New Member/ Need answer questions. Funny replys! Whatever!

[AtxDanger]

Hey Guys! New to the site but i have recently found something odd.
Here in Texas there is no helmet law that i know of, well at least for riders. If you are on a bicycle and underaged you may have to wear one, but other than that small group, we can do what we want. Right?? apparently NOT!! I have only been riding for about 8 years and i am very religious about wearing my helmet. (Especially because my wife makes me wear it even when i am riding just a few neighborhoods away.) However, i took a coworker to go purchase a Harley Nightster about six months ago, he wore his FREE helmet off the lot, but has yet to wear it since. And has recieved two tickets for not wearing one. If anyone is from texas and knows more than me. Is it illegal or not? Now don't get me wrong. I am glad that he was ticketed. But was it within his rights not to wear one? I can't get a local cop to give an educated answer. :Im With Stupid:
I highlighted FREE because i was wondering why Cruiser manufacturers give free helmets with the purchase of a bike? While shopping for a bike last year (Glad i Picked my FZ!!) i couldn't get any breaks on protection from any shops with the purchase of a Sport oriented bike.:Flip: We sport riders are usually the only people that even wear them!:Sport: Can anyone answer that one?
And this was no cheap helmet, its retail was near what i paid for my Joe Rocket. Not to mention he also got a t-shirt and gift bag with leather keyfob and Koosies and such. HE ONLY PAID MAYBE $2000 more than me for his bike.
And that is pushing the dollar limit!:ban:

 

[Whitey Dodge]

From the state of Texas Department of Public Safety:

Effective September 1, 1997, persons at least 21 years old are exempt from wearing a motorcycle helmet if they:

have successfully completed a motorcycle safety course, or
are covered by a health insurance plan providing the person with at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of an accident while operating or riding upon a motorcycle.

Here is the linkey:

Texas Department of Public Safety - Courtesy, Service, Protection

 

[HavBlue]

From the state of Texas Department of Public Safety:

Effective September 1, 1997, persons at least 21 years old are exempt from wearing a motorcycle helmet if they:

have successfully completed a motorcycle safety course, or
are covered by a health insurance plan providing the person with at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of an accident while operating or riding upon a motorcycle.

Here is the linkey:

Texas Department of Public Safety - Courtesy, Service, Protection

$10,000.00 in medical insurance won't go very far when there is a brain trauma injury involved. Then, the rest of us can pick up the tab......

On December 4, 1988 actor Gary Busey picked up his bike and went riding down the street without a helmet. Shortly thereafter he had an accident at slow speed and hit his head on a curb which dang near killed him. He then became a major advocate for a mandatory national helmet law. What I can't figure out is why I would need a seat belt in a cage and not need a helmet on a bike.

Recently in the Nation of Canada a religious man took the helmet law to test as he claimed the only thing that should cover his head is a turban (the man is from India) and forcing him to wear a helmet is against his religious beliefs. The court simply stated the helmet law had nothing to do with any religious beliefs but rather, it had everything to do with rider safety.

 

[reiobard]

welcome tot he forum, glad you wear your helmet all the time, better safe than sorry.

 

[AtxDanger]

Thanks for the info. It makes more sense knowing now that you need to be 21 or older. My co-worker is only 20. So that may be the reason for his tickets. Plus he has a real smart mouth so i am sure that doesn't help when getting pulled over. I have never had a problem with the local police. I think that they mess with you less when you have full riding gear. Some people will argue that if you wear full gear, then you cannot handle your bike. That is how you can tell the newbies from the experienced riders. I feel that when i see people geared up that they KNOW what riding is really about. MUCH RESPECT TO THE REAL RIDERS!:rockon:

 

[HavBlue]

The Nightster or XL1200N is a dropped or street bob Sporty. It has quite the old school look. When your friend purchased the bike they may have given him the half shell DOT approved cruiser helmet and this would have been very normal. Here, in Kentucky our helmet law is similar to Texas with the exception of medical insurance. You will quite often find the cruiser folks as well as the sport rider folks with no helmet and possibly very little gear as well. I can't honestly say I see one group wearing gear more than the other. Owning both types of bikes I can however tell you the mentality of the two when it comes to gear is quite different.

Regardless of which bike I am on I do wear a helmet but this is wear the similarity ends. On the Harley I am often just putzing around at slow speeds checking out the scenery and having a good time while on the FZ6 I am reading every inch of pavement and looking to double the suggested speed for any turn hence the reason for much more gear.

Your friend may view the helmet law as a reduction in his freedoms as do many but again, it all boils down to the individual rider and the risks they are willing to take. For this reason alone I would say to each his own.

 

[sportrider]

I started riding before the helmet law, I used to occasionally cruise around with out one. but now days, even if there was no helmet law I'd wear one it just kinda goes together like a car and seat belt without either I feel naked.not to mention only God can predict the future, you never know what could happen and if a helmet makes the difference from watching my kids grow up or not I'll be wearing one.

 

[mglowe]

...What I can't figure out is why I would need a seat belt in a cage and not need a helmet on a bike.

Simply it's because of lobbyists. They want our organs for other purposes. =-]

 

[Whitey Dodge]

Simply it's because of lobbyists. They want our organs for other purposes. =-]

If you are worried about that, don't sign an organ donor card. Oh and even if you do, your family can override the organ donor card...

 

[HavBlue]

Simply it's because of lobbyists. They want our organs for other purposes. =-]

Why is it I get the feeling there is a lot of truth in this?

 

[OneTrack]

Well...I can tell you this.
Had I not been wearing a helmet on November 22, 1964...I would now have been dead for over 4 decades. Twice as long as I had been alive at the time.
And not just any helmet...The "sporty" style back then in England was the "Pudding Basin" helmet, worn by all the GP riders of the day. I was wearing the "newer" style "fighter jet" helmet, now known as the "open face" helmet, which earned me the scorn of my "Rocker" mates.
The extra protection afforded by this helmet over the "pudding basin" saved my head and saved my life. No ifs...no buts...no maybe's....it saved my life.

 

[Tailgate]

I'd like to see the day when the big stores, grocery, etc., as in many other countries, have a check-in for packages, backpacks, etc., but also, for motorcycle helmets. You know, you deposit whatever you have and you get a ticket/receipt in return. This would be fantastic (Arnold Schwarzenegger favorite term). It's a hassle having to lug around a helmet everywhere I go and ...I'm reticent to leave it behind on the FZ6. Helmets are---if you ask me---just too tempting a theft that is too expensive to eat. In many other countries, often there exists a customer service desk where customers may deposit items while they shop. This helmet issue is a pain: required by the government but it stops there. Who enjoys lugging around a helmet when shopping? Even some motorcycle shops don't have arrangement to deposit your helmet. Something needs to give.

 

[Rolly]

No helmet = no sense.

I value my head and my family life too much not to wear gear at all times. Only ever had one serious accident but heaven knows I am glad I had my lid on. No one is immune to being knocked off their bike.....sure as ****, if you do enough miles, you will have your own little "incident" one day.....mostly, we will all walk away anyway but your chances are MUCH better with a helmet......you better hope you have protection on if and when it happens to you.

BTW, where I live, you can pull up at virtually any major supermarket/ shopping centre and deposit your helmet at the welcome desk....no charge. The french are good with stuff like that though......something to do with the fact that most of them have mopeds during their teen years.

Rolly

 

[fast blue one]

Thanks for the info. It makes more sense knowing now that you need to be 21 or older. My co-worker is only 20. So that may be the reason for his tickets. Plus he has a real smart mouth so i am sure that doesn't help when getting pulled over. I have never had a problem with the local police. I think that they mess with you less when you have full riding gear. Some people will argue that if you wear full gear, then you cannot handle your bike. That is how you can tell the newbies from the experienced riders. I feel that when i see people geared up that they KNOW what riding is really about. MUCH RESPECT TO THE REAL RIDERS!:rockon:

Preaumably these guys who argue that point on wearing gear also blessed with the gift of second sight.
Drunk driver
diesel spill
etc
theres too many imponderables that have nothing with experience.

I came off many years ago and went flying down an embankment. My helmet was an absoulute mess afterwards and I couldnt even see through the visor for the scratches.
That could have been my head.
The rest of me wasnt so protected and wasnt so lucky. I required 2 months of hospital visits.
Consider me converted.
Law or not I would always wear a helmet.

 

[madmanmaigret]

Some people will argue that if you wear full gear, then you cannot handle your bike. That is how you can tell the newbies from the experienced riders. I feel that when i see people geared up that they KNOW what riding is really about. MUCH RESPECT TO THE REAL RIDERS!:rockon:

hmmm, Rossi, Hayden's, Bostrom, etc. Not real riders?

 

[Hellgate]

Well...I can tell you this.
Had I not been wearing a helmet on November 22, 1964...I would now have been dead for over 4 decades. Twice as long as I had been alive at the time.
And not just any helmet...The "sporty" style back then in England was the "Pudding Basin" helmet, worn by all the GP riders of the day. I was wearing the "newer" style "fighter jet" helmet, now known as the "open face" helmet, which earned me the scorn of my "Rocker" mates.
The extra protection afforded by this helmet over the "pudding basin" saved my head and saved my life. No ifs...no buts...no maybe's....it saved my life.

A helmet has saved my life twice. Once on the M/C the other in the MTN Bike. When I had my big get off racing the M/C I had over 10 hits on mine. On the M/B I endo'd and landed straight on the top of my head (may explain a few things), the shell cracked but it stayed together. I hit so hard that I pulled both of my groin muscles and was in bed for a week before I could walk again. I've also rung my bell a couple of times on the bicycle too.

WEAR THAT LID!

 

[madmanmaigret]

On the M/B I endo'd and landed straight on the top of my head (may explain a few things),

WEAR THAT LID!

Probobly does Top!

WATGATT!