i never wore a lid, my kids look to me to set the standard, they both love to ride so i am setting the example. somethings are just that important

I would be the first person to say helmets save lives, I CHOOSE not to wear one. The important thing here as Rex was stating, it should not be up to politicians to decide on matters of this nature. I want to pay the heads of state to be working on matters of national security, and bringing home our Troops from wars we don't need to be in anyway. Sorry that is another subject.
Remember freedom of speech was earned from the blood of our Military both present and past, and I'm glad we have that freedom so sites like this will continue to flourish.

Rex by damn I'm buying you a beer when we meet

Night Dragon

Yep, I wear one nomatter what state I'm in. I think that it's a totally personal choice, but I have also seen too many folks end up with serious brain injury or worse from going down without a skid-lid. One poor guy still wets his pants every time he laughs real hard cuz of lasting brain damage. (We try not to notice) :->

ok time to put my 2 cents in on the subject i choose not to wear a halmet most times..... i have been in accidents many got hit head on by drunk driver in september of 08 some say im lucky, i say it wasnt my time. i dont mind wearing a helmet but i prefer not to. if i am going to worry about how dangerious it is then i will stay on the couch and wear a helmet when i go up my steps to the bathroom life is dangerious not just riding and riding is my life period. its what got me up and walking again after my accident. if any is curious just ask waiting for comments on this one

yea.
have you seen the cage drivers in arkansas

Let those who ride decide! I rode for better than thirty years without a helmet, and with fifty years of riding under my belt, I have determined that there are two kinds of people, those who have been down and those who are going to go down. The state I live in requires helmets, so i wear the least one can get by with, loose and on the back of my head, and can't wait to get to a state that doesn't require one when I'm riding. I too believe that better time could be spent by those we pay to represent us than toi protect me from myself, but here's some news for you. In Colorado, a helmet is required on a motorcycle, and according to the people who require us to wear them, they don't impair your vision or hearing, yet if you wear a helmet in a car, you will be tickete, and the reason is that it impairs your vision and hearing. Go figure. Here's more. There has not been conclusive tests in helmets since the MSF(Motorcycle Safety Foundation) implemented the DOT standards in the '70s, and they don't exist anymore, and what's more, they concluded that a helmet would split in two pieces if impacted at around thirty-five MPH. Again, go figure. Just my two cents

 I have mixed feelings on this subject. But I firmly believe it should be the person's choice whether they do or don't as long as they're over the age of 21. Yeah, yeah, yeah.... I've heard all the crap about old enough to join the Military at 18 and Blah, Blah, blah... But, you know what? If the Military determines you've been injured or killed and weren't wearing a helmet, you're shit outta luck as far as insurance. Don't care if you're 18 or 80... But, I do know for a fact that 95% of 18 year olds wanna go out and get on the fastest thing they can find and see if they can "wring" 100% out of it! Seems like the 5% that will wear a helmet are also the ones not trying to kill themselves proving "something"... And like was said earlier, "them that have and them that will". I belong to the first club, the "haves"... Do I wear a helmet even though I live in a state that doesn't require it? HELL YES!!! I've skinned, scratched and busted enough helmets to know they're harder than my head!!! I have a bro on here that is living proof of what a helmet will do for you. November almost 2 years ago he was rear-ended by a "Cager" and ejected from his Ultra. That uncomfortable, restrictive device saved his life and face when he ended up head first, face down on the concrete...  Yeah, I wear mine... Nuff Said  

We always wear a helmet. We lost many good people because they didn't have a helmet on

I FEEL MUCH SAFER WITHOUT ONE.

While in city traffic I usually wear mine. Out on open country roads with good visibility, I usually don't. At night I do cause there are so many critters that don't look both ways before they cross the road.

Picture not withstanding, I wear mine. My helmet stopped a windshield from making me 2-3 inches shorter. Still have the scar at the hairline. That doesn't mean Uncle Sugar Should dictate. Freedom of choice, Freedom to PURSUIT of happiness, etc.

  I always use mine but I still think the option should be made for those that ride not some stuffed shirt moron that has never been near a bike besides seeing one in the next lane, exc.

Dont want to be looking down at my own funeral seeing my family crying and then hear one of my buddies in the back say: damn if he had only been wearing his helmet! DOT Carbon fibre their light and after a few miles you forget your even wearing it.

For me also, freedom of choice is the biggest issue here. When I went to Florida, yup, the lid came off. After the novelty wore off, I put it back on. Mostly. High traffic days and rides with others, it was on.

The idea of a helmet saving your life is a good one... but there are other things that can happen, even with the helmet on. My life is not going to be important to me if the quality of my life is severly downgraded. If I can't ride, or if I can't work... what good is that kind of life to me? And I've seen it first hand. I'd rather go out completely than be here half way.

Yea, a helmet can save my life. But the impact to the rest of my body is still up for grabs to the pavement, to the deer, to the black dog in the middle of the road at night, and to the idiot driver who didn't see me. Riding is dangerous. Period. I don't want to fall into a false sense of security simply because I wear a helmet.

Emergency room nurse once told me that the difference between wearing a helmet and not wearing a helmet is the difference between a biker coming into the ER with a broken arm and the biker coming into with gray stuff coming out of his nose.
Good enough for me.
One aspect of this discussion that bothers me are those who do not wear helmets making fun of those who do. If you are one those guys this is for you..."If you think you don't need a helmet, you probably don't."

i live in texas so its a choice,most of the time i choose to wear a helmet but not always,depends how i feel,MY CHOICE...  but it is a really cool half helmet!

I do not wear a helmet, unless the situation calls for wearing one, once I get out of the helmet required states. It is a matter of preference.  Being an adult I exercise my preference. I do not say that anyone should or should not wear a helmet because it is up to the person that is riding on or in a vehicle depending upon the circumstances.  
 Interestingly enough many people in the state of California did not realize why the helmet law was authored by Dick Floyd.  Bell Helmets is was located in his district.  The helmet law was a way for Floyd to increase product sales and hopefully create jobs in his district. LOL didn't work out too well. Bell helmets moved their manufacturing overseas and layed off a bunch of people and maximize their profits and bonuses.  Oops not like we haven't seen that one before.  Once you have a large number of people obligated to give you money you have it made.   Humm if I manufactured an Orange vest and got some money hungry polititian to pass a law... Ah forget it I'll keep my dignity and ethics.

normally I don't. South Texas Gulf coast weather is brutal.I know I should but..........

I firmly believe it should be a persons own choice, i wear mine, I am still new and in the fallling down stage lol. With the way people drive I feel safer. I have even had police pull out in front of me.

O.K., that's funny.  46 years on two wheels and I still fall down.


Peace

If you ride like I do, you would be an idiot not to wear a full coverage, well fitted, upper-end helmet.  Then again, you might be an idiot anyway, if you ride like I do.

I live in AZ and CHOOSE not to wear a helmet most of the time.I generally take my full face helmet on long trips and wear my helmet in rain, hail, extreme heat and cold, and sometimes during gnat season. I wrote a paper for a college class and my topic was pros and cons of mandatory helmet laws.The preponderance of evidence that I found showed that helmets do reduce injuries and deaths in motorcycle accidents. Even armed with this knowledge I prefer not to wear one. It's like riding in a convertible car with the top down although, inherently more dangerous. I refused to let my minor daughter ride with me without a helmet irrespective of AZ law which required it, and so she CHOSE not to ride with me. Now she is 18 and can make the CHOICE for herself. I adamantly respect and defend anyone's right to wear one or not.

I'm right there with you JypsyJim. I use mine but defend those that don't because it SHOULD be a choice!