Cafe Racer Helmet Guide 2017

5838 Views 19 Replies 14 Participants Last post by charles, Sep 7, 2017

jakebarrell

Discussion Starter · Jun 30, 2017

2

If you are a modern-day motorcyclist stuck in the 60s, then cafe racers are the machines for you. Its quite a different world out there today where everyone from DUCATI, YAMAHA, BMW and TRIUMPH are bringing out their suggestions on how a modern-day cafe racer should look and feel. In the midst of this uptrend of retro- cafe racer culture, there is a vast lineup of cafe racer gear that has littered the scene. There are all sorts of retro-inspired cafe racer helmets, jackets, gloves, and boots available, while cafe-inspired undergarments and tattoos are thankfully left to one’s individual imagination.

For someone out there looking to deck themselves out as the most dapper cafe racer rider would understand that the most important part of the kit is a good looking cafe racer helmet; something that gives modern levels of protection, while being hidden under a smooth finish of vintage inspired designs. For this list, we are focusing on just that by brining forth the best cafe racer helmet in each category that exists in 2017.

Best Vintage Cafe Racer Helmet: Davida Jet

Motorcycle helmet Helmet Clothing White Personal protective equipment

BEST DESIGNER CAFE RACER HELMET: MOMO FGTR FIGHTER CLASSIC

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More helmets on this list here

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woodsman

· #2 · Jun 30, 2017

I wonder if people who buy open face helmets realize that for almost 50% of people involved in crashes the head impact is taken on their face (DR. Dietmar Otte).

For you to claim "modern levels of protection" is just lying to the consumer.

Geeto67

· #3 · Jun 30, 2017

I rode in NYC with a davida Jet for years. It is a nicely finished helmet full of good paint and quality interior linings. Unfortunately, it is not great as safety gear. My Jet cracked it's shell on the top after a couple years use. It's an awesome shelf piece, but not a good helmet.

For someone out there looking to deck themselves out as the most dapper cafe racer rider would understand that the most important part of the kit is a good looking cafe racer helmet

really? the most important part of a piece of safety gear is how well it looks? this is nonsense.

slofut

· #4 · Jul 7, 2017

woodsman said:
I wonder if people who buy open face helmets realize that for almost 50% of people involved in crashes the head impact is taken on their face (DR. Dietmar Otte).

For you to claim "modern levels of protection" is just lying to the consumer.

Somewhere there is a pic of a guy (I've seen it) that took a bad fall with an open face helmet. He has a head with half a lower jaw and no face, only a tongue hanging out of a hole in his neck ...and he lived. I see that image in my mind every time I put on my open faced helmet. Looking for a real helmet as we speak.

XB33BSA

· #5 · Jul 7, 2017

wwtf the one is called the **** fighter,is that a **** that wants to fight or somebody who battles ****'s
either way it seems a bit BYLTGQURYMCA UNFRIENDLY

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slofut

· #6 · Jul 7, 2017

BTW... I do love the way both helmets look in the first post.

"For someone out there looking to deck themselves out as the most dapper cafe racer rider would understand that the most important part of the kit is a good looking cafe racer helmet"

Do guys really do that?
I usually just get on the bike and go, usually in shorts and a t-shirt. God help me if I have to come off it...

Geeto67

· #7 · Jul 7, 2017

slofut said:
BTW... I do love the way both helmets look in the first post.

"For someone out there looking to deck themselves out as the most dapper cafe racer rider would understand that the most important part of the kit is a good looking cafe racer helmet"

Do guys really do that?

yes. there are some people, men and women, for whom fashion is high importance. more than anything else.

I used to work for a place that sold Davida and Ruby helmets (remember them? $600 3/4 helmets with no safety rating? https://www.ateliers-ruby.com/ ). The biggest sellers were davida pudding bowl novelty helmets to go with the really fashionable scooter they bought. It completed the look. Every one of those sales made me sick to my stomach and I didn't work in sales. I tolerated the 3/4 helmets because they were at least DOT and even bought one, despite knowing better. We sold a lot of helmets that were more fashionable than safety and there were no shortages of customers. Even for the $600 ruby helmets.

I am a big fan of informed risk and managing your own risk. I am not an AGATT guy, because I like using bikes to run small errands and walking around in a rubber onesy is not comfortable (and also I don't own a race suit because I don't want to commit cow genocide with the number of cows they would need to kill to make me one). I have a few 3/4 helmets I use mostly as decoration. I have 1 or two I will use only to go to shows with because I think it's fun, plus pin-striping is a hobby of mine and I like showing off that. Any riding that isn't going to a local show or a quick run to walmart is a ride with gear. But I have ridden for over 20 years now continuously in some of the most hostile environments. I would never recommend any of this garbage for anyone who has had under 5 years experience just because the margin of rider error is still pretty high. manage your risk.

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Ews

· #8 · Jul 7, 2017 (Edited)

Im sure I say a video about stuff like this on YouTube... done by our very own Ichiban LOL

Andyshep

· #9 · Jul 7, 2017

What a load of bollocks.

44dwarf

· #10 · Jul 7, 2017

6D on my head both dirt and pavement. The ODS system works. I know it saved me one concussion already when a 13 year old i was coaching decided to get off the track without raising his hand and took me out. I hit the tire wall with my back and telephone pole with my head and ended upside down with head in the tire wall and one leg in another tire with the bike on top of me....

XB33BSA

· #11 · Jul 7, 2017

the other thing about open face helmets is the enhanced hearing loss ,which will occur with any helmet even the latest and greatest without earplugs
oh wait the bike has got to run well enough to get up to speed so NEVERMIND

kenessex

· #12 · Jul 27, 2017

I have never owned an open face helmet. My very first helmet was a Bellstar 120. I looked bitchen on my Yamaha YM-1.

TrialsRider

· #13 · Jul 27, 2017 (Edited)

I buy a new open faced helmet every 1 to 3 years and my favourite is the Hebo

Happy to say almost all of them have saved my noggin from numerous confrontations with rocks trees and flying motorcycles

have the videos to prove it. Even have one ( an NZI ) that is specifically for riding indoors.

Would I wear any of them on the street; tried it briefly but mostly no, it feels weird and inappropriate wearing an open face helmet on the street as it does wearing a full faced helmet riding trials. The ones posted by the OP look like total crap helmets to me, they don't appear to have decent venting or even a sun peak, you are paying mostly for a paint job.

... if you want to look dapper, stay in good shape and buy yourself a spandex onesie

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XB33BSA

· #14 · Jul 27, 2017

i bought a new white snell 80 bell magnum for trials,this youtube from the day is at donner ski ranch my favorite trials event place
we are talking terrain man, serious terrain granite slabs everywhere
traction ? you bet it was bitchen up there

kenessex

· #15 · Jul 28, 2017

I could esily fall off any of those rocks and totally kill myself doing it. Easy Peasy and I am pushing up daisies.

TrialsRider

· #16 · Jul 28, 2017

meh, those rocks aren't so big, this was Josh's second attempt at this rock the first attempt resulted in an almost identical crash, listen for his Beta impacting my helmet.
lol and that wasn't the end of a terrific riding day this was the start of it

Fk5

· #17 · Jul 28, 2017 (Edited)

slofut said:
Somewhere there is a pic of a guy (I've seen it) that took a bad fall with an open face helmet. He has a head with half a lower jaw and no face, only a tongue hanging out of a hole in his neck ...and he lived. I see that image in my mind every time I put on my open faced helmet. Looking for a real helmet as we speak.

My wife watched a bunch of videos including that. She promptly started busting my balls about riding. She feels doubly nervous since she bought me the bike. The first time I went out, she recorded (ha first I wrote videotaped) me and you can hear her saying "Don't fall off that thing, your mother will kill me!"

When I first got the bike I asked my Dad to bring me my helmet down from NY while I looked for a new one. Instead of bringing the 90's era Shoei that I wore on the street, he brought me a bunch of our old dirt bike helmets. Included was my awesome Yamaha/Scott setup. Just like Hurricane Hannah. It looked like the one below with a yellow Scott face shield, but the elastic on the goggles was gone. Still looks good on the shelf.

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CaTacL1sm

· #18 · Jul 28, 2017

I used a motoX helmet for a while because I liked how much visibility it gave me while still protecting my jaw.

I just switched over to this though:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QG8WDKA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When I bought it a few months ago it was $127.
Not bad for a SNELL 2015 helmet

Mark Burton

· #19 · Jul 28, 2017

Bill Swallow likes his open face helmets.

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charles

· #20 · Sep 7, 2017

The only place my helmets have taken a hard hit during an off is on the chin guard of a full face. Close thread.

I do however like seeing a Harley rider in an open face helmet complete with Skeletor print bandit mask....

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