New helmet, visor, boots questions

[KelvinAng]

Like any self-respecting and mature rider I went and got myself a matt black helmet and a mirrored silver visor to go along with it.

I thought the mirrored visor worked great in cutting glare on the ride to work this morning. So it seems from the other threads here that they are prone to scratching even when babied... is there any tips on prolonging the prettiness of the visor? I get no less than twenty dead bugs on the visor everytime I ride to work (and another twenty when I go back) and is there a recommended way to remove the bugs without scratching the mirrored finish off...?

I've also gotten a pair of boots (Sidi Fusion). I didn't think it was a pair of "road" boots judging from its rather simple designs but it turns out to be one, and when riding my cruiser with it I found the shifting to be near impossible without feeling awkward and adjusting my feet alot because the boots wouldn't flex as much as I'd like it to be. Is this to be expect from a pair of new boots, or are these road boots really not the right footwear for a cruiser rider?

Cheers!

[slofox]

I find boots soften with use.

Dunno about the visor. I use dark smoke visors and clean them off with lens cleaning solution and a very soft cloth - gently!

[HappyGOriding]

maybe a dumb question but have you tried adjusting the gear shift lever to a better position?

[p.dath]

Some people recommend using pledge on the visor. Cleans it, and leaves a coating making it more difficult to get dirty. Also helps stop misting.

[KelvinAng]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Yep I had a dark smoke visor too to go with the matt black In fact I look almost like the picture in my avatar... except my bike's a wee bit larger.

And no... can I adjust the angle of the shifter? I wouldn't want forward controls (I'm a 5'7 shortie) and the shifter is just fine with jandles (only once, I swear!) and military boots (albeit a very seasoned pair).

My new helmet's been giving me a bit of a headache. Compared to my previous lid (also a HJC, in the same size) this one seems to fit a little differently and it seems to "sit" on my temples. The commute takes about 50 minutes and by the time I get back home my head feels like it's going to explode. It still hurts now after 2 hours of taking the lid off. I seem to recall my first HJC helmet having this issue as well but it wasn't as bad. (Among all the brands I can afford, HJC fits me the best.)

[wynw]

+1 for pledge and a soft cloth

[2wheeldrifter]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Yep I had a dark smoke visor too to go with the matt black In fact I look almost like the picture in my avatar... except my bike's a wee bit larger.

And no... can I adjust the angle of the shifter? I wouldn't want forward controls (I'm a 5'7 shortie) and the shifter is just fine with jandles (only once, I swear!) and military boots (albeit a very seasoned pair).

My new helmet's been giving me a bit of a headache. Compared to my previous lid (also a HJC, in the same size) this one seems to fit a little differently and it seems to "sit" on my temples. The commute takes about 50 minutes and by the time I get back home my head feels like it's going to explode. It still hurts now after 2 hours of taking the lid off. I seem to recall my first HJC helmet having this issue as well but it wasn't as bad. (Among all the brands I can afford, HJC fits me the best.)

Really your helmet is a size to small, shouldn't have that much perssure on your temples, is there a chance to take it back for a size up?
I have iridium visors on all my helmets, Pledge or I use a U-vex glass cleaner from work for our safety glassess and Muck off is good stuff too.
Matt black can be a pain with fingers marks etc,My AGV S4 is, but warm soapy water good for cleaning whole helmet.

[ckai]

I have a little spray bottle with water to clean all the shit off first from the visor then finish with Muck Off or glass cleaner from the optometrist (I have shit loads of it).

You also definitely need to use a SUPER SOFT cloth. Microfibre is pretty much a must. I used to used wet paper towels on the old visor and it ended up scratching it. That was a HJC one. My Shoei one seems slightly better quality but I don't go near it with anything other than microfibre.

[KelvinAng]

Really your helmet is a size to small, shouldn't have that much perssure on your temples, is there a chance to take it back for a size up?

It's a HJC Medium, and Large is too big. I'm probably just a tad larger than Medium, depending on who said what to me just before I don the lid on...

I reckon my last night's headache is caused by the strong winds constantly knocking the lid onto my head for 40-odd minutes. This morning's ride is sweet, and so was yesterday morning's. For comparison I put on my 3-year-old HJC helmet (also a Medium) and it felt loose compared to this new one, but not by too much. I'm thinking/hoping once the padding gets a little compressed from use it'll be fine.

[p.dath]

I reckon my last night's headache is caused by the strong winds constantly knocking the lid onto my head for 40-odd minutes.

You've confused me on this one. Is your head able to move within the helmet, so that the helmet can knock against your head?

[KelvinAng]

Is your head able to move within the helmet, so that the helmet can knock against your head?

Ah, no. Well ever so slightly but the helmet is a snug bordering on tight fit. Sorry, I didn't express it well, what I meant by the wind knocking is that the wind is hitting on my helmet, pushing it against my head even more. Last night's wind was around 20-30km/hr and it's working against me, and I'm on the open road... My temples hurt and I know which part of the inner padding is causing it, so if the situation doesn't improve I would just trim it a little I guess.

[Spazman727]

My first helmet was a medium and when I got it it fit really well, but then as the padding compressed, the helmet became too bug and would move around on my head making it a bit scary to do a head check when changing lanes etc. I got a new helmet, an XS HJC one (also matt black funnily enough). It was slightly too tight when I first got it (the next size up was noticeably too big and I didn't want to make the same mistake as I made with my first helmet) but now it fits perfectly. I'm pretty sure your one will change to suit your head a bit more with use.

On the boot front, I think most bike boots are pretty solid, that's kinda the point so they protect you if you go for a slide.

[steve_t]

Ah, no. Well ever so slightly but the helmet is a snug bordering on tight fit. Sorry, I didn't express it well, what I meant by the wind knocking is that the wind is hitting on my helmet, pushing it against my head even more. Last night's wind was around 20-30km/hr and it's working against me, and I'm on the open road... My temples hurt and I know which part of the inner padding is causing it, so if the situation doesn't improve I would just trim it a little I guess.

Sounds like you don't have an HJC shaped head. You may or may not know that different helmets suit different shaped heads. If you check out helmet reviews on webbikeworld, they actually indicate what shaped head the helmet suits best. If your HJC is squeezing at the temples, you need a helmet that suits a rounder head. IIRC most Shoei helmets go well for rounder heads and most Arai suit narrower heads (although there are some Arai models that suit round heads too). I'd recommend you look to replace your helmet if it's causing a lot of pressure to your temples