What helmet do you wear? and why?

No bout adoubt it ~ full face is the way to go .

Until last week I was still wearing my old 3/4 lid I had on when I rode directly into the mountain going 40 MPH ~ I always wear a face shield, usually a old Tech Vari-Shield but this last time I had on one of those 1970's typ bubble shields ~ it didn't get scratched so apparently I dodged the face plant bullet .

The previous time I crashed I was wearing a 3/4 lid with Vari-Shield, my face must have slid along the pavement as it was full of scratches and broke, whew .

Sadly I cannot wear a closed face helmet due to claustrophobia .

I hope I never have another get - off and if I do I hope my face doesn't slide / smack on anything .

I went down to cycle Gear and tried to order a new Bell, no one had them in stock so I ordered up another HJC 3/4 typ, it has the three snaps across the forehead so I can install my bubble shield .

FWIW, I too don't like being stuck paying for others stupidity if they refuse to wear a helmet, I'm very aware tht when you crash you don't get to say 'no, thanx, I'm a manly man and don't need any help' ecetera (B.S.) , I have full health insurance via kaiser that isn't cheap bu they've saved my life more than onc and put me back together again if not really all that well multiple times so I pay my own way here .

The damned new helmet is prolly waiting in my post office box, it was supposed to arrive the day before I left for the Nevada Desert .

We had a sad fatal motorcycle accident a few years ago near where I lived at the time. I rode past and saw the police cars and an (to the eye) undamaged Harley standing there, assumed it was minor mishap or maybe a stolen bike recovery since no one was doing much of anything, I found out the next day it was a fatality. What happened? A helmetless 60 year old guy rode his bike a couple of blocks from home to fill it up, he was turning into the gas station ( say 5-10 mph?), hit the edge of the curb vs the driveway and fell over, but as he fell he hit his head on a telephone pole that was next to the driveway. The bike landed leaning on the pole without a scratch on it, but he died instantly from the head injury. A helmet would have turned this into something to laugh about with his friends rather than a tragedy.

Think it can't happen to you? I did..then I pulled a stupid 2 years ago in my driveway and dropped my bike, but becuse of what I was doing ( trying a really tight, across the slope U turn) I fell over suddenly and much quicker than I would have expected. I hit my head pretty darn hard, I felt it through the helmet and in my neck later but obviously I was fine, but it sure would have hurt without a helmet...at the least.

I certainly understand the claustrophobic feeling as I have that problem too. I find that raising the face shield makes it okay for me. That emotional discomfort did increase the challenge of trying on a decent selection of helmets, some of which resisted opening face shields or coming off my head easily. My face shield MUST come up easily, quickly and intuitively or I have to fight with my instincts to remain calm inside the closed helmet. However, once I get ready to engage first gear, the shield comes down and I am fine with it.

There are many good write-ups on the Internet ... a websearch on types of motorcycle helmets will educate you.
Brave Search
The article link shared earlier is as good as any.
A Beginner's Guide to Types of Motorcycle Helmets

In my reading, research and personal experience, FIT is crucial. It has to be reasonably snug to function properly for head protection. It also must be comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time through various weather conditions. In the $250 and up price range, adjustable ventilation is part of the package. That helps a lot. More importantly for me was to go into a reasonably well-stocked motorcycle shop inclined towards sport touring riders and try on various helmets - with a little help from knowledgeable staff. That decided it for me.

Baseline for my selection was knowing that DOT is a pencil-whipped design criteria that does not mean a whole lot for rider safety. SNELL is way up from that as they are independent and actually test helmets for real world applications, though their focus is race car driver safety. Which brings us to the European ECE 22.06 as much more relevant for motorcycle jockey safety. Thus, as I pawed through the shelves of street bike helmets, I looked only at full helmets, and then prioritized according to the accreditation the helmet manufactures were willing to afford and adhere to.

Happily, one of the most comfortable for me was also DOT, SNELL and ECE 22.06 certified. It doesn't get much better than that. Price difference online VS brick-n-mortar was minimal. Support those who are there for you ... and tap into their knowledge pool.

Two factors obsolete even a good helmet. 1) age - the plastics have a known effective lifespan, 2) impacts - once they strike hard objects their structure is compromised. Even an empty-headed drop from chest high to pavement is enough to bring their protective capacity into question.

How much are your brains worth?