helmets have got me this far
I bought my first motorcycle in 1964, the day after I got my license in Idaho at 15 years old. I had been riding since 10 years old on my parent's farm. I started racing flat track and cross country -desert races at age 16 and a basic 3/4 helmet literally saved my life 3 times during the 10 years I raced.
Gave up on the dirt bike racing at age 26 and started to ride road bikes. Have had about 17 road bikes in the last 40 years.....always wore a helmet, because I know what it is to fly over the bars, head first, assholes and elbows, and view your life story flash by....before you hit something....
My latest helmet SAVE was in July of 2008....had a basic 3/4 helmet and goggles on, plus leathers and gloves....got off at 50 MPH on pavement....the pavement wore the right side of helmet flat down through the fiberglass, tore off the shield/visor snaps on that side...but stayed on my head I didn't even lose my goggles or glasses as I rolled down the road....didn't bleed a drop....no marks
But the landing wasn't good for a 58 year old body....3 broken ribs, a punctured lung and 30 K worth of titinium hardware in my lower back....but, I would have toast without that old brain bucket...
I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the 16 days in the hospital, my daughter wedding 2 weeks later, and every things that's happened since then....
I had to take 18 months off to rehab...before I bought a new VTX in Feb of 2010 ( 52,000 mi)
and then I got my 2013 F6B in July of 2014....which is the best road bike I've ever owned....
Obviously....I wear a helmet 100% of the time. The way I see it....people riding a motorcycle without a helmet have never been "over the bars"...and are waiting for their first, and maybe their last, get-off...