Visor locks. Useful or not?

[mowgli]

I discovered the other week that my helmet (Shoei Raid II) has a visor down lock. The lever is pretty small and not the easiest to operate with gloves (practice might help). Needless to say I haven't been using it.

Then I saw the diagram of helmet impact distribution in this thread and that got me wondering. If just over 10% of impacts are to the visor area then perhaps I should be using the down lock. But wouldn't the visor simply get torn off in any case?

Is a visor down lock common on most helmets? If you've got one do you use it and if so when?

[Kendog]

Both my Shoei's have the lock, but I never use them.

[bobsmith]

I had a shark s500 helmet very comfortable and feels very light on the head at high speed. wonderful helmet.

Anyhow, it didn't have a visor lock but when I had a crash early last year, as I hit the road I hit with the visor first and the visor just ripped off from the visor mounting. (on one side the visor came off the quick release mounting and on the other side the quick release mounting actually ripped off the helmet.) The helmet was absolutely trashed and I skidded for a good distance but no injury to my head or my face due to the visor being ripped off. As long as you have a decent chin guard I don't think it's a big deal. I even dragged along the ground on my face with the open front of the helmet for a few meters I think.

In a crash like that, I really don't think having a visor lock would have made the difference seeing that on one side the actual visor mounting got ripped off the helmet. Nor do I think there will be a lot of benefit from having a visor lock unless you crash into a bush where there are lots of things to poke inside the helmet...

[trumpy]

Can affirm bobsmith's experience. I found my visor a long way from where I finally stopped. From what I was told it probably went west pretty much on impact. Like bobsmith, helmet and chinguard badly munched but no damage at all to face. Full face helmets are way better than plastic surgery (sorry...just one little preach...)

I find on my Arai helmet that if I use the visor lock some of the wind noise is reduced, but have never had any issues on any of my bike helmets re visors popping up.

[Meekey_Mouse]

I loooove my visor lock! My old helmet didn't have one and I've had the visor flip up while I have tried to look the the side. It's a really bad problem as the wind then catches it and it takes a lot of force to be able to bring your head straight and down enough to get it back down

[bobsmith]

I've had the visor flip up while I have tried to look the the side.

Used to have that problem with a cheap $100 helmet I had before the shark s500. I think that's more to do with the helmet design rather than the lack of a visor lock. Never had such a problem with my shark helmet and I've used it much faster and longer than the cheap bastard of the helmet I had. (oh and I now have since the shark helmet is totalled...)

[zeocen]

My HJC helmet would always lift if I was say, checking the lane with my head on the motorway before changing lanes.. annoying to say the least. I do the same speeds with my Arai helmet and it has never been an issue, the visor is very secure, I luuurve it.

[Gremlin]

I guess it depends on the quality of the helmet.

Got a Shoei XR1000, and the visor clunks shut very well. Tried playing with the visor lock, always forgot which way did what (there is also a setting to keep it a fraction open).

imho. Gimmick. Unless you have a helmet where the visor lifts, I don't see a point. It was actually pointed out that I needed to be gentle with it, otherwise it could break, and the salesperson said he never used it either.

[Meekey_Mouse]

I guess it depends on the quality of the helmet.

Got a Shoei XR1000, and the visor clunks shut very well. Tried playing with the visor lock, always forgot which way did what (there is also a setting to keep it a fraction open).

imho. Gimmick. Unless you have a helmet where the visor lifts, I don't see a point. It was actually pointed out that I needed to be gentle with it, otherwise it could break, and the salesperson said he never used it either.

They are good to lock down for if/when you come off, it will help keep the visor down instead of ripping open if you land on your face I make sure mine is locked when I'm at racing or trackdays. Not too fussed about it on the road as the Arai seems to close securely even if it isn't locked

[Hitcher]

I have a Shoei XR1000. If it has a visor lock, I have no idea where it is. I also have an HJC CL-SP that does have a visor lock. What a pointless gizmo.

I've had a couple of offs that have seen my then helmets badly graunched. On both occasions the visor was a casualty. Based on these experiences I have no idea how a visor lock would have prevented either accident or stopped the ensuing damage to the visor.

[ceebie13]

I had one on my Arai...but it snapped off!

[onearmedbandit]

My understanding of them was not to inhibit visor lift (a quality helmet will have a proper ratchet system already) but to properly close the visor reducing wind noise through the seal. My Arai has one, never use it and never had visor lift, no matter what speed. But I did notice a slight decrease in noise when I locked the visor down.

[discotex]

Is a visor down lock common on most helmets? If you've got one do you use it and if so when?

My Shoei XR-1000 has the lock/crack knob. I never use the lock as the visor stays down at all speeds regardless.

Turning it the other way to crack the visor open is one of the best features of the helmet. It opens the visor the perfect amount to ventilate (and de-fog) without generating a vortex that drys out my contacts.

[caseye]

I recently bought an OSBE Italian made helmet, the visor lifts and shuts well and doesn;t lift under high speed.The entire front lifts as well allowing access for ingestion of needed liquids and for those who still gasp the adminsistration of a cancer stick.
Also makes the folk at gas stations much happer to see me.
Only problem I have is that the visor is ratcheted from inside the chin lifting piece and when everything is closed down there is a little space between the two.
This creates a damnd annoying wind funnel that makes the inside of my helmet a sound shell.Can't see any way of fixing the noise except maybe gluing down the visor and just using the chinlift.
Any one out there have this problem and found a satisfactory solution?

[Mikkel]

I have a Shoei XR1000. If it has a visor lock, I have no idea where it is. I also have an HJC CL-SP that does have a visor lock. What a pointless gizmo.

The XR-1000 visor lock is the little black thing jutting out under the edge of the visor just about next to your left eye.

It can either lock the visor down or keep if from shutting completely - thus allowing some more air to circulate.


And who are we kidding - there's no thing like a pointless gizmo. A gizmo fulfills it's purpose just by being a gizmo!
Another thing you can fiddle around with when you're bored - wouldn't miss it for the world!