nightrage,well ive got 3 helmets and 3 bikes. black,blue and red helmets.and  black,green and silver bikes. got three different leather jackets and 1 double walled snowmobile type jacket.2 black,1 brown and 1 gray.i ride yearround and put on 15K-20K.so i think you should  quit riding now before you end up with all the stuff i got.BUT,id say youre probably a wanna-be from youre question.so how about a loud red helmet with a double wide YELLOW duck on top.then i can see you coming and get out of the way.  

Just bought a new SyMax II and love it   I feel a lot safer with it on than with my half helmet that I'd been wearing.  Ordered it using HJC's fitting chart and it came in right on the money.  One gripe is that the built-in sun visor isn't nearly as dark as it should be.  The existing one cuts glare a bit, but if that sun is hitting you in the face you're gonna need your regular sun glasses behind the visor.  I emailed HJC to see if there were any plans to offer other tints in the visor and was told flat-out NO!  They have several tints available in the main flip-up visor but nothing in the sun visor   I'm considering trying some regulation vehicle window tint on the visor.  

I have three helmets and I wear whichever gives me the best compromise of comfort and convenience for the anticipated ride.

The modular flips up for convenience and is quiet enough that I don't need the earplugs for short rides at 55mph or less, but it is subject to more buffeting on a naked bike than my other helmets.

The fullface helmet with all the vents taped over, has a much closer fitting interior and keeps the cold air out better in winter, but it's a real pain in the ass to get into and out of wearing glasses.

The halfshell and goggles is the most stable in the wind at interstate speeds, but requires ear plugs for the wind noise anytime I go over 30mph and it provides no face or ears protection from cold at all. Actually, I think it's a 5/8 helmet rather than a halfshell. I don't think anyone even makes a DOT qualified halfshell any more. I know it provides more coverage for the back of my head than the half shells I had back in the 70's. I *never* wear it when the lovebugs are swarming :-)

regards,
Joe  

I have only been riding for little while, bought my first bike in july of 2007.  For all of that time, safety has been my first concern.  I have a joe rocket jacket, and HJC full face helmet in red, gloves, hard soled boots, the full nine yards.  I also have an Outlaw half helmet with skulls on it.  I do like the ride and the wind and sun with that helmet when it is hot.  I do worry if anything goes wrong if I will hurt myself more, so I just don't know how I can ride with it that much. I am a chick, and I don't ever think.... hhmmm that helmet makes him look hot! I do see some really hot helmets that I wouldn't mind having.  That being said, anyone that just cares about looks needs to reprioritize.  There are wonderful colorful helmets out there that are full face, and that is the safest and best you can get.  

i agree with onebadkitty that safety should be FIRST.afew years ago i went to look at a 99 HD FXD.the owner told me he had wiped out on his wifes sportster last week.he showed me the helmet.it was scraped all along one side where his head had hit the road.i ALWAYS remember that when i think of buying a half helmet.  

Safety is secondary. If you don't enjoy riding, you won't bother getting on the bike. If you don't get on the bike, safety equipment doesn't matter at all.

Which safety equipment to wear is a compromise between your fear and your pleasure. Every person feels differently, therefore every rider finds their own compromise. That's part of the attraction of riding. You are in charge of your own fate. You get to select your own level of risk and pleasure.

Naturally, this attitude conflicts with the basic desire to tell other people how to live their life. That's one of the reasons why Joe Citizen tends to resent us riders. We go our own way, regardless of his desire to run our lives.

regards,
Joe  

I hear where you're coming from. We all want to get back in one piece, but the FF helmets available are so ... adolescent.

You can start by looking for a FF helmet in a single, solid color. That goes a long way to differentiate you from the lurid dayglo graphics the sportbike squids like.

Then, if you don't mind spending a bit of cash, look at the Simpson Outlaw or the Roof Boxer for that badass appearance. www.designerhelmets.com is a great place to window-shop for unusual helmets, even if you end up buying elsewhere.  

BTW, I still wear a modular at 90+ temps, I do flip up the shield. I just make sure I have a decent pair of shades on (got a windshield to take the big stuff). It really doesn't make you hotter. It blocks all the sun from beating down on your head.
Although, at those temps, a cooling vest is a big plus. You can shed a lot more heat in the summer thru the chest than the head.  

If you are really more concerned about looks than safety, ride with no helmet at all.

Personally, I ride a cruiser and wear a full face helmet.  I am mature enough that I don't worry about whether or not some stranger thinks it is cool.