Dangers of riding with chin vents open.

[howdamnhard]

Went for a nice spin with a mate to Kaiaua today. Somewhere between Mangatangi and Kaiaua my right eye began watering and streaming. Blinked to no avail , the tears flowed freely to the point that I became a cyclops. Hope the other eye wouldn't start streaming in sympathy.

Thought surely something couldn't have got past my visor which was fully shut on my full face Raid 2 helmet and past my glasses as well.
Thought maybe an eyelash had become stuck in my eye or maybe the air rushing through the chin vent was causing it. Closed vent and it finally came right.
After stopping at Kaiaua I noticed I had spray on my glasses. Checked Helmet and I had taken a bug in the chin vent. Determined little bastard had hit my chin vent and sprayed his innards through it ,past my glasses and into my eye.
So now if I'm riding and there are bugs or other unpleasant things about and no reason to have vent open,it will stay firmly shut.
Anybody else had similiar experiences ?

[Ender EnZed]

I have a Raid 2 that is regularly covered with a thick layer of all manner of wildlife, including the vents, and have never had a problem. You probably just got unlucky to have such a juicy one hit the perfect spot.

[howdamnhard]

Ye the little bastard must have been using "The Force" ha,ha.

[steve_t]

Yeah, that's gotta be pretty unlucky with you wearing glasses as well. I've heard of a few people eating bug guts via the chin vent though

[vifferman]

Yeah but nah.
I wnet for a ride to Coromandel one day, with Zed, and somewhere near Kaiaua in the early morning, I popped the windshield open a tad (metric, natch) because it was foggyish. A gnat or two (imperial, I reckon) flew in.
Dang.
So I whipped it open all the way to blow them out, just as I flew through a whole squadron (German, I guess) of the blighters (mebbe Poms?)
Yay.
A facefull (and the odd one under the eyelids) of gnats.
Glad they weren't bees or wasps.

[howdamnhard]

Yeah but nah.
I wnet for a ride to Coromandel one day, with Zed, and somewhere near Kaiaua in the early morning, I popped the windshield open a tad (metric, natch) because it was foggyish. A gnat or two (imperial, I reckon) flew in.
Dang.
So I whipped it open all the way to blow them out, just as I flew through a whole squadron (German, I guess) of the blighters (mebbe Poms?)
Yay.
A facefull (and the odd one under the eyelids) of gnats.
Glad they weren't bees or wasps.

Sounds like the little buggers had a plan and executed it perfectly , ha,ha. Touch wood (touches head) haven't had any bees or wasps yet.
Could be a real problem if the bugs are poisonous (monarch butterflies ,etc) . Poisonous bugjuice in eye or mouth could have dire consequences.

[DidJit]

... Touch wood (touches head) haven't had any bees or wasps yet. ...

I have. Wasn't his fault. I mean there he is happily flying about his business when, from almost out of nowhere (from his perspective), comes me on my bike at a much greater rate of knots to collect his backside with my neck.

Suffice to say, I tend to wear a neck warmer these days.

[howdamnhard]

I have. comes me on my bike at a much greater rate of knots to collect his backside with my neck.

Suffice to say, I tend to wear a neck warmer these days.

I guess you could call that a real pain in the neck.

[diggyduo]

Was that after Saturday? Pulled the air filter out on Sunday and there was a bunch of wasps sitting (well, more sort of lying I 'spose) on it. Pretty sure they were those skinny little German buggers too. Must be the anti Italy thing

[Usarka]

Went for a nice spin with a mate to Kaiaua today. Somewhere between Mangatangi and Kaiaua my right eye began watering and streaming.

You should have ridden to Maraetai instead.

[DidJit]

Was that after Saturday? Pulled the air filter out on Sunday and there was a bunch of wasps sitting (well, more sort of lying I 'spose) on it. Pretty sure they were those skinny little German buggers too. Must be the anti Italy thing

Happened some months ago now. But yeah, there were plenty of bugs about on Saturday too.

[Berries]

I've got a Raid 2 but have never worked out whether open is up or down for the chin vent. Makes no difference as far as I can tell. At least there are holes in the other vents to give you a clue.

[Sentox]

Somehow a live bee got inside my helmet once. Not a fun feeling :p

[Ender EnZed]

I've got a Raid 2 but have never worked out whether open is up or down for the chin vent. Makes no difference as far as I can tell. At least there are holes in the other vents to give you a clue.

Open is up and closed is down. Tilt it back while you're holding it and you can see the gap quite clearly.

[avgas]

The sparrow that hit my vent did not go through. So it must have been smaller than a sparrow.

[cold comfort]

Somehow a live bee got inside my helmet once. Not a fun feeling :p

Had the same thing recently, and with the visor closed! My riding companion stated drolly after watching my crash stop and frantic helmet removal and arm waving, "bee in your helmet eh?"

[swbarnett]

Somehow a live bee got inside my helmet once. Not a fun feeling :p
Got one jammed between cheek and helmet once. The blighter panicked and stung. Cheek was pretty saw for about half an hour. Was wondering initially if I could actually get the helmet back on once I'd removed the bee.

[Berries]

Tilt it back while you're holding it and you can see the gap quite clearly.

Aha. The same advice I give my wife. Cheers.

[Cayman911]

Yeah after the 500th flying bug that got into my eye and decided to die in there and blind me, i sacrificed the open free air into my face , and now ride with the visor down in the summer.

havnt had any problems with the vents at all..... or i probably dont notice haha

[JR1]

i had a mate get of his bike, take a piss in a bush, continue riding for about 50m jump of and start running around like a mad man (not to unusual if you knew the guy). started to rip of his jacket and start yelling, we soon realized he had somehow trapped a couple bee's in his jacket who then proceeded to sting the fuck outa him. wouldve hurt like hell, but was funny as shit to watch..

[stig]

i had a mate get of his bike, take a piss in a bush, continue riding for about 50m jump of and start running around like a mad man (not to unusual if you knew the guy). started to rip of his jacket and start yelling, we soon realized he had somehow trapped a couple bee's in his jacket who then proceeded to sting the fuck outa him. wouldve hurt like hell, but was funny as shit to watch..

Yeah, I've collected a wasp down my collar before, stung the bejesuz out my back. Looked like a big collection of hives in the mirror.
pretty unlucky though, don't think it will happen twice. Good thing im not allergic to the critters.

[Mike Wilson]

Yes definately. Remember your speed plus a bugs 15kmh makes for a good impact on their soft bodies. Mike Jet Leathers. jetleathers.com

[Ratti]

Managed to collect a bumblebee up my trousers this summer.

Sod got right up onto my inner thigh and started to chew. Thought I had a white tail spider in my trousers. Speedy stop, hasty downtrou. Must have looked darned funny. But I was not very smiley about it.
I dont mind a friendly nibble on occasion, but a woman likes to be asked first!

[Cheshire Cat]

never had a problem with bugs in my helmet, although a prayingmantis was squashed in by my mirror today. i noticed it after some one hit me on the motorway and knocked my mirror off. the mantis was still there tho :lol:

[crazyhorse]

never had a problem with bugs in my helmet, although a prayingmantis was squashed in by my mirror today. i noticed it after some one hit me on the motorway and knocked my mirror off. the mantis was still there tho :lol:

Hope you were ok...... sounds like the mantis wasn't

[Cheshire Cat]

was on the way to coromandle.I'm good as :D

[Scorp]

You probably just got unlucky to have such a juicy one hit the perfect spot.
Isn't it a good thing when that happens? :msn-wink:

[Jackal]

You know that saying, "There are only two things that smell like fish, and fish is one of them" well I now know there are three things that smell like fish. After a night ride through a swarm or two of midgey bugs have a good sniff just on the inside of your chin vent the next morning!!!!

[Ratti]

Tell you what, ants in your lid are interesting.

Got an infestation on the last night at a recent rally. Spent the following morning shaking the buggers out and squashing them. Bad move, ants stink when they are squashed. Then rode home from Hawkes bay to Welly with lid stinking of formic acid. Not to mention the one or two that snuck outta somewhere to torment me.

Wretched beasts.