Always check your helmet

[desertlizard]

I use two different helmets. For normal day to day commuting, I use a 1/2 helmet. For touring and two up riding I switch to a 3/4 helmet with speakers and mic. I took last Friday off work and my wife and I had a wonderful weekend visiting Sedona, Wupakti Monument, and then chasing the rain through the East Rim drive of the Grand Canyon. I wore my very comfortable 3/4 Shoei with intercom.

I left my 1/2 helmet sitting on a lawn chair in my carport. It stayed there until Monday morning, which came far too quick, and I was gearing up for another week at the pinger factory. I put the 3/4 back in the shed and grabbed the 1/2 mildly noting some cobwebs had gathered on the side.

Running a bit late, I ignored this seemingly inconsequential fact and strapped that thing on. I hike my leg over the bike and began the process of reversing out of the carport at a sharp left angle to turn around. Somewhere in this process, I noticed my hair. My hair is shorn short with a number one blade by my loving wife every six months whether it needs it or not. It's been about four months since the last shearing, so it's getting a bit unruly. So I, of course, thought that a cowlick was developing. Somewhere in the middle of the Y shaped turn around I realized that it was definitely not my hair, and something was moving on my head. I wanted very badly to not have the helmet on my head. I at least got the bike straighted and the kickstand down and tore the helmet from my head. I looked into it and saw nothing. I nervously stroked my head. Nothing. I then shook the helmet, and there she was on the ground. One pissed off Black Widow trying to figure out what had gone wrong with her day. To her credit she never did bite me.

I wore the 3/4 helmet to work and have continued to every day this week. I might not wear that other helmet again.

Dale White

[KMC1]

I use two different helmets. For normal day to day commuting, I use a 1/2 helmet. For touring and two up riding I switch to a 3/4 helmet with speakers and mic. I took last Friday off work and my wife and I had a wonderful weekend visiting Sedona, Wupakti Monument, and then chasing the rain through the East Rim drive of the Grand Canyon. I wore my very comfortable 3/4 Shoei with intercom.

I left my 1/2 helmet sitting on a lawn chair in my carport. It stayed there until Monday morning, which came far too quick, and I was gearing up for another week at the pinger factory. I put the 3/4 back in the shed and grabbed the 1/2 mildly noting some cobwebs had gathered on the side.

Running a bit late, I ignored this seemingly inconsequential fact and strapped that thing on. I hike my leg over the bike and began the process of reversing out of the carport at a sharp left angle to turn around. Somewhere in this process, I noticed my hair. My hair is shorn short with a number one blade by my loving wife every six months whether it needs it or not. It's been about four months since the last shearing, so it's getting a bit unruly. So I, of course, thought that a cowlick was developing. Somewhere in the middle of the Y shaped turn around I realized that it was definitely not my hair, and something was moving on my head. I wanted very badly to not have the helmet on my head. I at least got the bike straighted and the kickstand down and tore the helmet from my head. I looked into it and saw nothing. I nervously stroked my head. Nothing. I then shook the helmet, and there she was on the ground. One pissed off Black Widow trying to figure out what had gone wrong with her day. To her credit she never did bite me.

I wore the 3/4 helmet to work and have continued to every day this week. I might not wear that other helmet again.

Dale White
:histerica :histerica :histerica
Holy Sh&te!!!
I give you ALOT of credit for not jumping off that thing mid stride!
Thank God she didn't bite you, on the BRAIN no less!!! :histerica

[XMagnaRider]

I have been stung by bees three times. The first two times were motorcycle-related.

The first time wasn't that interesting. A bee hit me on the front of my leather jacket. No big deal; it happens all the time. They just bounce off. This time, however, the bee hung on, crawled around my jacket and somehow got to the back of my neck. Ouch.

--

The second time matches your experience.

I used to hang my helmet from the hook on my bike, and stuff my gloves inside. As fall approached, the bees would look for warm places to rest and warm up...

At the end of my work day, I put on my helmet and gloves and rode briskly down the highway. Just after reaching highway speed, I noticed something large wriggling near the tip of the middle finger on my right hand. Whatever it was, it wanted out real bad, right now. It is a very creepy feeling to have something wriggling INSIDE your glove.

To this day, I wonder what the people driving behind me were thinking as I tried to shake the glove off my right hand, while at the same time trying to stop the bike with the foot brake and still maintain stability. Gloves are designed NOT to come off in an accident, and certainly they are not designed to be easily shaken off while in motion.

Just as I got the bike pulled over and stopped, the bee stung my finger. Ouch.

[ArthurKnowles]

I've never had such an experiance, but then again I always hang my helmet up in an emclosed garage (on a hook) or in the topcase. I never leave them exposed to the elements. And since I wear glasses, I always have to take them off, pop open the modular helment, grab the straps (which means I look right in to the center of the helmet), then pull it on.

Truth to tell, I'd much rather read about it than experiance it. It is defintiely an experiance I can do without. Good thing none of you were hurt.

[dandiver]

The second time matches your experience.

I used to hang my helmet from the hook on my bike, and stuff my gloves inside. As fall approached, the bees would look for warm places to rest and warm up...




Store your gloves away from your helmet and you'll get rid of that glove smell inside the helmet.

[brianf70]

I park in the Garage but if I leave the door open for a few hours birds try to make a nest in my helmet.; I leave the helmet on the stingray with the visor flipped up. It is hard getting all the straw out, it kindof sticks to the liner. I would rather have birds than spiders.

[DaveDragon]

I've put on my helmet before and felt something moving around as well.

It was one of the millions of little lizards we have all over the place here in Florida.

It does kinda freak you out.

I find them in my tank bag as well.

[Stixx]

its too hot in my garage for helmets. the insides fall apart if you do that after a while. I lost a very good Bell by putting it in the attic both the open face and full face were useless. Of course they were older ones.

[bflemingor]

My helmet is always stored in my top-case - along with gloves & vest. Isn't that why it's there????

The bee thing tho - I got a yellow-jacket up the pant leg at 60+ while traveling on 101. I got a lot of honks & cat-calls as I hit the skids & dropped my pants on the side of the highway - bloody thing nailed me 5 times - each time higher - until I got stopped & killed the #$$#$%, just below the jewels...... :rotf:

That was one of the driving forces for not using my -windshield, but no fairing - V-rod and "forward controls" on long trips... :bmw:

[dandiver]

My helmet is always stored in my top-case - along with gloves & vest. Isn't that why it's there????

The bee thing tho - I got a yellow-jacket up the pant leg at 60+ while traveling on 101. I got a lot of honks & cat-calls as I hit the skids & dropped my pants on the side of the highway - bloody thing nailed me 5 times - each time higher - until I got stopped & killed the #$$#$%, just below the jewels...... :rotf:

That was one of the driving forces for not using my -windshield, but no fairing - V-rod and "forward controls" on long trips... :bmw:

BESIDE is the magic word, Not Inside the Helmet.... I keep mine there too if I'm on the road and not riding....

[BMWFirstTimer]

I have been stung by bees three times. The first two times were motorcycle-related.

The first time wasn't that interesting. A bee hit me on the front of my leather jacket. No big deal; it happens all the time. They just bounce off. This time, however, the bee hung on, crawled around my jacket and somehow got to the back of my neck. Ouch.

--

The second time matches your experience.

I used to hang my helmet from the hook on my bike, and stuff my gloves inside. As fall approached, the bees would look for warm places to rest and warm up...

At the end of my work day, I put on my helmet and gloves and rode briskly down the highway. Just after reaching highway speed, I noticed something large wriggling near the tip of the middle finger on my right hand. Whatever it was, it wanted out real bad, right now. It is a very creepy feeling to have something wriggling INSIDE your glove.

To this day, I wonder what the people driving behind me were thinking as I tried to shake the glove off my right hand, while at the same time trying to stop the bike with the foot brake and still maintain stability. Gloves are designed NOT to come off in an accident, and certainly they are not designed to be easily shaken off while in motion.

Just as I got the bike pulled over and stopped, the bee stung my finger. Ouch.

One of the more interesting bee / motorcycle stories I've heard comes from my best friend. We had graduated from college in 1970 and right after graduation he flew to Europe where he bought a small motorcycle in the Netherlands (I can't remember what kind). He then began traveling around Europe in a clockwise direction. He had gotten to France in August and was somewhere way out in the countryside when a bee flew into his helmet and stung him, causing him to crash. Local emergency personel arrived and took him to a small, nearby clinic. By that time his face was very swollen from the bee sting. Unfortunately, he spoke no French and the people at the clinic spoke no English so he struggled in vain to explain that the swollen face was a result of the bee sting, and not the accident. Finally two days later a doctor came by on his rounds who spoke English and he was able to explain the situation and a day or two later, treated accordingly, he was on his way (sans motorcycle though).

[hagar]

I had a bird make a nest inside of one of my helmets, sitting on top of my spare freezer INSIDE MY GARAGE. I normally close my garage, the only time when it is open is on weekends when I'm working in the yard, or tinkering with the cars or bikes.

But this is good advice to check helmets, I already shake out my boots or stinky sneakers I usually keep in the garage.

[spokane1200lt]

Hi everyone,

I always place my helmet inside the trunk on the LT. No Black Widows in there.

He he

[STARFIGHTER]

Happened to me up in Maine
Woke up, had coffee, broke camp, and headed down the road.
Uh Oh. something crawling on my head......
" do not think about it,.....look for a place to pull over,,,,do not think about it"
stopped, pulled my helmet off, spider the size of octapus fell out.................

[KMC1]

Happened to me up in Maine
Woke up, had coffee, broke camp, and headed down the road.
Uh Oh. something crawling on my head......
" do not think about it,.....look for a place to pull over,,,,do not think about it"
stopped, pulled my helmet off, spider the size of octapus fell out.................
:histerica :histerica :histerica
Seriously, I could read these all night!!! :histerica
As long as it does NOT happen to me.... :histerica :histerica

[rattler50]

:histerica ...........that's funny when it happens to someone else, eh?...... :histerica ........I never had anything in my helmet but once while riding my Yamaha Venture during the summer, I had my legs stretched out on the highway pegs and a grasshopper flew up my pants leg while descending the Caprock on Highway 82 east of Lubbock. I wasn't sure what it was but I KNEW it didn't belong on my thigh!!!!......I quickly pulled over and shucked those Levis! I'm sure I looked funny on the side of the road with my pants down......... :histerica .........I'm gonna start checking my helmet from now on......I picked up some cut off jeans once and a scorpion fell out......Whew!

[dandiver]

Not in my helmet, but while riding back home from the fish tank the other day I noticed a lizard / gecko / cameleon (as common as ants in Florida) type of an animal on my windshield, just enjoying the ride. I didn't want it to fall off and get squished in the road so in trying to grab it, he jumped onto my shoulder and rode several miles to the next stop. Made for an interesting ride and at the next grassy area, I was able to flick it off into the weeds.....

[gfspencer]

I have an Arai full face helmet. The other day I was out riding and a yellow jacket was sucked into one of the small air inlet holes on top of the helmet. I pulled off the road as fast as I could and got my helmet off. The yellow jacket was still stunned.

[shadowofshoe]

The bee in the full face--SUCKS.

Both times it happened to me I was dirt riding and not in a position to stop anytime soon....Its like they know :confused: :confused:

Mike