Wife living in the seventies.....

[Sheepy1209]

....and wants to go pillion, but doesn't like all the gear!

My wife's approaching SAGA eligibility (OK, she's 46, and she won't be reading this!) - loves bikes but can't ride, and back in the seventies went through that whole 'biker chick' thing as our American friends would call it.

Her memories include riding pillion with her boyfriend of the time up the M6 at a ton plus with no safety gear whatsoever - never came to any harm.....even though he and his mates had usually 'had a few' (oh happy days).

Anyway, fast forward past the Thatcher and Major years, Doctor Who gone and come back, Roobard & Custard about to go the same way (but I digress) - and now I've got a bike licence she's keen to go pillion (no interest in learning to ride - she's nervous enough on a pushbike.....).

Trouble is - she hates helmets. I got her to try on my flip-front HJC, and fair enough she said it was heavy (which it is) - but when I tried to close the front she panicked, felt trapped etc etc.

So - however much I warn her of the dangers of open-face helmets, she's determined that's all she'll wear - so does anybody have any recommendations, bearing in mind she'll be pillion, and it'll only be for occasional use?

(Next thing is to convince her she needs gloves. No problem with leathers, apart from cost, because she likes that sort of thing....).

[feef]

show her that pic of the guy that had the detinator between his teeth... every says that's an open faced hemlet accident victim anyway

what about a Roof? the chin piece can be whirled about the back, making it open face, but when it's down and closed, it still feels quite "open" around the mouth.. not as closed as a regular full face helmet

a
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Mudskipper wrote: feef, that is such a beautiful post that it gave me a lady tingle
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[G]

What about a motorcross helmet?

She could maybe wear sunglasses with it.

Would look a bit weird, but so do normal open faces in my opinion.

The motorcross lid has a relatively big chin bit, so may not feel so confining.

[Zen Dog]

Also, you can get open face helmets with a flip down clear plate for higher speeds, like this sort of thing :-

https://www.caberg-helm.com/home.aspx?xL=e&xM=prodotti&xSM=%40%40jet&xP=%40%40%40%40SLIGHT_ovnscbfkt_XS+S+M+L+XL+XXL_ae&xPC=47.jpg

My dad got one when he got back into bikes because he felt claustrophobic in a full face.

Zen Dog
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[feef]

from my point of view, having seen the damage to my full face helmet after my crash, i'd not wear aything less..

both sides of the chin piece were majorly cracked, where i'd hit the car, up-and-over.. red pain scraped down the fron of the lid, and visor.

I really do shudder to think what would have happened with an open face lid.


a
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Mudskipper wrote: feef, that is such a beautiful post that it gave me a lady tingle
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[yambabe]

My other half tends to prefer an open-face too, and he's a similar age to your wife, must be a generation thing!

You could point out to her (or even demonstrate) that a lot of open-facers are actually heavier than a modern full-face lid, and less comfortable to wear as they move around more in the wind no matter how well-fitting they are.

Or you could just say "OK dear" and let her do what she wants, as she probably will anyway! At least she'll be wearing a lid, and any lid is better than none.....

Re the gloves, does she have nails? As wearing gloves will help to protect them. Alternatively, I will get some photos of my knuckle-scars, obtained when we were knocked off and I was pillion, wearing his gloves not mine. The gloves were too big, as I hit the deck & rolled my hands pulled out of them, the next roll took all the skin off my knuckles ...... ouch...... My hands would be perfect on maybe a burly nightclub bouncer, not so hot on a petite accountant......
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Sheepy1209]

You don't have to convince me that full-face is better than open-face (and better than flip-front, but I have my reasons for using one e.g. getting past security on the way into work).

I think eventually I'll convince her to wear full-face, but if I insist now she'll not go pillion at all even though she wants to.

I should of course be flattered that she trusts my riding - but I know I'm only a beginner.

[Gti]

Raise your hand and bring her into line, never fails.
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[M]

[yambabe]

Not funny Gti, even if was meant to be a joke.


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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Gti]

Oh well baby yam, if it's good enough for sean connery it's good enough for me.
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[M]

[yambabe]

And you wonder why you can't get a shag......
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[feef]

[Sadie]

At the end of the day, Sheepy, if she has been made aware of all the dangers and is happy to take the risk, you have two choices. You can either:

ban her from the back of your bike unless she conforms to what you think she should wear, or

allow that at 46 she is capable of weighing up the dangers and making her own decision.

My daughter is now 20. Like your wife, she hates all the gear, but until she was 18, I made her wear the gear. Now if she wants a ride (rarely, as she has her own car), she decides herself.
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With experience comes age.

[strag]

I don't know what bike you are riding, but I suspect that after a few trips with an open face lid, she will get mighty fed up of, flies, grit, bees (owww), water and various other things smacking her in the face that she will beg you to buy her a full face. Same goes for gloves, that hurts when something whacks you on the hand.

My advice, don't spend much on an open face lid.
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carbon bling

[Gti]

[Sheepy1209]

[BlackSheep]

Ask her how attractive she thinks a woman would look with no fucking face !

I always used to wear openface helmets until i saw someone without a lower jaw , never again after that.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Her choice, and it is not as much of an open and shut case as people seem to think (as it may come down to the difference between a broken jaw with an open face lid and a broken neck with a full face lid).

Personally I would say that a full face lid is a bit safer almost always, but either way you are still relying on luck to get away without injuries.

All the best

Keith
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[DM]

I've only ever worn open-faced helmets and they've done me fine in every off (so far...). My latest one is made by Nolan. Fits very snugly and the visor gives excellent peripheral visibility.

This is a slightly newer model than mine, though I think mine looks better .

[Flip]

[stinkwheel]

I agree with Sadie. She is 46 years old and if she wants to wear an open faced lid, fair enough. Same with gloves although that is an easy one because if she is like any woman I know, the first time she gets cold hands it will be straight down the shop for the warmest winter gloves on sale.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Sheepy1209]

If I tell Mrs Sheep she won't be able to hold a full pint I'm sure she'll wear gloves.

Of course - I'll need a trailer to carry all the stuff for doing her hair after she takes the helmet off...

[beast rider]

Just do what i did with my Mrs.......ban her from riding pillion without a lid and gloves, my Mrs soon went out and got some.

[Sheepy1209]

If I tell Mrs Sheep she won't be able to hold a full pint I'm sure she'll wear gloves.

Of course - I'll need a trailer to carry all the stuff for doing her hair after she takes the helmet off...

[AcIdBuRnZ]

Duck and let her get a few big f***-off bees between the eyes and that'll bring her round
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