i wear my helmet even for the shortest ride. lots of my friends make fun of me all the time. they think that i show off as if i am riding a superbike. but to my concious i know why i wear it. when i first got my bike i didnt had a lid then. i rode without a lid for almost 2 months. later when i got myself a lid (vega) and i used it for a while i realised that it not only protected me against the wind and dust particles, but also helped in better visibility as i never had frequent dust in my eye. this was the time when i started wearing helmet on a daily basis. today i have reached a state where i cant ride even for the shortest distance without my lid. i tried to make my friends aware of the +ves but i think i am still not good at it. also i prefer carrying my lid along with me rather than using a helmet lock. i hate such locks but this again makes another reason for my friends to make fun of me. and i have also come across people who left wearing a lid just because they were teased by their friends. today i am alive because of my lid that protected me against 3 crashes. i used my first lid upto 2 crashes. today i have a vega(not the first one) and a gpr lid.

i truly believe that not only the rider but the pillion rider must also wear a lid all the time. altough the rule is implemented here in b'lore only for the rider. i also think that the traffic cops must b equipped with better lids than the ones they wear. i dont even understand who made a lid looking so weard for the cops. it hardly covers their head, face n jaws far behind to be protected.

the other major problem is the non isi lids that r sold redilly on the foot paths. u can get one for as less as rs100. it looks, feels like a normal cap made out of plastic. n a 200 to 300 rupee ones look like a 1000 rs vega one. yes they do look flashy but for heavens sake avoid them. i have seen a rx100 guy meet wid an accident with such a helmet. the helmet cracked open and the visor shattered. what is the point wearing a lid which turns deadly when in need? the guy had no major injuries but it does not mean no one will have it.

some miths--->
1. lids lead to hair loss.
actually it doesnt. wearing a lid protects the hair from the surrounding pollutents and sunlight. the pollutants when settle on the scalp gives the feeling of itching, develops dandruff and results in hairfall. so wear a lid and protect your hair

2. lids reduce visibility.
yes to a extent if you dont know what to buy. some people end up buying a lid without trying it on or ask someone else to get it for them. it is always better to try a lid before buying it. the loss of visibility is experienced when the visor is of a poor quality and is not optically correct. be wise and select the best.

3. it is suffocating and sweaty.
well yes it is but there are a good variety of lids available in the market with proper ventilation. choose the one that suits you the best. ventilation is not a air conditioner but well it does do its job pretty well of circulating the air within.

4. its all show and no go.
protection is better than cure is my answer to that!!!

5. the funniest one " it reduces audibility "
yes it does reduce audibility but one gets used to it in no time. i have experienced it when i first started wearing it but i got used to it in a day or two. and the fact is not many people experience this problem but many believe in it!!!

6. it is not KOOOL!
it is better than being a FOOL! your head should matter more than your HAIR ESTYLE!


lids are a integral part of a biker and the bike. please dont call yourself a biker if you hate wearing a lid

and yes please clean your lid on a regular basis. this is one thing which is ignored by masses. it is not for you to look good but it is to remain healthy. after all there is a bird called personal hygine (or biker hygine).

Insidious, good article, well written and valid points.
Btw, aksing out of curiosity, when you helped the elderly man, were nt you asked by the ambulance walas to accompany the man to the hospital?

Leon, feel the same bro! I feel naked without the helmet on a bike! plus i get sh!% scared and my eyes water like anything, as i am not used to riding without the helmet.

Here in Kerala too Helmet usage is mandatory by law, but as the days go by, the initial enthusiastic enforcement is dying and adherence on the public s side is less.
Except for the month end, when the cops go on a fining spree!

Nicely written.
Helmet rule is same here in Jaipur. But again people try to play around with it. Can't help.

Rash driving/riding, speeding and lack of compulsary protective gears/measures need to be killed ruthlessely.

But... alas no government will be spending their effort in this ... you know why? ... Coz its demand and supply rule dear..... We here in India have excess of supply of humans than the demand.

And thats why road accidents, terrorism, etc are accepted by the people and government of India. All you will have is some compensation declaration (which you will never recieve) and some short speeches.. thats it.. end of the story.

To my utter surprise, one of the lawyer here also filed a case against this rule of compulsion of wearing helmet in high court. But the good thing is that he was scholded by the hounrable high court. So at least some good is there.

I cant ride without my helmet,shoes,and gloves.i just cant.My eyes will start watering and more than that,i feel guilty.
Helmet rule is also here in kolkata,but less than 50% riders wear helmets and most of them cost 100-250 buks max.White/yellow ones.I guy who can barely buy a platina for daily commute cant invest 1k to buy a good one.But now-a-days,i can even see guys riding r15/220/zma etc without a helmet.thats sick.

well i invested in 12k worth of riding gear (daijya helmet, dsg full gauntlet gloves and a dsg nero jacket.) instead of buying an attractive mobile

im usually mocked at in my college for coming with an helmet and gloves all the time.. one of my batchmates used to mock me too much, but just last week we were sorta "dragging" , he on his apache rtr when an insect went splat on his face . i said " see even insects dont like me cause i wear a helmet, they on the other hand want to kiss you every now and then" he stopped mocking me after that , but he still hasnt bought a helmet.

i do not care for others ..
if you think your life is precious, you're bound to protect it to the best means possible by you. i saved up 12k to just buy riding gear. i couldnt go higher due to constraints. riding boots and pants is what im saving up for now.

there shouldnt be any helmet rule... let the ignorant & arrogant educated masses bump themselves off and thus state darwin's theory of evolution "survival of the wiser beings" instead of the "fittest"

Once in a shop I took off and kept my helmet on the shop desk. The silver GPR with flashy stickers looked attractive and gained the focus.

There entered one doctor (probably in his interns) who lifted the helmet and said," wow, how much is this?" . I replied,"3k as in INR" ...

"" was his expression,and i duno, seems some kinda ego with s/w engineers he had. He added, "these heavy helmets are very harmful for ur neck and shoulders and moreover its not ISI also"... I felt like slapping him but compensated by bursting out in laughter..

Without controlling my emotions I said, " U r one of the donation party docs we have here" ..He disappeared in no time.

I remember him carrying one half head helmet (which is one step above a cap) which can be used for demonstrating the weakness of low quality PVCs by breaking it in a single blow (by hands).

Yeah, I agree, I have seen people wearing those plastic ones which u may find being sold on the road sides!
wonder we avoid eating on road side dhabas but dont mind buying our PROTECTIVE GEAR from THOSE road sides!
also, the Protection we wear is more of an eye wash to the LAW and mean almost NO PROTECTION to the wearer.
Helmets prtect you in more then ways You may even know, but then...RISK IT IF U HAVE a second Life!
I for sure dont have a second life. so I better be seen with my NINJA!

Insidious, Nice write-up. By visiting this thread guys on xbhp who don't wear their helmets might start wearing it. I appreciate your efforts.

I myself own a Daijya helmet and I always wear it while riding(I get a weird feeling when i am without my helmet). I dont have any riding gear other than my helmet so someone please guide me what should i get next, Jacket or Gloves? Whats more important in these two? I cant buy everything at once so I am buying things one by one.

There is no particular gear that is "more" important than the other one. That being said, a good, solid pair of riding gloves must be on your 'to get' list now. I just CANNOT ride without the riding gloves and the helmet..

Thanks aryan. I will soon get a pair of gloves from DSG.

i got this in my mail. Am posting it in its original res! this is a good one.

Nice one Satish!

well,a lot has been said about the quality of the helmets and other riding gears but then...what about a few of US riding without one!
and I would like to specify the Wonderful Girls and ladies who would cruise at lightening speeds but will for sure NOT wear a Helmet, for it may affect their hair style. Also, without any prejudice, A few Sikh guys.
-its kind of OK, if one is wearing a turban,I can understand....but without a turban, if u are to ride with an ADDIDAS or a NIKE sports Cap, what's the harm in wearing a HELMET?
when shall we understand that a helmet is meant for our safety.....forget the Cops, we can most of the times go scott free by a simple phone call.!

Guess it may be a bit OT but I somehow feel that Helmets should be for one and all...anybody and everybody on a two wheeler should wear one!

^ +1
darwin's rule you know survival of the fittest !

the others make darwin proud (there's someone here with that saying in his signature)