Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Helmets and Gear Which is better- Frozen face or hurting back?

I just got back from Talladega/ Drill last night. My trip ended with a late night drive from Memphis to Knoxville (about 380 miles for those not familiar). I normally ride with a Daytona 3/4 helmet and Halcyon goggles. I really like this set-up but it can get a bit chilly, so prior to this trip I bought a full-face helmet. The full face did keep my head warm (a possitive) and was fairly quiet, but it put so much strain on my neck that about half-way through the ride I had a very difficult time turning my head side to side. At the end of the ride I could not lift my arms above my shoulders without feeling like I was being stabbed. This morning I am very sore and stif and this is only managable with a handful of aleve.

My question is 1) Will my body get used to this helmet weight? I realize that I probably should not have done serious milage with a brand new helmet, but I had to take the bike for a bunch of different reasons. 2) Am I better off with the 3/4 and some kind of mummy face wrap? I really don't want to park the bike for a couple more months. Any sage advice?

-TM

Personally I'd rather ride with a belaclava and some good goggles to keep the face warm and dispense with the helmet.

I have a standard burglars mask to go over the head and then I don a pair of goggles and strap a heavy duty belaclava over the nose and bottom half of the face. The belaclava has perforations for the mouth and a cover for the nose that is breathable as well. it wraps aound and closes with velcro at the back.

Thats my winter riding setup.

I'm a big fan of these:
http://www.snowshack.com/turturnecnec.html
I were a 1/2 with one of these cover neck to nose. Under 45 deg, I switch to a 3/4 and the fleece. Under 30 I ride the articcat and put the bike away.

I ride all year nad have ridden with a 3/4 helmet all last winter. While it doesn't get as cold over here, cold is bloody cold at 70 mph!!! I have a thermal buff type thing and it's supoosed to be wind proof, but it's not. I have 2 or three, and have a couple around my neck and the thermal one covering my nose downwards.
And yes you will get used to the helmet weight. It will take time though. Short lengths of time are the key. And keep the goggles on....cold wind is no good for the eyes.

I always have said that you don't understand the concept of wind chill until you ride your bike in the winter. Sometimes when I have been suffering from PMS (parked motorcycle syndrome) and the roads are clear of ice and salt, I wear something like this:
http://www.motorhelmets.com/htm1/accessories-helmet-accessories-face-mask.htm
It also gets me special attention in convenience stores and airports.

there is also the possibility that the full face helmet you purchased doesn't fit you properly.

Call me an old man if you want, but I have one word for you -- windshield

I have a rather large windshield, and can't imagine riding without, Summer or Winter. I can smoke a cigarette at 80 MPH if I want to.

I don't know how you whippersnapers ride without one.

Believe it or not I am riding with a windscreen, a memphis shades alley cat. While it is kind of a small shield it cut out all the low-back strain from the no-helmet days. I don't get any buffeting with the 3/4 (love the Daytona sized outer-helmets) but the KBR full-face is such a big helmet it puts the very top of it in the slip stream. I feel like a pumpkin-head with the full face on...

-tm

A good article on helmet weight. As mert said, it could well be a poor fitting helmet, maybe that carries it's weight badly on you. Maybe riding tense wearing a new piece of hardware.
After wearing a full helmet for 25 years I couldn't imagine wearing less. Makes riding much more enjoyable.

I agree with mert. Your helmet probably doesn't fit right. I used to ride with a 3/4 helmet and at speed it always pulled up from the wind and strangled me. I bought a full face from a dealer who fit me up right. Now it seems I can almost not use the strap and it would stay put.

I too have worn a fullface for years and they are designed to face the wind head on without a shield. Any shield causes some kind of buffeting that affects the helmet and that causes the pain in the neck.

Last Thursday 10/12 I did Memphis to Cincinnati (500 miles, 8 hours). I also have an Alley Cat shield and wear a HJC Cl14 fullface. I did not experience any neck strain and I was hauling butt the whole way cause it was freaking freezing that day. If you didn't notice much buffeting then it could be you just need to get used to it or maybe check fit as others have suggested.

As a side note; I kept real warm with a poly tshirt, long sleeve button down, fleece light jacket, frogg-togg top and Triumph Classic Leather coat along with a buff to cover chin, etc. A lot hey? I had toggs on the bottoms along with jeans and longjohns. Fingers got quite cold even with huge winter gloves.

Rain gear does make a great wind breaker.

d,
Try these for those frozen fingers. http://www.gerbing.com/heat/gloves.html
I can always add clothes but those fingers just don't get enough body heat. Oh so warm!! Get the temp controller though cause they do get hot.

I've got a Nolan swingup that fits so well that when I first got it, a couple of times I rode for miles before I realized the strap was not snapped. Now I do it first thing to be sure it's done. I don't think all brands fit all people and some people may not get as good a fit as other due to the shape of their head.

Couple of things... your new helmet just might not fit properly, you're not used to it, or it might just be too heavy...
I got one of thos e\Italian flip up helmets with the built in eveshades.. took off for the west coast... did not realize how heavy it was until I was halfway there... my neck would be numb everyday after just a couple hours riding... It is just a heavy helmet...(Used once, now for sale!) <G>
Ended up buying a new helmet on the last trip becuase the Shoei that I really like, and wore BECAUSE I could fit a baclavia under it, was just loose enuf that the wind kept trying to rip it off my head.
I ended up with and extra small ...oops!... Harley full face, but it fits well...
mary

Go visit your local (gasp) HD botique. Most carry a face mask made of some sort of foam stuff that keeps your face warm and resists moisture.

I bought a balaclava via mail order, and I'll say that in this case, one size does not fit all. It's way too tight on my fat face. I suppose if I go with mail order for another, I'll need to shop at a more trusted source, like Cabelas or a similar source.

I have one of those too and I don't see a whole lot of wind protection, unless I didn't get a wind proof kind. My mom got it for me for Xmas a few years ago.

I ordered one of these to replace the face mashing balaclava

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...=0028529951043a

Looks fairly comfortable

I have a Triumph toque for the top

I think it is the weight. I used the 3/4 this weekend and it felt like riding lid-less. I suppose my brilliant winter riding idea is not so brilliant afterall. I supposes the only other thing to do it is to tryit without the windscreen and see if that makes a difference. Seems a bit counterintuitive to me, but worth a shot. If not, time for a "mugger-mask"

-TM

I still remember a windchill chart from an old Cycle magazine article, 'Death at 77 degrees' (body temp). The numbers quoted are for between 40-70mph.
70 degrees- 40 windchill
50 degrees- 15 windchill
0 degrees- minus 55 windchill!
No wonder it's cold.

underarmour make's a full face mask...similar to a ski mask which can be worn as well overtop the underarmour.

Please refer to this site for a more comprehensive additional wind chill chart, darned good information for those of us who ride in cold weather.....

http://www.womanbiker.com/chillchart.php3

I have one of the neoprene/fleece face and neck masks. Works well but not like a fullface.
To get a proper fullface you MUST try and try and try and try and try them on. It is usually not the weight of the helmet but how you carry the weight, or how well the helmet fits. Unfortunately it often comes down to one of the more expensive brands. Shoei and Arai will often give the most success to people who have a hard time finding a good fitting helmet. I have tried helmets that weigh less than the ones I own and found them to feel heavy. You will know when you have tried on the right helmet. My brother use to work for a helmet company and was amazed at how varied a slightly different helmet can feel. Also wind resistence makes a big difference. Some cheaper helmets are not wind tunnel tested.

This is what you need.