When it comes to safety while on your motorbike, helmets are a must. The problem is that few riders actually wear helmets… to be exact only 58% of motorbike riders wear helmets and that number is constantly decreasing.
There used to be this stereotype that riders wearing helmets were “uncool” well… not any more. When you look at the alternative wearing motorbike 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 were not wearing a helmet?
But what kind of motorbike helmet is right for you?
There are several styles and options of motorbike helmets, but the two most popular and the all around safest helmets are full face helmets and modular helmets. And while they look the same, there are some differences. So lets break them down so you can figure which helmet is right for you.
Before jumping into the differences it is important to mention this… both full face and modular helmets are considered “full face” because the protect the entire face and head (including the chin) which is a huge benefit when it comes to helmet safety. They differ in the way they are structured to protect your head….
Full face helmets have a fixed chin bar… the modular helmets have a hinged chin bar that can be rotated up and down for convenience to the rider. This offers more helmet freedom.
With the modular motorbike helmets, you simply lift the chin bar and face mask up so you can do simple things without having to remove the helmet completely (pump gas, converse, drink water and eat a snack… you get the picture).
With the full face helmets you don’t have this freedom and to do any of the above tasks would mean removing your helmet all together. Not that it is a huge task to remove your helmet off your head but some people find this to be small hassle.
So it sounds like the modular is the best right? Well, there really is no winner or loser here. It is just a preference among riders.
The full face are often lighter and more quiet and while both helmets are DOT approved, the modular helmet has not been approved by more challenging testing such as Snell…
So it really comes back to you, the rider. Find a helmet that you like, and go with it. Now that you know the differences between the two you can start to figure out which helmet is best for your riding personality. Both are great options and having either of these motorbike helmets is a very wise decision.