The "flip front" or "flip up" type of helmet provides a great compromise between wearing an open face helmet and a full face helmet. With the front firmly closed, a suitably rated flip front helmet offers the same protection as a solid full face helmet.
Flip front helmets benefit spectacle wearers tremendously as you will appreciate if you have ever tried to put your sunnies on whilst wearing a full faced helmet.
Also, with your flip front open and your identity exposed, you are less likely to be considered as suspicious by shop keepers and bank tellers.
Riding with the flip front open is legal but be warned, at speeds over 30mph you'll get strong resistance and may develop neck pain.
Latest safety ratings for flip front motorcycle helmets, the bigger the number the safer the helmet. Data provided by the SHARP Program:
| Make |
Model |
Rating
|
| AGV |
Longway |
4
|
| Airoh |
Matisse RS |
2
|
| BMW |
System 5 |
5
|
| Caberg |
Trip |
5
|
| Justissimo GT |
4
|
| Duchinni |
D601 |
1
|
| G-MAC |
Concept |
3
|
| Grex |
RF2 |
4
|
| KBC |
FFR |
1
|
| Lazer |
Granville |
4
|
| Revolution |
4
|
| Nolan |
N103 |
4
|
| N102 |
4
|
| ROOF |
Boxer |
4
|
| Schuberth |
C2 |
4
|
| Shark |
Openline |
3
|
| Evoline |
4
|
| Shoei |
Multitech |
3
|
| Viper |
RS V121 |
3
|
| RS RS101 |
4
|
Without question, a full face helmet is the best way to protect yourself out there. Why? Just look at the image below and see which part of a helmet is likely to take the brunt of the contact:
Researchers gathered together post-crash helmets - helmets that have been through accidents - and they took the data from which areas were damaged and generated this chart. As you can see the most impacts happen right in the spot where open-face helmets don’t protect you! That's frightening and probably all the convincing you need, right?.
What are the main advantages of a full face motorcycle helmet? Lets start out first with comfort. A motorcycle isn't a quiet machine, which is of course, part of the appeal. However, if you don't want to be deaf before you're fifty, you're going to want to cover up your ears, from both your own engine noise, and from the noise of the roads you're riding. A full face helmet is a great way to protect your ears, because it ensures they are not only fully covered, but that they have an extra layer of padding.
When you go for a ride in the winter, you are really not going to want the wind whipping you in the face, which can lead to rough, red chapped skin. With a full face helmet, the drop down guard protects your face from the wind. It will protect you from the rain and snow as well, and from the harmful effects of UV rays on your face. And lets not forget that it also protects your face from flying projectiles, like bugs and stones.
Another great reason to buy this style of helmet is your safety. Imagine how your face will look after an accident if you don't have full protection covering your head. I thought the reasons for buying a full face helmet would become clear pretty quickly. A full face motorcycle helmet protects not only your face and eyes but also the sides and back of your head. This is a lot of protection and you won't be able to find it all in all the other styles of helmet on the market.
And lets not pretend that every rider is not concerned with one other thing? What's that? Looking awesome, of course. With a full face motorcycle helmet, you look the business without even trying. And there are a wide array of graphics and color to choose from, as well as more area to show them off.
If you are the type of rider who has never liked wearing a helmet then an open face helmet is for you. By not being overly restricting, it is the style most likely to give you the comfort and protection you desire and a feel not too dissimilar to riding your motorcycle without wearing a helmet.
As a person who would always rather be on their bike, your helmet is going to be a huge part of your riding experience each day. You want to make sure that it's comfortable, so that you can wear it during long rides. You also want to make sure that it fits well. And most of all, you want to make sure it will keep you safe. With these requirements, an open face helmet is the right one for you.
Your protection while wearing an open face helmet is guaranteed because of the advanced technology inside the helmet. While the outside can be whatever color or design you'd like, the inside of the hard shell of your helmet houses the technology that will protect you, should you be involved in a crash. It's made of densely packed foam that absorbs shock on impact, making sure that it takes the brunt of your crash, not you and your brain.
When wearing an open face helmet, you'll also be able to take advantage of it's many comfort features. Having an open face design means that you can let the wind hit you and cool you off on those hot summer days. When riding in poor weather conditions, or on a cooler day, you can also lower a detachable face shield to protect yourself. Inside of the helmet, you'll find water wicking comfort padding to help keep your head and face dry and comfortable as you're riding.
An open face helmet provides excellent coverage so you don't need to worry about falling from your bike in any direction. Your head will be protected in most cases. That's because this style of helmet not only covers the top of your head, but protects the sides and back as well.