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Helmets - flip-front or full face ? Helmets - flip-front or full face ?
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  #1  
Old 12 Jul 2006
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Thumbs up Helmets - flip-front or full face ?
I have to decide on purchacing helmets for a bike rental situation.
I'm thinking flip-front is the best of both worlds - what are others views of this ?
I want to keep it simple without needing every option, and open-face is out for safety reasons.
:confused1:
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  #2  
Old 12 Jul 2006
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Flip fronts are quite noisy, even with earplugs.

Personally I hardly ever ride with the helmet open unless I am navigating at really slow speeds.

I think the greatest benefit of the flip front is whenever you stop to speak to someone, take a drink, etc.
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  #3  
Old 13 Jul 2006
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I have yet to find a non open face helmet i can wear with my glasses.. and without them I doubt i would make it out the lane
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Old 13 Jul 2006
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To flip or not to flip ,that is the question .
I have a Nolan flip front , it's not noisy and I comfortably wear sunglasses with it all the time .At slow speeds I flip the front up out of the way and just use the sunglasses [ safety glasses actually ] as eye protection .
IMHO flip fronts are great although they must give slightly less protection than full face .
For a rental situation I would opt for a brand that has a washable, removable liner so that you can keep the helmets clean and sanitary .
Also I don't think it would be wise to buy high end helmets for a rental business as they will invariably be ill-treated by the renters .
Nolans are good mid market helmets ,they don't excel in every aspect but they are cheap enough to replace without breaking the bank .
Just my sixpenneth worth !

Dodger
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Old 13 Jul 2006
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldbmw
I have yet to find a non open face helmet i can wear with my glasses.. and without them I doubt i would make it out the lane

When chosing glasses - take a helmet with you.. I do .. and I ask for frames that are as narrow as can be .. they fit better inside helmuts.
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Old 13 Jul 2006
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It depends on the conditions you are going to ride. If you are riding relatively slow and any possible crash is not a big bang on the head, flip fronts are more than fine. But if it is going to be a serious fast ride under harsh conditions I would definitely go full face.

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Old 14 Jul 2006
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Just a thought, have you thought about some motocross style helmets? They give almost the same protection as full face and have good visibility.
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Old 24 Jul 2006
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Thumbs up
Thanks for your thoughts guys - flip-front helmets obviously aren't everyones cuppa tea, but I think I will persevere with them for my situation as tourists will be regularly stopping for photos, chats and refreshments - all much easier with a "flipper".
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Old 26 Jul 2006
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I have a Caberg Tourisimo (flip front with integral sunvisor) which is great.

It is a tad noisy, but I cancel this with earplugs. When using the earplugs, the helmet is no noisier than my old Arai. It is brilliant for slow cruising around towns and such (I also wear sunglasses to prevent the odd projectile landing in my eyes) and particulrly handy when asking directions etc.
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Old 14 Jan 2007
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We just bought (don't everybody scream "stupid" now) HJC flip front helmets after comparing the feel and price of several others, including Nolan. We ride a scooter, highways only, never any offroad stuff, and after 50+ years of riding and two accidents, decided that the flipfront for us was great, and the comfort of the HJC was better than the Nolan-closer to the face and lighter "felt" weight-and half the price. Might be the same for riders who are much higher off the ground on cycles, ride faster, and can't throw into a broadside slide as quickly as a scooter. The HJC will satisfy a couple of old foggies and maybe even some young ones. Oh we both wear wide frame polar guard glasses to protect against cataracts and the helmets work just fine
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Old 17 Jan 2007
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Lightbulb Interesting side note(?)
I was at the Bike Show here last weekend and I was talking with a helmet rep about flip front lids in general. Apparently bikers who smoked were the major driving force behind the demand/development of the flip front.
And to a lesser degree; drinkers - I actually saw a cup holder on a bike at the show!
I own a full face, so I cant speak from experience, but I think the flip front is quite practical.
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Old 17 Jan 2007
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I have several helmets, but for most road riding, I use the HJC flip front helmet. Not too noisy, and the abiulilty to flip it up without removing it is nice. When stopping for gas, to talk to anyone, to take a drink or have a snack quickly without removing the helmet is great.

It's too heavy for any off road riding, so the MX helmet gets lots of use, too.

I have some 3/4 helmets that I wear seldom.
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Old 17 Jan 2007
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THe BMW Series 3 flip front was quite neat I used it for over a year. But after a year I've gone back to a regular full face - mainly due to the noise and the extra weight. Yes the full face is a pain with the glasses I have to wear but it just feels 'better' (how about that for a real useful technical description!!)
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Old 17 Jan 2007
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Hi There,

for convenience sake you can't beat a flip front however, for safety you're better with a full face.

I've changed from BMW's System 4 flip front to BMW's Enduro helmet and the weight saving and extra levels of comfort are very noticable.

Regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman
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Old 17 Jan 2007
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the trouble with fli[-fronts is that, with it open, you look like a chipmonk

J
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