A Real Brown Trouser Moment

**MacD** · 21st January 2005, 08:31

Originally Posted by erik

Glad you're ok, Biff Baff.

Particularly for newbies like me, it's good to be reminded of this stuff.

MacD, what kinda work do you do that you can measure the light transmission through a visor? How do you measure such a thing?

You need a spectrophotometer of some description that will measure light transmission across the range of visible wavelengths of light (380nm to 760nm). These values are modified by a function which describes how the sensitivity of the eye varies with wavelength (humans are most sensitive to yellow-green light). The result is a single figure for % transmittance.

Some sunglasses shops and optometrists have simple "point-of-sale" devices that will give you a ball-park transmission figure.

And yes, I do this sort of stuff for a living

**toads** · 21st January 2005, 08:44

I have experienced this problem with fading light after a very hot sunny day too, and it's quite scary, I was wearing sun glasses as well as my helmet with a clear visor, but it's pretty common when riding at that time of the day here, I guess it pays to either know the road or just ride slowly.

**R1** · 21st January 2005, 08:59

Hey Biff, all bad......some of my mates recon the same thing with their visors, ie: to dark at night etc...im not sure about other helmets but my m8 has a suomy and his is fine at night its very simmilar to my arai but you have to be careful when you buy iridium coz some say not for night use and some are fine...the one im using at the moment is almost clear to look through(no tint) but the iridium is great for keeping the sun out during the day, may just be a manufactures thing...but in saying all that my visor was $190 so im not in2 buying one unless its realy rooted.

**scumdog** · 21st January 2005, 09:04

Originally Posted by toads

I have experienced this problem with fading light after a very hot sunny day too, and it's quite scary, I was wearing sun glasses as well as my helmet with a clear visor, but it's pretty common when riding at that time of the day here, I guess it pays to either know the road or just ride slowly.

Hey toads, if you're depending on 'knowing the road' to keep from running off it because you can't see then it might be good idea not to ride at all!!!

**MacD** · 21st January 2005, 10:39

I've been doing a bit of reading around this issue and came across the Lazer Revolution helmet which incorporates a second internal tinted visor.

The cunning trick is that the internal tinted visor can be retracted by pushing a slider up on the "forehead" area of the helmet, supposedly with a gloved hand.

Has anybody seen or used one of these in NZ?

**Biff** · 21st January 2005, 11:27

Originally Posted by MacD

I've been doing a bit of reading around this issue and came across the Lazer Revolution helmet which incorporates a second internal tinted visor.

The cunning trick is that the internal tinted visor can be retracted by pushing a slider up on the "forehead" area of the helmet, supposedly with a gloved hand.

Has anybody seen or used one of these in NZ?

My second hemlet has one of these. There's a slider switch on the side that brings down a second tinted visor. This helmet is made by a company called Calberg. I've not seen them on sale in NZ but they're quite common accross Europe. It's perfect if you wear perscription glasses when riding.

**750Y** · 21st January 2005, 11:33

sheeeite! glad you are ok Biff Baff, You nearly got killed for the sake of a fancy iridium visor. throw it away & get something better, like a mild tint visor or straight mirror visor. of course it's partly your eyes not responding rapidly to a change in light conditions, I'm guessing You are over 40 which is when the eyes start to deteriorate in that way.

**Sniper** · 21st January 2005, 11:48

Originally Posted by MacD

Has anybody seen or used one of these in NZ?

Saw one on a movie once. I think it was Star Wars or something.

Kidding, good looking helmet though, I dont think they are availible in NZ just yet

**toads** · 21st January 2005, 11:51

Originally Posted by scumdog

Hey toads, if you're depending on 'knowing the road' to keep from running off it because you can't see then it might be good idea not to ride at all!!!

absolutely scumdog, I was referring to the time when I had it happen to me, the ideal is not to ride in those light conditions at all.

**mangell6** · 21st January 2005, 19:50

Originally Posted by MacD

Has anybody seen or used one of these in NZ?

A couple of years back Motorcycle City in Lower Hutt had one, efn expensive, shortly after that I met a guy in Wangavegas from Palmy who had one, reckoned it was the bees knees.

Oh and his name was not Luke either.

**MacD** · 21st January 2005, 19:59

Originally Posted by Sniper_CBR

Saw one on a movie once. I think it was Star Wars or something.

ESB or RotJ?

**MacD** · 21st January 2005, 20:02

Originally Posted by mangell6

A couple of years back Motorcycle City in Lower Hutt had one, efn expensive, shortly after that I met a guy in Wangavegas from Palmy who had one, reckoned it was the bees knees.

Oh and his name was not Luke either.

They look like a good idea for those of us who are visually-challenged :cool2: . It's also a flip-face helmet. Not surprising that they're expensive then!

**Biff** · 23rd January 2005, 20:07

Originally Posted by 750Y

I'm guessing You are over 40 which is when the eyes start to deteriorate in that way.

eeerm - no. just over 30. but thanks for the concern :disapint:

**750Y** · 24th January 2005, 09:16

oops sorry i got the poster confused.

**inlinefour** · 24th January 2005, 09:48

Originally Posted by Biff Baff

I guess so. Mine has a kind of metallic blue tint to it. Incidentally, these are illegal in the UK for the very reason why my Y fronts now look like Rossi has been doing doughnuts in them.

Yea thanks for the info, will be looking for the particular courner when I'm down that way next month