I ride with a full face helmet. I always leave the face shield attached, but flipped open. I wear either clear or sun glasses for eye protection.

  An interesting note: With my full face helmet on, the Pioneer CD player on my Wing sounds better-especially at highway speeds. It's a strange benefit to wearing a full face helmet. I haven't worn a half helmet for the last few years.

  I would gladly welcome any kind of internal helmet cooling system.  

Everything appears to have been said about crashing with a full face helmet. So I will talk about comfort.

I've used a full helmet HJC CL15 for the last 3 years. I live in the Phoenix area and ride 44 freeway miles round trip, all year long. Last year, it was above 110 seemingly forever. Riding with a closed helmet in stop and go traffic bites the big one.

But if you can keep moving at least 5 mph with the visor up, the bike heat dissipates and the evaporative cooling (sweat) keeps me cooler. I'm actually cooler with my full helmet on than without, because of the insulation in the helmet padding. Direct sun really takes it's toll on a naked skull.

I've encountered gravel, sand, bees, bolts, pigeons, hail, and rain. At 80 mph these objects might as well be bullets hitting your face.

My wife and I both have J&M headsets in our full helmets and can carry on conversations up to about 75 mph. After that, wind noise drowns everything out.

I would highly recommend that you protect your head, you might need it later.

Dress for the fall, not the ride.

Daniml  

I have both a half helmet and a full face helmet.  I wear the full face most of the time but during summer, even with vents, it gets too hot. I would wear the full face if I were able to stay cooler in the summer.  It gets really windy here and the sand and dirt flies everywhere so the full face offers more protection and I like that but when it's 103, you just wanna stay cool.

hdraptor  

Bike came with a full helmet - and yeah, it's hot here in Oklahoma (90s-100s all summer) and I ride about 100 miles r/t 6 days a week. But I've seen the face of a rider-coach who didn't wear a full helmet (before he was a rider-coach), and I'll NEVER get on my bike without one. I do ride with the face shield up most of the time (close it on interstates and at dusk when bugs fly), and with my bike's windsheild I'm protected from most stuff and totally cool (though my bald head does sweat a bit by the end of the ride!). And the mesh jacke (I have a Top Gear) is the BEST way to stay cool - air gets in, but sun stays out.

My vote - FULL HELMET - and live to ride another day.  

I started with a 3/4 helmet for the 1st year, HJC flip visor, a little noisy at highway (once I got there). The airflow is good, just needs a chin protection piece. You'd still have a gap between the visor, and the lower bar. It might just give you the extra protection of a full face, but without the sealed in full face effect.

Although, the DOT probably has some kind of rule that would make that kind of helmet illegal.  

I wear a half helmet in the summer, have for most of my riding life. They also make a cool gel pad to put in your helmet on top of your head to keep you cooler. I guess they work really well if you stick them in the fridge first and even better on people with thin hair or bald.  

I ride with a modular helmet. It is a nolan. I forget what model, but most everyone makes one now. I have been useing this helmet for about 5 yrs now. you get the best of both worlds. If i am in town I ride with the face open, when I hit higher speeds (when the bugs start to hurt) I close the face and have full coverage.  

Just wanted to share my experience... I hit a deer with a half helmet on and wish I had a full face helmet on. It would have saved me from paying for dental bills for the rest of my life    . As far as saving lives, I believe the half helmet is nearly as effective as the full because 85% of riders that wreck will land just above their forehead anyways. I now ride with a modular that I really like.  

I'm not trying to start a fight here, just making an observation.
The people that are most in favor of no helmet seem to be mostly people who haven't gone down.

People who I've run into (self included) tend to espouse "I wouldn't ride without a good helmet", but people who haven't are more vocal on "we got rights".

Personally, if someone wants to ride without a helmet, and has extra insurance that I'm not paying for... more power to them.

I'm just a poor corrupt official (Inspector Renaud.. Casablanca)  

I agree with the heat and capped off by a full face which I prefer and feel safer waring but I gotta say I did brake down and purchase a shortee. I also ware an Under Armour short sleeve under a 100% cotton light colored T shirt with compression shorts under Kevlar jeans, mesh jacket, gloves.  FRBOCK is correct, you'll be cooler with your skin covered.  Under Armour makes a skully ($15) that can be worn under any helmet.  That will help control the sweat and keep your head cooler as will the wicking material under your shirt.  Athletic Works (Walmart) does the same job as UA for a fraction of the cost.  

I won`t argue , the full face rules . It saved my brain when I was 19 . That was 33 yrs ago now .I wear a half shell now because I have good peripheral vision and a full face drastically restricts my peripheral vision .
I believe if I had worn one 33 yrs ago { a half shell } I might not have so much meatal in my body today .  

<em>[italic]&lt;strong&gt;Absolutely&lt;/strong&gt;</em>[/italic] half helmets protect the rider!  I bet my life on one and won last September when a van pulled out in front of me and me and my 1999 Vulcan Nomad.  We colided and I and my Nomad took flight.  40 feet later I landed on the pavement, head first, with the Nomad on top of me.  I survived (the Nomad didn't) but, only because I happened to put on my (half) helmet that morning.  I only wear the half helmets because I can't see or hear as well in a full face helmet (which I've owned several).  The lighter weight is also another reason I got away from Full face, not to mention the heat factor.  I'm not downing full face helmets.  The offer ample protection for those who prefer them.  I simply prefer the half helmets.  

I've always wore full face helmets, but now that I live in Florida I'm seriously thinking of a high quality half helmet.  The humidity if unbearable.  Yes I would wear a full face helmet all the time if I could keep cool in it.  

No helmet < half helmet < full helmet.

Some of the full helmets have excellent ventilation,  especially if you do not use a windshield. I have a cheap Gmax, and it has good flow. As stated elsewhere, for short, multi stop trips (shopping, errands, etc.) I wear the half, it is too difficult with glasses to constantly take the full off for the stores. Banks usually appreciate it if you are not wearing a full face inside. Longer trips I find are better with the full face anyway, it fits better, is quieter etc.  

Yes, half-helmets do offer protection but not as much as full-face.  I've seen statistics showing half-helmets do not protect areas most commonly injured in a crash, but unfortunately can't remember where I saw them. I currently own 3 helmets, one each for myself, wife, and son, all FF.

I was in an accident about 35 years ago (off-road riding, doing crazy stuff that teenagers do) and was wearing a 3/4 helmet with a clip-on face shield.  All the damage was to my face, broken nose and a gash close to one eye that took several stitches to close.  No other head injuries thanks to the helmet but since then I've worn nothing but FF. Guess I want as much protection around my head as I can get.

When it comes to half or full, you just have to decide for yourself what you are willing to trade off in the comfort vs. protection department.