Open face helmet, visor, goggles????????????? Any preferences? Thanks.

[themoudie]

Good evening,

May I ask if people have any preferences for open face helmets, visors or goggles to be worn with said helmets? My old Arai full face is getting yucky and either a Bell, Arai or Davida open face and visor appeals! Spectacles our now needed! 

Maximum velocity is usually ~ 70mph - 80mph, lots of backroad to A road dawdles, rather than dual carriageway or motorway blasts. Usually out and about 365 days of the year, providing the snow isn't thick and the frost has lifted.

Tim's head gear appeared well suited at the 30's club run across, around the Trossachs recently, but I have been pondering, "procrastinating"  for a while.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

My regards, Bill

[timbo]

I was a full face man, until a few years ago. Now I couldn't wear one, as they feel too enclosing and obscure vision. I wear a cheap open face, which I bought off someone I know, who had only used it a couple of times, for £20. I then picked up a dark flip down small visor which just clips on to the three push studs on the front of the helmet. For eye protection, I've taken to wearing cheap safety glasses from Screwfix. It saves all that messing about with goggles   

[Andy M]

Proper Halcyon RAF goggles are superior to modern ones in the long run. You you carry spare/tinted lenses, a strap etc.  They adjust across the bridge of the nose on a screw thread and the face bit is actually sealed to the frames. Glasses give more issues with the helmet than the goggles, you need to try them on together. I use a cheapo scooter lid that lets the glases back towards your face but holds the goggles to itself rather than pulled back against the glasses.

+1 on the safety glasses they do the job. You will also need serious earplugs.

I've just bought my first full face in fifteen years. The aerodynamics on the NC made open face really loud, yet full face is mega quiet .

Andy

[CrazyFrog]

I prefer open face, but do tend to wear full face in the winter (cos I'm a lily livered wimp!). The only problem I have with open face lids is that with sun glasses or safety glasses, I find that after an hour or so the pressure of the helmet pushing the side pieces into the side of my head becomes uncomfortable. I also find that goggles don't fit well with modern open face lids, presumably because the padding is now thicker and therefore the overall size of the lid is bigger. This tends to hold the goggles away from the face, and leads to them lifting up at speeds over 60mph.

Just my observations, YMMV.

[iansoady]

I've never got on with full face helmets, finding them absolutely claustrophobic. After many years progressing(?) through Stadium, Davida etc with goggles ranging from Uvex (the best) to Mk V111s (the worst) I now have a cheap Nitro (around £35). I've been using this model for around 10 years and am now on my second instance. I find it very comfortable; the visor is easy to use and fits over glasses well; the short peak is useful to keep the sun out of my eyes. The current versions have a ratchet type fastening that's quick and seems secure (although the first one of this version I bought was faulty). The first one did have a gold ACU sticker which sadly is now missing.

Unfortunately the Brough is extra:

[JOOLZ]

I have mostly worn open face lids, in the early days it was worn with Halcyon goggles, now I need glases I have a Viper open face with visor and I am pretty happy wih it. I still have my full faced tucked away, an original Simpson Drag Bandit, with very narrow eye ports, however its like riding looking through a letterbox

[guest1247]

Hi Bill, Just thought I would add a couple more variables to your decision making... Some years back, I quite fancied a Bell open-face helmet... So much so, that I had quite a long drive to try one before I bought... In the shop I tried one, ( in more than one size ), and could not get it off my head fast enough..!!  The manager said " Quite a few people have had the same reaction"... It appears that if you buy a Bell helmet in the States, it is what it says on the tin... On our side of the pond, if it says Bell on the tin, it was made by "Bieffe" , an Italian firm... I did buy on that particular occasion, a Shoei ... RJ Platinum-R ... the best open-face helmet I have come across so far ... ( Still available )... As for goggles versus visors.... I love goggles.... or rather I did, until the day I stopped a bloody big bumble bee with my top lip... whilst doing motorway speeds..!! One more variable to consider... a flip - front helmet... My Nolan flip front seemed to be a good compromise between the two designs... I hope this hasn't clouded the issue ... Regards, Tony

[timbo]

Dear Crazyfrog, that's exactly what I thought 

[squirrelciv]

Hi Bill,

Bell Classic 500 with a yellow [fixed] bubble visor. Love it! Tried goggles and couldn't get on with them. Used to have a flip up visor with a peak, but found the edge wore against the helmet and marked it. Settled on the bubble because it doesn't mist up and does a pretty good job of deflecting rain away from my chin/neck.

Just a thought...

[mthee]

I was considering an open face recently, settling on first trying a Held Rune because it was the only budget helmet being produced in 3 shell sizes, so that my smallish head wouldn't appear enormous;

http://www.getgeared.co.uk/Motorcycle_Helmets/Open-Face_Helmets

As with getgeared, this other online retailer does free returns on helmets so long as labels and stickers remain intact, so careful road testing is possible. Just recently I ordered a £40 rain suit from them and when my order was delayed by a few days, they apologised and sent a £10 voucher. Lots of customer reviews as well.

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_group/_/(1;product_rating;DESC;0-0;all;5)

[002]

The last 20+ years have been a succession of Davida Jet with Bob Heath Flip-Up Visor.



Jethro

[themoudie]

Thank you All, for your time and trouble to reply to my query. Just returned from a 560 mile stravaig through the Highlands that included the use of the new helmet. Trip  , new helmet    . Further chit chat and info once I've caught up! 

Regards, Bill