Kawasaki Concours Forum

Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: DC Concours on July 24, 2022, 09:57:49 PM

Title: Helmet sun visor
Post by: DC Concours on July 24, 2022, 09:57:49 PM
Does anyone know how to add a sun visor to a helmet?

My friend puts a piece of black duck tape on his shield but is there something else? My eyes are getting burned riding home facing into the sun every afternoon.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Boomer on July 25, 2022, 02:09:19 AM
Almost all helmets these days have a built in retractable sun visor. How old is your helmet?
It's not the perfect solution (I find most of them are not dark enough) but works well for all but the brightest sun.
You can fit a tinted visor, but then your only choice is tinted visor or no visor.
Equally, you can wear sunglasses, but then it gets scary when you ride into an unlit tunnel.
You could also fit some of that stick on tinting to the top of the visor, but personally I'd budget for a new helmet with the retractable sun visor built in.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Big Red on July 25, 2022, 08:33:01 AM
I've ridden for a long time with a strip of electrical tape as a visor. Worked well when I cut it nice. Then I went to a Shoei GT Air II and never looked back. A light tinted visor, coupled with the drop down, works extremely well.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: DC Concours on July 25, 2022, 01:16:31 PM
I have 3 helmets and they are all kindda old  ::)

Is there a visor I can fit behind the shield?

I love this idea but I might as well buy a new helmet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHv0jeqTwpc&lc=UggoGSOPH5DY7ngCoAEC

Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Big Red on July 25, 2022, 01:29:33 PM
What kind of helmets? A tinted pinlock could work. Or if swapping is easy like on my old HJC, a tinted visor would be nice. I'd consider the e-tint if they had any.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: maxtog on July 25, 2022, 03:27:37 PM
Does anyone know how to add a sun visor to a helmet?

My friend puts a piece of black duck tape on his shield but is there something else? My eyes are getting burned riding home facing into the sun every afternoon.

Yeah, I won't buy a helmet without a built-in, drop-down sun visor.  Even with the dark tint, I often have to  tilt my head down when riding into the sun, blocking it with the top of the view portal.  Sometimes I have to use my left hand to block the sun.

Of course, with so many horribly-aimed headlights that are now 10 times brighter than in the past, at night I have to use my left hand to constantly block oncoming headlights- car or bike.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: maxtog on July 25, 2022, 03:33:52 PM
I have 3 helmets and they are all kindda old  ::)

Is there a visor I can fit behind the shield?

I love this idea but I might as well buy a new helmet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHv0jeqTwpc&lc=UggoGSOPH5DY7ngCoAEC

That looks somewhat interesting.  But I would be concerned that it would scratch, it doesn't cover the whole view area, and might touch your nose.  It also might introduce additional internal reflection layers and in the cold could have fog between the layers.  Would also be very concerned on installing it without ruining it.

If you can, see if a tinted visor is available for your helmet.  All my helmets had them available (although they are old now) and swapping them should be pretty easy.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Strawboss on July 25, 2022, 04:29:51 PM
I used to run electrical tape but now after getting a new helmet, I remove the shield and mask off a strip and paint the inside of the shield with flat black paint, work as good if not better and is forever and looks better too.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Boomer on July 26, 2022, 03:19:12 AM
I replace my helmets every 5 years or so, whether they are worn out or not.
I keep the previous lid as a spare and destroy the old spare so none of my lids are much over 10 years old.
The expanded polystyrene (EPS) "crumple zone" inside the shell degrades over time and with use.
That "crumple zone" shrinks and gets harder and more brittle so when a shock hits it, it collapses and offers little resistance to the impact.
If the lid hits the ground with my head in it, it gets destroyed immediately. Once that EPS is compressed it's ruined, even if the shell survives.
https://www.motolegends.com/reviews/When-should-I-replace-my-motorcycle-helmet (https://www.motolegends.com/reviews/When-should-I-replace-my-motorcycle-helmet)

Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: VirginiaJim on July 26, 2022, 03:30:16 AM
I decided to treat myself and my wife to a Shoei pinlock helmet.  The tinted pull down visor is quite dark and I don't wear sun glasses as often anymore.  It also doesn't fog up.  In the past with helmets without the sun visor I used to use a vinyl darkened strip at the top of the shield which did work......until it decided to come off at the worst times.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Strawboss on July 26, 2022, 03:33:08 PM
My wife is a RN/Paramedic and an educator, I give her my old helmets to take to the schools, hospitals or career centers for education and instructing the students on helmet removal.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: Stasch on July 27, 2022, 06:19:03 AM
I use the tape method as there is no transparency.

Anything tinted leaves that bright ball of fire right in my eyes, even if reduced somewhat by the tint.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: DC Concours on July 27, 2022, 10:08:15 AM
I have one HJC, Shoe and something else helmets. All are pretty old and don't come with any visors.

Anyone try these stick-on light sensitive films? Like transitions lens??

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/pro-grip-light-sensitive-shield


What kind of helmets? A tinted pinlock could work. Or if swapping is easy like on my old HJC, a tinted visor would be nice. I'd consider the e-tint if they had any.
Title: Re: Helmet sun visor
Post by: maxtog on July 27, 2022, 04:23:36 PM
I have one HJC, Shoe and something else helmets. All are pretty old and don't come with any visors.

Anyone try these stick-on light sensitive films? Like transitions lens??

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/pro-grip-light-sensitive-shield

While its not a horrible idea, it would suffer from my comments made earlier about the other kind of stick-on:   Concerned that it would scratch, it doesn't cover the whole view area, might touch your nose, might introduce additional internal reflection layers, in the cold could have fog between the layers, and would be very concerned on installing it without ruining it.

Additional concerns- most photosensitive materials are triggered by UV, not by visible light.  And many clear shields have UV protection built into them.  If that is the case with yours, the add-on film might not darken, or darken as much as you want or expect.  And on other shields (like mine), that have an anti-fog treatment on the inside, the stick-on adhesive might permanently damage the shield if it is removed later (so it could be a non-reversible test).

Of course, at $22, it is cheap enough to give it a try.  :)