What are tinted visors like in the dark?

[baffa]

I recently replaced the visor on my Shoei. I found that a clear visor was a bit painful from glare when the sun was lower in the sky. Upon recommendation from the parts guy at cyclespot, I got an orange/red visor, that reduces glare, dimming whiteish colours and enhancing contrast. Excellent during the day, and only slightly reduces vision at night. Cost $100 mind, but works well in all conditions except really low light.

[Grubber]

Most tints are useless vision at night, i have found. I recently purchased a new Shoei with an iridium visor. Cost a small fortune but i have found that there is reasonable vision at night. Far better than a normal tint.
But in saying that i always take my clear on long trips to wear at night anyway. It's just that if i do get caught out in the dark the iridium will cope pretty good.
My clear visor i put round my rib cage under my jacket. Fits just nice.

[Maha]

They dont that well in the daylight, I have a strip of black insulation tape across the top of the visor to prevent sunstrike.

[slofox]

They dont that well in the daylight, I have a strip of black insulation tape across the top of the visor to prevent sunstrike.

Me too, even on the dark smoke - copied the idea from yourself IIRC...

[newhere]

ive road around 2 hours with a tinted visor in the dark. it was a nightmare on country roads. reduces your vision considerably. so i open the visor and frooze my face. eyes stop streaming after a few minutes. it was pretty miserable

Agreed, not to mention the bugs, not fun

[PrincessBandit]

Yip, find and old sock to keep it in

That's two of us voting for the sock then...

My first night ride happened because we were an hour from home and the sky turned nasty real quick...it was about 5-5:30?..I had a tinted visor. It was also my first decent ride with Anne as pillion...It started to rain quite heavily.
What to do?....we swapped helmets, Anne had a clear visor. That was the only pleaseing bit about the end of a very long day.
Almost dropped the Triumph getting out of Whangarei Maccas....

Not so very long ago, I had to ride from d'Auckland to The Tron. At night. In the pissing rain and howling wind. With only a dark tinted visor on the helmet (Arai). (Some dork forgot it would be dark on the return journey...dunno who )

"Oh well" I thinks to meself, "I'll just ride with the visor open!"

Ha fucking ha. I gotta wear glasses, eh. Tried the visor open and the rain (did I mention it was pissing down?) totally obliterated all vision through said specs within seconds.

So I had no option but to close the visor. After all, fuck all vision seemed better than none at all at the time.

What I discovered was that after a couple of minutes with the visor closed, my night vision (what's left of it) kicked in and I could see more than I expected. Enough to make me feel reasonably confident that I would complete the journey without riding into the Waikato river at some stage...

I did have to keep the speed down a bit though - just to stay within the bounds of what vision I had. Can't say it was any worse on the open road than in the towns. Overall, it was less scary than I had expected.

These days, I try to remember that a clear visor is better in the dark than the dark smoke job...

Both of your stories sound like my trip back from visiting Tink - weather closed in so quickly I couldn't believe the speed with which it turned dark and rainy. Lifted visor a crack to stop fogging, rain stung my face like needles then munted any vision I had from my specs, but alternative with visor down was I couldn't see diddlysquat. Not even a friendly car in front of me to light the way. I wouldn't have even been doing 70. Scared shitless the whole ride back to the petrol station at the Paerata/Waiuk turnoff.

[Robbie_]

Another option I have on my helmet is a switch on the side which drops down a second, tinted visor on the inside. Can easily swap between the two any time with just a flick.

[slofox]

Both of your stories sound like my trip back from visiting Tink - weather closed in so quickly I couldn't believe the speed with which it turned dark and rainy. Lifted visor a crack to stop fogging, rain stung my face like needles then munted any vision I had from my specs, but alternative with visor down was I couldn't see diddlysquat. Not even a friendly car in front of me to light the way. I wouldn't have even been doing 70. Scared shitless the whole ride back to the petrol station at the Paerata/Waiuk turnoff.

I remember your report on that one.

I suspect that riding in the Waikato fog is probably worse than a dark visor at night. Doesn't matter how often you wipe the visor, it's opaque with seconds...that's always a slow trip.

There was one advantage from my night trip with the dark visor - the gas consumption was the best I have ever achieved...

[Maha]

I remember your report on that one.

I suspect that riding in the Waikato fog is probably worse than a dark visor at night. Doesn't matter how often you wipe the visor, it's opaque with seconds...that's always a slow trip.
There was one advantage from my night trip with the dark visor - the gas consumption was the best I have ever achieved...

Yes I had that one morning...around 7am through Ohinewai..add to that the chill factor and it most uncomfortable...I was not dressed for the occassion

[jonbuoy]

Another option I have on my helmet is a switch on the side which drops down a second, tinted visor on the inside. Can easily swap between the two any time with just a flick.

+1 Fantastic system I wouldn´t have another helmet without it. Best of both worlds.

[Robbie_]

+1 Fantastic system I wouldn´t have another helmet without it. Best of both worlds.

Me either, couldn't go back now.

[Big Dave]