Helmet Visors & Accessories
FAQ's
Reasons for Needing an XLMOTO Motorcycle Helmet Visor
A full-face helmet provides the best overall protection to the head. However, without a visor, its large optical opening becomes an air-scoop which destroys a motorcycle helmet's aerodynamics.
There are many good reasons for needing a motorcycle helmet visor and these include:
Drag
A low drag coefficient is one of the major boxes to tick for motorcycle helmet designers. A visor plays a huge part in how the helmet slips through the air. Motorcycle helmet aerodynamics are vital as they help keep the helmet steady at speed and reduce rider fatigue.
Reducing Wind Noise
It takes an alarmingly short amount of exposure to loud noise for hearing to become damaged. Well-designed, flush-fitting helmet visors cut wind noise dramatically. It’s this that helps prevent rider fatigue and distraction.
Protection from Impact
If a motorcyclist's face is hit by a bug or debris while riding at motorway speeds, the collision can result in lumps, bumps and cuts and worse still, cause damage to the eyes. For this reason, motorcycle helmet visors are built to withstand shock impact.
Pollution Protection
As the roads become more polluted, a visor combined with a breath guard or chin cover is the first defence against contamination.
Manufacture, Coatings and Safety Controls
Modern helmet visors look simple in their design but are complex to manufacture. Precise numbers of tiny polycarbonate beads are heated to melting point and then injected into a mould under tremendous pressure.
Various processes provide different coatings, including iridium and photochromatic finishes. The visors then go through up to 50 quality control tests. Helmet visors intended for the EU market undergo rigorous testing to comply with ECE safety standards.
Helmet Visor Types
Full-Face Helmet Visor: This type of helmet visor is attached by studs or hinged brackets on either side. They are available in multiple colours and a range of finishes.
Open Face Helmet Visor: This visor type attaches in the same way as a full-face helmet visor but can vary in length to cover the full-face or half face.
Sunshield: A tinted inner half visor that it is possible to lower or raise for protection against sun glare.
Pinlock Visor: This thin Perspex inner visor prevents fogging by attaching to the main visor, leaving a small air gap between the two.
Bubble Visor: This retro style of fishbowl shaped visor was hugely popular in the 1970s.
Electric Visor: An electric helmet visor caters for extreme temperatures. It features a heated element around the perimeter of the visor, which plugs into the motorcycle's power supply.
Iridium Visor: Iridium is a coating applied to visors to deflect and filter sunlight.
Photochromic Visor: The coating on a photochromic visor or transition visor darkens in response to sunlight (ultraviolet light).