Getting started riding a motorcycle

[Balog]

So I just signed up for one of the novice rider courses to get my motorcycle endorsement. I need a helmet but I have no idea what to look for. Should I stick with new ones only, or can used be good as well? What should I look for in terms of features, fit etc? 

In terms of jackets, can I just find an old heavy leather on at goodwill and call it good, or do I need to fork out for a "motorcycle" one?

Anything I should know before I goto my class? Books or websites to read etc. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[The Annoyed Man]

Something like this:


Would look great. Very limited use, but you'd look cool .

[bedlamite]

In The US, you have Snell and DOT ratings for helmet testing. Any helmet with the Snell sticker has passed their tests, Any helmet with a DOT sticker has submitted their helmet for testing, but if it fails they are not required to remove the sticker from the helmet. Take a look here to find out if a particular helmet has passed. Other than that get one that fits, it should be snug not loose. Different brands will fit a different shape head, and more expensive helmets are usually lighter with better venting. Find a dealer and try a few on. If you want to get it mail order, Newenough has excellent customer service and very good prices.

[Balog]

I'm really excited to start riding, but I'm also big on doing research and being prepared before a big step like this.

The whole Snell vs DOT vs dual certified thing makes my head hurt.

[mgdavis]

Do not buy a used helmet. The impact absorbing lining is designed for *one* impact, be it when you crash, or just when it slips off the handle bars. Also, the liner is only good for 3-5 years. By that point the lining has oxidized (I think it's oxidation) to the point where it will no longer be effective.

The top two brands are Arai and Shoei. Pricey.

The next tier is HJC and Scorpion. I ride with an HJC AC-12. There are a couple others at this price point, but I can't remember the brands at the moment.

At a third level you have Bell helmets. They'd probably protect you in a crash, but not as nice to live with day to day.

You definitely want a DOT rating, and I'd prefer a Snell cert as well. I was under the impression that these endorsements were indicated by the applicable sticker, so I'm going to disagree with Bedlamite on that point. I'm pretty sure that if it carries the sticker of an organization, it has been approved by that organization.


As far as styling and features, I like a full-face helmet. I feel that they offer superior crash protection, specifically to the face and lower jaw. They will also help to shield your face from wind, rain, bugs, and debris. Vents are a good thing to have, especially when your face shield fogs. I also appreciate quick release systems for the face shield, they make it much easier to swap between tinted, clear, etc.

A web resource that I like to recommend is one of the other forums I hang out on, totalmotorcycle.com. Lots of great people that are good about helping out new riders.

[Matthew Carberry]

I've got a Fulmer Modus AF-M.  DOT approved.  Reasonable price.

It is a full-face but it flips up so I can talk at lights or take a drink.

I was just looking for a link and found there was a recall.
I'll be checking into that.

---- found out it doesn't apply to mine and is a year old----

Still, the flip ups give you both protection and the convenience.

http://www.fulmerhelmets.com/Product/afm.html

[bedlamite]

http://www.mmsp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=43

There are also administrative differences between Snell and DOT. Snell Certification means that Snell technicians in Snell labs tested samples of the helmet to Snell standards before the helmet was certified. Furthermore, as a condition of certification, Snell regularly buys samples of all Snell certified products and brings them into our labs for follow-on testing.

DOT certification is done on the honor system. The helmets manufacturer determines whether his helmets satisfy DOT and then claims the qualification for himself. There is not even a reporting requirement. The government does contract for some spot check testing at commercial and private labs but not very much. In recent years much of their effort has been spent against so-called beanie helmets that are obviously substandard and are worn only by helmet law protesters.

[geronimotwo]

do not buy a used helmet if it shows any signs of being hit , scraped, etc. look for good venting, especially in the summer, and for southern states. when i would ride in arizona, it always seemed more dangerous to ride with the helmet in the summer, as i felt i would lose reasoning ability due to the heat.

[Boomhauer]

do not buy a used helmet if it shows any signs of being hit , scraped, etc. look for good venting, especially in the summer, and for southern states. when i would ride in arizona, it always seemed more dangerous to ride with the helmet in the summer, as i felt i would lose reasoning ability due to the heat.

I wouldn't buy a used helmet period. Your helmet and armor are the only things protecting you when you go down.

Don't go with a half helmet- not much good in a crash, doesn't protect the lower part of your head.

[Balog]

Wow, tons of info out there. Just gotta sort it all out now.

[The Annoyed Man]

I've but one snippet to add.
When I bought my bike I had almost two feet of hair hanging off my gorp in all directions.
A couple of years later I decided that Kojak was the look for me.All of a sudden my helmets didn't fit anymore.
Just one of those things you don't think about at the time.Cause & effect.

Oh yeah.Try and take your new bucket for a test ride on the highway.Wind noise won't show up in the dealers' showroom.

Have fun!

[Kitchen_Duty]

A full face will protect you from all head damage

a 3/4 won't protect your lower jaw

a half helmet will only protect your skull.

Faceshields will stop bugs from hitting your face @ 60 mph.  They also make you not tear up while riding (assuming no goggles).  But they do fog and they do not help us guys wearing glasses - mine fog.

Buy your helmet first.  Before you buy any other gear.  Afford yourself the best helmet you can afford.  You can do without a leather jacket because if your head is caved in your pretty jacket won't matter

I went with a Shoei helmet.  It has a pretty small gap on the first click if I want to ride with it open.  It has a slight whistle when all the way open but not as bad as an HJC. 

Again: afford yourself the best helmet you can buy.  Also: black is hard to see, bright/reflective clothing is a good thing.

[Balog]

How good is your helmet? Will it actually protect your brain in your next crash?

These seem like easy questions, ones you probably think you can answer by reciting the lofty standards your helmet meets and the lofty price you might have paid for it. But the real answers, as you are about to see, are anything but easy.

There's a fundamental debate raging in the motorcycle helmet industry. In a fiberglass-reinforced, expanded-polystyrene nutshell, it's a debate about how strong and how stiff a helmet should be to provide the best possible protection.

Why the debate? Because if a helmet is too stiff it can be less able to prevent brain injury in the kinds of crashes you're most likely to have. And if it's too soft, it might not protect you in a violent, high-energy crash. What's just right? Well, that's why it's called a debate. If you knew what your head was going to hit and how hard, you could choose the perfect helmet for that crash. But crashes are accidents. So you have to guess.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html


Ok, so far I'm looking at new full face helmets. But beyond that.... apparently there is a lot more to this subject than I thought.

[Dannyboy]

As was said earlier, don't skimp on the lid.  You get what you pay for and good helmets cost a good bit of cash.  But it's well worth it.

I'd add a couple more brands in the top tier:  Suomy and AGV, if you can find them.

[Monkeyleg]

Other posters have covered the helmet issue pretty well.

If you're going to be riding often, a good jacket is important as well. Leather is good, but there's other materials on the market that afford protection in a crash as well. Your jacket, boots, gloves and pants should be able to protect you if you should go sliding.

Look for lots of zippers. Zippered cuffs on the sleeves keep cold air from going up your sleeves, but enable you to get some air flowing when it's hot. Vents on the jacket help as well. The more comfortable the jacket, the more likely you are to wear it when it gets really warm outside. Snaps or other devices for tightening the jacket at the waist will help keep out the cold air as well. When you try a jacket on, remember that you'll probably be wearing layers of clothing when the weather turns cold, so don't buy one that's too snug.

You'll probably wind up with several pairs of gloves. I have some single-layer leather gloves I wear in all but the warmest weather. I also have some gauntlet-style gloves that go almost to the elbow and are heavily insulated. I have some half-gloves for really hot weather and, while they don't afford any protection in a crash, they do keep the tops of the hands from getting sunburned.

High boots are a must, too. If you're a klutz like me and drop your bike on yourself, you'll appreciate having some thick leather between your ankles and the bike's hot pipes.

[mgdavis]

http://www.mmsp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=43

There are also administrative differences between Snell and DOT. Snell Certification means that Snell technicians in Snell labs tested samples of the helmet to Snell standards before the helmet was certified. Furthermore, as a condition of certification, Snell regularly buys samples of all Snell certified products and brings them into our labs for follow-on testing.

DOT certification is done on the honor system. The helmets manufacturer determines whether his helmets satisfy DOT and then claims the qualification for himself. There is not even a reporting requirement. The government does contract for some spot check testing at commercial and private labs but not very much. In recent years much of their effort has been spent against so-called beanie helmets that are obviously substandard and are worn only by helmet law protesters.

Wow. That's ridiculous. I'm never again going to recommend a helmet that carries only the DOT sticker.

[LAK]

I would not buy used either - your head is worth the best.

Avoid solvents - including gasoline - coming in contact with polycarbonates; helmets and shields.

[bedlamite]

How good is your helmet? Will it actually protect your brain in your next crash?

These seem like easy questions, ones you probably think you can answer by reciting the lofty standards your helmet meets and the lofty price you might have paid for it. But the real answers, as you are about to see, are anything but easy.

There's a fundamental debate raging in the motorcycle helmet industry. In a fiberglass-reinforced, expanded-polystyrene nutshell, it's a debate about how strong and how stiff a helmet should be to provide the best possible protection.

Why the debate? Because if a helmet is too stiff it can be less able to prevent brain injury in the kinds of crashes you're most likely to have. And if it's too soft, it might not protect you in a violent, high-energy crash. What's just right? Well, that's why it's called a debate. If you knew what your head was going to hit and how hard, you could choose the perfect helmet for that crash. But crashes are accidents. So you have to guess.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html


Ok, so far I'm looking at new full face helmets. But beyond that.... apparently there is a lot more to this subject than I thought.

This again. You really need to read Snell's response too.

http://www.smf.org/response.html

http://www.smf.org/articles/pdf/btlo_tech_response_2.pdf

[Balog]

Thanks for pointing that out Bedlamite. Looks like Snell is the way to go. Too bad, there are some really nice DOT-only helmets out there. 

[gunsmith]

new helmet.
used leather is ok.
always wear gear like gloves and boots, for summer I have a "alpine allstars"
mesh jacket with armor  I think this http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/1_2_99/products_id/3229
might be good too.

No matter how hot, get really good gloves! and use them.
 Kevlar thread for extra strength. Carbon-fibre knuckle protection. Finger, knuckle & wrist pads.

I had alpine knee high motocross boots on the last time I dropped
a hot FZR 600 on me.
( I was driving real slow looking at a cute gal and the car in front stopped and I braked hard and it just tilted right on me, pinning me for a few moments)
I was sooooo glad I had those boots and leather pants on.

[wmenorr67]

But did you get the girl?

[InfidelSerf]

I'll offer another opinion on the used helmets.  Only buy one if you don't value your head.
So yeah I would not a buy a used helmet PERIOD.  Not even if they claim it's brand new never been used.
Just buy a new one off the shelf or from a reputable internet site.
Would you buy used "never been used" condoms from a stranger?  I didn't think so. 

I would also spend however much you think your head is worth.
Personally I swear by Arai helmets, they have saved my head multiple times.
Sure they are expensive in the $350-$600 range, but I always though my skull was worth the price of that insurance policy.
JMHO

[BrokenPaw]

But did you get the girl?

With an opening act like "ogle girl, lose control of bike, tip over, get trapped", how could she possibly resist? 

[coppertales]

If you want to have some fun while helmet shopping, ask the dealer "up to what speed will this helmet protect me from injury?".  On the serious side, ride safe and ride DEFENSIVELY.......what kind of bike are you getting/have?.....BTW, I have been riding over 50 years.......chris3

[Balog]

I'll offer another opinion on the used helmets.  Only buy one if you don't value your head.
So yeah I would not a buy a used helmet PERIOD.  Not even if they claim it's brand new never been used.
Just buy a new one off the shelf or from a reputable internet site.
Would you buy used "never been used" condoms from a stranger?  I didn't think so. 

I would also spend however much you think your head is worth.
Personally I swear by Arai helmets, they have saved my head multiple times.
Sure they are expensive in the $350-$600 range, but I always though my skull was worth the price of that insurance policy.
JMHO

Yeah, I'm definitely going new. As for the price thing tho....

Kinda reminds me of the gun owners who look down on anyone who doesn't carry a $3K custom 1911 stoked with the $20 per blister pack of 5 super ammo. More expensive does not always equal better. Not knocking Arai; I know nothing about them other than the web reviews I've read. But I vehemently object to the idea that unless you spend absolutely as much money as possible on a carry pistol/motorcycle helmet etc you're foolish and "don't value your life."

If you want to have some fun while helmet shopping, ask the dealer "up to what speed will this helmet protect me from injury?".  On the serious side, ride safe and ride DEFENSIVELY.......what kind of bike are you getting/have?.....BTW, I have been riding over 50 years.......chris3

No bike yet, figure I should worry about a license first. That whole cart vs horse thing. I'm planning on getting what I believe is referred to as a "standard" style. Something like this. Less expensive to buy, cheaper to fix if I lay it down, and supposedly one of the easiest styles to learn on.