What is the meaning of skulls in the motorcycle world?
Throughout recorded world history, the skull symbol has been used to signify death, danger, fear, mortality, the afterlife, and rebellion. In ancient times, it symbolized death, mortality, and the afterlife. Ancient Romans scribed it on tombstones below the phrase "Memento Mori," which translates to the remembrance of our death." In England, when Shakespeare wrote, it symbolized mortality and danger.
And in Mexican culture, it is a popular symbol in Dia de Muertos celebrations (Day of the dead) and inspired the candy skull helmet category we have today. In recent history, numerous organizations also appropriated the skull, in conjunction with various supporting imageries to represent their organization and their philosophies.
Pirates used them as a death call to all ships they boarded. They hung t high on their ships, and it informed all the ship crews of their intentions before their attacks. The Nazi emblazoned it on their clothing and flags, and to them, it meant loyalty unto death. In the mid 20th century, it was the insignia of the hell's angel Platoons.
They were a group of patriotic World War I and II American soldiers who gladly fought for their country. Modern-day skull motorcycle helmets and accessories draw inspiration from all these great historical and cultural sources, with the biggest source is Hell’s Angel’s platoons.
They wore clothes, hung flags, and painted vehicles with their skull and wings insignia. If you asked a veteran of the war, they'd tell you that it symbolized brotherhood, camaraderie, dedication, and a promise to live free. A few veterans have a traditional interpretation of the logo. Some believe that the skull represents death, and the wings represent escape from its grasps. The Hell's Angel Veterans arguably birthed modern biker culture as we know it. With time, it spread throughout the world, with different people adding new meanings and imagery to the subculture. Today, as it stands, the skull bears a variety of meanings.
To people who belong to a biker club or society, it means community, camaraderie, and evidence of a lifelong dedication. For riders who aren't in societies, it could be a fashion statement, show of power, a callback to the holiday 'Day of the Dead,' mortality, immortality, and so much more.
Why do Bikers love skulls?
Skulls remind us of our history as a subculture. They inspire loyalty, reminds us of our mortality, and encourage us to love and respect all life. For a handful of bikers, it has more to do with the ghost rider Casper, Harley Davidson motorcycle, and the unique aesthetics of its logo.
Evidence of a Worldwide Biker community
Various iterations of the biker subculture and community exist all over the world. Though they are not as popular as the one in the United States, they are very active and are just as enamored by Skull Biker helmets and black skull accessories. Though we ride under different symbols and colors, we are joined together by the universal meaning of the skull. The skull represents danger, fear, mortality, and camaraderie.
They are Aesthetic
What started as a sacred symbol of membership evolved into a marketable fashion sub-genre. You can find everything from a full face skull motorcycle helmet to face masks with skull symbology slapped on top online for reasonable prices.
Motorcycle skull helmets and accessories, in particular, have a great market place within the community. There are hundreds of diverse and enchanting helmets, rings, and scarfs based on popular characters from biker lore like the ghost rider and tons of original pieces and custom work.
It supports the community
The companies that make the best skull-themed bike wear typically have employees who are part of our community. It is not uncommon to have artistically inclined bikers whose job is to smith or custom detail Open face and Full face skull skeleton skull motorcycle helmets and accessories.
Protection from death and a reminder to obey the traffic law
These two reasons are deeply interconnected. While it might be true that bikers prefer to live on the edge, it is equally true that every man is equal before death. We wear skull rings and paraphilia for good luck while riding. We keep death away as best as we can by obeying traffic rules, but if we ultimately fail and it still comes, we have the ring to protect us.
Older Biker generations believed that wearing a skull ring gives you a skull mark. A mark that ensures that death does not come for you twice. Some of the newer biker generations don't fully believe in the symbiology's power but still wear the ring for good luck.
10 Wildest Skull Motorcycle Helmets
A skull helmet is a recognizable piece of accessory any biker should have. But what about some of the most outstanding skull motorcycle helmets in the motorcycle world? We present you 10 of the most popular and highly-sought after skull helmets.
LS2 Spitfire Skull Rider Helmet
The LS2 Spitfire Skull Rider Helmet is an open face classic helmet with a flip-up visor. It features a built-in sun shield and high quality hypoallergenic ventilated padding throughout its entire shell.
It also has a quick-release chin strap that allows you to remove your helmet with two smooth movements.
The Spitfire is DOT certified, and it has a striking pink, white, and red candy skull airbrushed on its side. The image is reminiscent of the famous Rider Casper’s ghost and skull black knights.
Icon Airflite Skull Helmet
The Icon Airflite is an impressive full-face skull helmet with a price point representative of that quality.
The helmet uses an injection-molded polycarbonate shell: a lightweight yet durable material. It has several intakes and exhaust vents strategically carved throughout its frame to optimize airflow.
It has also has a large fog-face shield, a moisture-wicker liner, chin curtain, removable plates, and even a breath deflector. To its side, you’ll find a lovely comic book-style illustration of a skull biting into chains on its side.
Fly Face 9mm Ghost skull Helmet
This skull helmet is a modified half face helmet stylized to resemble the iconic German World War II helmet. The helmet uses a thermoplastic poly-alloy shell with a dual-density EPS liner and a removable cool-max liner.
It is DOT approved, and on its side, you’ll find a blazing ghost skull colored with grey and white.
Bikers who are fascinated with Ghost Rider Casper or monster skull motorcycles will love this helmet. It's nothing super fancy, but if you are in the market for something menacing yet aesthetic, then this is perfect for you.
Scorpion Covert Helmet with Skull Face Mask
The scorpion covert helmet is a hybrid open face helmet that can become full face when its two add-on pieces are mounted. The helmet, just by itself, features an advanced polycarbonate shell, a tinted visor with Ever-clear no-fog coating, and a Kwikwick anti-microbial fabric liner. The two add-on parts of the mask are easy enough to mount and remove.
The helmet without the mask has no featured skull design. But with the mask, you get the stylized jaw of a skeleton painted on the jaw piece of the ad-on.
On paper, it might feel like you have to spend extra to have a great graphical image on your mask, but it's not as simple as that. The mask lends the helmet improved versatility that gives you the benefit of both open-face and full-face helmets.
Daytona Skull motorcycle Half Helmet with Cap-Cross bones
The Daytona half helmet is the perfect beginner helmet for new and young bikers who are just starting. It comes in a variety of sizes so that you can easily find the perfect size for you. Its external shell is constructed using the department of transportation safety standards.
This means padding, hardness, strap integrity, a quick-release lock, and other important features. The white cap-cross skull detailing on the side of the shell is a stark contrast to the black base color of the helmet.
The skull is every bit as menacing as you'd expect and is protected by a layer of flame. The great design reminds us of the skull black knight designs famous in the mid-90s and late 00s.
Outlaw T-70 Freedom Skull Half Helmet
The Outlaw Freedom skull helmet is a remarkable skull motorcycle helmet with an impressive external shell. It has a Thermo-polymer alloy shell construction, padding, and a strap system that adheres to the Department of Transportation guidelines.
The Outlaw has a great impact absorbent comfort liner, multi-density EPS liner, and an adjustable nylon chin strap. For an additional cost, you can also get a mounted visor that protects you from the elements whenever you need it.
The skull symbology on the outlaw is just as fiery and bold as you’d imagine. It is of a flaming skull with two crossed bones trailing behind it. Its crisp white and black design is reminiscent of Ghost rider Casper and other old biker symbology.
Daytona Motorcycle Half-helmet with silver flaming skulls
This interesting helmet belongs to the series of affordable Daytona helmets for beginner bikers who've taken a liking to skull symbology. It comes in various sizes and adheres to all the guidelines set by the department of safety standards FMVSS 218.
The Daytona Half helmet has great padding, a simple enough chin strap system, great moisture lining, and a fiery airbrushed side iconography. Scrawled on the helmet's forehead is a bone-chilling picture of several skulls burning inside a greater image of a stylized flame. It’s colored white and grey and has a blacks shell. The helmet is every bit as edgy and awesome as you would imagine it to be.
The iconography carries a deeper meaning and draws inspiration from a variety of historical biker sources. The skull helmet invokes images of the ghost rider, skull black knights, and skull motorcycles.
The Scorpion Unisex-Adult Full-Face helmet-Sugarskull
The scorpion Unisex-Adult full face helmet is a true outlier in a long line of white and black motorcycle helmet designs. Like most great Scorpion helmets, it comes with the usual exemplar construction and safety features.
This unisex helmet has an advanced LG polycarbonate shell, an Elliptic II rachet system, an Ever clear no-fog face shield, and the Kwikwick II washable anti-microbial liner. What makes this helmet truly stand out is the detail options you get when purchasing from a verified distributor.
Unlike most of the skull helmet, this one features variable skull motorcycle helmet designs. You can choose between a sugar skull- pink, blue and black design, a scribbly skull design, and various other interesting skulls.
Skid Lid Biker Skull Original Motorcycle Helmet
The Skid Lid motorcycle helmet is an open face minimalist style helmet with a thermoplastic alloy injected shell.
It adheres to all the latest DOT safety requirements and has unique retention straps with D-rings. To the left of the helmet shell, you will find a white flaming monster skull design.
GLX Unisex Adult lightweight Full Face Motorcycle Street Helmet
The GLX Unisex is a DOT approved stylized motorcycle helmet with impressive protective features. It features a polycarbonate shell with precision-installed vents that promotes proper air circulation.
It also comes with replaceable tinted visors, soundproofing, a removable base plate, a breath guard, a quick release strap, and microfiber lining.
The GLX unisex street helmet comes in a variety of colors. The most exciting is of a series of hand-drawn white skulls wrapping around the entire helmet.
What to look for in a skull helmet
As we've mentioned already, skull helmets are not all that different from regular helmets. When you are shopping for mass-produced commercial skull helmets, you don't need to bother yourself with a unique set of requirements or anything fancy. All you really need is to pay attention to the pyramid of importance: safety, comfort, design.
Safety
If you've bought a motorcycle helmet before, you understand how important it is to review each helmet's safety features, certifications, and construction. The ideal motorcycle skull helmet should offer protection from the elements, noise, impact, and pollution. Full face, modular, off-road, and dual-sport helmets, for example, have visors and a low bar to protect your chin. They also have vents for regulated airflow and hardened shell-construction for great impact protection.
Open face and half helmets don't have a low bar, only a strap to keep the helmet strapped to your head at all times. Also, all great motorcycle helmet brands, without exception, should have some sort of certification on their skull motorcycle helmets or regular helmets. Check for SNELL certifications, DOT, ECE, AUS, or other regulatory bodies.
These certifications attest to the quality of whatever helmet or skull helmet you are purchasing. Whatever skull helmets you buy should replicate all the basic safety features available on the certified motorcycle helmet. This doesn't automatically mean all custom helmets are off the table; it just means you'll have to get it certified before you can use them.
Comfort
Comfort ranks second on our list of importance because of how frequently you might be wearing whatever monster skull helmet or stylized helmet you choose. Even though you decide only to wear it once or twice every year, comfort should still take priority. If you aren't comfortable, it could affect your performance in the long run and cause you to make mistakes while riding.
- It should be snug around your skull but should not pinch it. If you are not sure whether it's snug or tight, check your forehead and ask yourself if you feel any pressure there. ·
- It should sit comfy on the side of your cheeks and pinch into your cheekbones. ·
- The entire helmet should feel lightweight and easily maneuverable. It can be tempting to settle for a slightly uncomfortable skull helmet because of its great design and aesthetics but don't compromise.
- All the popular design templates like Rider Casper Ghost, black skull black, and skull skeleton are available on multiple helmet sizes and types, so don't get too attached to a single helmet or helmet type. If you are not super strict on what helmet style you ride with, switch between sizes and styles until you find something that fits just right. We encourage riders to do this because it protects them more than they know. Commercial skull motorcycle helmets are engineered to help circulate air, keep you comfortable, and protect you for hours on end. You should also check if the chin strap, wind collar, and other safety features fit just right before finalizing the purchase.
Originality
Originality or the lack of it determines how you come across to fellow skull motorcycle helmet and paraphilia enthusiasts. If you are part of a community or society and wish to be presented, it could function as an add-on to your uniform.
If you ride solo, then it could set you apart from the hundreds of free riders. Regardless of whatever side you fall on, original helmets help you express your individuality and personal sense of style or fashion. When you pick out a special motorcycle helmet just for you, don't stop after perusing a few designs. You want to invest money in something that communicates who you are as a rider.
Even though skull detailing can be repetitive, there are potentially thousands of creative options to choose from. So make sure to take your time and pick the most kick-ass, creative helmet design you can find. If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options to choose from, try to narrow your search to simple things you like. Maybe you are a fan of Ghost Rider Casper, Skull skeleton images, or monster skull motorcycles.
Price
There is a popular saying that you can put a price tag on a true work of art. Well, motorcycle helmets are not works of art. They are just great helmets with mesmerizing graphical design. There is such a thing as paying too much money for a helmet. As a beginner, you might not know what prices are considered reasonable or ridiculous for a particular helmet. In this section, we'll explain what that means exactly. What determines the price of a helmet? Helmets and most professional products sold in today's market are priced based on: ·
The manufacturer’s brand ·
Construction materials
·Certifications
· Technology integrated
· Design
The manufacturer's brand is the biggest determiner of overall price and quality. The bigger the brand, the more costly their helmets tend to be. Construction materials are a close second. Higher quality materials demand more attention and drive up the overall price of the skull helmet you choose.
Patented technologies also factor in and are comparable to construction materials in terms of cost contribution. Design is a wild card. Some helmets can cost up to 10-20% more because of the graphical image. Certain images are more difficult to airbrush, and others are associated with popular personalities or brands. Luckily, Monster skulls, Ghost rider Casper, and monster skull motorcycle imagery is fairly common, and as a result, moderately priced if you are interested in purchasing them.
What are the different types of skull motorcycle helmets?
As you might have noticed by now, motorcycle helmets come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. Some have visors that protect you from the elements, others have a chin bar that limits your chin movement, and a few offer no protection, except for their external shell.
Why do motorcycle helmets come in different style options? Are some safer than others? Are some helmets good or bad? You will find answers to all your questions about helmets and more in this post. First we'll see the different types of motorcycle helmets.
Why do motorcyclists wear motorcycle helmets?
Motorcyclists wear motorcycle helmets for a variety of reasons. A few of them are:
Impact protection
Motorcyclists wear motorcycle helmets because they offer the most protection in the event of a crash. Motorcyclist protective gear like trousers, gloves, and jackets offer very little impact protection because of their flexible construction. On the other hand, Helmets have polycarbonate shells and can mitigate head trauma in the event of a crash. In 2015, helmets saved a total of 1772 motorcyclists and could have saved 740 more lives if those riders had been wearing helmets.
It’s the law
Most states and provinces in developed countries require their motorcyclists to wear approved helmets when they ride. It's for their safety and the safety of pedestrians and other motorists on the road. You can get tickets and fines if you're pulled over without a helmet.
Protection from the elements
While riding at high speeds, particles, insects, and water and get into the rider's eyes and distract them. A motorcycle helmet protects the rider by shielding them from incoming debris with the aid of the visor and chin bar. Four out of the six main types of helmets provide some form of protection from the elements
Performance sports
Professional racers and motorists often need specialized helmets to protect themselves and compete in leagues. They have helmets designed specifically with their protection and visibility needs in mind.
Types of Skull Helmets
There are six main types of motorcycle helmets. They are full face, modular, open face, half, off-road, and dual-sport. There is also a common seventh type of helmet, but it's not as popular as the other six: custom helmets. Motorcycle helmet skull designs can be airbrushed or painted onto any of the six popular types of helmets.
Full-face Helmets
Full face helmets are a lightweight helmet characterized by their sweeping visors and the chin bar. They are primarily used by track riders, cruisers, tourers, and adventure riders. They offer the most protection out of all of the six helmet types, mainly because of the chin bar. It wraps around the entire jaw and most of the neck and protects the areas most prone to injury in the event of a crash.
Full face helmets have ventilation silts carved into their shell to improve airflow, evaporate sweat, and reduce visor fogging. Some of the more expensive models even offer Bluetooth speakers, anti-fogging visor coating, and sunlight adaptive visor.
Pros
- Full face helmets are the safest skull helmet type you can purchase.
Full face helmets have more surface area, so you could potentially fit larger motorcycle helmet skull or skull skeleton visor designs on them.
Full face helmets are incredibly versatile, and the perfect base surface for extensive custom detailing.
Cons
-They are not the most ergonomic skull helmets you can purchase. ·
-Full Face helmets are not easy to transport.
-If they feature a compelling ghost rider or skull skeleton visor design, they can leave a lot of space if they are not properly managed.
-With or without a cool skull skeleton visor design, they still have very poor air management.
-If the skull motorcycle helmet you ordered has additional fixtures to accentuate its great design, it could further restrict airflow. ·
-Invasive skeleton designs like ghost riders and skull skeleton visors can restrict your vision.
Modular/ Flip Up helmet
Modular/ Flip-up helmets are essentially full-face helmets with a movable visor and chin bar. They don't offer the same protection as full-face helmets because of the fissure caused by their hinge design. Like the full-face helmet, they have a visor, ventilation cut-outs, a chin bar, padding, and in very rare cases, Bluetooth speaker support. They are used by tourers, cruisers, and adventurers.
Pros ·
-Modular helmets are more ergonomic and easy to wear and remove.
-They are easier to clean and offer more ventilation than Full face skull motorcycle helmets.
Cons
-Its construction design compromises its structural integrity and makes it less secure than the typical ghost rider full-face skull helmet.
-They don't last as long as uni-body full-face helmets.
Open Face or ¾ helmet
Open face or ¾ helmets are characterized by a uniform shell, flappable visor, and no chin bar. They are similar to full-face helmets in that they protect the side of the head and base of the neck.
Unfortunately, they leave the face unguarded and offer optional protection from the elements in the form of a flappable visor and optional chin bar attachment.
They are common among cruisers, tourers, racers, and scooters. All ¾ helmets have great ventilation and offer more freedom than full-face and flip-up helmets.
Pros
-Open face skull helmets are more ergonomic than full face and modular helmets.
-They are easier to transport and wear.
-They protect you from the elements with their visor.
-They protect the base of the neck and side of the face.
-They have better ventilation/airflow than other skull motorcycle helmets.
Cons
-They are not as secure as full-face or modular skull motorcycle helmets.
-There is not enough room to fully render compelling full-face skull designs on.
Half Helmets
Half helmets are the most comfortable and ergonomic of the six helmet types. They don’t offer as much protection and only cover the forehead down to the brows and the skull base. They have no visor, no chin bar, and leave the whole face exposed.
Though they are not the most secure helmet type, they make up for this shortcoming by providing the best airflow of all. Half helmet usually offers very little in the way of customizability. You can get a flip-up visor, maybe with a handful of special brands, but in most cases, you'll have to purchase your own googles.
Pros
-Most DOT approval despite their small sizes, and still make fantastic skull motorcycle helmet. · --They may not have as much surface area as full-face skull helmets, but their dome offers enough space to render great motorcycle helmet skull designs.
-Half motorcycle skull helmets have better ventilation, airflow, and visibility than any other type of helmet.
-They are not as expensive as other types of skull motorcycle helmets.
Cons
-They don’t offer as much protection as full face, modular, or any other skull motorcycle helmet. · --You have to purchase a separate goggle to ride with this type of helmet safely.
Off-Road Helmets
Off-road helmets are designed for dirt trails, tracks, and extreme sports professionals. Like the full-face helmet, they offer near-complete protection of the user's face, chin, and skull.
They have a low chin bar for better ventilation, a crown to protect you from debris, and a clear visor. You will need a separate goggle/visor that fits snug with the off-road helmet if you intend to ride on a dirt trail. Off-Road helmets are designed for extreme sports and, as such, are built with lightweight materials like Kevlar, fiberglass, and carbon fiber.
Pros
-They offer a similar level of protection as full-face skull helmets.
-They have a low chin bar, which promotes better air circulation.
Cons
-It's doesn't offer the same level of protection as a full-face helmet.
-You need to own a pair of goggles before you can ride.
Dual-Sport Helmets
Dual-sport helmets are a cross between off-road and full-face helmets. They have a low chin bar like off-road helmets and a visor and padding like full-face helmets. They are the halfway point between both helmet styles and are designed to be used on both asphalt and off-road tracks.
They are not as well-ventilated as regular full-face helmets, but they do offer better soundproofing. Some designs feature flappable visors that you can raise and lower throughout the riding day for better visibility or airflow.
Pros
-Dual sport skull motorcycle helmets perform great on the road and dirt tracks.
-Investing in a dual-sport helmet is more affordable than purchasing a full face and off-road helmet.
-They have great ventilation.
Cons
-They are not the best performer on asphalt and off-road tracks.
Custom skull helmets
Custom motorcycle skull helmets are custom-detailed helmets you can either hire a professional to make or purchase off the internet. They typically have bigger, bolder, and better-looking detailing than regular skull motorcycle helmets.
You can have bold skull skeleton visor designs, ghost rider, rider Casper ghost, skull skeleton design, or any other type of designs you would like rendered on them at any size you want. Naturally, they are more expensive than regular skull motorcycle helmets.
You can have every type of helmet customized. However, you should note that the more you customize your helmet, the less DOT compliant it will become. In very rare cases, you might end up with helmets that become props rather than actual functional protective gear.
Pros
-You can have any classic designs like Rider Casper Ghost, monster skulls, or skull black knights airbrushed on your motorcycle helmet.
-You can have the design as big or as colorful as you’d like.
-You don’t have to settle for helmets that are not aesthetically pleasing to you.
Cons
-Getting a custom motorcycle helmet is expensive.
-You will have to trust an artist with your helmet and risk breaking DOT protocol. ·
-There is a very real possibility that your full customized helmet might be too unique to be considered safe by the DOT.
