If you are on an upright bike like a Vstrom ,a peak on your helmet will be a good thing to have .
Glass lens goggles are better than plastic because they don't scratch as easily .Climax make good goggles [ made in Spain] ,the Octopus styled ones are excellent , some people like the Halycon Mk 8 as well .
If it rains you can wrap a scarf around your face or use one of those fetish style leather facemasks .A flat wrap around faceshield is also good in rain which you can stash away on fine days [ inside a sock is a good place ].
I love open face helmets and goggles for local rides but long distance I take a flip front purely for the extra weather protection .If you have a good screen on your DL this may not be a factor for you .
I imagine that as an adult you are able to do research and and decide for yourself the safety pros and cons .
Good luck with your choice .
:scooter:

Wulf Airflow
 

I've just bought a Wulf Airflow trials helmet. I love it. The most comfortable helmet I've ever owned, cool in the heat and ok in the rain/wind. I was out last Wednesday trail riding in the peak, wind, rain and it was fine.I wear a Decathalon ski mask and it is surprisingly snug, even coming over the Woodhead pass in a howling gale.

Depending on the conditions I wear MX goggles, sunglasses, or my particular favorite for hot weather, Bolle safety glasses bought from Screwfiw for £7.

Dan

You might want to consider getting a screen, not a tiddly thing that covers your belly button but a real one that is up to eye level. I cannot tell you how many hard large insects and small stones have been deflected away from my face with mine. see here

Photos Of trip to the Flytrap

lid
 

i wear open face all year in the north of ireland with ess goggles and an assortment of neck tubes which can be adjusted over the face depending on the strength of the rain or hale.i bought a xr 1000 full face at £400ish 2 0dd years ago and have used it several times in that 2 year period.when i started riding full face helmets were not very common.my point being if you have never used open face you are really missing out although i do understand the safety issues.if you own a dog and drive a car study your best friend when the car door window is down several inches.:clap:

Don't you folks have bugs where you ride, like we do here in the NE of the US of A? Over the weekend I was riding around the Adirondacks and I had to stop every 15 or 20 minutes at one point to clear the bug splatter off my face shield. It took 15 minutes at the end of the day to scrub most of the bugs off the front of my bike. Even if the pain of the bugs hitting you doesn't bother you, some of the splatter is pretty seriously big and gross. Once in a while you get dinged by something like a big flying beetle that is like a small flying stone. I guess I'd rather not ride with stuff like that flying up my nose and down my throat. And, what do you do in hail storms?

Insects and hail aren't that prevalent where I live. And the one time I remember being hit by an insect that stands out in my memory, I was wearing a full face anyhow and still got hit in the throat by a large wasp. Ouch.

Springy fabric fleece tube buff thingy. Wear it one way for insects, the other for sleet/hail, take it off when the sun comes out.

Andy

Bugs./wind/dust etc etc aside
I came across an accident after Pampelonne (near St Tropez) & I was shocked at what I saw- biker down and where his jaw once was.... was just a bloody mess :eek3: He had an open face helmet and sun glasses...
Harley- totalled.


System 6 - best of both worlds- always good to pop front up when stopped to speak to cops and give a smile or three etc and get more air if needed. Excellent ventilation in this lid.

Open face helmets? never ! I'd rather give up biking.

After having the same debate recently we settled on this

Schuberth J1 Motorcycle Helmets. Just Helmets - UK supplier of Schuberth motorcycle helmets

seems like the best of both worlds

Hi Mister fox I used a schuberth J1 for travelling for many years and they are a great helmet if a little bulbous and quite expensive, the chin guard would offer a fair bit protection in an off and the combination of visors is good for travelling ( you can fit a shorter clear visor from the full face helmet range if your travelling hot country). However be aware that the visor mounts are prone to breaking I went through 5 visors simply because of this problem ( It was far worse in cold countries as the visor seemed more brittle) I know of several others who had the same problem. just so your aware of it. (its a little l shaped tag in the visor slide area that snaps off. I now use a nolan N43 air which in all honesty I prefer so its worth looking at if your not already commited to buying the schuberth, regards jake.

Dodger I would certainly look to a visor as well, i have ridden with open face helmets for over 20 years and for ease of use and comfort a visor is far better. I also have been stung several times when not using a visor once in the throat (inside my nose) down the side of the helmet and once in the eyelid even though I had safety glasses on the wasp was swept to the inside of the lens and decided to sting me. I always wear an open face with a visor now. The are safety issues obviously if your jaw or teeth hit the road your knackered but then again its a choice and I have always chosen open face over full face or flip front

I used to wear an open face, but with a visor--never could understand the goggles thing. But, since I switched to a full-coverage helmet I can't imagine ever going back. Doesn't seem any hotter to me than an open face, seems quieter (maybe that is helmet-specific), it can definitely be buttoned up better when it is pouring rain (or even hailing), and is somewhat warmer when it is really cold. I have a neck gaiter thingy around the bottom of the helmet you squeeze your head through and it keeps a lot of wind and noise from coming up from under the helmet. It is slightly warmer in hot weather, but then I just crack the visor up a notch and if I am going any speed there is more than enough air. It just seems logical that if you are going to the trouble to wear a helmet, or you have to because of the law, you might as well wear one that will actually protect you.

x2 on the Bolle Safety Glasses. I wear them under my flip front helmet and ride most of the time with the visor part open and the glasses are so light and clear it is as if there is nothing there.

Glass lens goggles give you very clear vision and don't mist up .Plus your eyes don't get cold and remain dust free and don't water up at speed .

I actually saw the Nolan before the J1 but the one I wanted was the trilogy, but it was only in america. However after your post I have found that in europe the "air" is the same as the "trilogy" so thank you.

Haven't yet bought the schuberth so will be looking at both to see what fits best.