Tinted visors

Tea Drinker
Don
Joined
13 Apr 2010
Posts
18,486
Location
Sunny Sussex
Your opinion on tinted visors?

I had one on my previous helmet, now I have purchased a new one I realise how much I took a tint it for granted when riding, I am someone who wears contact lenses and i think a tint makes the lenses more comfortable so I wear sunglasses a lot as well.

Was looking at getting one for my new shoei but also looked at the iridium ones, any one know what they are like?
 
Only bad thing with them is legally and practically you need a clear visor when dark etc. I got my eyes lasered last year and tinted visor is just fab during the day but worse than was without the lasering at night, cant see a bloody thing.

So if your out all day you should have a clear visor with you as well.
 
AFAIK Iriduium is completly illegal.

Tinted are great providing you know your going to be at your destination before its dark or you have somewhere to store a clear visor to swap it with later on
 
I'm considering the pinlock system it's standard on my Shoei and I could whip out the tint quickly without the need for a second visor.

One thing I have noticed is because my visor is double glazed it's very strange not stopping and having to lift your visor, big advantage
 
AFAIK Iriduium is completly illegal.

Tinted are great providing you know your going to be at your destination before its dark or you have somewhere to store a clear visor to swap it with later on

I understand that tinteds can be illegal too, depending on how tinty tint they are. I got one for my shoei the day I passed and it's so much nicer than wearing shades. Whenever I went long distance (which was pretty much every journey) I'd take my clear visor in case I got stopped.
 
I understand that tinteds can be illegal too, depending on how tinty tint they are. I got one for my shoei the day I passed and it's so much nicer than wearing shades. Whenever I went long distance (which was pretty much every journey) I'd take my clear visor in case I got stopped.

I think it's 50% and with a BS mark and in daylight anything above won't have a BS mark, however depends on why you have been pulled over in the first place, what you attitude is to the officer and what the officers attitude is
 
I don't think my visor is legal, as it is quite heavily tinted. But I will always ride with it during the day unless the weather is heavily overcast. I find it get a lot of glare on my glasses otherwise if I don't, and makes my life much more difficult. I always carry my clear visor on me too, on a waste band type thing, and I'm completely used to it now I don't even feel it when riding.
 
The majority of police in my area seem to use a bit of common sense rergarding tinted visors. As long as they see you have a clear one with you, they are ok with it.

The iridium one get damaged really easy dont they? (the coating that is)
they looked ok in the 90's but I prefer a plain dark/tinted visor nowdays:p
 
Iridium can be a nightmare with finger marks and bug splat, You can get legal tints now, i have a few friends with them but my dark visor is still good so i will stick with that for a bit longer, one thing i have noticed here in Nottingham.......... if you look closely at the Police motorcycle riders i am sure they are all using legal tinted visors.
 
I was lost on long rides without my dark visor. I always had the clear strapped round me. I got stopped once one evening, perahaps 30 mins before sunset by a police biker who asked to see I had a clear visor with me. He didnt ask me to change it there and then but I suppose seeing as I had it on me he knew I would change it once it got a bit dark.
 
I have the dark tint and an iridium visor for my Shoei XR1100, but compared to the same style visors on my Arai Chaser, the Shoei ones seem to be a tad lighter.
 
AFAIK the finish on Iridium visors isn't too stable so be prepared to replace them regularly, plus they are an obvious pull if plod is having a bad day. I've had a 3rd party dark tint visor (not road legal) on my XR1000 for a couple of years and it's been fine, no 2nd looks from the police, quality in terms of scratch resistance is possibly not as good as a genuine Shoei but it was half the price.......
 
The iridium for the XR1100 is £59.99 and the tinted is £37.99 if the iridium needs replacing a lot I think I'll stick with the tinted
 
I don't care if they are illegal, if it means that it protects me from glare from the sun then they're all good. If I know I'm going to be riding when it gets dark, I carry a clear visor with me as well (like a belt). Since having laser eye surgery it's even better, and I hate wearing sunglasses or glasses under my lid.
 
Work mate bought of of these flip front ones, it's pretty cool to be honest. I want one now too.

I had one, was a handy helmet to have, especially with glasses. But did find it quiet a nosey lid, and they're generally much bigger in size than standard lids.
 
I had one, was a handy helmet to have, especially with glasses. But did find it quiet a nosey lid, and they're generally much bigger in size than standard lids.


I've looked at the cheaper ones on the market and didn't like the quality, i've just spent £260 on a decent full face lid, I think to get the quality of the Shoei in a flip front I'd be looking at spending £4-500
 
Back
Top Bottom