"A TALE OF TWO HELMETS, FULL-FACE FADE OUT AND THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM" . . . . THE LAST TIME I BOUGHT A FULL-FACE LID WAS IN ABOUT 1993 AND IT WAS AN ARAI GIGA . . . . NEVER BEEN A HUGE FULL-FACE LOVER BUT IN COMPLETELY SHIT WEATHER, YEAH, A NICE BIT OF COMFORT . . . . THE PASSAGE OF TIME HAS DESTROYED THE LINING AND IT'S NOW ILLEGAL FOR USE . . . . WITH MY MAGNET FOR COPS, THE LAST THING I NEED IS MORE GRIEF !!!

POST NUMBER 900 . . . . SHEESH . . . . TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE DOING STUFF YOU LOVE . . . . THANKS TO ALL THE CREW WHO HAVE BEEN READING AND CONTRIBUTING . . . . SINCERELY APPRECIATED FOLKS, WLP.

I USED TO PARTICIPATE IN 'FAST REGULARITY' EVENTS AT LAKESIDE RACETRACK BACK IN THE NINETIES, ON MY BONNIE AND THE WEE HONDA '68 SS125 WHICH I STILL OWN, SORT OF LIKE RACING FOR THOSE TOO CHICKEN SHIT TO RACE, NOMINATE A PROJECTED LAP TIME, GET TWO LAPS TO DIAL YOURSELF IN, THEN THREE 'REAL' LAPS AND THE RIDER WHO COMES CLOSEST TO THEIR ESTIMATED LAP TIME WINS A PRETTY RIBBON . . . . HOW FUCKING TOUGH IS THAT . . . . ANYWAY, OBVIOUSLY YOU NEEDED A CURRENT REGULATION FULL-FACE BRAIN BUCKET TO GET ON THE TRACK SO THAT REQUIRED ME BUYING A NEW LID, FIRST FULL-FACE SINCE THE MOTO III I'D HAD WHEN I WAS RIDING AN XR75 BACK IN GRADE NINE AND TEN . . . . IT'S A REALLY VAIN CONSIDERATION BUT I SIMPLY RECKON THEY LOOK STUPID ON CLASSIC ERA OR TRADITIONAL LOOKING BIKES, AND STILL DO TO BE HONEST, LIKE RUNNING 30 SERIES RUBBER AND 19's ON A CLASSIC CAR, PLUS, I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OVER ENGINE AND EXHAUST NOISE AND BEING FAIRLY BLOODY DEAF AS IT IS, ONLY AN OPEN FACE PROVIDES THAT ABILITY . . . . THE LAST TIME I'D WORN THE OLD GIGA WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS BACK ON A MATE'S NEW DUCATI HE WAS HAVING MAJOR POST DELIVERY DRAMAS WITH, I TOOK IT FOR THE WEEKEND AND BY THE END OF THE FIRST DAY THE ENTIRE LINER HAD DISINTEGRATED LEAVING MY UGLY OLD CINDER BLOCK SIZED MELON LOOKING LIKE SOME BIZARRE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES ALL OVER IT, A SHAME REALLY, CAUSE ONCE I REMOVED ALL THE OLD STICKERS TODAY THE SHELL IS IN FIRST CLASS SHAPE BUT, SADLY, THE LAWS HAVE CHANGED AND IF YOU GET PULLED OVER WITH AN OLD LID ON, EVEN IF RELINED, IT'S A BIG FAT FINE, LOSS OF POINTS AND MORE ROADSIDE HASSLE WITH THE WALLOPERS . . . . NOT TO MENTION THAT IF YOU'RE IN A GET OFF AND END UP SCREWED THEN ALL INSURANCE IS NULL AND VOID, SORRY, BUT I'M WELL PAST NOT GIVING A FUCK ABOUT THAT SHIT ANYMORE, PARTICULARLY WITH MY PROPENSITY FOR DRAWING THE HEAT . . . . ENTER THE NEW MODEL, JUST THE BOG STOCK, ENTRY LEVEL ARAI VECTOR 2, IN SOFTCOCK WHITE OF COURSE, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I ROLL, I LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING SEEN AND HAVING A HELMET THAT DOESN'T BOIL YOUR BRAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER . . . . IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ARAI, NOT CHEAP BUT EXCELLENT FIT FOR MY HEADSHAPE AND THEIR QUALITY IS ALWAYS SECOND TO NONE, I MIGHTN'T USE IT THAT OFTEN BUT KNOWING IT'S GONNA DO ITS JOB IF EVER REQUIRED MAKES UP FOR LOOKING LIKE A FUCKING TOOL IN A SPACE HELMET.