joesmallframe wrote:Dont go for the cheap ones,$50 helmet=$50 head,spend as much as you can,the more the better...

Actually, that's a matter of debate. In some independent tests, the cheap (read: flexible plastic shell) helmets tested better than the expensive (read: hard plexiglass) helmets.

As for full face, yes. Latest proof:

Mauro wrote:Full face helmet....it does save lives. M chin hurts, but I did not loose any skin there. And my brain is in place.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14014

Back to the chart up top:

As you'll note, 35% of hits were to the jawbone, left and right. So "skid lids" beloved by Harley riders should definitely be avoided by the safety-conscious. But also to be avoided are those "half-open" helmets often marketed to scooterists -- the ones where the hard shell only descends to mid-ear before being joined by leather or fabric tapering to the strap. Not good!

By the way, you can also get the breezy effect enjoyed with open-face helmets by cracking open the visor of your full-face helmet while you ride. Same sense of open-road freedom, but with mercifully less road noise.

Here's my rule of thumb, if you like your face and you DON'T have a plastic surgery fund then buy a full face helmet.