Full-face Helmet

By Tim Chandler, Southern California

I've been riding for years and only recently (about 6 months ago) purchased my first half-helmet or "shortie". What a feeling! I started using it almost exclusively right off.

However, my wife cleaned out the coat closet one evening and moved my gear, such that I couldn't find a thing the next morning when I was getting ready to take off for work. So instead, I grabbed my "backup" full-face helmet from the shelf, and headed off down the Pacific Coast Highway towards the office. About halfway there, with almost no traffic on the road during my normal mid-morning commute, a small object hit the left-front of my helmet so hard it turned my head. I was astonished to find my visor had what looked like a small bullet-hole like crack just in front of my left eye. I can only assume, having never seen it coming, that I was hit by a rock thrown from a vehicle in front or to the side of me. I had always been sure that my motorcycle's windshield would prevent an incident like this from happening!

Needless to say - my full-face helmet is no longer my backup. I will never ride without it again, nor will I ride for any duration without the visor firmly in place protecting my eyes.

Submit your story
Every rider has a favorite story about a lesson learned on the road. We'd like to hear yours. Whether you are a new rider or an old hand, tell us your story. What safety tips can you pass on to others? Stories should be limited to about 250-500 words. E-mail them to kglaser@msf-usa.org.

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