Since I've had my T120 i have noticed subtle perception changes that I've undertaken as a biker & I wanted to open a conversation with like-minded individuals who may have been through this before - or resisted it all together (if this is the case please tell me how as my shopping list for Bike 2022 is quite alarming). So here goes I've always advocated the use of a full face helmet & will never ride out without being properly attired in appropriate safety kit (that passes the muster of my critically eyed Mrs, before ever I leave the house). However since owning the Bonnie I've been considering purchasing a Jet style helmet for the local bimbles & riding to work Saturday morning. On my usual route through the lanes when I want to take in more of the view a Jet seems like the right choice.Though the Bonnie is almost twice the size of the SV it doesn't lend itself to the hurried point and squirt ride i used to relish on the Suzuki. Taking the bike out for me now means a 40-50mph trundle enjoying the views and the fresh air and freedom of riding a bike. If I wanted to thrash about like a 17 year old on an LC i'd probably have bought a Speed Triple. Plus if i'm 100% honest the FF has started to feel just a little claustrophobic I am aware of the safety issues re full/open face and it is not my intention to voice that discussion on this thread. People are entitled to their own opinions & experiences. But my question is why would a person who always wore a full face helmet (HJC RPHA10 & recently RPHA90 for those that care) want to suddenly switch to a Jet? Also my leather jacket has been substituted for a vintage retro brown leather & my Sidis for a pair of Spada engineer boots (all bike specific). I have resisted the urge for sporting a 'hipster' beard basically because any fluff i produce takes weeks to emerge & would be blown away by a stiff breeze by the time i hit 2nd gear Is it the bike - is it the brand - or is it me ? I would add that it isn't my intention to replace the full face. I would, if heading out for a long ride with friends, or undertaking a motorway trip resort to it and my fully protective kit but its nice to have a choice, right ? After all I'm just talking about a non-pressure ride to work through Kentish lanes on a sunny Saturday morning - 50mph (4th gear) tops - not hooning down to Rye, treating the twistys of Camber like the aforementioned 17 year old. Of course there are always risks and always the unexpected, not to mention the Richard Heads of this world stockpiling fuel - but that's another issue..... I've been giving it quite a bit of thought (I know i don't get out much) but the Bonnie does seem to almost demand a certain look for the rider and full racing leathers and a racing lid just don't cut it. Biking is a very individual pursuit but i wonder whether there are conformities, or whether Triumph as a brand has nailed the art of persuasion regarding look and outward appearance of its 'passengers'? Maybe it goes back further - to Marlon & JD, to McQueen & Ekins, but its still very relevant today with the advent of modern classics. For those that stuck it to the end without snorting fire about open face helmets - thanks your thoughts, as ever very much appreciated
I've got an 865 se bonnie and have brought a open face helmet the main issue I have with it is insects. when they hit your bare face they sting as does the rain if you get caught in it. I used my open face when I brought my AJS and rode back to the IOW from Bristol and got caught in a shower its like needles stabbing your face. I'm wondering if a face scarf may help. since getting the bonnie I've also brought a second hand triumph James Dean brown jacket and ware jeans instead of my leather motorbike trousers. although I do intend getting some proper motorbike jeans. I have to say I do cringe when I see People riding there bikes in shorts and t-shirts no gloves. but will confess when I was 16 - 17 I did ride my BSA C15 a few times wearing nothing but a pair of swimming trunks not even anything on my feet sorry.
Hi there and a good post. I have a full face for the longer and more boring rides but for the local, slower routes (40 mph and the sun out) the jet/flip. As you said, obviously not as safe but to have the open breeze and wind? It's nicer imho.
IMO I think the retro classic bikes to tend to lend themselves to riding kit that fits the era. So jeans (with protection), brown leather boots and jacket are all part of the look. The debate on open face vs full face helmets is an interesting one. There is no doubt that a full face helmet provides the best protection, but back in the day I rode with an open face helmet as the best I can remember there weren't any (well not what I could afford) full face helmets around. So I'm not that bothered about the additional risk it attracts and don't really think about it until the question regarding helmets open or full face is raised. If I'm going on a long trip I do use my textile kit and a full face helmet as they both provide improved protect from the rain and wind. Edit: I forgot to add that I think it is a mix of the bikes, the individual and the availability of good quality kit that leads us to wear what we do.
I use a Shark Evo One 2 helmet. You can ride whilst pootling about with face up but flip the helmet into race mode if you up the tempo. Mine is white as having spent 6 months in hospital for not being seen I tend on the side of caution. They do them in cool colours too. If you have a thing for pain and nurses. Best of both worlds. Maybe?
I think we will all tend to dress to the type of bike we ride. It just makes sense. The Full face v Open face helmet is more a personal safety question and what you can feel comfortable with. I decided to go with an AGV flip front helmet. Feels good open on a warm day on the slow roads, but pulled down on the main roads feels safer.
Full-face helmets doubtless give more protection, but I have always felt shut-in and stifled in them, and almost always wear an open-face, as I have since I started riding in 1967. (Whisper it quietly, but back in those days, I didn't even always wear a helmet at all, although I usually did.) Never suffered any harm as a result of wearing an open-face, so not likely to change now. Nothing to do with the style of bike I might be riding.
I retired my brown leathers when I purchased my latest Triumph (modern classic). I find although I now wear full safety kit to match my aged concern for even minor injuries, I only want to wear Triumph gear This is not lost on my mates, but they have different theories. Whether it is that I can now afford quality (never spent more than $80 on a helmet until this year) or I love Triumph and the brand, I think what makes you happy is the most important part of life. Why else would we ride?
Triumph are definitely trying their best to be a lifestyle brand, and will sell you any dream to ensure premium returns. But like my old pal, Swiss Tony used to say… Riding bikes is very much like making love to a beautiful woman! If she’s a bit racy, and likes it hard and fast… you should consider maximum protection, because if you come off before making it to the end of the ride… she will punish you! If she’s an old classic… enjoy a slower and more sensual ride, it’s all about the pleasing curves, the wind in your face and the smells of the countryside! If she’s adventurous, then be prepared for a long dirty ride, you’ll be up to your axle in the mire and you’ll want to protect your eyes from the roost the chap in front of you is throwing up as he powers through a new route!!!
In answer to your question-yes. But really, aren't all motorcycle manufacturers? All they really have to offer is a lifestyle choice, can't offer practicality or real use. And I crashed twice in my youth wearing an open face lid, and remain devastatingly handsome and completely sensible to this day
I am convinced that TRIUMPH is developing more and more into a complete life-style supplier. But it depends on the type of bike. I believe that as soon as the Enduro-track is also served by them, "real" Enduro safety equipment with TRIUMPH branding will also come onto the market. I myself am waiting with my wife even more months until April 2022 on our Bonnies. After we already had several retro bikes before the two TIGERs (900 + 1200), we are already prepared clothing-wise. Leather jackets, biker jeans, etc. I myself, however, will continue to wear exclusively a full-face helmet. On the one hand, because of the higher safety. On the other hand, to have at any time the possibility to drive with the Bonnie, on a whim, just a little faster and especially a longer distance.
What an interesting, well constructed and thought provoking post! There's so much to contemplate and try to consider and address in there that it's difficult to know where to start! Is it a debate around open face vs full face? Is it a debate around form over function; fashion before safety; style vs. substance? Should we be contemplating and debating individual choice or societal responsibility ....... I've got a feeling of deja vu - I've been here before. Like @Dave49 I've been riding motorcycles since long before the wearing of a helmet became compulsory in 1973 - in fact I've ridden a motorcycle at some point in every year since 1965 (legally since 1966 ;-)) and for the first 7 years of my riding I often - very often - enjoyed the freedom of riding without a helmet of any kind, especially on short, local rides or when the summer provided the incentive of warmth to offset the abundance of face-stinging impacts of a zillion large insects ....... yep, I've frequently had the "pleasure" of extracting dead fly remains from the gaps in my teeth! I've also, as you might expect, seen helmet design and production quality come on in leaps and bounds - heck, I remember seeing the first full-face helmets (Charles OWEN Mastergarde Dome in this country) at an Earls Court motorcycle show in probably '72 or '73 and wondering how I might afford that level of "cool" safety factor! But, enough of my self-satisfying, nostalgic rambling - it's not actually addressing the point(s) of the original post. It might, though, add some context to my view, perhaps? I still, to this day, frequently use an open face helmet, albeit one with a 'bubble' style front face shield which provides excellent face coverage but does flip up in stages. There is, of course, a world of difference between 'face coverage' and 'face protection'! I'm not naive enough to think that a relatively thin face shield would afford ANY meaningful protection to my ugly mush should some incident result in me face-planting the tarmac at more than walking pace! As you state in your post, you're aware of the safety issues so it's not the point here. The debate is, I guess, around whether an open face helmet is a fashion statement related to brand and/or style of motorcycle. It's hard to believe that my Street Triple is 11 years old now and it is hardly likely to have ever been a brand or fashion statement as a bug-eyed, ballsout, ballistically fast roadster - more a rebel without a cause! And yet, for me at least, it remains a pleasure to use with my open face helmet - IF I'm not going to be doing any long distance, high speed riding. It's comfortable enough at speeds up to the legal limit but at seventy I can feel it starting to put pressure on my neck and forehead as the aerodynamics take over and lift is inevitable. It also means some extra buffeting at higher speeds as there seems to be an imbalanced airflow over and under the face shield. In my opinion, there's a particular pleasure in the sense of "freedom" provided by an open face helmet, though that may be psychosomatic. That freedom, however, may come at some cost in terms of overall comfort in some circumstances. My suggestion would be - buy one and try it. You don't have to spend a fortune on one, especially as it might not suit you in the longer term. Something like this https://jsaccessories.co.uk/product...a151a4a0d2b332dd4cd3a38a026588&variant=125343 wouldn't require a huge investment whilst still providing a practical, well featured and stylish helmet. It doesn't matter WHY you're wearing one or other kind of helmet - if it's a decent helmet, is safe, legal and comfortable for the ride that you're on then enjoy! It might even add something extra to your riding pleasure!
I must admit to fancying an open face helmet to wear on my retro z900rs but i've had too many stones bounce off my full face visor. So it would mean wearing goggles (maybe mirror finish ones) and a well pulled up necker or scarf. Not sure i'm ready for goggles though. I suppose the next stage would be turned down wellies ??
great post....welcome to middle age tim! I wear a full face helmet, riding jeans, riding boots and a belstaff jacket am i a hipster or just old?
I think Triumph would like to be a lifestyle brand,but I doubt that will happen. Harley Davidson has that sewed up.You can usually tell the HD riders by their outfits. I'm not knocking them,I owned a Road King,I have some dealer t shirts,I just never felt the need to dress the part. Wear what you like, I wear the same gear on my Bonneville as I did on my Harley. As far as helmets,your head your choice. I have a full face,an open face from the '70s and a shorty. My preferred is the open face,though I'll use the full face in cold weather. Again,don't have a preconceived notion of what you should wear on a certain style motorcycle,wear what you want. Just don't wear shorts and flip flops!
Yes, it's the Brand affecting you. and why not :-D I've a Bobber Black, but I've resisted the open face and bought a Bell Bullit as it has a much wider vision range, so i feel it's a good compromise Brown retro Belstaff Rigger type boots and the wifey even bought me seaboot socks for them! All because of the bike! And I'm a poodler, the Bobber deserves nothing less Enjoy!
A "Lifestyle Brand"? Pretty stupid concept in my thinking ! We have choices every step along the way. Only the marketing boobs try to make you think "If you have THIS you have to buy ONE OF THESE". Never been much of a follower myself. ...J.D.
