The Motorcycle Helmet Thread

[bn1966]

Just for a laugh I visited the Ace Cafe on Rocker day riding my Hayabusa. As I rode along the North Circular from the A12 end I got some funny looks as I was wearing my old Kangol with goggles and a plain centre zip black jacket and black boots rather than Power Ranger stuff.
As I entered the car park at the Ace I was immediately directed to the Cafe racer parking, then the marshall looked at my bike and I was sent down the far end with the other Jap stuff haha.
It's funny how original Mods and Rockers, even the revivalists from the 80s all meet up and chat about our machines and what we did as youngsters.
But Beware! There are old guys out there who still think they are angry rebel teens(Friends of the Devil and twice as mean) who still would rather get home late than accept a lift of a Japanese superbike or modern scooter, and in my experience an MOT tester who was a Mod, would not pass an old British bike on first visit without something that had to be sorted 100%(Bullsh*t, its not to loud )

Last IOW Scooter Rally I went over from Lymington with a load of scooters, me on my Yamaha. I was treated as a scooterist. On the return from Yarmouth I was marshalled in with a load of Bikes (away from the scooters) & informed I was there so I didn't have to mix with the Mods

 

[rocketeer]

Very interesting to be an American listening in on you Brits -- and understanding about 1/3 of what you're talking about!

How about a few stories from your side of the pond then
Up to the1960s in England and the rest of the UK, cars were not so prolific on the streets and motorcycles, often with sidecars were the main transport for many families. You could get large bikes with massive sidecars, sometimes called a chair, that could take the whole family along. Mum and dad on the bike and up to 4 kids in the sidecar or more. Then the Mini came along and it all changed.
The USA came out of WWII pretty well and so many families and teenagers had cars, even the old banger Hot Rods we would have died for. Instead we took our girlfriends to the cinema etc on the bus.
From what I can gather in the USA motorcycles were mainly a big boys toy, used at weekends for fun rather than to get to work. So come on, enlighten us with some adventures in the US. Old or modern, we love bikes here.

 

[rocketeer]

As this is basically a Helmet thread, anyone got a photo of a crashed lid and a story to go with it?

 

[bn1966]

Family Transport

 

[SkyTurtle]

It's spreading unfortunately, even Norton have found the ´ Key on their graphics machine ( http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/bikes/commando-961-cafe-racer-mk-ii.html ) Sorry it has to be a link, It's just to painful to post a photo.

And of course you guys know that "racer" is pronounced "rosser", right?

 

[rocketeer]

Family Transport

View attachment 68909

This is probably the most iconic motorcycle clip of all time. Why?
Because when there is a casual discussion about motorbikes and sidecars this film clip will always come up. Now someone is waiting in the wings to answer this saying Steve McQueen's jump in The Great Escape is more iconic. I beg to differ simply because should a casual discussion about Triumphs be mentioned then McQueens jump may or may not be mentioned

Just in case anyone wants to take this too seriously, it is almost impossible for the sidecar to detach this way, but it is still the funniest bike scene EVER.
Would anyone wish to speculate on the make and model of Arthur and Olive's headgear or his studded jacket.
The bike is a BSA by the way, there is a detailed feature about the bike on some other forum I read.(May be a Facebook BSA page actually)

 

[Edward]

Café Racer of course(pronounce it Cafay as in wayheyhey). Sometimes titled 'How to throw $$$$ of $$$$ at an old Triumph or even a YamahaHAHAHA, wrap the exhausts in heat tape and claim it is in the tradition of the original Rockers' show.

Ah, right.... not one I've heard of before. Satellite tv? Sounds much more like the American rat bike tradition, transplanted into a UK ideal... Based on what I know of the original scene (and the revivial, indeed), the Brit rockers took a lot more pride in the appearance of their bikes than that....

A lot of Mods tend to go for the old 'Corker' type skid lids, usually white with peaks attached, not the true pud. Back in the 60s, more than likely non at all going by photo's.

Yip, that's what I was thinking of, you're right.

Bikes and fashion can also go together. It just doesn't look right wearing a Power Ranger outfit and carbon race lid with an old Triton, as it also does not look right dressed up in studs and badges on a standard Vincent Black Shadow. I doubt many would dress in Rocker mode to ride a Yammy R1 but may for a laugh, and of course there are the vintage bikes of pre war and Edwardian era clothing. Alpinestars GP Pro's and Sidi Vortice boots on a Brough anyone

Could be pretty funny. Have you ever seen shots of the Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride? More than a few guys on that event worldwide riding a modern racing Ducati in a tweed suit! Here in ventral London, I only ever seem to see one of two types on a Harley: some middle-aged city boy in a suit, or a patched-up one-percenter type (rare here in the SE, though - I gather there's much more patch-club activity in the Midlands).

I used to hang around with a club that "required" open faced helmets so I go a nice Bell 500 for that stuff. But I've had two friends seriously mess up their faces so I'll usually stick with the full helmet.

I'm always surprised, at least here in the UK where we've had a blanket helmet law for over forty years, that full-face hasn't yet become a legal requirement, given the stats per the diagram I posted above.


What was the reasoning of the club requirement - was it a particular image they wanted to project, or was there a specific argument behind that choice?

I really don't care what anyone rides as long as it has two wheels (three if you have a note from your doctor). I've ridden Japanese metrics most of my life because I ride everywhere I go and, well, I need a bike that works and nothing's been built yet that is as reliable as what they build in Japan. But I have a Beemer R1200 that I ride almost everywhere because I don;t think anything is better in all kinds of weather. I just know that I have to spend at least one weekend a month tweaking valves and intake grommets to keep her happy. Everybody's got their opinions on what bike is best yada, yada, yada. I say let them ride what works for them and wear what works for them. But I can't keep from laughing!

You certainly can't argue with the quality and reliability of those early 70s Hondas and Suzukis. MY dad had a few of those during the twenty years or so that he got back into motorcycles (he had one in the early sixties for a year til he could get a car licence, then he went back to them in his fifties. Doesn't ride now as his pal died (cancer, not a bike crash) and he's got no one else to ride out with. That and he's my mother's carer now since her Parkinson's got worse). I remember a Suzuki 250 which was a nice bike, also one of those metallic orange Honda 360s, a rare birdy here in the UK (the model was never officially imported because the insurance cut off was 350cc and under, then 500cc and under; Honda's UK arm figured nobody would pay the extra insurance bill for just 10cc more). Dad's was imported privately to Scotland, I believe, by someone in the US military, then sold when he left. Same way many old American cars ended up over here. He's still got a Honda Custom of some sort, a big 650cc, I think. Only bike he ran I didn't much care for was the Honda Pacific Coast. Impressive and practical, but.... somehow a bit soulless to me.

And here is my helmet sitting on top of my Royal Enfield (it thinks it's posing for a magazine).

Just got the bike out of winter storage yesterday, and looking forward to spring riding.

It's not particularly fast, or a super slick handler, but fun to ride for me.

View attachment 68830

Beautiful bike. I have my eye on a Mutt once they put out the 250cc models next year, but I'll always have a fancy for a Royal Enfield, particularly the Classic 500 model.

Me and my crowd were 'Rockers' in the 70s and 80s, the revival thing starting in the mid 80s with Lennie Patterson's Rockers Reunion runs to Brighton and Southend. I was as near as we could get I guess but still had the basic look of jeans, black jacket and high leg boots.
I often wondered about the Mod scene also in a bigger revival in the early 80s, apart from the scooter did you go info the full fancy suits and clothes the original Mods were really into or was it just an old parka with a target or 'The WHO' (or the Jam) painted on the back, jeans and footwear(Doc Martens?).
A bit later the Scooter boys were sort of taken over by the skinhead look which was a shame really as I quite liked a Modded up Lambretta(with not too many mirrors)

Ha. I always hated the OTT mirror thing with the scooters - though known Mods, both original and revivalists, who look at the whole Quadrophenia look the same way real Teds do Showaddywaddy......

All my mates were Mods with Lambrettas (Vespa was frowned on) but I rode a BSA Bantam. Full 175cc of power! Felt a lot safer than a scooter. Got up to just over 60 on it once, downhill with a following wind.

It's always surprised me that with the strong retro trend in motorcycle design these days, nobody ever thought to revive the BSA brand with an updated but classically styled 125cc Bantam for the learner / city commuter market.... Closest (sort of) are the clearly Triumph influenced Mutts.

The on scooter I really quite fancy, I don't know the brand for... It's a very specific style I see all over Beijing. If you can imagine an original Vespa redesigned by Tonka, it's that.... cute little machine. And electric. I'd always pick a motorcycle over a scooter, but all the same for flitting through the city an electricity-powered scooter would make a lot of sense. (Not to mention be more popular with the neighbours if I took it out late at night!)

But Beware! There are old guys out there who still think they are angry rebel teens(Friends of the Devil and twice as mean) who still would rather get home late than accept a lift of a Japanese superbike or modern scooter, and in my experience an MOT tester who was a Mod, would not pass an old British bike on first visit without something that had to be sorted 100%(Bullsh*t, its not to loud )

Ha, somebody got bested by a Rocker at an impressionable age and never let it go!

How about a few stories from your side of the pond then
Up to the1960s in England and the rest of the UK, cars were not so prolific on the streets and motorcycles, often with sidecars were the main transport for many families. You could get large bikes with massive sidecars, sometimes called a chair, that could take the whole family along. Mum and dad on the bike and up to 4 kids in the sidecar or more. Then the Mini came along and it all changed.
The USA came out of WWII pretty well and so many families and teenagers had cars, even the old banger Hot Rods we would have died for. Instead we took our girlfriends to the cinema etc on the bus.
From what I can gather in the USA motorcycles were mainly a big boys toy, used at weekends for fun rather than to get to work. So come on, enlighten us with some adventures in the US. Old or modern, we love bikes here.

Yeah, whole different scene I gather. Of course, the US had, long before the sixties, a culture of affordable cars we didn't in the UK in the same way, not to mention infinitely cheaper fuel - which is why, of course, they had V8s to do the shopping run in, and could afford to keep cars that did about three feet to the gallon!

This is probably the most iconic motorcycle clip of all time. Why?
Because when there is a casual discussion about motorbikes and sidecars this film clip will always come up. Now someone is waiting in the wings to answer this saying Steve McQueen's jump in The Great Escape is more iconic. I beg to differ simply because should a casual discussion about Triumphs be mentioned then McQueens jump may or may not be mentioned

Just in case anyone wants to take this too seriously, it is almost impossible for the sidecar to detach this way, but it is still the funniest bike scene EVER.
Would anyone wish to speculate on the make and model of Arthur and Olive's headgear or his studded jacket.
The bike is a BSA by the way, there is a detailed feature about the bike on some other forum I read.(May be a Facebook BSA page actually)

This one?

The one I always remember is..... well, I think it might be this from George and Mildred, though I was sure it was Terry and June I saw a similar gag in.... (opening credits?), just can't find it on youtube.

 

[rocketeer]

This one?

The one I always remember is..... well, I think it might be this from George and Mildred, though I was sure it was Terry and June I saw a similar gag in.... (opening credits?), just can't find it on youtube.

No not that one, it is where Arthur drives the bike and the side car comes off sending Olive off on her own(Might be in one of the films).
The Bike is the same bike as in On the Busses, George and Mildred and Hodges from Dads Army.

 

[SkyTurtle]

I'm always surprised, at least here in the UK where we've had a blanket helmet law for over forty years, that full-face hasn't yet become a legal requirement, given the stats per the diagram I posted above....

What was the reasoning of the club requirement - was it a particular image they wanted to project, or was there a specific argument behind that choice?

To your point, I've always thought the US has lagged far behind the UK, Germany and others in motorcycle safety laws. Not just for the helmet (which I can't understand anyone not wearing) but also the graduated requirements for displacement with new riders. Like flying, where you learn the basics of flight management and performance in a light plane with simple systems, it just makes sense to start with a light, low-powered motorcycle while you learn how to manage two wheels in straights, turns and emergency situations while adjusting to the very different world of motorcycling. In the US a new rider can, after passing a simple skills test and cursory written exam, go out and purchase a 700 lb. Fat Boy with 130 Nm of torque. And this frequently happens. That's a lot of mass and power, and a lot of peanut butter for a new rider to learn to gargle.

On the helmet requirement, a few years back I was an HA (hang around) for a military vets MC. We weren't 1%ers and were not a support club and maintained a delicate, cordial relationship with the local dominate patch clubs. There was a uniform requirement (color of shirts, etc.) and the helmets were just a part of that. I learned a lot about the MC culture in those two years and I respect those guys quite a bit. It just wasn't the life for me at the time.

 

[IXL]

Very interesting to be an American listening in on you Brits -- and understanding about 1/3 of what you're talking about!

It helps a bunch if one has read many of the photo-intensive published books on the era. Heck, at this point I can even spot a photo of "Father Bill."

 

[Edward]

Has anyone read Rin Tanaka's book on motorcycle helmets? I believe it's a similar size and format to his book on jackets, but I've never seen it in person. Tempted - the jacket one doesn't give a huge amount of information, but it's well worth it for the photos.

No not that one, it is where Arthur drives the bike and the side car comes off sending Olive off on her own(Might be in one of the films).
The Bike is the same bike as in On the Busses, George and Mildred and Hodges from Dads Army.

THat sounds like what I remember, except I thought it was Terry and June. Could be my faulty memory.... but yeah, bike turns one direction in traffic, sidecar goes the other...?

To your point, I've always thought the US has lagged far behind the UK, Germany and others in motorcycle safety laws. Not just for the helmet (which I can't understand anyone not wearing) but also the graduated requirements for displacement with new riders. Like flying, where you learn the basics of flight management and performance in a light plane with simple systems, it just makes sense to start with a light, low-powered motorcycle while you learn how to manage two wheels in straights, turns and emergency situations while adjusting to the very different world of motorcycling. In the US a new rider can, after passing a simple skills test and cursory written exam, go out and purchase a 700 lb. Fat Boy with 130 Nm of torque. And this frequently happens. That's a lot of mass and power, and a lot of peanut butter for a new rider to learn to gargle.

I've always put it down to cultural difference: rugged individualism and freedom of the individual in the US, versus a UK notion based more on the overall "public good" idea. Of course, here, with the NHS, there's also an argument about it being about not only protecting individuals from themselves, but also the question of protecting our public healthcare system from the expense occasioned by the recklessness of those who take such risks. I guess that's a difference in the US, where the individual might be said to bear the cost (via private insurance) of their own helmet choices to a much greater degree.

On the helmet requirement, a few years back I was an HA (hang around) for a military vets MC. We weren't 1%ers and were not a support club and maintained a delicate, cordial relationship with the local dominate patch clubs. There was a uniform requirement (color of shirts, etc.) and the helmets were just a part of that. I learned a lot about the MC culture in those two years and I respect those guys quite a bit. It just wasn't the life for me at the time.

It's fascinating how a basic mode of transport can become a lifestyle, isn't it? I've often wondered whether, had the affordable private car never really arrived in the U and thus the motorcycle remained a standard workingman's transport, your average person would view motorcycles differ MCCs, MCs and one percenters would still exist, but I wonder whether there would still have been so much focus on the motorcycle element of that, the way in some pole company "biker" is a pointed label .....

 

[Edward]

Anyone here wearing a Premier Trophy? http://www.premier.it/en/collections/full-face-premier/trophy/

 

[bluesforchallah]

For me, some days it's the Arai Vector:

Other days it's either my Fulmer V2 or my Bell Bullitt.

Fulmer V2:

Bullitt:

 

[lina]

I'd be interested to know how those Premier's fit if anyone has tried one. Especially, whether it might work for the oval-headed among us...

Anyone here wearing a Premier Trophy? http://www.premier.it/en/collections/full-face-premier/trophy/

 

[red devil]

Thought I could revive this thread as I finally got a motorbike and a helmet.
So the helmet is Shark Spartan Carbon, fits well, and seems decent.
And the bike is Kawazaki Z1000SX a few years old, in black and green... so my idea of getting a blue LL Lightning once I got a motorbike had to be forgotten

That being said, I am testing out my jackets in riding conditions and realise that not all perform equally. The recommendation given in most shop is to get fabric jackets and trousers due to the weather here in the UK... not to keen on that TBH.
What do you guys reckon?

 

[casechopper]

If you're in rain most days and are only going to have a single riding jacket/suit then textile equipment isn't a bad idea. It dries fast and does good at keeping water out. If you've got a few leather jackets to rotate so they get a good chance to dry between wears then leather is fine IMO.

 

[JMax]

Thought I could revive this thread as I finally got a motorbike and a helmet.
So the helmet is Shark Spartan Carbon, fits well, and seems decent.
And the bike is Kawazaki Z1000SX a few years old, in black and green... so my idea of getting a blue LL Lightning once I got a motorbike had to be forgotten

That being said, I am testing out my jackets in riding conditions and realise that not all perform equally. The recommendation given in most shop is to get fabric jackets and trousers due to the weather here in the UK... not to keen on that TBH.
What do you guys reckon?

If you want the LL, get one, or two, or three. That is a sweet-looking jacket. Also, Vanson has jackets built more for the sport bike crowd if that is a concern. Though something like Rev'it may be easier to source in the UK. No idea.

I would be interested in your thoughts on the Shark after some time in it. Tks.

 

[red devil]

If you want the LL, get one, or two, or three. That is a sweet-looking jacket. Also, Vanson has jackets built more for the sport bike crowd if that is a concern. Though something like Rev'it may be easier to source in the UK. No idea.

I should get the LL black (which would work with everything), green (tougher to match, and need to see the shades available), or a combination of both (then it really becomes the Kawazaki jacket)... definitely to ponder

Just looked it up, seems like there is a shop selling Vanson in London, might as well go check it out.

I would be interested in your thoughts on the Shark after some time in it. Tks.

Sure! Will write some impressions after using it for a while

 

[breezer]

Bell Riot for me

 

[mr_lits]

Sometimes it is my Arai, sometimes it is my Bell 500, but I picked up this Nexx XG100 over the winter and really like it, combines the best aspects of a 3/4 face with full face safety. It also has a snap on windscreen for those days when I want to keep out the breeze.