Helmet visor up or down?

[PhilipJCaputo]

I typically find myself riding with my visor up. I like the extra air that flows into the helmet. I'm always wearing some eye protection or the visor stays down. With the windshield at all by the highest 15-25% of its range, my eyes are looking over the top.

 

The other day on my way to work I captured the following video (edited for dramatic effect). Speed between 40 and 45 mph.

 

 

After I got home that night and watched the footage, I noticed that I flipped my visor down (I don't remember doing it). You can also see that I don't get my hand back to the grip in time for the collision. I would say that in most instances there wouldn't be any time to flip the visor down.

 

Really, the things come flying out of the back of that truck so fast as it is.

 

 

So the question is, visor up or down? Clearly safer to ride with it down, but doesn't provide the same 'wind in your face' feeling. I'll probably make more of an effort to become comfortable with the visor down.

 

FYI, no damage done, I didn't even see the styrofoam in my mirrors. At highway speeds it could have easily been a sheet of plywood.

[Jaguar]

I always ride with my visor up. I've got a Parabellum on my R12R and I see just over the top of it. If it's really cold or I get caught in a quick rain shower, I can flip it down, but I like the little bit of wind in my face.

[Francois_Dumas]

When it is not extremely hot, I keep the visor closed, except when riding in town.

 

After last year's little excursion into the side of the road, after a bug flew into my open visor and got behind my glasses, I tend to keep it down when Nina is along...... or she won't come anymore.

 

So yes, obviously the thing is there on your helmet for a reason

[Mister Tee]

I never ride with my visor up unless I'm going at parking lot speeds.

 

The collection of bugs I have to clean off my visor every fill up (and every ride, in the Spring) speaks for itself.

[K9_RN]

I ride with the visor almost all the way down. Open an inch or so at the bottom. I get some wind and almost everything else stays out.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

When I was in high school, a driver-ed instructor told us about riding on a motorcycle with an open-face helmet, when a bee hit him and got wedged between the helmet and his cheek. He saw in the mirror that the bee's butt was not wedged, and was wiggling around, presumably attempting to connect with the rider's face. He managed to get the bike stopped and get rid of the bee before that happened, but ever since then I've always had this phobia about something similar happening.

 

In terms of exposure to FOD, riding with the visor up is a bit like wearing a 3/4-helmet - better than nothing, but not as good as it could be. If you're aware of the risks and making an informed decision, well, I guess it's up to you what to do with your visor.

 

I do ride with the visor up, but only at speeds below about 15-20 MPH, i.e. only when puttering along in stop-and-go-traffic. I may keep it cracked open a smidge at higher speeds, but never so far up as to admit ballistic items.

[EddyQ]

Nice video. Yeh, I've seen plywood do this. A year ago I had a rather large branch fly up and come within a foot of me on the freeway. Scary stuff.

 

As for the question. I ride with windshield all the way down and faceshield open just a bit. This gets me nice air. When my speed increases to >50mph, I often shut the faceshield because it gets loud. I may also lift the windshield a bit also.

[BerndM]

When I'm on the freeway or doing over about 65mph, I usually have the windshield all the way up and my visor in the almost closed position. I have found that this is the quietest and least buffeting position for me.

I used to keep my visor open at speed with the windshield up until I got smacked in the face by some sort of HUGE bug that splattered on my cheek and then proceeded to ooze down towards my mouth.

GROSS!!!! thank goodness I was able to stop and clean it up before it got there!

The bug apparently made it over the top of the fully raised windshield and right at me. Ever since then, I just keep the visor open about 1 inch.

 

[AviP]

About 15 years ago, I was riding in the Lake George area around dusk at speed and had my visor up. All of a sudden I get hit dead center on my forehead, between the eyebrows and above the bridge of my nose. I was wearing sunglasses but the bug hit me right above the center piece of the sunglasses. The impact, and I stress on the word impact, was unlike anything I had felt before. I almost felt I was punched in the face with a hammer. I did feel faint and had to stop and collect myself.

 

From then on my visor stays down.

 

P.S. I did continue to ride and came across the biggest swarm of bugs I've ever ridden through. My entire jacket in the shoulder area was covered in green slime with legs sticking out. There wasn't a single clean spot. Windshield was green. My visor was green and my burgundy ZX11 was green on the front cowl. I did thank the prior incident for making me put my visor down.

 

P.S. to P.S. And a little further down, I had a bird hit that killed the bird. It was a really eventful ride.

[PhilipJCaputo]

About 15 years ago, I was riding in the Lake George area around dusk at speed and had my visor up. All of a sudden I get hit dead center on my forehead, between the eyebrows and above the bridge of my nose.

 

reminds me of a time when I wasn't quite as experienced. I had an older Honda Nighthawk 650 (or 750, don't remember). I stayed out too long, the sun had gone down, and I was without clear glasses for the ride home. (and no helmet )

 

I was trying to keep my sunglasses low on my face as to protect as much as possible while still not looking through them. A tiny gnat hit me right in the eyeball. Even though only one eye was hit, both eyes seemed to want to slam shut.

 

I'm very conscious about having at least one layer of eye protection.

[Big_Gray]

If I am moving, I try to keep it down. I got hit in the cheek by a bumble bee at 65 mph about 25 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was momentarily blind from the pain and the tears and nearly ran off the road. I bought a full face shortly after that. The motorcycle of the time had no windscreen but still...

[Jaguar]

In terms of exposure to FOD, riding with the visor up is a bit like wearing a 3/4-helmet - better than nothing, but not as good as it could be. If you're aware of the risks and making an informed decision, well, I guess it's up to you what to do with your visor.

 

Wow, I'm really outnumbered on this one. I've been riding my entire life (since issued my first drivers license.) I've got over 300,000 miles on BMW's. I always have and always will ride with my shield up. I've been hit in the face, stung by bees, crapped on by birds (twice), eaten lots of dust and dirt and my face shield on my 3/4 HJC stays up. A full face is out of the question. Can't and won't wear one.

[DiggerJim]

Wow, I'm really outnumbered on this one.

Maybe or maybe not. I'm with you - I generally have it up now that I have a helmet with an innershield. So daytime is clear visor up & tinted innershield down (to the nose). Get the fresh air & open feeling as well as protection from most foreign objects. At night the clear shield comes down, tinted goes up & the night bugs smash into the bike - I have a Vstream shield on the bike and it carries insects, dust, etc. up over my helmet. During cold weather riding I usually use the clear shield (with or without the inner one based on the sun) but cracked one click (about 1/4") to let in some breeze...otherwise my cheeks freeze.

[Fubar]

Down. I ride with a Shoei. If moving extremely slow, i.e., stop & go barely get the feet off the ground or parking lot speeds I'll lift it. If I need air in my face I raise it 1 notch but that blocks the forehead vent so rarely do I do this, even in summer. And I wear sunglasses always behind a tinted/smoke shield(except at night).

I'd rather sweat a little than eat a rock/junebug/dragonfly/chunk of tire, etc. all of which have hit me at some point in my travels, even with the windscreen up.

[Groanup]

Last year while riding in the Sequoia Nat. Forest with my faceshield open a crack, I had a wasp fly in. I saw it out of the corner of my eye coming from the right side and low. It slid right in behind my windshield, under my cracked visor, and up into my helmet. It must have been (understandably) angered by it's situation as it started stinging me just next to my right eye. Hurt like a sumbich. So I let go of the throttle and proceeded to use my gloved finger to smash the thing into green/yellow mush which then ran down my face... My wife (on the pillion) thought I'd lost my mind or something (I vaguely remember her asking me if I was crazy, but I was kinda busy so I can't be sure). I somehow managed through all this NOT to run us off the road... Took a look in a mirror when we stopped for lunch and it Didn't look so bad. Just a little red spot...

By the time we got home it looked (and felt) like I'd been slugged in the eye.

I still crack the visor in town when the going is slow. Otherwise I keep it closed.

[tallman]

To me this is one of those ABS or not, traction control or not, helmet at all or not questions.

Until something happens, and it might never occur, it doesn't matter.

But, when it does, there might not be enough time, practice, skill, or good fortune, to prevent a negative outcome that was avoidable.

 

Of course this is where someeone tells me the obvious about riding and risk taking.

 

Recalling the eye problems Az Al had at UN X from a small piece of cottonwood that was in his eye I would try to reduce

the possibility.

 

I keep my visor closed most of the time.

But crack it a bit in some weather conditions.

Having a fog free visor helps.

 

At stop or very slow speeds I'm like many who open it up for fresh air.

 

Riding down the road I've had cigarette ash/ember come in through my vents with the visor down.

Sometimes there isn't anything to do but cry.

[Survived-til-now]

Definitely visor down unless at very low speed in town and I am starting to mist up.

 

I was throwing an old helmet out once that needed replacement and I decided that it would be best if I destroyed it so that someone else didn't pick it up and use it. So I tried to destroy it using a hammer. I hit the visor very hard several times and was amazed at the punishment it took without breaking.

 

We have lots of loose chipped roads round here and occasionally a lorry chucks up a stone - that's when you find out the advantages of riding with your visor down........

[Quinn]

I find myself lifting my faceshield up at stoplights and when starting off from parking. As soon as I get my feet up and myself situated, down it goes with optional crack at the bottom. Been known to open it when coming into town and slowing to 35 or below. Nice to feel a little air and lose some of the claustraphobia. I've had a bee fly into my helmet and sting me beside my ear and I've had a truck coming toward me kick out a rock that hit dead on the faceshield. Neither has taught me the lesson to not raise my shield when I think it appropriate.

 

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[leikam]

Riding in Texas once I came around a corner to find a turkey buzzard having a snack in the middle of the road. We were both pretty startled and as he flew up over me I had to duck to avoid an impact. After that, I saw the wisdom of riding with my visor closed. I do crack it for a bit more air but not enough for a buzzard to fly in.

[ThomasJ]

Think this is one of those things that I will say when it happens "I wish I had listened to the guys on the forum". Unless its very cold or rainy my visor is up...but always wearing double eye wear...regular glasses and cocoon over-sun-glasses or small goggles (the kind that fit in my RF1000). Gets the wife annoyed when chatting on the intercom though (the other time its down too)...I'm sure a swarm of bees will cure me.

[StroupDog]

Sheild up with sunglasses or safety glasses. If its cold, visor down. If there are swarms of bees, visor down. If it's raining, visor down. If I see and object coming, visor flipped down much like in the video. Mostly visor up though.

[terryofperry]

Visor down, always. don't like wind in the face.

 

Terry

[Rougarou]

Depends on the mood. Sometimes I ride at highway speeds with it up, sometimes just barely up, and sometimes all the way down.

[LBump]

I always freak when the bugs and what not come into the face area...once on a hot and humid mid-Atlantic tour I had the visor up... and what do u know, a Yellow Jacket came in between the helmet and my temple. Stung me, almost a low speed crash off onto the shoulder. Got the helmet off and the !%** bee was on the ground buzzing around in a circle. I then proceeded to pull his wings out and my brother removed the stinger from my head.

For the most part the visor is down... unless I want to take chances.

[NCStephen]

Typically I have the visor down. I have at times ridden with it at the very bottom detent (about 1/4 inch opening). I wear glasses and have a short sport shield on the K-RS. (Air flow about shoulder level) I am amazed at the debris that flows into my face through that small opening. Hence the chin vent usually provides adequate ventilation. I am also amazed when at times I hit a swarm of insects and the face shield sounds like I am riding in the rain. One night riding I hit something and suddenly there was light all over the right side of the shield startling me. Immediately the helmet filled with a smell from my childhood. A lightning bug had hit right at the bottom edge of the sheild and spread its chemical light across the shield and smell into the cracks and vents. Yes I have in the past also had a yellow jacket wedge in my helmet and sting me.. not fun. Still I enjoy the higher flow of air with the crack. Around town, I will open it at a stop light, close it again afterward.

 

95% down the way, 4% small crack, 1% the small opening Shoei helmets offer as a 1/8 inch crack on the left bottom side of the shield.

 

NCS

[Stan Walker]

Up, almost always up unless weather or insects or other conditions mandate it down.

 

If I wanted to hide from the world I would buy a car.......

 

Stan

[tazplas]

Riding down the road I've had cigarette ash/ember come in through my vents with the visor down.

Sometimes there isn't anything to do but cry.

 

You really shouldn't be smoking when you are riding

 

Anyways i'm in the 'visor up' crowd

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Autocom Matt]

For me, Visor Down, almost always. Even most redlights. My Shoi RF-1100 vents a ton of air and as long as I'm 10mph or more, I have breeze. Sometimes I shut visor vent cause my eyes start to dry.

[dba]

Up to speeds of 35-40 mph, I have the visor up just notch. I keep a dark, mirrored visor on most of the time so I want the shading ability of the visor. Once I'm at speed, it's always down and only opened when I need to adjust my eyeglasses.

[NCStephen]

I stayed out too long, the sun had gone down, .

 

I have had be caught out like that as well. I usually now have a clear shield somewhere on the bike. However, I have found the midtint of the "mirrored" shields to be workable at night if there is lots of light from other sources. I have had to ride home on the Interstate and I was surprised at how well I could see. Equally, I was surprised at how much was blocked when then on a two lane road with just my light sources. I now use this mid tint range all the time for my regular shield. I wear glasses so using shades another obstacle.

 

NCS

[RichEdwards]

I do different things with the visor depending on conditions:

1. In the Florida heat, I ride with the visor up until I hit over 50 mph, then it comes 80% down.

2. During love-bug season (for a week or so in the Spring and Fall) I ride with the visor down. I've had dozens of love-bug strikes in just a few miles. Bumble bees can also be a problem when one is riding through an orange grove when the blossoms are out.

3. In low humidity states, I ride with the visor down. My eyes dry out if I let the wind stream over my face. Not a problem in Florida where the humidity always keeps my eyes lubricated.

4. In cold and/or rain the visor is down.