One of the best features of modular helmets is the flip-up chainguard. This chainguard enables the user to open the entire front part of the helmet.
Can you ride with a modular helmet open? You can, but should you?
If you want to wear a modular helmet open, the bad news is that open modular helmets have more disadvantages than closed ones.
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5 Reasons for Not Wearing Modular Helmets Open
You can have an unparalleled feeling for the lift-up chin feature, but you are risking your safety by doing so.
1. Your Eyes Remain Unprotected
The liftable chin and the main helmet visor are connected in most modular helmets. So, when you open the chainguard, the clear front visor will automatically lift with it. This visor can withstand a large amount of impact before tearing down.
The inner tinted visor will provide safety for a short period but not much in an actual riding accident scenario. Any heavy impact can break this visor, and shattered remains will injure your eyes.
There have been many severe eye injuries from smashed tinted visors and even death.
2. Helmet Might Fall from Your Head
The faster you ride your motorcycle, the stronger the wind’s impact force becomes. Every helmet will have multiple venting shafts that pull air inside and push it outwards.
When your helmet’s chain guard is open, it will disrupt this natural occurrence and create air pressure inside the helmet. You must attach your strap correctly to avoid losing it in the wind.
The worst that can happen is your helmet may receive damage and cost you extra money to replace.
3. Your Face Remains Unprotected from Debris
The regular road is filled with dust particles that can be sensitive to your skin. Any heavy object might also hit you in the face and cause serious injuries.
4. Front-Face Accidents Occur Regularly
According to a survey in the USA, more than 5000 people die in motorcycle accidents annually, and it’s growing. In most accidents, the rider can take severe damage to the head or face.
The chances of getting injuries in the face are high because if a running motorcycle suddenly stops, the stored kinetic energy transforms into motion pushing the rider forward. In this situation, you will absolutely want to protect your face.
You might have to sustain injuries in your nose & eyes, and the worst will be teeth.
5. Open Chin Guard will Increase Wind Noise
One of the main problems of modular helmets is noise. The inside noise of a modular helmet can reach up to 115 decibels, enough to cause damage to the ears.
What makes this noise scarier is this inside noise can increase above the standard in the open chainguard state.
Are There Any Benefits of Riding a Modular Helmet Open?
Yes, there are some benefits to using modular helmets open, but the greater weight of disadvantages makes them useless.
i. Riding Modular Helmet Open is not Illegal
No Australian traffic law forbids modular helmets to be closed while riding. But a famous law campaigner thinks the legal state is a mistake and should be changed.
However, there are laws for fastening the buckle straps of a helmet while riding a motorcycle.
ii.Comfortable in Warmer Weather
The compact design of modular helmets can make them pretty hot and make them unbearable for the rider. All that sweaty and mushy feeling makes it more uncomfortable.
When you open the helmet, air will flow throughout the helmet’s structure and provide a sensation of relief.
The Bottom Line
It’s best to avoid wearing a modular helmet open while riding because accidents happen at the most unexpected times. You will want to be safe in that unfortunate moment.
There can be no exceptions to safety, even comfort. So, we hope you will ride with a modular helmet close.
Have a safe ride!
Viola is a mountain bike rider who loved to ride on various off-road tracks. In her half a decade of biking experience she always preferred safe rides. In her early riding days, she fall in an accident and after that, she realized how important this safety thing is. Viola starts writing bike safety-related blogs since then so that other bikers can remain safe while riding.