I was a member of MAG (motorcycle action group) for many years and they are the biggest proponents of removing the law on the wearing of motorcycle helmets. My memory is a bit sketchy but IIRC over something like 40mph helmets can cause as many injuries as they stop, with their extra weight they can effectively break your neck and let's be honest if you crash at over 40mph a bang on the head is the least of your worries.
The motorcycle laws came in on the back of the rising disdain of motorcyclists of the day, leatherboys/hells angels etc - I doubt the law would happen today.
I'd ride my motorbike without a helmet, though not far or particularly fast.
The strange thing is I always wear a helmet on my 'pedal' bike.
When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, of course I never wore a helmet, when I returned to cycling it was mountain biking, so I always wore a helmet. When I eventually returned to riding on the road I just continued riding with a helmet. It feels odd to ride without a helmet now.
I've had one big off on my bike. It was a bad one, breaking my collar bone, I distinctly remember banging my head on the floor. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet I'd have had a bump on my head, no doubt. Last year I passed out, causing me to fall out of a car. I banged my head on the floor and had a big lump and bruise.
Make of that what you want.
What worries me and probably makes me wear one more than the correctly or incorrectly perceived danger, is that if someone knocks you off, in the eyes of the law you are as much to blame for not wearing a helmet as the numpty that knocks you off.
