Internal helmet sunshade retrofit - does this exist?

[StuartV]

@mamadopoulos: I wore Arai helmets for over 20 years. Nothing else was ever close enough in comfort to make me switch. I'd rather spend $500 and be comfortable than spend $200 and have a sore head at the end of the day. My head is a medium long oval, with a high forehead. It just needs a handle on it.

Over a year and a half ago, I switched to a Bell Vortex, and now I also have a Bell RS-1. I still have an Arai, so I could wear that any time I want. But, the Bells are just as comfortable - to me. Note that the Bell Star (their most expensive model) is a different shell shape and not comfortable to me, at all.

AND, Bell offers a Transitions shield, which gets dark in sunlight, but clear at night. And these shields work! I've been running one on each helmet since I got them.

The Vortex is only $180, street price. The Transitions shield is about another $100. Completely worth it to me. I have not carried a spare shield with me, ever, since I got the Vortex. The RS-1 is more expensive and a little lighter. But, to me, no more comfortable. I would not have spent the money for an RS-1 except that I found a last-year's model in a discontinued color scheme that I liked and it was on sale for $199.

I mention this in case it's an option you prefer to getting a Sunax or Sun Blocker strip.

Even though I have the Transitions shield, I am still considering a Sunax (or Sun Blocker) just because no shield that I've ever tried does a truly great job of blocking the sun when it's morning or afternoon and the sun is almost directly behind a traffic light that I'm trying to watch.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by Stan_R80/7

If someone was crafty, they could make one of these from some window tint. While I make things on occasion, this was not one of them.

What do you think we've been talking about since page one?

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by Stan_R80/7

From your post, you referred to Sunax. So, you have a helmet sunblocker too? That was not in any way clear from your post.

How about you try to be clearer in the future, that way people won't be posting what you thought you meant to say.

Originally Posted by Xeraux

I use two things...

I have one of these in my Arai QuantumII:

http://www.britishmotorcyclegear.com/sunax-bx.asp






And in all my other helmets, including my Arai XD3, I cut sun shades out of static cling limo tint. It's about US$11.00 at AutoZone and you can probably cut 100 or more out of a roll.

Originally Posted by Xeraux

I really like the Sunax for exactly the reason you stated. You still get the same eye shade even when the shield is open a bit. Also, it's a really nice, professional-looking piece of kit. It almost looks OEM.

As far as working, they work equally well as long as the shield is down.

It's kind of hard to separate it from the costs. In my book, an $11.00 roll of static-cling, limo dark, window tint is the hands-down winner. You can put them in all your helmets and even give some out to your friends for a quarter of the price of the Sunax.

Originally Posted by Xeraux

I have several. I have an Arai Quantum II and XD3, a Shoei Multitec, and a Schuberth C3.

I use the Sunax in the Quantum II and a limo tint strip in all the others.

I didn't go with Shoeis because I was able to find Arais on clearance.

I'd say I was pretty clear.

[Stan_R80/7]

Originally Posted by StuartV

When you installed it, did you follow their directions? I.e. shield on the helmet and in the closed position, and then slide in the sunblocker from the top?

It seems like it would be a lot easier to put the sunblocker on with the shield removed from the helmet.

You should ask the know-it-all here, Xeraux. Apparently, he is the self-appointed expert about the helmet sunblocker and all things helmet shade related. I am surprised he has not chimed in already? Maybe it just takes more patience. Good luck!

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by Stan_R80/7

You should ask the know-it-all here, Xeraux. Apparently, he is the self-appointed expert about the helmet sunblocker and all things helmet shade related. I am surprised he has not chimed in already? Maybe it just takes more patience. Good luck!

When it's pretty obvious from your post(s) that you didn't read the thread and then attempt to bust someone and make it even more obvious you didn't read the thread and then delete the post where you cemented it, expect to take a little shit.

[StuartV]

Ummm, yeah. Stan, I'm not trying to throw fuel on the fire, but I saw the post you deleted and it seemed pretty out of line to me. And your last post is even worse. Man up and admit it and let's move on.

[StuartV]

Xeraux,

I tried to buy a Sunax yesterday, from the link you gave. By the time they threw in shipping and tax it was going to be something like 58 bucks!! I piss away money, but even I am not that bad! Crazy!

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by StuartV

Xeraux,

I tried to buy a Sunax yesterday, from the link you gave. By the time they threw in shipping and tax it was going to be something like 58 bucks!! I piss away money, but even I am not that bad! Crazy!

Yikes!

I don't remember paying that much for one. I wonder if the price or the shipping went up.

[bobframe]

My big "sun issue" happens with a very low sun, particularly in winter. I find that it can be really blinding. I tried several different tinted strips at the top of my visor and while they helped, in the worst conditions, it still wasn't enough.

So, I went "old school" and simply applied black electrical tape to my visor and the total black out solved my problem. Cheap, washable, reversible, ultimately customizable...it is an elegant solution. I now ride with an electrical tape visor year round.

[HowHH]

I've been using the limo cling film that others have written about. I forget what I paid, maybe 10-11 doollars? Like Xeraux has noted you could easily get 100 applications out of the roll. A lifetime supply for you and your friends.

To make future applications easy, I made a template out of cardboard. The film cuts easily with a razor knife.

On my helmet's Pinlock shield, the tint film cannot be mounted on the inside. I just apply the film to the outside of the shileld. I figured that if it flew off, no big deal since thay are so cheap to replace. However, the application has stayed secure, even riding all winter in various conditions.

Since the winter sun is especially annoying for my commute to and from work, I ended up sticking two layers of the limo tint film together. Even that stays stuck on great.

[SpeedyK]

Try a piece of x-ray film. Some folks have cut them to fit in the helmet itself, so it doesn't go up with the shield. Can't find that page right now.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by SpeedyK

Try a piece of x-ray film. Some folks have cut them to fit in the helmet itself, so it doesn't go up with the shield. Can't find that page right now.

Ooooh...

I hope it doesn't come off as me looking like I'm a know-it-all, but I'm betting this is what you're looking for.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...t-sun-blocker/

[E.O.T.D.]

Originally Posted by bobframe

My big "sun issue" happens with a very low sun, particularly in winter. I find that it can be really blinding. I tried several different tinted strips at the top of my visor and while they helped, in the worst conditions, it still wasn't enough.

So, I went "old school" and simply applied black electrical tape to my visor and the total black out solved my problem. Cheap, washable, reversible, ultimately customizable...it is an elegant solution. I now ride with an electrical tape visor year round.

I think this is worth repeating. I am crazy about what the next product i need to solve my next problem is but this is a simple problem, simple solution. I do exactly the same thing. Early morning... two strips of duct tape, then you peel them off one layer at a time as the sun goes higher in the sky. don't even have to pull over to do it. Sure you can't see through it, but thats the point. It will COMPLETELY get rid of the glare, not just make it "more manageable" Anything you can see through will still let direct light through.

AND... almost every gas station I have ever been to sells the stuff.
AND... a helmet visor won't help hold broken/ torn bits of your bike together should the need come up.

[max384]

I used to have an internal visor on my old Scorpion EXO 1000. I thought that was going to be an awesome feature that I used daily. In reality, it didn't do a great job of blocking out all the light. It didn't come down low enough. I would assume they do this for safety reasons so that there is less of a chance of cutting into your nose or cheeks in a wreck. However, it's still there, and you're still at risk of that happening.

I found that I almost never used the internal sun visor. I would use sunglasses because they worked far better, until just buying a second tinted visor. Carrying a second visor is the only way to go IMO. I certainly wouldn't want to run the risk of mangling my helmet or compromising safety to put one of these in.

For the really low blinding sun, the electrical tape on the visor sounds like a good idea. Though, to be honest, I usually get away with positioning my head low so that the sun is just above the visor. This has worked well for me, and my daily commute is east in the morning and west in the evening, which means lots of riding into the sun unfortunately.

[StuartV]

Originally Posted by max384

Carrying a second visor is the only way to go IMO.

Or, get a Bell helmet with a Transitions shield and never carry a spare shield again.

I love my Bell Vortex and my Bell RS-1. I have Transitions shields on both and they are awesome.