Thoughts on transition visors

[daveinlim]

I've had my hjc for 4 years and Im thinking of changing it for something new.

 

Commuting means lots of days with low sun so I like having an internal sun visor.

 

Are transition visors any good? I've seen Bell do some and wonder if they would be a good alternative. 

[S-Westerly]

I've no personal experience but would also like to know as if they were available as a replacement would possibly fit one.

[manxie49]

Never owned one myself but I did talk to someone local who purchased one a while ago as I was considering getting one, I remember him telling me that don't go as dark as pictures would suggest and they don't lighten back up that quickly from dark either, not 100% sure but I don't think they're road legal either, although I've never been pulled for having a dark visor on my helmet in summer.  I think the big thing that put me off buying one was the eye watering cost.

[Ian Frog]

As long as you dont regularly ride into tunnels lol.

I have always worried the transition time could leave you vunerable to bricks in the road or potholes etc.

Cheers

Ian

[fullscreenaging]

I would stick to the internal visor option. As you know you change the vision gradient in an instant should you

need to. 
 

[Stu]

I would rather be in control of when it goes light or dark! 

[daveinlim]

2 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

As long as you dont regularly ride into tunnels lol.

I have always worried the transition time could leave you vunerable to bricks in the road or potholes etc.

Cheers

Ian

Yeah it's the speed of the change more than the gradient of darkness that concerns me. 

 

I'd be worried that it doesn't change quick enough when coming back to light and having a dark visor on the dark could be dangerous. 

[JRH]

Pinlock do a transition insert lens

[onesea]

5 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

As long as you dont regularly ride into tunnels lol.

I have always worried the transition time could leave you vunerable to bricks in the road or potholes etc.

Cheers

Ian

 

A long winded extract from a long winded and article, investigating the loss of a yacht and her crew.  Admittedly the sight requirements at sea vary from that on the roads.
 

 I would be careful with them particularly at dawn and dusk when your frequent transitioning from light to dark...
 

“The glasses were examined and a report was prepared (Annex 1), which concluded that the optical transmission of the lenses was no more than 80% efficient and, taking into account all of the other known factors, was probably less at the time of the accident. This compares to 94.7% and 99.4% optical transmittance of ordinary uncoated and coated lenses, respectively. This was a startling result as the consequences of such a reduction in night vision had not been fully appreciated by opticians and ophthalmologists before the investigation of this accident.
The report also stated that it would be correct to assume that a uniform reduction in brightness due to the optical density of the lenses would decrease the likelihood that a subject would detect the lights of shipping vessels.
It appears, therefore, that the lookout’s glasses would have been a contributory factor when considering why Ouzo’s lights were not seen earlier. However, there are no rules or guidelines concerning the wearing of such glasses on the bridge of a vessel at night. This incident has raised a serious concern that glasses fitted with photochromic lenses are inappropriate for use by lookouts on the bridge of merchant vessels. It also raises the question of applicability of use by operators in other modes of transport.”

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c7053ed915d4c10000083/OuzoReport.pdf

[geofferz]

I played with one with 20 minutes in a dealer whilst stopping over for a coffee. Bell though, but still. I think they're practical. I regularly ride through tunnels with my dark smoke visor on, no problem, and transitions get nowhere near that dark so I don't buy the tunnel issue. 

 

In fact they don't get dark enough for me, hence I don't use them. 

 

My old lid had an internal drop down visor which I'd be just as happy to use if I went touring with a clear visor (riding day into tonight). If your lid doesn't have one then I think transitions are a good idea if you don't wanna carry a spare clear visor. I have been caught a few times in the dark with a dark smoke - not fun. 

[S-Westerly]

My current lid has a drop down sun visor so I reckon I'll stick with that option. Rules out Arai but my preferred lids are Shoei or Schuberth (current) and they both do decent helmets with drop down inner visors.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I wear transition glasses and I've never had an issue with riding through tunnels. The times when I do notice it is when it's a really bright day and you suddenly come into a densely wooded area, they can be much darker more suddenly than tunnels. With a transition visor surely you'd just pop it open at that stage - problem solved.

 

I have drop down sun visors on my helmets but to be honest I find them a bit of a faff and rarely use them. Weird thing is I am left handed but I can't operate the visor left handed. I always make a cack of it.

[fullscreenaging]

2 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I wear transition glasses and I've never had an issue with riding through tunnels. The times when I do notice it is when it's a really bright day and you suddenly come into a densely wooded area, they can be much darker more suddenly than tunnels. With a transition visor surely you'd just pop it open at that stage - problem solved.

 

I have drop down sun visors on my helmets but to be honest I find them a bit of a faff and rarely use them. Weird thing is I am left handed but I can't operate the visor left handed. I always make a cack of it.

 

You just need to get the muscle memory going. 
I had that issue with my last lid. Shoei Neotec. At the beginning of each season I would struggle to find the lever/slider. After a few attempts just sat on the bike the memory came back.

[daveinlim]

10 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I wear transition glasses and I've never had an issue with riding through tunnels. The times when I do notice it is when it's a really bright day and you suddenly come into a densely wooded area, they can be much darker more suddenly than tunnels. With a transition visor surely you'd just pop it open at that stage - problem solved.

 

I have drop down sun visors on my helmets but to be honest I find them a bit of a faff and rarely use them. Weird thing is I am left handed but I can't operate the visor left handed. I always make a cack of it.

Some are easier than others. My hjc has it on the top so it's easy to get at with either hand.