HALF HELMETS FOR MEN AND WOMEN
The MOTORCYCLE HALF HELMET
For the sake of comparison, the other helmet categories include the full face helmet (and “motocross” variation), as well as the open face helmet (also called 3/4 helmet, since it protects 3/4 of the rider’s head).
NOVELTY HELMETS THAT LOOK SIMILAR TO HALF HELMETS
You CAN buy non-DOT (Department of Transportation) helmets, which means they do not fulfill the requirement of a legal motorcycle helmet in the states that mandate helmet use. You can buy ‘em online and you can even buy them at some motorcycle dealers. Retailers will sell them as “novelty” helmets, and they will usually say right on, or in, the helmet that it’s not meant for motorcycle riding. (I still haven’t figured out what other uses novelty helmets have).
Anyway, since novelty helmets are modeled after half helmets, they look more similar to half helmets than any of the other categories.
Although novelty helmets are certainly cheap in terms of expense, they are worthless when in comes to actual protection.
HALF HELMET PROTECTION
The DOT approved half helmet provides the minimum coverage allowed by law in the U.S., although there are certain restrictions that can may be applied privately. For instance, I was on a group ride for a major motorbike manufacturer recently, where, not only half helmets were disallowed, but so were open face helmets. (In other words, each rider needed a full face helmet).
Although the reason stated was “insurance requirements,” I have been on many such manufacturer group rides over the years and that was the first time I encountered that restriction.
OK, back to the subject at hand: Half helmets are somewhat of a stylistic choice for the cruiser crowd, although less frequently they are worn by bikers of other types of motorcycles. So much so, that if you are in a restaurant and you observe a biker walk in carrying a half helmet (and were not able to view their motorbike), you would much more likely be right if you guessed that person was riding a cruiser.
Although perhaps an obvious point, it’s worth emphasizing that half helmets offer the least amount of crash protection among any of the DOT approved helmets. Additionally, they have a greater potential of coming off of a biker’s head during a crash, which would render any helmet useless at that point.
Anyway, an expressed advantage of half helmets (other than fashion acceptance among cruisers) is more comfort in warm weather, as well as less restricted hearing.
COMPARE AND REVIEW MOTORBIKE HALF HELMETS
Click on the following link to see a vast selection of motorcycle half helmets for men and women:
