider, other than on the track, as the high performance street bike or “crotch rocket” evolved so did the need for greater personal protection including full face helmets. As the owners of these high performance machines personalized their rides, that personalization spread to their riding gear including their helmets which are often adorn with high tech graphics and extreme airbrushing. The passengers of these machines often wear a matching helmet, but in contradiction to the safety of that helmet, are often found perched on the back wearing little more than a tight tank top, shorts!
More recently there has been an emergence of Harley riders wearing full face helmets. Where once there was the biker who rode with their face in the wind, the newer generation of biker, maybe less appreciative of the nature and the elements than their elders, find it more appealing to ride in a full face helmet.
Three Quarter Helmets – For many years the three quarter helmet was the predominant head protection for most purposes with exception of motorcycle road racing. In the biker world, the three quarter helmet went from a basic need to a stylish accessory during the age of large bell bottom blue jeans and beaded necklaces and the choppers was the two wheeled ride of choice. Colorful metal-flake helmets became the norm for most of those that wore a helmet.
The metal-flake three quarter helmet has made a comeback in recent years as the retro bike scene has come alive.
Tour bike riders almost exclusively wear three quarter helmets however, today’s three quarter helmet might more closely resemble an aircraft pilot’s helmet than a helmet of 30 years ago. Now fitted with plug in attachments for ear pieces, microphones and other accessories, these tour bike full face helmet bring a great deal of comfort and luxury to the rider.
Half Helmet – Also making its debut in the bell bottom era was the first generation of half helmets. Adopted by the outlaw biker of the day, many of them dawned WWII surplus German style steel helmets in a bit of an act of defiance to the newly establish helmet laws. Now worn mainly in the V-Twin riding world, half helmets still exist largely to satisfy the helmet laws adopted by many states, by those who wore helmets in protest to these laws.
Today’s half helmets come in two basic types, DOT approved and novelty helmets. For the old school biker, a novelty helmet is the closest thing to not wearing a helmet available and so that’s what they typically wear. For the modern day weekend warrior, novelty helmets seem to be worn more out of self induced social stigma than any other reason and for the ladies, of course the novelty helmet makes a much better fashion statement with their
sexy biker apparel than does a large mushroom DOT half helmet! For those less concerned about making a fashion statement, the DOT approved variety of half helmet are becoming more and more popular amongst the Harley and V-twin riding community.
New Hybrid Helmet - The latest and greatest in helmet design is the new hybrid helmet which can quickly be converted from full face to three quarter. These types of helmets are rapidly growing in popularity for obvious reasons.
October 4, 2017- -
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