kgdykes@watbun.UUCP (08/06/86)
>From: ahn@houem.UUCP (Au H. Nguyen) > >- >> The long awaited ... helmet survey by "Road Rider" has come out. >> ... they collected 11219. responses! > >"Road Rider" is very heavily touring oriented, and touring riders tend to be >quite conservative, which explains the 66% "always wear a helmet." Touring Conservative?? Doesnt that mean OVERprotecting one-self? Fullface?? >bikes also tend to have very large wind shields, and hence their riders can >afford to be without the extra warmth / quietness of a full face helmet, >which explains the 46% open-face. > >I think if you survey the readership of a more main stream magazine >(judging from their editorial content) like "Motorcyclist" you'll find >different results, especially in helmet types. Nothing personal, but I always considered "Motorcyclist" a magazine that was SOOOO mainstream, 85% of its readers probably dont own a bike. > I agree! Survey "Easy Riders" and find out virtually no-one wears a fullface. Survey "Cycle World" and find out virtually no-one wears an open-face. Survey "Cycle Canada" and find out that we wrap bear-skins and anything else around our helmets and heads in vain hope of not getting frostbite. By the way, I know locally (including myself) a lot of people who wear open-face and police helmets and DONT have fairings or luxuries to reduce wind and noise. Beside those Gold Wing fairings generated loads of noise, every heard the tape-decks??? :-) :-) - Ken Dykes Software Development Group, U. of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. N2L 3G1 (+1 519) 885 1211 {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,utzoo}!watmath!watbun!kgdykes
mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (Lawrence J. Mazlack) (08/07/86)
>>quite conservative, which explains the 66% "always wear a helmet." Touring >Conservative?? Doesnt that mean OVERprotecting one-self? Fullface?? >>bikes also tend to have very large wind shields, and hence their riders can >>afford to be without the extra warmth / quietness of a full face helmet, >>which explains the 46% open-face. >> I am a touring rider ( > 15K miles/year), 80% of it at high speed, half of it in Europe at 90-100 mph (I ship the bike back and forth every year). I currently run a bike with a cafe fairing (BMW100CS) which does not protect the face. I rarely have had a larger fairing - mostly because they slow you down and dangerously affect high-speed handling. AND, I never have used a full face helmet on the bike (I have one for sports car racing). (All of my helmets are Snell 85 rated). I have also ridden for over 20 years - I like to be able to talk, to feel the wind, to be able to see, and to control my temperature. ...Larry mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu
bob@madvax.UUCP (08/08/86)
> > I am a touring rider ( > 15K miles/year), 80% of it at high speed, > half of it in Europe at 90-100 mph (I ship the bike back and forth > every year). Now this is much more interesting than helmet discussions. Could you give us details on shipping back and forth, who does it, how much, precautions etc. Thanks, Bob Palin, Varian Inst., Walnut Creek, Ca. zehntel!varian!bob (415) 945-2278
pag00@amdahl.UUCP (Pria Graves) (08/12/86)
In article <15153@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Lawrence J. Mazlack) writes: > > I am a touring rider ( > 15K miles/year), 80% of it at high speed, > half of it in Europe at 90-100 mph (I ship the bike back and forth > every year). I currently run a bike with a cafe fairing (BMW100CS) > which does not protect the face. I rarely have had a larger fairing - mostly > because they slow you down and dangerously affect high-speed handling. > AND, I never have used a full face helmet on the bike (I have one for sports car > racing). (All of my helmets are Snell 85 rated). I have also ridden for > over 20 years - I like to be able to talk, to feel the wind, to be able > to see, and to control my temperature. > > ...Larry mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu I too am a touring rider (10 - 12K miles/year) also with a cafe fairing. (BMW R100S). I agree about fairings although I usually keep my speed in the 70 - 85 mph range in the U.S. and a bit faster in Canada. My question is how you carry on a conversation at 90 - 100? Also, don't you find that a large grass hopper in the face at 80+ dangerously affects high-speed handling? I've occasionally been hit by things big enough to try to knock me off my bike... and then I thank my lucky stars I am wearing a full face helmet! -- Pria ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!pag00 (408) 746 7539 (Disclaimer: even I don't necessarily agree!)
mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (Lawrence J. Mazlack) (08/13/86)
>> I am a touring rider ( > 15K miles/year), 80% of it at high speed, >> half of it in Europe at 90-100 mph (I ship the bike back and forth >> every year). I currently run a bike with a cafe fairing (BMW100CS) >> which does not protect the face. I rarely have had a larger fairing - mostly >> because they slow you down and dangerously affect high-speed handling. >> AND, I never have used a full face helmet on the bike (I have one for >> sports car >> racing). (All of my helmets are Snell 85 rated). I have also ridden for >> over 20 years - I like to be able to talk, to feel the wind, to be able >> to see, and to control my temperature. > >I too am a touring rider (10 - 12K miles/year) also with a cafe fairing. >(BMW R100S). I agree about fairings although I usually keep my speed in >the 70 - 85 mph range in the U.S. and a bit faster in Canada. >My question is how you carry on a conversation at 90 - 100? Well, no, I don't get to chat much when running 90-100, altho I do below 65 or so. (Things like directions, plans, "isn't that pretty," etc.) Toward the top end, I spend most of my time watching the road. However, I can communicate enough for simple needs (eat, etc.). But, it is also nice to be able to chat while tooling around the city - it wouldn't appear to be too wonderful to try talking at 20-40 with a full face - lifted visor or not. >Also, don't you find that a large grass hopper in the face at 80+ >dangerously affects high-speed handling? I've occasionally been hit >by things big enough to try to knock me off my bike... and then I thank >my lucky stars I am wearing a full face helmet! Yeah, big hoppers are no fun. I guess that I am willing to make the trade. Bigger stuff, like junk and birds have yet to hit me in the face (after +250K miles) - I think that what happens is that I see 'em coming and I move my head enough to avoid them. It could also be that the air stream of the cafe' fairing pushes them over me (you and I have the same fairing). In any case, I always use goggles or a full or partial bubble, so my eyes are protected. ...Larry mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu
MJWCU@CUNYVM.BITNET (08/14/86)
Ok, time for my two cents....
If riding a bike >10K miles a year qualifies one as a touring rider,
then I guess I qualify. (Although I would never refer to myself as
such). I ride a custom '81 Harley Lowrider, no fairing please. My
wife rides a custom '42 Harley Flathead, no fairing please. We both
wear (non-DOT/SNELL/whatever approved) Jockey helmets. That's right,
Jockey, as in horse riding, helmets. They are smaller than the police
type half helmets, and weigh less than 1 pound! They even look halfway
decent! They probably won't provide the protection of a sanctioned
helmet, but then again, they don't impair peripheral vision, are soooo
light they don't fatigue us, and are so thin their effect on temperature
is non-existant! The only real reason either of us wear them at all is
because New York troopers and sheriffs are really nasty to bikers that
don't have some type of lid on!
I have a question for Pria. How do you carry on a conversation at
any speed if you are wearing a full-face???!!!??? Also, if I see a
large grass hopper coming at me, I try to position my mouth in
their path and have them for a snack!
Marty Walsh
VM systems
City University of New York
(I eat my road kill!)
pag00@amdahl.UUCP (Pria Graves) (08/15/86)
> I have a question for Pria. How do you carry on a conversation at > any speed if you are wearing a full-face???!!!??? Also, if I see a > large grass hopper coming at me, I try to position my mouth in > their path and have them for a snack! > Simple. I flip the visor up and talk. If I am going to be riding at low speed for a while, I flip the chin piece up as well (let's hear it for BMW helmets: the best of both worlds). I'll pass on eating the hoppers! I don't know what they've been sprayed with for starters. -- Pria ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!pag00 (408) 746 7539 (Disclaimer: even I don't necessarily agree!)