I just got a Bell M2 from TrueChoice which I am lucky enough to live next to. Anyway, I've never driven with a full face helmet, and it feels pretty weird (it fits well). I've been wearing it around the house and scaring my dogs and my girlfriend .

I'm considering just wearing it while driving on the street, but this kind of seems a bit dangerous. The added protection certainly is welcome, but driving on the street requires a lot of periphreal vision. Anyone agree, or am I being stupid. I don't have any events until April so I have so time to break it in and such.

BTW for people with glasses, the Bell M2 offers a ton of visibility.

 

Try walking around your house with your helmet on for a while. Take out the garbage, vacuum, etc.

Besdies, it might be illegal to wear it when you're driving.

 

you get used to driving. dont go out of your way to get comfortable with it.

 

I wore mine around the house a few times for a certain amount of time, like say 15 min. at a time, then increase to 30, etc. If I don't use if for a few weeks, then I will wear it again before the event to get re-used to it.

Even with a full face helmet, you can have the eye port open while driving it at the track, it doesn't have to be closed. I guess when you're racing it's probably safer though. I only do HPDEs right now, and I don't like driving with the eye port closed. I would check about the legality of wearig it in the streets too, before doing it.

 

True. At a trackschool or autocross my adrenaline is movin' so much that my helmet is far down on my list of concerns once its secured to my noggin.

 

I drive with the visor down, but only if the balaclava isn't covering my nose. Otherwise it just fogs up. But I'd rather have it down so if I go off, I won't get a lot of dirt in my face and eyes.

 

Full-face helmet with visor up = open-face helmet. Get antifog stuff...

You will be amazed how quickly you get used to being inside a helmet. Have fun!

Kirk

 

I really didn't notice a difference when wearing my full face helmet. I sort of need it since I wear contacts and a open face was hard to juggle sunglasses/glasses.

Wearing on the streets is illegal. So I don't recommend that You will not notice it when you are competiting

 

Sleep in your helmet. I do this all the time, for fun as a matter of fact.

In any sleep position you might imagine, the helmet eliminates the need for a pillow. The only complaint I have is that the back of the helmet is not flat enough, and needs to be flattened out - a la Formula1 helmets which are flat in the back for aerodynamic purposes - to make sleeping on one's back more comfortable.

It gets a little hot, but you can just flip the visor up. You can actually get better sleep inside the helmet, since it isolates you from a lot of outside noise. And it enables you to sleep anywhere you want. I slept on a hard-*** bench with my helmet, and I felt like a million bucks in the morning.

You should try this. I'm not shitting you.

-Ross, who naps in his helmet at least once a week

 

LOL

 

I haven't slept with my helmet on, except of course when I am on the track. I find a good way to get used to your helmet is to wear it while doing daily chores/tasks. For instance while wearing your full face helmet you could take your AK 47 down to the 'Bullets n' Bait' to be serviced and on the way you could stop in at the 'Savings and Loan' to make a withdrawal. Just make sure to wear a balaclava in case they don't understand what you are doing and ask you to remove your helmet.

Good Luck!

Victor Penner

 

I dozed off on pregrid once, fully suited and belted in, on a "5 and holding" as an instructor at an ORE region driver's school...

Kirk

 

Kirk, I've got you beat!

I once slept for an entire lap of the Sebring long course instructing an advanced group student! the combination of low-horsepower (stock miata) and the 11 hour all-night drive the night before to get down there were just too much.....I woke up and looked over at him....his reply was classic "You back now? I think I am early in 17."

 

Ross, you scare me. Kirk, glad to hear I am not the only one. When I fell asleep it was for an open track day. I decided that that would be my last session for the day. Bowie - now that is funny.

For antifog try this. Got mine from IO Port racing. I am sure that you can get them at motorcycle shops as well. Copied from IO Port:

"The Fog City Fog Shield for helmets and Fog City Fog Thing for goggles are the best inventions since Rain-X! They absolutely stop fogging on face shields and goggle lenses. You apply them only once, after which they perform beautifully for the life of your shield or lens. Nothing is better at preventing fog than Fog City!

The Fog City Fog Shield is not a face shield but a durable insert of 7 mil film designed to work inside your helmet visor. Engineered to resist condensation, it spontaneously sheets any moisture forming on its surface. Potent anti-fog properties literally shield against fogging."

 

They fall asleep in their students' cars, and I'm the one that scares you? lol...

George, I fail to see how wearing a motorcycle helmet to bed makes me gay.

-Ross, who thinks in 10 years EVERYONE will have personal sleep helmets with air conditioning, sound systems, and alarm clocks.

 

falling asleep in a car on the track really isnt that hard. I fell asleep for (i think) about 3 laps riding with an instructor in a E30 BMW at CMP. He was very smooth with the car and had a really good rythm going and i just.... dozed off. Didnt get much sleep the night before i think.

 

I don't forsee my instructor falling asleep...not for long at least.

 

I had an instructor doze off on me once. He's a regular on this board, but I won't mention any names.

 

I would love to see the hate mail/Honda-Tech reamings I would get if I ever fell asleep in the passenger seat during an HPDE session.

 

Ross, FWIW, I think the personal sleep helmet is an excellent idea.