The first thing to understand is where and how you will be riding and whether you purchase your helmet from a local dealer or from an online shop I want to give you the best resource for choosing the right helmet for you. I have an off road helmet that I recommend based on tons of research and it will be my next gear purchase once I have passed my current helmet on. Go check out my recommendation right here if you would like to see more information on my top pick. When looking at the two types of helmets side by side you can tell a clear difference but what do these differences actually do.
Here is a quick look at the features and which helmet uses each feature. I will cover these in more detail below and discuss why each is the best for the 2 styles of helmet. As you can see, the street helmet is generally heavier and has less airflow and dust protection but for the terrain it is ridden on, it serves its purpose very well so read on to see more in depth reasons for the differences in these helmets.
One of the most distinguishing factors of a motocross style helmet is that HUGE visor sticking out at the top of the riders head. What is that thing even there for? Well it is primarily to block the sun from getting in your eyes and making it hard to see on the trail but it also has another added benefit. When racing in motocross or riding with a group of people and you are behind another person riding an ATV or dirt bike, they will throw up dirt and debris, often at very high speeds.
This debris is called roost because it resembles a rooster tail as it flies up from the ground. Riders tend to lean their heads down a bit when riding so this long visor deflects some of the incoming roost from hitting your face and goggles.
Why do motocross helmets have this pointed chin. The simple answer is for airflow. When atv and dirtbike riders are hitting the trails or the track, they are not going to be hitting speeds anywhere near the speeds of the guys that ride on the street so they will not be getting as much wind, thus less airflow.
They also are constantly moving, hitting bumps, using their arms and legs, and fatiguing themselves and getting hot.
With the chin area opened up on motocross helmets, there is plenty of room for that hot air to escape. This kind of a loaded question. In some important areas, ATV riding differs a lot from motorcycle riding. Most helmets that are marketed as ATV helmets are, in reality, just ordinary motocross helmets. These feature great ventilation, a strong chin guard, and a large face opening to be used with off-road goggles.
They are great for more aggressive off-road ATV riding. On the other hand, motorcycle helmets feature a full face visor, great aerodynamics, and are generally more quiet and comfortable. This style of helmet is good for casual trail riding, as well as highway use.
ATV and MX helmets generally feature a very rigid structure in the chin guard, protecting the chin and jaw from injury. This will come in handy when you plant your face on the handlebars after a jump or land face first in the dirt after being thrown off the bike.
Although this may sound brutal, the time will come where you appreciate the protection this guard gives you. This is especially true if you are into some more aggressive style ATV. More on that later. When you are into more aggressive ATV riding where dirt and dust are constantly flying everywhere, you face many of the same challenges as motocross riders do. In riding scenarios like this, a flip-up style full-face shield that you find on motorcycle helmets is basically no good.
It will quickly become impossible to see through it because of dust getting both on the outside and inside the chield. Nothing is preventing the dust from getting inside the helmet from underneath. The goggles are designed to give a tight fit on your face, making it much less likely that dust will get into your eyes.
Riding where you need to actively use your body all the time, giving a hefty full-body workout. Trust me; you will need all the ventilation you can get to keep the sweat out of your eyes and your sight from fogging up. Motorcycle helmets are also vented, but they simply cannot scoop in the amount of air you need to keep cool. They also have the disadvantage of breathing directly onto the inside of the visor, fogging them up when you get hot. To keep the visor fog-free when riding actively, you need to keep it halfway open to let in enough air.
This, however, beats the purpose of having a screen to protect your eyes from dirt. This helps a lot to prevent them from fogging up. What features should you look for to keep you safe while riding? The full-face helmet offers the most coverage around your head and neck.
As a result, it is considered the safest type of motorcycle helmet to protect you from potential impact. A full-face helmet is a versatile choice for all riders, regardless of the type of motorcycle you ride or where you ride it. A full-face helmet varies depending on the riding that you do.
Therefore, they usually opt for a helmet with a higher chin bar, and a visor opening angled slightly towards the top of the helmet.
A distinguishing feature of the full-face helmet is the chin bar, which is a crucial safety feature that many helmets lack. The chin encounters fifty percent of severe impacts during an accident , and only a full-face helmet can provide you with protection for your chin and jaw.
Most full-face helmets have ventilation through the helmet to evaporate sweat, reduce visor fogging, and keep you cool while riding. In the colder months, the ventilation can be closed to reduce the airflow.
New features have been added to full-face helmets in recent years, including Bluetooth technology, high-visibility designs, and visors that adjust to sunlight conditions. The reason is that the chin bar and visor can flip up to open the front of the helmet. Materials and fitment are similar to the full-face helmet. They include a visor for eye protection and occasionally include a secondary internal visor for additional eye protection from the sunlight. Modular helmets tend to weigh slightly more than the traditional full-face helmet due to the extra design hinge features incorporated into the flip-up front area.
Rider safety is slightly reduced because of the hinge structure, as there is a slight fissure vs. The modular helmet is designed with an upright riding position and is often used by tourers, cruisers, and adventure riders.
The eye openings are more straightforward, and the chin bar sits lower on the face. Bluetooth speakers are a welcomed addition and have a dual visor system and anti-fogging coating on the primary visor. They are popular amongst scooters, cafe racers, tourers, and cruisers, as the face area is kept open to feel the wind on their skin. Open face helmets are considered structurally equal to full-face helmets in terms of safety in their coverage areas.
In addition, because of the openness of the helmet, it does not protect you against weather conditions and road debris. They either come equipped with partial or full-face visors to protect the eyes and face from sunlight, or they may require you to purchase the part separately. Half helmets only cover the top of your head and the area from your forehead to your brows and provide minimal protection. Some may offer a bit more coverage on the back of your neck and ears but leaves the rest of your face exposed.
That said, you can still find half-helmets that are DOT-approved. Most half helmets do not come equipped with a visor or face shield, so you need to purchase eye protection in the form of riding glasses or goggles.
Therefore, there are minimal upgrade options for the helmet. Off-road helmets are designed just as their name suggests, to ride away from the streets and on dirt roads. Off-road helmets usually do not offer eye protection, so riders should be prepared to ride with glasses or goggles.
These fit tightly over the face, offering refuge from dust, accommodated by a large opening in the helmet. And, without the ventilation of a purpose-built motocross helmet, riders would also lose visibility from fogging. Motocross is a heavily physical activity. Of course, with all of that dust, dirt, and sweat, riders will want a motocross helmet that is easy to clean. Often, motocross helmets are designed with ease of cleaning in mind, versus motorcycle helmets that may not need frequent scrubbing.
Look for a motocross helmet with removable pads. There is an option in between motocross and motorcycle helmets, for those who ride both on and off-road. For those who do a fair amount of each type of riding, it may still be worth investing in both a motocross and motorcycle helmet.
For those who are dabbling, the dual sport helmet may be a solution. Dual sport helmets usually come with a visor, though it is smaller than a motocross helmet visor. A slightly extended chin guard offers more protection than a standard street helmet, albeit not as much as a strict motocross helmet. Riders can typically wear this helmet with motocross goggles or use a face shield included with the helmet. Ventilation and airflow are more than one would find in a regular motorcycle helmet, too.
With this information, you can choose the best helmet for your needs. The right helmet will marry safety with the appropriate levels of ear and eye protection, visibility, and comfort.
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