• Full-Face Motorcycle Helmets: Full Face helmets cover the entire head from the base of the skull in the rear to the chin in front. They provide the most protection in a crash and the most protection from the elements and general debris while riding. Most of the time these helmets will include vents to help promote airflow and comfort in addition to a flip up visor.

 

• Three-Quarter Motorcycle Helmets: Three-quarter helmets are also known as “open face helmets.” They also protect from the base of the skull in the rear but offer very limited front protection. The motorcycle rider’s chin and face remain exposed at all times. Usually additional eye protection is required in the form of a snap on face shield, goggles or protective glasses.

 

• One-Half Motorcycle Helmets: One-half helmets are similar in style to three-quarter helmets but come up higher in the rear and offer less coverage on the sides. These helmets do not fully protect the back of the skull and usually do not cover the ears or jaw. These helmets leave the motorcycle rider more vulnerable than others.

 

• Convertible Motorcycle Helmets: Convertible helmets are also called “Flip up helmets.” Instead of just having a face shield that flips up (like the full face helmet), the chin bar and visor all lift up as one unit. This configuration allows the rider to effectively change from full face to three-quarter helmet on the fly. If you are interested in this style of helmet research the models even more carefully! Some helmets have a chin bar that flips up with the visor but does not have the structural integrity to be considered a full face helmet when down.

     A good motorcycle helmet is made up of four major components: outer shell, impact absorbing liner, padding and a retention system. The outer shell of a motorcycle helmet is designed to prevent penetration and commonly composed of a tough polycarbonate or fiberglass. The smooth curves of most helmets are also designed to cause objects to glance off the helmet instead of penetrate. This layer absorbs some impact through deforming but dispersing the blunt force is mainly a job for the motorcycle helmet's impact absorbing liner. This layer of protection is relatively thick and usually made up of a Styrofoam material. Styrofoam may not seem rugged enough to provide good protection but it is excellent at spreading a force over a larger surface area and keeping it away from your skull. The motorcycle helmet's padding is mainly for comfort while riding and is made up of soft foam covered in fabric. In some helmets, this lining is removable to make cleaning easier, which is good because a funky helmet is no fun. The retention system is usually a nylon strap that goes under the rider's chin and is secured with a D-ring buckle or a quick release clip. They make add-ons that will convert a buckle strap into a quick release clip if that's your preference. The important thing is that you use whatever retention system you have. A helmet can't protect you unless it says on your head. One important fact to note is that a motorcycle helmet is only designed to survive ONE impact. Like a crumple zone on a car, the components of a helmet are destroyed in protecting your head. Even if a helmet is dropped or falls to the ground its protective capacity can be compromised though it may look fine. If a helmet is dropped, many manufacturers will allow you to send it back for evaluation to make sure it is still crash worthy. They also make little impact gauges you can stick on a helmet to alert you if the helmet has absorbed a potentially damaging impact. Because some of the impact absorbing materials can deteriorate over time, it is a smart move to replace helmets every couple years to ensure the best protection possible.

Motorcycle Helmets - JC Whitney

     The two most common certifications you will find on a motorcycle helmet are DOT approved and Snell approved. DOT approved helmets have met the minimum requirements set by the Department of Transportation. These standards are fairly relaxed and do not undergo testing as rigorous as Snell approved motorcycle helmets. The Snell Memorial Foundation (http://www.smf.org/) was founded in 1957 and subjects helmets to a gauntlet of tests in varying conditions before endorsing them. These tests include: impact tests, stability tests, retention tests, chin bar tests (full face only), penetration tests and flame resistance tests. Motorcycle helmet manufacturers submit a number of sample helmets to endure these torture tests but even after approval, Snell will continue to randomly test samples they purchase from the same sources as the public to ensure proper standards are maintained. This foundation exists with the sole purpose of helping ensure riders have quality helps and many riders will only select a motorcycle helmet with their endorsement.

     Helmet laws vary by state; some require helmets up to a certain age, some require them for all riders, some never require them. Many areas will require riders to have some kind of shatter resistant eye covering (often satisfied by sunglasses). Such laws often dumbfound non-riders since they assume sunglasses are being used as a safety alternative to helmets. While helmets play a critical role in helping riders survive crashes, they don’t do much to prevent the crash in the first place. On the other hand, imagine how difficult it would be to control a motorcycle after being hit in the eye by a bug or pebble at highway speeds. At 60 miles even stones or insects can feel like BBs. There is value in laws that require proper eye protection but the best scenario is to protect both your eyes and the rest of your head at the same time with a good full-face helmet.