Open face lid v Full face
 

Always had full face, but then always had motorcycles. Closest I've cometo an open face is a Moto-X lid...

Now I also have a Ural side car, I'm thinking perhaps the safety shortcoming s of an open face may not be as relevant.

Discuss!

Seriously though. For overlanding, on a Ural that will rarely head north of 55mph, would you still recommend fullface?

Otherwise which open face gets your vote? Function over form for me, please...

So far seen Arai Freeway, Schuberth J1 (mortgage needed!), A Nolan, Dianese, and HJC...

Used to ride with an open face on my Enfield. Swapped to a full face after discovering that rain hurts even at 50mph!

In a nice climate however, it might be nice. Depends on the conditions you envisage riding in.

Matt :)

I use a Fox MX helmet off-road and a BMW system 4 on-road. I, personally, would never feel comfortable without some chin protection. I also like to keep the wind out - to prevent my eyes watering and protect my ears.

To me, other than off-road, a helmet with a flip-up chin and fully sealed visor is the best possible option and worth the investment. The specific brand is down to individual choice (and budget).

BTW That Schuberth J1 with the snap-in hoop looks interesting and there is a review of it on the HUBB here.
Stephan

Flip!
 

I would definitely agree with the flip up option... they offer better protrection than an open face in a crash... i kinda like my 'Jimmy Hill' chin for some reason! better wind/rain/cold protection too. Furthermore, when you stop somewhere to ask directions etc you can just flip it up so the people can see your smiling dusty mug... I really do think they offer the best compromise... and although expensive, the BMW one i have had has been good.

Hope this helps

William

I used to like an open face helmet and Climax racing [leather] goggles , when it rained I would clip a wrap around shield on the front of the helmet , worked great .
But that was with an Everoak Grand Prix helmet [ remember them ?] ,which was a first class piece of kit .
I've tried to do the same kind of thing with modern helmets and failed , most open faced helmets are bulkier than they used to be , they are very noisy and goggles don't seem to fit .
So I went the full face route and hated the damn things , claustraphobic , couldn't feel the wind ,fogged up etc etc .Moto cross style ones were a bloody pain with goggles .

At the moment I have a Nolan n100 and like it , it looks very dorky but at least I can flip up the chin bar at slow speed and get some air , I also ride with tinted safety glasses and it's great at speeds up to 60 mph with the chin up . With the front down it's completely waterproof and quiet - a bit like being in a car really .

On very hot days there is nothing better than putting on the Davida pudding bowl with goggles !For long straight boring roads where the hazards are few and predictable it's ideal .

For plodding around on a Ural I would think an open face would be fine , just keep your chin up when you tip it over !
Nolan do an open face with a lifting visor that looks OK , try a few different types and also try on the goggles , see what you think .

[ no warranty actual or implied , your mileage may very , always wear a chinstrap , buckle up and wear a condom whilst operating machinery , ]

I would go with the Flip-Up option. Modern flip ups are much improved over early ones from Schuburth, BMW or Nolan. I owned and tested a Nolan N100 years ago. The latest one is much better. (stronger, quieter, more comfortable, better shield and more)
I have a new Shoei Multitec flip up helmet. I rate it B+. My Full face is an Arai RR3 / RX-7. (best they made in 2004) Cost $700.
Not only is the Multitec far quieter than earlier flip ups, its stronger and safer than some other ones, like HJC. It IS expensive.

Even though you have a hack, I think full face protection is still needed.
If you go through your plastic shield even at 15 mph, it will hurt and do alot of damage. You could still be thrown off the hack and land face first on the road or into a car or whatever.
Touring with the flip up has a lot of convenient features I like. Cool air in slow going in hot weather, ability to converse easily without removing helmet. Great for fuel stops, tolls, police or asking directions. Save a ton of time every day not constantly having to remove it.
My new Shoei is quiet for a flip up. Actually nearly as quiet, or perhaps AS quiet as my RX-7 Arai.
Friends have the latest Nolan's and they too get great reviews, and are about 30% cheaper than Shoei. (or more)
I would never wear a regular open face helmet. I just don't feel comfortable riding. Nor do I ride without a helmet. (many US states and many other countries do not require a helmet. I always wear mine ..... with ear plugs of course.
Ear plugs make you a calmer rider. Studies have shown blood pressure and heart rate both drop with ear plugs in. Stress levels go down. Very important if doing very long days on the bike. Fatigue is lessened by a significant margin that you can literally feel. You ride smarter and see and hear more, not as distracted.
Racers run faster lap times using plugs. No current racers run without them.
(in major pro classes) All that said, one caveat about flip-ups: They will not be as safe in a crash as a full face helmet. They are not SNELL rated (NO flip up is). (SNELL is a private, independent helmet testing and rating group, been around since the 70's, very well known)

I have talked to the SNELL guys in Sacramento, California who say it is only because of the flip up hardware that they will not pass the rigorous testing.
Fact is, 90% of crashed flip ups would do fine. Its that rare 10% where you could have a problem with the chin bar coming off. Most times you are fine. Having hung out with the SNELL guy for a day (doing an interview) I feel confident my Shoei will do the job. Shoei put new work and thought into this lastest Multitec helmet. I hope it will hold up.




Patrick

I also like open face or jet helmets sometimes. My compromise is to get one with flip up visor and hope for the best. You need the screen anyway for stinging rain.

I also have the usual fullface helmet with flip up front, when I want the full face option.

I've just read a helmet review on this thread. It tells me that full frontal face injuries are fairly common. So I really shouldnt be using an open face........

I could never feel safe with an open-face helmet! Why wear one at all? Here's why: I was sitting on my bike in a line-up waiting in a construction zone. A rather large dump-truck rolled by and a rock the size of my fist fell from the truck, bounced down the road and hit me in the chin, of my full face shoie helmet. The impact cracked the helmet and i had to discard it! Had i worn an open face... man, i don't even want to think about it! My helmets are full of scars from road debris, chipped chin-pieces and scratched visors. Nope! Go for the full face!
Think about this, do you feel because you have a sidecar, you can ride in shorts and sandals?

Well it's hard to beat your bad experience!

I think that you were spectacularly unlucky - about the same odds as winning a lottery. But I can see why you won't wear open face helmets....

I have one of each, but very much prefer using the Airoh Rock open face helmet. At 700 grams its about half the weight of a full face or flip.

But the main advantage which no-one has mentioned yet is your ability to interact with locals. You pull up in a full face helmet to some 3rd world hillbilly and you look like an evil beast from outer space. Pull up in a open face helmet when everyone can see your face, and its a completely different reaction.

If you are walking down the street with your mother and a bike pulls up next you both with the rider in a full face helmet and iridium visor starts to ask a favour, its a different ballgame from the same guy riding up with an open face helmet and a smile.

Having done a lot of touring with both, I find it infinately easier to enlist the help and get the trust of locals with an open face helmet on. Make no mistake, you still get help with a full face, but it doesnt even begin to compare with how the intereaction goes with an open face.

It might not be safer, but the compromise is safety vs interaction with the locals,. You can always go round the world in a 4WD airconditioned landcruiser with a roll cage if you want to err on the side of safety in that debate.

Next time you watch Mondo Enduro or Terra Circa, imagine how impersonal it would have all been if they all had full face helmets instead of open helmets. It would just be a bunch of 7 faceless bikers rather than Austin, Gerald, Charlie, etc etc.

I find it quite effective to just take off my helmet when i talk to the locals. We're not in that big of a rush, are we? ;)
Seriously, with all my years of riding, on highway and off road, i can't count on my fingers and toes how many times a full-face helmet has saved my eyes, teeth, nose and chin. I've been over the handel bars and skidded face first on a gravel road! Just imagine what i would look like now if i wore an open face. I still see no point in wearing a helmet at all of it's not a full face. Sorry guys, just my opinion here, You can see i have my reasons. Don't mean to preach to the choir.

Do whatever feels right for you this topic is so open to getting a different view from everyone.

I can see peoples point about open face vs full face but if safety is always an issue maybe you shouldnt be on a motorcycle.

Isnt it all about freedom if we always close ourselves off from the outside world we may as well just drive cars.

I get the point of being able to take a helmet off to ask directions but that can become a major pain after the second or third time.

A smile goes along way and people only see that smile from an open lid.

Hey dont get me wrong if I have a long motorway stint I wear a full face helmet no question but there are days when I like to ride open face in a jacket and jeans and light moto x gloves. I always thought that was the joy of motorcycles.

It doesnt matter how much protection we wear. Every time you ride you may be killed. Thats Life you choose your fun you take the risks.

???
 

This thread and the last two posts, both of which are pretty valid, are the reasons flip up helmets were invented... surely??

For sure! I Don't have one myself, but i also thought of that after i posted my last comment. I also find that removing your helmet in some countries is also kind of a polite statement, kinda like removing your hat at the dinner table. It helps to put you at the same level as the person your talking to. Once again, just my 2 cents.

I do agree that flip helmets are improving all the time in terms of offering the benefits of both open and full helmets. I might even give one a try one of these days.

Anyone tried the Airoh Mathisse?