These are infamous for keeping your face wide open. You’ll have motorcycle clubs using these and only these in many cases. It’s because they have trust in their bike, their hands and mainly they want to enjoy the ride. They don’t want to feel claustrophobic, they want to enjoy that breeze.
Apart from the wind of nature keeping you cool, you can now have that ultra-wide view. And that’s why it’s popularly known as an open face mask. That viewing opportunity greatly reduces the probability of accidents. But the best ¾ motorcycle helmet has much to offer over these basics.
Stating Out the Best 3/4 Motorcycle Helmet
Theoretically, you can make a pros and cons list and claim the one having the highest number of pros as the best one. Nevertheless, it does not reflect the personal preference, based on which, there is no single best.
1. Westt Rover Motorcycle Helmet -3/4 Helmet with Sun Visor DOT Certified
Excelling Areas
Style and outlook of this helmet have been emphasized with a sleek matt black design. Westt provides 2 additional side parts of black and grey color for added customization according to your will.
Integrated sun shield visor is designed with UV protection along with the anti-scratch feature that enables you to cruise around even on a bright sunny day. The tinted glass has a hinge-like curve in the middle to give a more stylish look. The helmet is also compatible with spectacles.
The inner comfort liner is well built and completely removable for washing. As a result, you get padding that will be fresh as new after your rides and ready for your next ride.
With only 2.4lbs weight, the Rover offers comfort at every corner. Complementing the super-lightweight is the fully operable air vents. Control the airflow anytime you want to maintain a cooler temperature.
Chin straps in this one come with the quick release safety buckle feature. The padding on the straps makes it comfortable and not itchy around the chin area. Safety standards of the American DOT FMVS 218 on this helmet.
Drawbacks
- No snap patterns for additional customizability.
2. Motorcycle 3/4 Helmet DOT Approved
Excelling Areas
YEMA made the shell of the YM-627 using ABS. With the advanced ABS material, you get a strong, high impact resistant and chemical resistant helmet. If you are worried about the environment’s safety while using this mixture of complex chemicals, then you should know that ABS is completely recyclable.
The standard EPS has been used as the impact-absorbing liner in this one. Although the main job of liners is to protect against impact, the YM-627’s liners are removable and washable too.
It is a half-face helmet with double visors, the retractable smoked, and the clear face-shield. In addition to being scratch resistant and UV resistant, the shield allows a large field of vision for maximum visibility while riding.
Your demand for comfort in a 3/4 helmet is met in this one by many features one of which is the amazing ventilation system. Fully adjustable flow gives you the control of how much air you want in. The option to operate them by gloves removes all the hassle to do simple jobs on your helmet on the go.
As far as safety standards are concerned, this one meets the ECE / 22-05 and the DOT FMVSS 218 as well. So you can cruise with it anywhere in the US and Europe.
Drawbacks
- It could be a bit too hot because of thick cushioned liners.
3. Core Helmets Hunter Safety Deluxe Open-Face Helmet
Excelling Areas
The Hunter from Core Helmets relies on the injection thermoplastic alloy shell for the first line of protection against impacts. Its hard and strong shell goes nicely with the premium automotive orange paint for an attractive look. The excellent finish on the paint looks and feels great.
A 3-snap bubble visor is attached to the helmet. It’s enough for shading your eyes on a bright sunny day and adds to your style too. However, the helmet features a total of 5-snap points for an additional flat shield. You will have to remove the visor first to place a face-shield.
Comfortable liner paddings are covered with 2-tone brushed nylon material. Nylon is great for not retaining heat as much as wool. Besides, the padding is plush enough for a comfortable feel and it has implemented a breathable design with the cushions. Thus reducing the chance of sweat accumulation.
Safety is ensured by the US DOT FMSV 218 standard. The helmet meets and exceeds the standard, proving its protectiveness against accidents apart from being street legal inside America.
Drawbacks
- Comfort liners are not as good as others.
4. Bell Custom 500 Open-Face Motorcycle Helmet
Excelling Areas
Staying true to the “custom” in its name, the Custom 500 from Bell offers customizability options that could be worth your time. Dozens of shield and visor accessories are available to personalize your helmet like no one else. The helmet has a low profile look thanks to its 5 shell and EPS liner sizes.
With 5 shell sizes, made up of high-quality fiberglass composite material, Bell tried their best to fit you into anyone of these helmets no matter where you are on the size chart. The fiberglass gives the shell a stronger, lighter and more rigid characteristic leaving a good chunk of protective work to the liners
Along with the 5 shell sizes, there are 5 sizes for the EPS liner to ensure a perfect fit that absorbs the force from any kind of blow. The anti-bacterial nature of the liners alongside the washable feature of the liner ceases the growth of odor-causing bacteria and fungi.
The padded chin strap and D-ring closure add to the comfort of the helmet. The strap keeper is a good touch to the already well-built helmet. For safety ratings, the Custom 500 offers you the DOT certification meeting the FMVSS 218 standard.
Drawbacks
- Fabric comes out from the inside
5. TORC T50 FBK FLTG L T50 Route 66 3/4 Helmet with ‘Flying Tiger’ Graphic
Excelling Areas
Providing the iconic design of classic American helmets, retro look and feel as a core rider, then T50 from TORC is a viable option for you. While the design is a little bit from the past, some modern features make this helmet a perfect choice for those who want as little as possible between them and their riding experience.
The intermediate oval head shape of the shell is something you should look out for regarding the fit of the helmet. Multi-density EPS liners have been used in these. As the material for the liners, anti-bacterial faux suede is used. It looks and feels like real leather apart from wicking sweat to provide a comfortable experience.
Chin straps are often found a point of discomfort with their rough finish in cheap helmets. Nevertheless, this is not the case with this one. They have used padded chin straps for maximum comfort and D-ring closure.
Both the 3-snap visor and cheek pads are completely removable, allowing better maintenance and customization. Safety ratings are the DOT and ECE certifications for coverage in both the US and European countries.
Drawbacks
- No controllable vents.
6. Biltwell Bonanza Half Helmet
Excelling Areas
Going with the trustee ABS shell material, the Bonanza gives you the strong and rigid outermost structure. The hand-painted finish goes well with the scratch-resistant nature of the ABS shell to provide an aesthetic and clean look.
Impact-absorbing liners are taken care of with EPS. The comfort liner inside of the impact absorber is made of hand-sewn removable brushed Lycra fabric, which is spandex. The helmet benefits from the high moisture-wicking and low heat retention nature of the Lycra fabric to keep your head cooler.
For padding, the Bonanza relies on the contrasting diamond-stitched quilted open-cell foam padding. The open-cell enhances the comfort of the wearer which goes on nicely with the Lycra fabric’s cooling and sweat-wicking nature. The removable feature of the comfort liner and the cheek pads could be important to some.
Snaps on the brow of the shell accept accessories like visor or shields. The chin straps also feature the brushed Lycra material for comfort in addition to an adjustable strap end retainer. The helmet compiles to the US DOT safety standards.
Drawbacks
- No air vents.
7. Daytona Helmets Motorcycle Open Face Helmet Cruiser- Dull Black
Excelling Areas
The sleek, retro look of this helmet from Daytona offers the classic look with some added features of their own to enhance your riding experience. The non-mushroom and low profile shell have 3 proportionate sizes to find a fit for you regardless of your position on the size chart.
For the fabric inside the shell that does the padding, you get a moisture-wicking fabric that keeps your head cool and dry. The chin strap is carefully placed in this helmet to not get in your way while cruising the town in a high speed. The strap can be adjusted forward and back so that it does not pinch your beard.
The detachment of the chin strap could be a trouble in some helmets but it’s not the case in this one. Quick-release lock with one finger lever release adds to the convenience of the detachment of the strap. Apart from the goggle strap, a removable gloss black bubble visor comes free with this helmet.
Daytona has their lab for testing out the safety of helmets. So the US DOT safety certification of this helmet is not a blunder. You can be sure of the legitimacy of the DOT sticker and rely on the helmet to do its job when it needs to protect your head.
Drawbacks
- Air vents absent.
Being Worthy of the Best 3/4 Motorcycle Helmet
Every brand will claim their helmet as the best one out there. In-depth knowledge of helmets will help you avoid these marketing traps and give you the perfect helmet you needed.
Size and Fit
Despite the variation in sizes of helmets from different brands, most of them have 3 different size ranges. These are the extra-small(XS) to small(S), medium(M) to large(L) and extra-large(XL) to double extra-large(XXL).
Head circumference of 53cm to 56cm requires a helmet of XS to S size. 57cm to 59cm circumference calls for a helmet of M to L size. Lastly, XL to XXL helmets are for people with a head circumference of 60cm to 64cm. Nevertheless, any size chart provided by brands for their custom sizes should be maintained.
Shell
Harder and lighter shells are suitable for protection against high-speed collisions like in racing. Because the strength of the shell protects the rider. On the other hand, flexible and heavy shells work best against low-speed impacts by dispersing the force of impact through the flexion.
Polycarbonate & ABS
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or ABS, and polycarbonate are both shell material for non-racing bikes. They both benefit from their weight, strength, and flexibility. Polycarbonate shells are more flexible than ABS but are not scratch resistant like the latter.
Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber
A mixture of different materials like kevlar, aramid, organic fiber, and sometimes carbon are used to build these shells. They specialize in being strong and lightweight shells that are required for protection against high-speed impacts. That’s why these shells are more common in racing helmets.
Impact Absorbing Liner
Almost all helmet brands use EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam as an impact-absorbing liner. Their ability to absorb damage is great. That’s why you will hardly find any other impact liners for a motorcycle helmet.
Comfort liner
Woolen liners are soft, plush, and are for cold weather so that you can stay warm. Spandex or Lycra is another common liner fabric. It’s comfortable but not as soft and plush as wool. But its sweat-wicking ability makes it ideal for hot weather. Anti-bacterial and washable features are nice to have in comfort liners.
Vents
Air ventilation openers are most useful on hot summer days. But they should be easy to close on a rainy day too. It is useful to have the vents on the side brow of the helmet and at the back so that the air gets a path to flow in and out.
Visor/Face Shield
Face shields protect from bugs and rain. These require features like clear or tinted glass, plain, UV protection, and easy to lift simultaneously to give you the best experience. Visors are also great for a more stylish look with the tradeoff of protective measures.
Miscellaneous
A smooth finish to the chin strap’s fabric will ensure no pinching to the riders chin or beard. Also, having 5 or 3 snaps on the brow of the shell will allow you to customize your helmet with extra gears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do all 3/4 helmets have a face shield?
Ans: Some helmets have attached face shields and some don’t. 3/4 helmets try to offer the minimalistic feel which is somewhat obstructed by a shield. But most of them have the option for aftermarket face shields and visors.
Q: Why are safety ratings necessary on 3/4 helmets?
Ans: To get an assurance that a helmet has met certain criteria of safety, different safety ratings are issued over them. There is no way of testing the helmet’s safety other than a safety rating. The helmets are tested to meet these criteria.
All in All
Anatomy of all 3/4 motorcycle helmets is the same. However, build quality and the materials used in the process make all the difference in giving each helmet an edge over the others to make it the best 3/4 motorcycle helmet for you.
YM-627 from YEMA is definitely the choice for a balanced blend of protection, features, and looks. The stock windshield and the hidden visor is not featured in any other helmets on the list. But the tradeoff for these features is the open and minimal feel that a rider normally expects from a 3/4 helmet.
On the other hand, the Custom 500 from Bell is your optimum choice if you want a solid build quality, comfort, and classic retro design true open-faced ¾ helmet. The customizability is a bonus if you want any windshield or visors.
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