Dual sport helmets on the road
Discussion
I’m sure we’ve done this one but I couldn’t find it with a search (what a surprise).
Criteria is easy:
Very rarely do over 100mph but regularly over 75. Mainly between 10 and 70.
Bike is a BMW S1000XR with a standard screen.
Reasons for wanting a dual sport is because I think they look cooler but mainly because 50% of my riding is east/west in the am/pm, so I’m nearly always looking into the sun and dual sports have a sun visor.
So do they work at sub 100 but over 75, or will it rip my head off?
Criteria is easy:
Very rarely do over 100mph but regularly over 75. Mainly between 10 and 70.
Bike is a BMW S1000XR with a standard screen.
Reasons for wanting a dual sport is because I think they look cooler but mainly because 50% of my riding is east/west in the am/pm, so I’m nearly always looking into the sun and dual sports have a sun visor.
So do they work at sub 100 but over 75, or will it rip my head off?
Camelot1971 said:
Why not get a helmet with a drop down sun shade like the Shoei GT-Air? Works great.
If you get one of those, don't get the Shoei GT-Air. On the third return of mine, I rejected it and replaced with an Arai. The visor wouldn't seal, the pinlock wouldn't keep the mist out despite being refitted by the dealer, and the virus also leaked water down the inside at the slightest drop of rain. Apparently I wasn't the only one to return one for those reasons. The Arai sun visor system is comedically stupid though.I've just bought a Bell dual-sport helmet, mostly for off-road although I'll use it like you for low sun days. It has two fat vents on the top though which aren't closable, so, not this week.
CAPP0 said:
Camelot1971 said:
Why not get a helmet with a drop down sun shade like the Shoei GT-Air? Works great.
If you get one of those, don't get the Shoei GT-Air. On the third return of mine, I rejected it and replaced with an Arai. The visor wouldn't seal, the pinlock wouldn't keep the mist out despite being refitted by the dealer, and the virus also leaked water down the inside at the slightest drop of rain. Apparently I wasn't the only one to return one for those reasons. The Arai sun visor system is comedically stupid though.I've just bought a Bell dual-sport helmet, mostly for off-road although I'll use it like you for low sun days. It has two fat vents on the top though which aren't closable, so, not this week.
Really not a fan of the drop down sun visors. I don’t like the look of them. Also, I’m not sure what it does that my dark visor doesn’t already fail at, which is keeping low and direct sun out of my eyes twice a day. If you commute into London from Dartford each day, you won’t be as atuned to the issue as if you come in from Slough, for example. As the sun is always at your back.
I do like the look of that AGV though.
I do like the look of that AGV though.
Edited by 308mate on Monday 12th February 23:36
To each their own, but I think they look a bit daft personally but that is mostly because I don't understand how using the peak to keep the sun out your eyes could possibly offset the enormous aerodynamic disadvantages.
GT-Air though, awesome helmet, but also one of the weakest in Shoei's range for side impacts, shell sizes are large so gives you a bobble head, and those awesome vents occasionally let the bugs in and smash your Pinlock right in your field of vision (I'm on my third).
I've never had sustained problems with the sun in my eyes though.
GT-Air though, awesome helmet, but also one of the weakest in Shoei's range for side impacts, shell sizes are large so gives you a bobble head, and those awesome vents occasionally let the bugs in and smash your Pinlock right in your field of vision (I'm on my third).
I've never had sustained problems with the sun in my eyes though.
I had a weird incident with a dual sport helmet years ago. I was riding past a wood and pheasant flew across me and got wedged for a second or so under the sun visor. Luckily I wasn't going too fast but it was a bit scary. Pigeons often glide at head height on lanes too.
I quite like my dual sport helmet, although the funny shaped visor tends to make oncoming cat headlights seem very blinding with mine, not sure if anyone else has had that experience.
I quite like my dual sport helmet, although the funny shaped visor tends to make oncoming cat headlights seem very blinding with mine, not sure if anyone else has had that experience.
Stig said:
I use a Schuberth S2 (nice and quiet) which has an integral tinted shade, but the most effective (and cheapest) thing to do is stick two strips of black PVC tape to the top of the visor at a height where your eyes are shielded from the sun!
Job done
That seems like a great idea to me. Job done
Would a normal helmet with a photochromatic visor not be a better solution?
I have one fitted to my Shoei and it's fantastic. It goes as dark as a traditional dark visor does when need be, and is completely clear at night.
The good thing about it is, is that it adjusts the level of tint dependent on the light levels outside.
Also comes with pinlock too so it literally everything I could ever need.
There's a thread on here somewhere than I posted a quick youtube link to that showed how mine reacted from fully clear to fully dark on a bright day.
I have one fitted to my Shoei and it's fantastic. It goes as dark as a traditional dark visor does when need be, and is completely clear at night.
The good thing about it is, is that it adjusts the level of tint dependent on the light levels outside.
Also comes with pinlock too so it literally everything I could ever need.
There's a thread on here somewhere than I posted a quick youtube link to that showed how mine reacted from fully clear to fully dark on a bright day.
airsafari87 said:
Would a normal helmet with a photochromatic visor not be a better solution?
I have one fitted to my Shoei and it's fantastic. It goes as dark as a traditional dark visor does when need be, and is completely clear at night.
The good thing about it is, is that it adjusts the level of tint dependent on the light levels outside.
Also comes with pinlock too so it literally everything I could ever need.
There's a thread on here somewhere than I posted a quick youtube link to that showed how mine reacted from fully clear to fully dark on a bright day.
Traditional dark visor doesn’t do the job. I have one fitted to my Shoei and it's fantastic. It goes as dark as a traditional dark visor does when need be, and is completely clear at night.
The good thing about it is, is that it adjusts the level of tint dependent on the light levels outside.
Also comes with pinlock too so it literally everything I could ever need.
There's a thread on here somewhere than I posted a quick youtube link to that showed how mine reacted from fully clear to fully dark on a bright day.
CAPP0 said:
Camelot1971 said:
Why not get a helmet with a drop down sun shade like the Shoei GT-Air? Works great.
If you get one of those, don't get the Shoei GT-Air. On the third return of mine, I rejected it and replaced with an Arai. The visor wouldn't seal, the pinlock wouldn't keep the mist out despite being refitted by the dealer, and the virus also leaked water down the inside at the slightest drop of rain. Apparently I wasn't the only one to return one for those reasons. The Arai sun visor system is comedically stupid though.I've just bought a Bell dual-sport helmet, mostly for off-road although I'll use it like you for low sun days. It has two fat vents on the top though which aren't closable, so, not this week.
Stig said:
........ but the most effective (and cheapest) thing to do is stick two strips of black PVC tape to the top of the visor at a height where your eyes are shielded from the sun!
Job done
I always stick a strip of insulation tape inside the visor, just above eye line - works as good as any peak but without any side effects.Job done
I also use a Bell Moto-X helmet for road trials but find the peak is so narrow, sun comes past the edge, you end up riding with your head facing towards the side with eyes forward - OK at 30/40 but hate to do it at 70/80!
Edited by graham22 on Tuesday 13th February 12:59
MartinB7 said:
Shark Explore has removable peak, visor, goggles and an internal sun visor, recently bought mine for £140 online from Helmet City and we’ll pleased
I'll second this as I have an Explore R with a photoreactive pinlock. You can run it as a normal helmet most of the time and then put the peak on during the times of year that the sun is at an awkward level.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff