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View Full Version : Full face helmet - sunglasses or tinted visor?



Bassmatt
15th June 2015, 14:22
Looking for peoples thoughts on which is preferred and why.
I'm leaning towards sunglasses as I can take them off if it gets dark and will be carrying them with me anyway, but I do like how a dark visor looks

My last two helmets had drop down sunvisors which were great but my new helmet doesn't have this feature.

Tazz
15th June 2015, 14:33
All depends what sort of riding you do, predictible communting or just for fun?

After two trips (I'm a slow learner) in the rain at night I usually stick to sunglasses or internal sun visor now.

Gremlin
15th June 2015, 14:41
Don't really like sunglasses in helmets, but otherwise I'm often using them. Commuting/city helmet is permanently a tinted visor, not too phased riding in the dark with it as there is a fair bit of ambient light.

Country riding, with one helmet I carry a spare visor and switch if riding at night, as I found you worked harder being able to see less. Better to have a clear visor handy. Other helmet has the internal visor, but during the summer I use a smoke external visor as the tint isn't sufficient and then use a clear during winter as the tinted internal is enough (most of the time).

quickbuck
15th June 2015, 14:42
Looking for peoples thoughts on which is preferred and why.
I'm leaning towards sunglasses as I can take them off if it gets dark and will be carrying them with me anyway, but I do like how a dark visor looks

My last two helmets had drop down sunvisors which were great but my new helmet doesn't have this feature.

I would lean towards a tinted visor. A nice light tint for this time of year.... Or a tinted Pin-Loc.

Reason:
Sunglasses combined with a visor can actually alter your vision (Different focal lengths). I had a flash pair of Bollies that I wore under my helmet years ago and it felt like you were 10 foot off the road! Not really a good result.... made cornering a little strange.

Along those lines, with the twin visor systems, many hours of R&D are spent to keep the focal lengths neutral between the two lenses.

baffa
15th June 2015, 14:46
Depends on the time of year.
If it's summer, I tend to rock a tinted visor.
I normally ride with glasses so I cbf bringing my spec sunglasses.
It's annoying during winter though, clear mornings then dark evenings.

TheDemonLord
15th June 2015, 14:51
I always rode with sunglasses, until I broke both my pairs :(

Maha
15th June 2015, 14:52
Sunglasses can be a pain but it's easy enough to stop and take them off, I use to wear them primarily for when I lift the visor in 50 km area's.
However, opted for a clear visor for the longest time now and since ages ago, I have been putting a strip of black insulation tape along the top of the visor exterior, keeps the sun off you eyes and the clarity is amazing than without it.

I used a tinted visor when I first started riding and would carry a clear in case it got dark before I got home.

Current helmet has an internal tinted visor and I still use the tape system.

Katman
15th June 2015, 14:55
Bell are now doing photochromic lenses - darken in the sun and lighten in the shade.

It can't be long before other manufacturers follow suit.

TheDemonLord
15th June 2015, 14:58
Bell are now doing photochromic lenses - darken in the sun and lighten in the shade.

It can't be long before other manufacturers follow suit.

That would be hotness on my Shoei - although I still liked riding at speed with the visor up with my sunnies - get the breeze through the whiskers.

swtfa
15th June 2015, 15:01
I found it difficult getting the sunglasses pass the padding in my helmet and then had to deal with the pressure of the glasses on my temples... headache. I now have a helmet with internal tinted visor - noice :)

Ender EnZed
15th June 2015, 15:01
If you already have a decent pair of sunglasses (that fit comfortably under your helmet) then the only advantage of a tinted visor is that you look a bit better. Which will almost certainly only be noticed by you, and other men who are thinking about whether a tinted visor might make them look better.

pritch
15th June 2015, 15:10
I don't like wearing sunglasses under a helmet so I have a different visor fitted each to helmet. Sort of, look at the weather, pick a helmet.

Before I had this option though I used to be a fan of these: http://www.helmetsunblocker.com/

I have posted about these before and some KBers* who seem obsessed with reinventing the wheel start talking about using insulation tape etc etc. Never mind that you can't see through insulation tape.

These things work, they are not expensive, and you can change it from visor to visor. It sticks to the inside of the visor with a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water.
Normally you look under it but if you get sun in your eyes you just dip your head.

If you have an Arai you need the Arai Sunblocker which has cutouts for the brow vents otherwise it's pretty much one size fits all.




*Sorry Maha.

caspernz
15th June 2015, 15:25
Internal sun visor works for me. Now I no longer have a butler to follow me around with spare visors etc this is the most sensible option...

Once the development of the photochromatic thingemeebob is reliable and in full production this will be worth a crack.

baffa
15th June 2015, 15:56
Bell are now doing photochromic lenses - darken in the sun and lighten in the shade.

It can't be long before other manufacturers follow suit.

Shoei (and others probably) sell a visor with graduated tinting.
Quite handy. Completely clear at the bottom, and a dark tint at the top.

Swoop
15th June 2015, 16:04
Both. Tinted visor and sunnies. That's my default setup.

Also a pair of clear wrap-around glasses* for foggy mornings or nights. The clear visor is rarely used.



* Go to your local NZ Safety shop, they have a good selection of clear wrap's.

pritch
15th June 2015, 16:23
Shoei (and others probably) sell a visor with graduated tinting.
Quite handy. Completely clear at the bottom, and a dark tint at the top.

I had one of those, but that would still leave you looking through the dark part at night.

Robbo
15th June 2015, 16:37
I have a 2" wide strip of black PVC tape fitted across the top inside of my clear visor. It is above my direct line of site and doesn't impair my vision. It is great for when you are riding into the sun as you can just tilt your head down as required depending on where the sun is in the sky and it avoids sunstrike. I have been using this method on my helmets for over twenty years now with no issues and it works well.

Bassmatt
15th June 2015, 16:40
Wow - heaps of replies, thanks

Im currently using sunglasses but they are a bit scratched and when I get anything else on the visor (dirt, bugs, rain) it gets a bit hard to see. The "optics" seem fine otherwise , no issues with fitting in the helmet or comfort.
So I need new ones or a visor hence the post.
I dont have any space for a spare visor in my bike but the clear glasses seems like a good idea.
Has anyone tried motorcycle specific sunglasses ala ugly fish or willyx?
Photocromic pin lock?

Maha
15th June 2015, 16:41
I have a 2" wide strip of black PVC tape fitted across the top inside of my clear visor. It is above my direct line of site and doesn't impair my vision. It is great for when you are riding into the sun as you can just tilt your head down as required depending on where the sun is in the sky and it avoids sun strike. I have been using this method on my helmets for over twenty years now with no issues and it works well.

All those reasons Robbo, the only difference is that I put the tape on the outside...simple but effective.

Robbo
15th June 2015, 16:44
All those reasons Robbo, the only difference is that I put the tape on the outside...simple but effective.

Yep, simple, effective and cheap. As long as it's fitted above your direct line of site then there are no vision issues.

Tazz
15th June 2015, 17:06
Wow - heaps of replies, thanks

Im currently using sunglasses but they are a bit scratched and when I get anything else on the visor (dirt, bugs, rain) it gets a bit hard to see. The "optics" seem fine otherwise , no issues with fitting in the helmet or comfort.
So I need new ones or a visor hence the post.
I dont have any space for a spare visor in my bike but the clear glasses seems like a good idea.
Has anyone tried motorcycle specific sunglasses ala ugly fish or willyx?
Photocromic pin lock?

If you didn't hate wearing them replacement sunglasses would be the obvious choice.....you can get sunglasses for $5 bucks and it is less faffing around than a tinted visor or new helmet, or tape which won't be any better for that pain in the ass low level sun strike anyway. Good for midday sun and the like for sure though.

Each to their own and I did try a tinted visor despite what I read to see for myself as well. One other bonus with sunnys is you can ride with the visor up when you feel like a breeze down your frock and not get all those annoying bugs in your eyes that are real hard to kill with just your eyelids.

Mike.Gayner
15th June 2015, 18:11
Sunglasses combined with a visor can actually alter your vision (Different focal lengths).

Dafuq are you talking about? Focal length of ordinary sunglasses and ordinary visors is infinite - the inside and outside curvatures are parallel. Any imperfections would have such a minuscule effect on focal length it couldn't be discerned by human eyes.

rocketman1
15th June 2015, 19:01
Have a Shoei with tinted visor option, works great, can use clear glasses under it, or wear sunglasses. Better to have all options

Oakie
15th June 2015, 19:27
I'm leaning towards sunglasses as I can take them off if it gets dark and will be carrying them with me anyway.

Yes.

10 chars

mansell
15th June 2015, 19:38
I have worn sunnies under a visor for years now, mind you I tend to get migraines if exposed to sunlight for too long so it wasn't really a challenge. The one problem is findingthe right pair of shades to fit under the helmet and block all the light from the sun. I tried a tinted visor a few years ago and hated it, as soon as the sun went down I had to lift it up to see, I am not going to carry a second visor with me. ALso like a few respondants I like to lift the visor when I hit a 50km zone so the glasses prevent shit from getting in my eyes.

Delerium
15th June 2015, 19:43
Bell are now doing photochromic lenses - darken in the sun and lighten in the shade.

It can't be long before other manufacturers follow suit.

That's cool! do you have a link?

skippa1
15th June 2015, 19:51
Tinted visor better than sunnies. If you ride into the sun for a long time, maybe 2-3 hours, you will get sunburnt if you only wear sunnies.

caseye
15th June 2015, 19:53
I wear sunglasses around town as visors scratch so easily but when touring have a different helmet and glasses under the visor.

So, you wear glasses/sunnies under your helmet!.
Did you actually need to say anything?.
Never used a tinted visor, but have used a chromatic pin lock, this is my choice of vision when riding, never left wanting something else, always works. Unless of course you do a dickhead and try to clean the inside of your pinlock helmet.

chasio
15th June 2015, 19:54
Maybe focal length was not quite the right phrase (not what I would have called it as a fairly keen photographer), but it certainly IS possible to get weird optical effects with a combo of sunnies and a visor, especially if the sunnies are polarizing.

You can get photochromic pinlock inserts (http://www.racevisors.co.uk/category/pinlock-antifog-visor-inserts), but I would expect them to have the same issues that all photochromics have in that they are relatively poor at staying dark when warm. So on a cold, bright day you will have a lovely dark insert as the cold helps it stay dark. But on a warm day they won't go as dark. And on a warm and overcast but weirdly bright day (TM), they just won't go dark enough to reduce the glare. YMMV.

I love now having an internal sun visor and would be very unlikely to buy a helmet without having had it. I have an XR1000 without and use the Maha tape trick on both the tinted and clear visors I have for it. But also when sporting a tinted visor I used to take clear safety glasses for emergencies and sunnies with the clear visor.

nerrrd
15th June 2015, 19:55
Photo chromatic visor? Nice idea, hope it's not a Shoei though. Only $300!

http://www.motomail.co.nz/estore/style/shcwrtrvis.aspx

Or could be a job for...the Super-visor! (see what they did there?)

http://www.ascycles.com/images/products/SuperVisor/SuperVisor.jpg

http://www.super-visor.com

David from Whitianga is the first testimonial. More of a blocker than a shader though.

Motu
15th June 2015, 20:38
It's nice to have a peak, just tilt your head to block the sun - I do the same in my car, don't use the sunvisor, I use the peak of my cap to block the sun. The tape method works, but does cut your vision - I put it diagonal on the left, same as a peak, turn and dip your head. I can't be arsed stopping to put on wet weather gear, and can't be arsed stopping just to change a visor. I use sunglasses, in gravel, in twisties or in town I lift my visor. Light level drops and I whip them off and put in a pocket....but haven't perfected the refitting of them. I once lost the arm of some Oakley's doing that...lucky I didn't pay $200 for them.

Oakie
15th June 2015, 20:51
I have a 2" wide strip of black PVC tape fitted across the top inside of my clear visor. It is above my direct line of site and doesn't impair my vision. It is great for when you are riding into the sun as you can just tilt your head down as required depending on where the sun is in the sky and it avoids sunstrike. I have been using this method on my helmets for over twenty years now with no issues and it works well.

I do the same but with my tape at the bottom as I ride visor-up most of the time. Works a treat! (Tape at the bottom of the visor doesn't interfere with visibility when it's down either)

Berries
15th June 2015, 21:44
I wear contact lenses purely because I found glasses are a complete pain in the arse with a helmet. I assume sunglasses are the same so ride with a tinted visor year round apart from a few weeks at this time of year when it is dark going to work and dark coming back. Good fun occasionally but you tend to miss the odd block of firewood in the middle of the lane or the icy patch on the corner.

AllanB
15th June 2015, 22:02
Been using tinted visors for decades. Swap it out with clear if riding on a really dull day. Easy to carry a alternative visor if travelling long distances or day/night.

jellywrestler
15th June 2015, 22:04
i use kiddies glasses, when you hit a corner that's real dark a quick flick of the head and you can see, get past that and use ya hand to flick em back on, been doing that for years and works a treat

Daffyd
15th June 2015, 22:36
I had a very good pair of tinted safety glasses that I wore under my helmet with clear visor. They had soft rubber wings which I trimmed back to just rest on my ears so I wouldn't get the headaches from the pressure of the helmet. Unfortunately I knocked them off when disembarking from a ferry and they are currently resting on the bottom of the Batangas harbour. I still use tinted safeties but they aren't quite as good as the old ones.

mulletman
16th June 2015, 00:45
That's cool! do you have a link?

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2015/march/mar6agvisor/

Banditbandit
16th June 2015, 14:36
I have worn sunnies under a visor for years now, mind you I tend to get migraines if exposed to sunlight for too long so it wasn't really a challenge. The one problem is findingthe right pair of shades to fit under the helmet and block all the light from the sun. I tried a tinted visor a few years ago and hated it, as soon as the sun went down I had to lift it up to see, I am not going to carry a second visor with me. ALso like a few respondants I like to lift the visor when I hit a 50km zone so the glasses prevent shit from getting in my eyes.

I ride all the time with the visor open - so I ride in sunglasses (I do close the visor when it rains)

I use cheap petrol station sunnies - sharkie-style because the fit under a helmet without rubbing on the sides (my Serengetis don't fit under a helmet). The wrap-around sharkies also give good wind protection as well as bug protection. And if they get broken I can get news ones at the next gas stop.

At night I just drop the sunnies in my bike bag (Just about all my bags have got spare sunnies in them).

Erelyes
16th June 2015, 19:07
I wear contact lenses purely because I found glasses are a complete pain in the arse with a helmet. I assume sunglasses are the same so ride with a tinted visor year round apart from a few weeks at this time of year when it is dark going to work and dark coming back.

Worst thing about glasses of any sort in a helmet is that they fog up in cold weather, just like your visor does. And there ain't a damn thing you can do, short of opening the visor, to stop it.

And call me soft but when it's less than 5 degrees out, fuck doing 100 clicks with the visor open. I like my nose and losing it to frost/windburn wouldn't be my idea of fun.

Perhaps those that don't have problems with glasses aren't familiar with single-digit-temperature riding.

FJRider
16th June 2015, 19:19
I ride all the time with the visor open - so I ride in sunglasses (I do close the visor when it rains)

I use cheap petrol station sunnies - sharkie-style because the fit under a helmet without rubbing on the sides (my Serengetis don't fit under a helmet). The wrap-around sharkies also give good wind protection as well as bug protection. And if they get broken I can get news ones at the next gas stop.

At night I just drop the sunnies in my bike bag (Just about all my bags have got spare sunnies in them).

"Fog Off" works on glasses too ... try it ..

meteor
16th June 2015, 21:34
I've settled on using a photochomatic insert. No fog up and gives some almost instant relief from sun with cloud breaks and sun strike etc.
Have a helmet with internal sunvisor too so between them both it does the job nicely.
Although on a sunny cold morning it's never quite perfect as the internal visor can fog a bit too...

skippa1
16th June 2015, 21:40
"Fog Off" works on glasses too ... try it ..
Where do i get this flog off

FJRider
16th June 2015, 21:52
Where do i get this flog off

I buy it at a motorcycle shop.

Tazz
16th June 2015, 21:57
Worst thing about glasses of any sort in a helmet is that they fog up in cold weather, just like your visor does. And there ain't a damn thing you can do, short of opening the visor, to stop it.

And call me soft but when it's less than 5 degrees out, fuck doing 100 clicks with the visor open. I like my nose and losing it to frost/windburn wouldn't be my idea of fun.

Perhaps those that don't have problems with glasses aren't familiar with single-digit-temperature riding.
I just pull them out from my face a bit when that happens. They don't need to sit on the bridge of your nose as the helmet pressure holds them up.

Good balaclava positioning and controlled breathing when it is real cold can help (will limit visor fog from breath too), or make it worse if you get it wrong.

For those that are budget buggers starch will do the same job as fog off. Think potato thoughts [emoji23]
One good fog at night that is thick with precipitation will have you wishing for some form of water beading coat on your visor.

FJRider
16th June 2015, 22:19
Where do i get this flog off

If you have short arms and deep pockets ...


http://dualsportalchemy.com/2013/08/tip-keeping-your-goggles-fog-free/

nerrrd
16th June 2015, 22:20
Worst thing about glasses of any sort in a helmet is that they fog up in cold weather, just like your visor does. And there ain't a damn thing you can do, short of opening the visor, to stop it.

I feel your four-eyed pain.

Anyone else have a problem with the 'anti-glare' coating wearing off on their specs? This has happened on two pairs in a row for me, often wondered if that's somehow related to riding every day with the visor up, rain, dust, exhaust fumes etc, started in the same place both times.

FJRider
16th June 2015, 22:25
Where do i get this flog off

You can get it online ... apparently ..

http://www.sierrabmwonline.com/index.php/fog-off-m-49

skippa1
16th June 2015, 22:36
You can get it online ... apparently ..

http://www.sierrabmwonline.com/index.php/fog-off-m-49
Nice.....your research has been invaluable.....

thanks

R650R
20th June 2015, 18:28
I would lean towards a tinted visor. A nice light tint for this time of year.... Or a tinted Pin-Loc.

Reason:
Sunglasses combined with a visor can actually alter your vision (Different focal lengths). I had a flash pair of Bollies that I wore under my helmet years ago and it felt like you were 10 foot off the road! Not really a good result.... made cornering a little strange.

Along those lines, with the twin visor systems, many hours of R&D are spent to keep the focal lengths neutral between the two lenses.

Sounds like you had shit sunnies or shit visor.

Have routinely worn sunnies with tinted visor, ordinary visor and pinlock antifog. Never had any issues with them which are prescription lenses same as my clear glasses.

Back to topic, no tinted visor at moment, new helmet but often in the past I've travelled with tint and have the clear in my tank bag for the late trip home, easy way to flick on fresh clean visor.
For me tinted visor is fashion choice rather than any other factor.

R650R
20th June 2015, 18:33
Worst thing about glasses of any sort in a helmet is that they fog up in cold weather, just like your visor does. And there ain't a damn thing you can do, short of opening the visor, to stop it.


If setting off in cold weather I find it helps if you wash them with warm water and detergent just before you leave. Avoid riding with visor open which will naturally cool the glass and create a problem.
The one thing I hate is the fine misty rain/fog particles. One time had dealt to huge pack of slow lemming drivers then had to pull over and physically dry inside of visor and glasses but that's the vagaries of the taupo road weather systems at warmer times of the year....

toycollector10
21st June 2015, 18:24
I think the full face with the visor is the best option. I was searching for a "Jet" style helmet to use with my old Honda. My son had done an image search for Motorcycle Head Injuries and it was a bit grim. The bottom line is that if you don't use a full face helmet you will have a 15 to 20% chance of serious damage to your lower jaw. Will your partner want to kiss you if you don't have any teeth or lower jaw. Don't search for it, just get a proper helmet.

Banditbandit
22nd June 2015, 09:53
Worst thing about glasses of any sort in a helmet is that they fog up in cold weather, just like your visor does. And there ain't a damn thing you can do, short of opening the visor, to stop it.

And call me soft but when it's less than 5 degrees out, fuck doing 100 clicks with the visor open. I like my nose and losing it to frost/windburn wouldn't be my idea of fun.

Perhaps those that don't have problems with glasses aren't familiar with single-digit-temperature riding.


Like I said - I ride with my visor open - not just "open" but pushed right back onto the helmet ...

Fog up is never a problem ...

jonnyk5614
24th June 2015, 21:35
I wear glasses and whilst I have prescription sunnies, they are my old 'script and I never have them with me anyway!
In any case, swapping sunnies in and out can be a pain.

I use a twin visor helmet - I really like it. I can easilly pop the sunshade up while I'm still riding whenever I reach a tunnel, shade, forest, etc...


Your eyes may be sweet right now but you wouldn't want to invest lots in a helmet only to find a year or two later that you need to wear glasses with it....

awa355
25th June 2015, 23:28
I am going to look for a decent pair of sunnies that let me see into shaded corners instead of having to button right off to avoid going into a black hole. Trouble is, expensive glasses and me dont get on. The cheapos from the $2 shop like me for some reason. They dont break, get lost or fall off the seat and land lense down.:eek: They also dont see into shaded corners too well either.

MD
26th June 2015, 08:10
I'm a big fan of internal drop down visors especially during winter when sunlight comes and goes so quickly each day. But the tinted internal visors are thin and don't shade enough sunlight during summer, so it's a full dark visor during summer for me.

DamianW
26th June 2015, 08:23
Tinted visor + clear safety glasses (Bollé's $20 @ Supercheap Auto). Rain & shine and night & day covered.

^ Idea came to me whilst in the dentist chair having a root canal done a year or two back.

mulletman
26th June 2015, 21:34
I'm a big fan of internal drop down visors especially during winter when sunlight comes and goes so quickly each day. But the tinted internal visors are thin and don't shade enough sunlight during summer.

What helmet , just wondering..

babysteps
27th June 2015, 12:20
Sunglasses. Chances are if it's bright enough that you need them when riding, you're gonna need them when you're off the bike