coolest Shadow I've ever seen! Very nice!

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I will in several years. I don't see myself switching from sportbike anytime in the near future, and despite the fact that I sort of prefer the open face feel, vanity declares nothing but a fall face on a sportbike .

Martin: I too love the look of your bike and take a moment to admire the picture with all of your posts.

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-JV
Xbox LIVE!: "Vlad is Rad"
PSN: "Vlad_is_Rad"
SCII: "Volodya" (code: 314)

Thanks, they're all nice, even "Splinterbutt". I've yet to see one I don't like. My car gets more attention though.

i have read all of the post on the full face vs open face, i am a new rider so i dont have a my own words for what helmet is better. I can see for saftey that the full face helmet is a much better option, i of course observe other riders and see what they have or use, i have yet to find someone on a cruiser with a full face helmet in my area. slightly odd im sure-considering the saftey related. My question is clearly with a sportbike you would need a full face makes sence. Is it a crusier we are talking about with the full face? and if so do you ever change between the two? i live in a very open area, western New York, we have open lands for miles and miles not much traffic until we get to the larger cities. do you ever where the open face helmets for the view? Like i said i am new to riding and the forumn and im not saying anyone is wrong im just trying get a feel for everything.

I'm seeing more and more cruiser riders in my area opting for full face helmets, particularly if they commute. A fellow rider coach who I figured would never give up his half shell, admitted he was a convert after winning a full face helmet at a bike night, and wearing it on the road.

P

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ATGATT: Becuase walking away in disgust beats riding away in an ambulance.
Admitted BMW MC snob.

So, JM - welcome to the site and to riding! I am a fairly new (3 years) rider - my first bike was a typical cruiser - suzuki volusia vl800 - looked like a fat boy.

I'm writing in the past tense because it was totaled in an accident which will be a year ago in a week or so. I'm a mid-age rider (40's) and am seriously safety conscious. I was in a low speed (under 15mpg) unavoidable traffic accident on my bike - and I was wearing kevlar lined jeans, boots with ankle protection, protective gloves, a perf leather jacket with armor, and a full-face arai helmet. I bought the arai, and was happy with my purchase, even though I often had the visor cracked open during rides in the warmer months.

I don't have the picture here, but I will tell you this. The full face helmet saved me from shattering my jaw, scraping serious amounts of skin from my face, and drinking out of a straw for months while healing. As it is, i had and have significant leg and ankle injuries - while all my gear did its job and protected me from everything else.

I see tons of ppl on all kinds of bikes, many with full, many with partial skull caps and everything in between. You asked for advice and here's mine: the helmet isn't for when you're riding, it's for when you're hitting the ground - no matter your best intentions and skills. I was considering a 3/4 around the time that i went down, but the dents and scratches on my arai are a reminder that i chose smartly and well.

Of course, you are free to do as you please - depending on applicable laws - but take a page from my experience book - as a new rider, the more protection, the fewer the distractions, the better.

Be smart, be Safe, and Attgatt - you never know.

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still recovering - back to crutches, then walking with a stick, then running - then hopefully riding again!

Well, the European COST study showed that about 35% percent of all crashes show major impact on the chin-bar area.

Of course, statistics can be misleading, but it makes sense anyway; if you hit something, it kinda makes sense that you'll fall forward, and roughly on the front side of your body (including your head).

And IMHO, it's more pleasant to ride with a full-face anyway; quieter, and less exposure to wind, sun, bugs, rain, little stones, etc.

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"If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be."

Thank you very much for the reply, i must tell i was uncertain to many degrees on which would be best, i really like the look of a half helmet, but what i like and whats for the best are two diffrent things, i will be shopping this weekend at a local bike shop for a full helmet. I do appericaite your input and to many others as well, i know this will always be a ongoing debate. I love riding just as much as the next but i do have 2 kids to come home to everynight and they mean more to me than anything. I am thankfull you are getting better and have the intentions of getting back out there and ride... be safe and i will do everything in my power to make sure i am as well.

Good for you - just wanted to give you a cruiser rider's perspective and the benefit of my real-life experience. Lots of ppl on here say wisely when buying your first bike (and realizing you are a beginner and choosing the right bike for your experience) it's your first bike, not your last! it's also your first helmet, not your last

have fun

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still recovering - back to crutches, then walking with a stick, then running - then hopefully riding again!

I've always worn a full face helmet, and recently retired my first one due to age. I'm always amazed at the amount of dings and chips and giant bug death that have happened to that helmet in 5 short years. And most of that would have been "crumb" that would have hit my face at 55+ mph...so I don't see the point of an open face helmet. I like my face and see no need to add more scars, which can happen on a bike even if you don't crash.