Blinded by the light: A helmet farkle.

I really enjoy riding at sunup and sundown. Here in September New Hampshire many country roads are tree covered tunnels and I often find myself bursting from shade into blinding direct sun. Tinted visors are too dark in the shade and still not dark enough for direct sun.
A few days ago I made a hairpin turn from the shade into sun directly ahead, just above the horizon. I was blinded for maybe a second, but it seemed much longer and came at a very dangerous time. I resolved to prevent that from happening again.
I thought about an ADV style helmet with one of those huge ‘beaks’ serving as a sun visor. I really dislike the look though. Then I thought about cutting a piece of plastic to shape and gluing it on as a brim. Then, just as most solutions tend to be the simplest - it hit me. Why not just use some duct tape from the roll in my top pannier? I could add a strip along the top clear part of each of my two helmets and that would block a low sun without intruding on my necessary field of vision. Worked like a charm! Pics included.
Plusses; Cheap, easy, reliable and effective.
Minuses; Cheap (anything for a Beamer that’s any good has to cost at least a hundred bucks, right?). Cuts into field of vision where an aircraft about to hit the wearer would not be seen by the wearer. This could also be considered a plus because really, how many of us could dodge an aircraft anyway?
I did find that if I’m first in line at an intersection I have to tilt my head up more to watch the light. Not a big deal and I do like to stay 12-15 feet back from the box so the angle tends to be less.

Been doing that for years. I use black tape.

Or someone can give 20 bucks to this guy!

http://www.helmetheadcycle.com/

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

oscs said:

Been doing that for years. I use black tape.

Or someone can give 20 bucks to this guy!

http://www.helmetheadcycle.com/

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

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You’ve been doing it for years? And never told me about it!?

Great minds think alike!

Been doing that for over 15 years, although I used blue painters tape for easy removal (removed it once).
Added to each new helmet.

The secret is to put your helmet on, get on your bike in a comfortable riding position and then mark your visor with a smallpiece of tape. Mark it JUST above your sightline when looking way down the road. Then take your helmet off and put a nice clean piece all the way across.

From then on, when heading east at sunrise or west at sunset only requires a slight dip of your head to block the sun.

Those Helmet Sunblockers don't block enough light in my opinion.

I wear an HJC modular with a second flip down sun shield, which still isn't enough riding into the sun. Years ago I stopped in a sign company, one that does vinyl wraps and they gave me a piece of black vinyl about a foot square. I put a strip of it across the top of the extra flip down sun shield. I stick it on a bit lower than one might think, so I need to lift my head slightly to see far down the road. I can see the next few hundred feet just fine. It makes a huge difference riding into the sun in the evening.

Someone used to sell a static cling dark strip to place at the top of a helmet shield.

Lee said:

Someone used to sell a static cling dark strip to place at the top of a helmet shield.

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Yes, the brand name was “Sundowner”. I have one in a drawer somewhere, but haven’t seen them in the market anywhere since modular helmets and drop-down sun visors became widespread.

Best,
DeVern

98lee said:

Great minds think alike!

Been doing that for over 15 years, although I used blue painters tape for easy removal (removed it once).
Added to each new helmet.

The secret is to put your helmet on, get on your bike in a comfortable riding position and then mark your visor with a smallpiece of tape. Mark it JUST above your sightline when looking way down the road. Then take your helmet off and put a nice clean piece all the way across.

From then on, when heading east at sunrise or west at sunset only requires a slight dip of your head to block the sun.

Those Helmet Sunblockers don't block enough light in my opinion.

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Your method to determine strip location was similar to mine. Then I placed a large piece of tape over the area and used a razor blade along the visor edges to trim the excess. The silvery duct tape sorta matches the silver areas on my Mars Red bike. Bonus!
Note to Devern: The drop down visor in my FJC was in the up position due to heavy shade, and is virtually ineffective anyway against dead ahead sun.

I’ve been putting blue painter’s tape on our visors for many years. The tape lasts as long as we use the helmets.

akbeemer said:

I’ve been putting blue painter’s tape on our visors for many years. The tape lasts as long as we use the helmets.

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I would have used the blue tape, but with a white 3/4 Bell and on a BMW I’d get arrested for impersonating a cop!

Lee said:

Someone used to sell a static cling dark strip to place at the top of a helmet shield.

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I was thinking of him, his name was Jim and I can’t for the life of me remember his last name. Everybody called him Bones… He died 10 or so years ago. Really good guy!

akbeemer said:

I’ve been putting blue painter’s tape on our visors for many years. The tape lasts as long as we use the helmets.

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Good job on keeping the cheap BMW rider reputation going

Lee said:

Good job on keeping the cheap BMW rider reputation going

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It’s a tuff job, but someone has to do it.

Visian said:

I was thinking of him, his name was Jim and I can’t for the life of me remember his last name. Everybody called him Bones… He died 10 or so years ago. Really good guy!

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That was his name: Jim Bones.

I'd wear a beak helmet before putting duct tape on my helmet and looking like a red headed step child personally.

I live in the valley of the sun, my sun shade pull down does just fine. I never put it all the way down, so I can read the gauges anyway. Sorta acts like this duct tape workaround.

brownie0486 said:

I'd wear a beak helmet before putting duct tape on my helmet and looking like a red headed step child personally.

I live in the valley of the sun, my sun shade pull down does just fine. I never put it all the way down, so I can read the gauges anyway. Sorta acts like this duct tape workaround.

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Duct tape got Apollo 13 home. It was cutting edge technology then and is cutting edge technology today, although it is being usurped by blue painter’s tape. Try to keep up….

akbeemer said:

Duct tape got Apollo 13 home. It was cutting edge technology then and is cutting edge technology today, although it is being usurped by blue painter’s tape. Try to keep up….

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Now that's funny

brownie0486 said:

I'd wear a beak helmet before putting duct tape on my helmet and looking like a red headed step child personally.

I live in the valley of the sun, my sun shade pull down does just fine. I never put it all the way down, so I can read the gauges anyway. Sorta acts like this duct tape workaround.

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In NH only off-roaders, and the odd ADV rider, wear beak helmets. And only when off-road. A red headed step child? I s that what you call a dweeb in your part of the woods? And just FYI, duct tape can be very tastefully applied. Stamp a Harley logo on it and the loud pipes boys would have it on their helmets. If they wore helmets.