never wear one on the street.always on the dirt.i have never had a tree branch bounce off of my head on the road

I learned something new today.  Thanks for sharing that Celtic!  I pass a guy every day  and he's always decked out just as you described.  I often thought...WTF?  Now I know...

I wear one because I live in MD and its required.  I prefer to remove it in States that don't require it but I always honor the wishes of the person I am riding with...

I always wear a helmet, and require my passenger to do the same. If you want to chance it with all the morons on the road then go for it.

Full face for cooler weather and a 1/2 for summer riding. My opinion something is better than nothing

Living in Calif we have helmet laws,and personally I think it should be up to the driver if he chooses to wear one of not.Before this helmet law was enacted,I used to wear a helmet anyway,yet at times would go w/out a helmet for quik trips down the street or around town in super hot weather.
My problem with the current laws are the lack of any real data to support the reasons for mandating them? The only two accidents I am familiar with that were fatal locally,both times rider & passengers were killed thru operator fault and all of them wore helmets,colliding with trees and being thrown n bounced headfirst into a sewer hole grate.In both of these it was blunt force trauma,severe internal injurys,tho in one case they apaprently used the kidney of the female passenger to help another person who needed one,so in my own experience I dont see where having the helmets saved them?
So for me it all comes down to a matter of personal choice,sadly enough we dont have any here anymore,we have a state legislature full of corrupt politicians/lawyers, of course if ya want try n sue me for my statements here I am sure you could figure out a new law to enact to harass my freedom of speech LOL
In my mind this push for the helmet laws came from the same deep corporate pockets all the other bs laws do or special interests group LOL their special interest being lining their pockets with taxpayers monies..I am waiting on the day when they outlaw liquor or caffiene,tobacco, etc etc.. this time I wont miss the bus !!!

Do any of you have to have an extra insurance coverage on your policy to be legal? In Mi. you have to carry and extra $20000 "benifit plan". Well the problem i have is that my $250000 bodily injury policy would be void if i do not carry this extra coverage. Well here is the real bullshit....my wife and i both are on the policy, we both ride our own bikes, one year of the $250000 for both of us on both bikes is roughly $650 a year. To add this other coverage the insurance jumps to over $1000 a year. For an extra $20 grand of coverage...WTF? If anyone out there is an insurance agent please explain this to me because i just don't get it.

 Bell helmets years ago had an ad that said "if you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet." So, if you have a head worth nothing, wear no helmet. I've ridden all my life, always with a helmet, and I have had two accidents where a helmet saved me. Bike dealer near me was bringing a new bike from the back of his dealership up to the front. He had a low speed crash and killed himself on his own property. He always wore a helmet, except then, and it cost him his life.

Moto, I have a back and neck Doctor, "Hes a rider also." Over the years of seeing him weve had lots of talks about motocycle injurys. Weve both had a few.
First off. Nearly any fall could kill you. From the low speed, to a fall from the fall from a 3 step latter getting a can of chillie for moms.
1 more thing about the LOW FALL numbers not the NTSB or the NSBA keep records of the speed of the helmeted or helmetless at witch thay died. Nor do thay seporate the cause of DEATH. There numbers are just NUMBERS. I'll run the seniro for you. Older rider weaves around a bad cager The sudden shock causes a hart attack. Before he stops he falls. Before your claims That this is but 1 of many times where regurdless of the lid it leaves you with a death but according to the BEAN COUNTERS its got to fit in to one of the groups. It wasnt the helmets fault eather way. Thats the issue.
Also I would like to point out Bell helmets has a vested intrust in YOU buying there brand. The testing by D.O.T. Dosent rate helmet From better to best. But on a pass fail grade.

When I first started this post I said that I normally wear a helmet even though we don't have to here in Arizona. But would occasionally ride without one. Not sure what has changed but I now find myself wearing a helmet everytime I ride. May be just getting older, may be that a couple of good friends have gone down, or it may be just the fact there seems to be more idiots on the road, but I just feel better wearing my helmet.

Always wear one by choice!!!!

never don't even put one on the bike if not required

Helmets take so much enjoyment out of the ride..... i wear a beanie in Va. because I must but when I take a trip somewhere it's going to be to a state without a helmet law....thats where I'm going to spend my $$... for the record.... I HATE a @#$%*&$ helmet...

As many who have been around here know I will always support the right to choose whether to wear a helmet or not, however I normally always wear one. Well since the accident the "normally wear one" has changed to "ALWAYS wear one". After sliding 20 something feet on my helmet and seeing it worn almost all the way through I not only wear my helmet all the time now, but Laura and I have both upgraded to high quality 3/4 helmets. I know they won't save our lives on all situations, but I am 100% sure that it did last June and I just want to minimize any risk I can.

But like I said we wear ours by choice and that is what it should be - A CHOICE!

Living in Florida, when I bought my first Sportster, meant I had to wear a helmet, because that's what the laws at the time, required (1990). Shortly thereafter, I moved back to Ohio, to be with my Mom, who was terminally ill. Ohio, didn't have a helmet law at the time (1992), and I was over-joyed I didn't have to wear the "brain-bucket"...

Then, I had a serious accident. I hit an oil slick, and grabbed the front brake a little too hard. Needless to say, after flipping end over end, thru a busy intersection, and by the grace of GOD, not being killed, I had serious head trauma, which may or may have been the ultimate reason for my brain aneurysm, many years later. Let's just say, it sure is a possibility.

And while I've ridden several times since then, without a helmet, I just "feel" better when I do, now.
I've had too many close calls, to think it's worth lookin' kewl, or somehow makes me more "free" by not wearin' one.
True freedom is known, when you live long enough to talk about it.

Eh?

Ride Free
Tweek

A local guy who was on vacation in Arizona and got in an accident while not wearing a helmet and died. The sad thing is the it was a very minor accident that caused his death. Of course no one can say for sure if he would have lived or died had he been wearing a helmet, I sure think he would have had a better chance since it was such a minor accident. According to his wife he just happened to hit hi head just right even at slow speed.

Toni, that is EXACTLY why we wear helmets. I am a pretty smart guy and realize that a helmet will not save your life in all cases, especially a major car vs motorcycle collision, but I'll be damned if I am going to die in a minor mishap.

The accident we were in earlier this year was what you would consider minor, however from the damage to my helmet from impact and sliding on my head I am certain I would be dead or had severe head injuries without it.

So yes I wear a helmet by CHOICE and yes I suggest to people I care about that they wear a helmet.

Yes, I always wear one.

Live in Florida, 99% of the time, without helmet!

As you know Michigan's helmet law was repealed last year. My friends, the women, made a pact: If you don't wear a helmet you don't ride with us. Period. End.

Don't mean to piss anybody off. Just saying it from my point of view. That's all.

Jeanne Lucas
Big on Bikes

I live in Fla and don't wear one locally, but if going on long ride or an unfamiliar big town then I but it on. I like being able to decide when to take it off.

I'm a Michigan resident and there has been a change in helmet law. Helmets are now optional but I choose to wear head gear because I don't need anymore brain damage.