When it comes to safety on your motorcycle, helmets are a must. The problem is that few motorcyclists wear helmets… to be exact, only 58% of motorcyclists wear helmets and that number is steadily decreasing.
There used to be this stereotype that bikers who wore helmets were “uncool”, well… not anymore. When you look at the alternative of wearing motorcycle helmets, it seems like a pretty smart thing to do. Who wants to find themselves with a serious head or neck injury simply because they weren’t wearing a helmet?
But what type of motorcycle helmet is right for you?
There are various styles and options of motorcycle helmets, but the two most popular and safest helmets are full face helmets and modular helmets. And although they look the same, there are some differences. So let’s break them down so you can determine which helmet is right for you.
Before jumping into the differences, it’s important to mention this…both full-face and modular helmets are considered “full face” because they protect the entire face and head (including the chin), which is a huge benefit where regarding the safety of the helmet. . They differ in the way they are structured to protect your head…
Full face helmets have a fixed chin guard… modular helmets have a hinged chin guard that can be rotated up and down for rider comfort. This offers more hull freedom.
With modular motorcycle helmets, simply flip up the chin guard and facemask so you can do simple things without having to take the helmet off completely (pump gas, converse, drink water and eat a snack…you get the picture) .
With full-face helmets you don’t have this freedom and performing any of the above tasks would mean removing your helmet entirely. It’s not that it’s much of a chore to take the helmet off your head, but some people find this to be a bit of an annoyance.
So it seems that the modular is the best, right? Well, there really is no winner or loser here. It’s just a preference among cyclists.
Full face helmets tend to be lighter and quieter and while both helmets are DOT approved, the modular helmet has not been approved by more stringent tests like Snell…
So it really comes back to you, the rider. Find a helmet you like and go with it. Now that you know the differences between the two, you can begin to discover which helmet is best for his riding personality. Both are great options and owning either of these motorcycle helmets is a very wise decision.
