3/4 Helmet Opinions

Having a discussion with a friend the other day on when 3/4 helmets are appropriate and thought I would bring the discussion here to see what you all think. I normally see them on classic/retro bikes but rarely ever see them on anything else. Do any of you wear a 3/4 helmet? Would you think it would look OK wearing one while riding an NC? I wear a full face modular but in the summer it would be nice to have the extra airflow so I've been thinking about it. Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions and this is meant to be just for fun. So what are your thoughts?

I'd like to keep my chin and face intact if I were to crash. So, no, I would never ride a scooter, street bike, or dirt bike with a 3/4 helmet. To me, if it's too hot to ride with proper gear on, then it's too hot to ride.

I find it amusing that you would be concerned about how it would look to ride an NC with a 3/4 helmet.

I see doofuses with incomplete helmets and no helmets all the time. Momma probably already dropped them on their haids.

maybe something like that could be the middle ground?



(Schuberth J1)

I used a 3/4 helmet. I crashed with a 3/4 helmet. Looked like the J1 but without that bar but a visor almost as far down as this one. Must've hit my chin a bit and a few stitches were needed. Now there is a small dent.

Now I use full helmets again, but would love that J1. Unfortunately it isn't produced anymore.

I wear a modular full face as well. I chose it as it fit the best with my glasses. My deal with the Mrs is I have to be safe. From the helmet impact statistics I have seen I would not wear a 3/4. Modular is as low as I would go for my own safety.

I've had both a 3/4 and a full face or modular helmet on the shelf for years. I wear either a 3/4 or modular depending on weather or mood. Currently an HJC FG-Jet is my go-to 3/4. It's light and has great ventilation.

Modular helmets are the least safe helmets I'm willing to risk as well.

My personal concerns are safety = first, quiet = second, comfort = third....looks = 23rd.

Don't let these guys get to you. Pragmatism seems to go hand in hand with this type of motorcycle. Had you posted this question on a Harley board, you might have gotten a response more inline with what you were looking for. To me, 3/4 helmets are goofy looking. On my big head, they make me look like a 6' tall walking penis. Not as much of an attraction for the ladies as one might initially think. Another concern I would have is, when riding a bike with such a small windshield, my face would be out there to catch all the debris that I normally see bouncing off the shield of my full face helmet. Not a problem for the thousands of guys out there currently riding with half and 3/4 helmets but, not my cup of tea. Of course, the safety aspect is obvious and you don't need anyone to explain the difference in protections offered by the different helmets. I say, go try them on and go with the one you like the best. Just know that, if I see you riding around, I'll be wondering how that big penis grew arms long enough to reach the handlebars.

I guess it all comes down to values,

How much do you value full face protection?
How much do you value increased air circulation and greater field of view?

There is an obvious bias towards the former on this forum, and I tend to agree with them on this one.

One thing I chuckle about are all the riders I have seen up here with half or 3/4 helmets would also ride with a heavy bandana or face mask covering their exposed skin. I realize that insect strikes can be pretty painful, but I would rather have a full helmet protecting me from the flying musketegum than have heavy cotton against my face

I only have full-face helmets, but have considered 1/2 and 3/4 helmets (and modulars). My riding of / use for my motorcycle(s) at this point are such that I'll only wear full-face. My motorcycle use is shifting, rather much more and faster than I'd anticipated, so this may change for me.

Style-wise, I don't suppose a 3/4 would look too bad on an NCX.

[One thing I chuckle about are all the riders I have seen up here with half or 3/4 helmets would also ride with a heavy bandana or face mask covering their exposed skin...]

That soft padding is OK for bugs and some dirt/rocks but won't do much when and if you go down and hit your face on the pavement!

Note that there is one very particular (and rare) case of impact that a 3/4 helmet gives better chances of survival than a full face helmet.

I remember reading a research in the mid-90s on unlucky riders that where carried DOA while wearing seemingly intact full gear (I think in Germany): A directly frontal impact with upward direction on the jaw of a full face helmet causes the helmet to move up&rearwards and this puts tension on the strap against the neck to keep the helmet in place. The strap transfers deforming loads to the skull and neck area bones of such relative directions that if the impact is excessive, it causes the basic body functions controlling brainstem to be heavily traumatized/deformed, a fact that causes practically instant death. Once a fellow described me of such an ATTGAT fatal incident that he witnessed himself being in a super sport frenzy group a few years back.
In that research it was found that traditional double-D strap fasteners were much safer than snap-on button fasteners as they "gave a little" under sudden load until the strap became solid and this small elasticity was considered to be highly positive in increasing the possibility of survival of the rider on such a rare case of helmet impact. Maybe this knowledge propagated to modern helmet strap design, maybe not.

My view:
100% safe riding is only if you use the motorcycle 0% of your life, just like sex where only 100% safe sex=no sex at all.

A full face helmet is definitely safer than other types but much depends on the way the accident happens which means that the victim's survival mileage always vary regardless of the gear and proper use of it. A great plush and quiet full face helmet may trick someone into riding faster than he would for a particular mountain road stretch increasing the chances of an accident in that unexpected too tight corner against that timber truck etc etc

Me, I have a Shoei Multitec which has been 100% safe for the past 24 months as my wallet forced my bike to remain parked at the shade with 0 miles covered during this time frame.

In your example, the rider would have destroyed his face if wearing a 3/4 or half helmet, then he would have wished he'd died!

670cc said:

I'd like to keep my chin and face intact if I were to crash. So, no, I would never ride a scooter, street bike, or dirt bike with a 3/4 helmet. To me, if it's too hot to ride with proper gear on, then it's too hot to ride.

I find it amusing that you would be concerned about how it would look to ride an NC with a 3/4 helmet.

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You could be wrapped up tight in swaddling clothes and full face and the guy in the 5,000 lb. SUV next to you in traffic thinks you are a darn fool risking life and limb for riding a motorcycle. Perception of risk and acceptance of risk is personal and I got over caring what people think of me and my decisions a long time ago.

dduelin said:

You could be wrapped up tight in swaddling clothes and full face and the guy in the 5,000 lb. SUV next to you in traffic thinks you are a darn fool risking life and limb for riding a motorcycle. Perception of risk and acceptance of risk is personal and I got over caring what people think of me and my decisions a long time ago.

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I agree with this. I'm not "concerned" about how i would look. It was simply a statement that I don't normally see them on anything but classic/retro bikes and I was wondering if anyone here wears one. I also agree that 3/4 helmets are not as safe as a full face and I will continue to wear my full face 95% of the time. IF I end up picking up a 3/4 helmet it will be for shorter rides or when it's excessively hot here in Texas. Thanks for the responses, as I expected most NC riders are pretty adamantly against them.

DirtFlier said:

In your example, the rider would have destroyed his face if wearing a 3/4 or half helmet, then he would have wished he'd died!

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most probably great damage to jaw and who knows what else but there are always those surgeon artists to fix things up, if you can source the $$ that is... - some rotten internet places have graphic pictures of such terrifying accidents - but surely not "dead on that obscure front impact" while feeling safe in fine quality ATGATT - full face helmets have saved my face twice and I would not put away my full face helmet considering this very low chance of such impact - however, in hot city conditions I have used a 3/4 helmet extensively while being a TV messenger in the past - you assess the risks and make your judgements NOT on wishful thinking - we are grown up boys after all

three quarters of a helmet and...

[video=youtube;vSt1MCC1L9g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSt1MCC1L9g[/video]