What type of helmet do i choose?

im most likely going to buy a cruiser so i was wondering what type of helmet to choose because theres so many.
a friend of mine said to buy an open faced helmet because it suits the crusier style bike but im concerned about safety. would a full face helmet look stupid on a cruiser?

A full face DOT and Snell approved helmet will provide the most protection. That is protection not just from injury but also the elements.

A full coverage helmet provides protection from the wind, keeps your ears from ringing and your eyes from watering. A full coverage helmet protects you from flying debris, a stone thrown up from a truck you are passing, bugs in the air, or as what happened to me once, an acorn falling from a tree (hit me in the eye, man did that hurt). A full coverage helmet protects you from the weather, not just rain but cold, sun and back to were I started, wind (wind burn).

I see more and more cruiser riders wearing full coverage helmets and no it doesn't look stupid. You could always buy two helmets, one full coverage for longer, or colder, rides and an open face helmet for shorter and warmer rides. That way you would always have an extra helmet for a passenger.

go with a full face Dot or Snell approved helmet ,asphalt hurts at any speed but the choice is yours

A broken jaw, scarred face, and plates in your chin look far more stupid than a full face helmet. I've been hit in the visor by road crap enough to appreciate the facial coverage, and if all you want is a stylish toy, stay off of motorcycles.

They are not toys.

on a cruiser you can never go wrong with a full faced matt black helmet and black tinted visor it looks really awesome a guy drives past my house every morning on one with a black full faced helmet looks really hardcore . try have a look at Simpson, kiwi, arai,bell , or agv helmets they the best when it comes to safety and style they might cost a lot but you cant put a price on your life.

If you are going to have a windshield on your bike, an open face helmet works quite well. If you are not going to have a windshield, better to get a full face helmet.

By the way, over the years I've had plenty of my friends kid me about being a wimp for always having a full fairing. They all now have fairings or windshields and love them. The latest was a guy I work with. He put a windshield on his Sportster and he loves it. He says he doesn't have to wear earplugs any more, can run 70 mph without feeling beatup afterwards and can actually hear his pipes. Consider one of the clear windshields.

These other guys have told you the plain truth for safety get an approved full face helmet. The style is your own discretion.

I will ask you if you would like to be shot in the face with a pellet rifle because thats what it feels like when a bug hits you without face protection.

And there are a lot of bugs.

a helmet that is the SAFE is the BEST.
dont go on looks alone when it can be destroyed with just one mishap, God forbid.

Anything less than a full face helmet is just a fashion accessory. If you consider a helmet 'safety equipment' then approach it as safety equipment and don't make concessions to what other people might think looks better.

If you woriied about safety of an open faced helmet consider those offered by Airoc or ROOF. Schuberth or BMW
Airoc comes with a removable chin guard so the helmet can be changed from an open face to a full face at a couple of clicks.
ROOF helmets are open faced helmets with full approval the chin guard flips over to the rear of the helmet making for a swappable format from open face to full face
Schuberth and BMW (system) helmets are convertable from openfaced Jet style to openfaced with visor to Full faced supermot style with peak to full faced with visor. ( bl**dy expensive though)
Caberg also offer a similar setup but using a composite matterial rather than a woven cloth for the helmet structure.
Nolan helmets are designed with a flip front integral with the helmet which is designed to flip up out of the way for when being used as an open faced, but the visor isn't usable in this format.
Avoid shorty helmets that don't cover the ears or back of the helmet ( skul-caps) etc, they are more for show or to proove you have a helmet for legal reasons and provide little or no protection.

Go for either glass fibre Kevlar or Carbon fibre construction or composites from all three, do not use thermoplastic unless you really want a cheap helmet.
I have actually had the CAberg and the BMW system, and now prefere to have seperate helmets for seperate occasions. If I'm driving to cornwall I will use my full face carbon fibre HJC-HQ1, If I'm going to my local town I prefer to use my kevlar-Carbon composite.
On the slow off road bits I do for visibility I use and prefer a Jet Style open faced helmet with goggles better eye protection and view.
The only rule is Don't were a Crosser helmet on a cruiser that looks really naff, same as if you were wearing Crosser gear too.
So a decent flip front Full faced helmet with a pair of aviator shades would give you a good clean look and as much protection against the weather and the road where and when you want it

A helmet is a safety statement first, last and always. The best hemet for safety is a full face. The only type I have used for 30 years. What I think looks stupid is the half or beanie style helmet. Near worthless. That type just means the rider is only complying with a state's helmet law and does not want to wear a helmet.
Please ignore this notion of a certain type of helmet being conducive for a certain style of motorcycle. Complete rubbish. Cruiser, sport bike, touring, chopper, old school, bobber, dual sport, all the same to me. They are motorcycles exposed to all the hazards of the road. So for that reason, I wear the best piece of safety equipment I can wear, a full face helmet.

Buy the best helmet you can afford and some good quality boots sneakers don't provide any protection when they hit the pavement. Mama said stupid is as stupid does.

Good question JK. Firstly, it's up to you what you want to buy style wise. If you value your face especially if you are first time rider, then go for a full face brain bucket. There are so many reason's why I wouldn't buy a open, especially if you are going to ride faster than 70 to 100 km/h. You could get stung by an insect on the face or even worse ingest one, maybe your allergic to Bees. Not a good way to go!
Anyway, your choice.
Brand wise, you need to try different brands and some people may think I'm crapping on, but ive owned Shoei, AGV and AXO and they all fit differently.
Everybodys head shape is slightly different and some brands just seem to fit better than others, I found out that AGV is the best fit for me as there are no pressure points or hard points on my head and I have a nice snug fit all round.

Just remember, the cheaper you go the more uncomfortable I've found.
They still carry the AS sticker on them but just seem to be a little basic on the quality side of things.
Happy hunting!

There's no such thing as a "stupid helmet" when it comes to riding a motorcycle... Unless you attach horns to it like some of those dudes at Sturgis.


I know what you mean though.

Personally, I think full face helmets look perfectly fine with a big bad cruiser...

My only "styling" advice would be just stay away from the riced out looking Racer helmets. Simple shell shape, solid color. Go to a biker shop and try on every single helmet you can before you make a purchase. It's gotta feel JUST RIGHT.

Drive safe.

buy an arai full face helmet. arai is the best.