Helmets and rain

[wrb3004]

When it comes to helmets what works best if caught in the rain? Keep your face from getting pelted. Keep the shield from fogging up. I don't travel a lot but am planning on going to Spyderquest. This will be my first event. May try Spyderfest next year. Many of you travel many miles and per year and get caught in bad weather. What do you use that works for you? How do you keep the face shield from fogging up? Do you use the pinlock? Do they work?

I have a G-Max 3/4 helmet but am thinking about trying a modular or full face. I used a full face when riding ATV and in the winter it would fog up unless you left it cracked open. A modular would give you more options but it looks like it would catch the wind when opened.

Looking to ride in the rain (if I have to) and be able to see as well as possible.

Thanks, Wayne

[PrairieSpyder]

Get a full-face or modular with a pin-lock. The pin-lock is a piece a clear plastic that attaches to the inside of the face shield. It works like double-pane windows and keeps the shield from fogging up.

[Pirate looks at --]

We just returned from a 6800 mile ryde to Valcourt and back. My wife and I wear Arai helmets. They are full face, and we use the pinlock system. This works perfectly to keep your shield from fogging up. Everyday we were in Canada it rained. We use Lamonster's Black Diamond Detailer on our helmets and face shields and it really aids in shedding the water drops off the outside of the shield. You will want to close up some vents on your helmet so that water doesn't seep in through the vents. We had no visibility problems at all. I think that either the modular, and especially the full face (just for safety reasons) would be a better choice than the 3/4 helmet you currently have.

[JayBros]

I wear a Shoei Neotec modular helmet. My windshield forces a lot of the rain directly over my head and I have not experienced my face shield, with pinlock, fogging. I use Rain-X for Plastic on my windshield and, while I find it a bit of a PITA to apply without streaking (requires a lot of buffing), it really makes the rain bead up and blow over.

If you ride long enough you are going to get caught in the rain and have no option to stop. IMO for your own safety, being on your Spyder the first time it rains is something you want to be prepared for and the best way to do that is go out on it when it's raining. Yes, it's a PITA to have to clean the bike afterward but it's your a$$ that's on the line. Neither you nor the Spyder are going to melt. It will also give you an opportunity to check your rain gear.

[4 MARIE]

I have and use a Gmax modular helmet. If you have the shield open a little,
then opening the helmet won't create any noticeable drag.
The best solution to "fogging", you already mentioned, cracking open your visor to the 1st detent.
Also, use your RT's FEATURE, and adjust your windshield height UP, until it is only barely below eye level.
We pay for this feature, use it.
I ryde okay in the rain. It's the cars and trucks trying to kill/ignore me, that are the problem.
So if it starts raining, I like to find a canopy and wait it out. If it's raining a lot? It will burn itself out pretty quick.
If you don't have a few hours built into your travel plans ? Then maybe you ought to. Stay safe FIRST.

[Lew L]

Rain X for plastic on the inside of the shield might help but the pinlock is great. Just another little hint---- rain suit hood INSIDE the helmet. We were last in a driving rain in Utah ( thanks Pete ) and the 's windshield ( '14 RTS) kept 99% of the rain and truck splash off of us.

[greybeard]

I have a Gmax modular that works great in rain or cold when it fogs up usually only at low speed I just crack the modular part. Do not have any problem leaving it open when riding unless you have a F3 with stock windshield. The pin system sounds like the deal
Paul

[Tomline]

I have some stuff called Z-CLEAR I use on my face shield. It comes in a SMALL JAR & is a light/medium Blue Color. It doesn't take very much at all to do the job. I do both the inside & outside once or twice a riding season and it seems to work great. Especially on the outside of the shield. I also did my windshield on the bike and the rain really rolls right off.

[Road-Kill]

Currently working on a new helmet for cold/rain riding. I had a Shoei RJ Air 3/4 helmet but after 12 years of faithful service she gave out on me. The Pin Lock as mentioned here on this thread is an idea that I looked into. Look for helmets that say "Pin Lock Ready" meaning you need to buy the "moisture absorbing plastic" from a dealer ($$$$). I just bought a 3/4 Daytona helmet (cheap but excellent quality) but it only has 3 snaps versus 5 for a larger face shield. Regardless what design or brand you go with.....FIELD TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT!
You don't want to be on a trip to find out your helmet fogs, leaks or you get pelted in your face causing water to travel down your face/neck soaking you. And yes wear your rain gear UNDER your helmet. My thoughts

[asp125]

A 3/4 with face shield would IMO provide much better ventilation than a full face to prevent fogging, but depending on your windshield or lack of, you could get blow-back causing droplets on your face shield.

In any case, I wear full face helmets and use Plexus polish on the shield for rain dispersion. Cracking open the visor to the first detent will reduce fogging at low speeds. At high speeds a simple turn of the head will cause droplets to shear off.

[Bob Denman]

Get a full-face or modular with a pin-lock. The pin-lock is a piece a clear plastic that attaches to the inside of the face shield. It works like double-pane windows and keeps the shield from fogging up.

We have Schuberth's C-3 Pro helmets, and they utilize the pinlock system. No fogging!

[wrb3004]

for your opinions. Need to explore the internet and do some shopping. We have a place near by called Helmet World that has many helmets on display where you can check out and try on. Will look for the pinlock system and I also see another called Everclear no fog shield. Thanks again. Wayne

[Bob Denman]

Happy hunting, and good luck!

[PrairieSpyder]

. . . "Pin Lock Ready" meaning you need to buy the "moisture absorbing plastic" from a dealer ($$$$). . . .

Every "pinlock ready" helmet I've had came with the plastic pinlock insert.

[Road-Kill]

Every "pinlock ready" helmet I've had came with the plastic pinlock insert.

Maybe. I only looked a few brands and they did not come with the insert. Shoei stated "pinlock ready" and then after research I needed to buy the insert. I could not find a single helmet in an MC store that came with the insert as well. Don't know the percent, just what I saw.

[Fat Baxter]

I have an Arai Signet-Q that came with the pinlock thingie, but I've never installed it. The air down here is so thick from the humidity that I almost always have the visor cracked to allow more fresh air than the vents allow. Hence, it doesn't fog up.

The problem is that by cracking the visor, I lose the sealing effect at the top of the visor where it contacts the upper edge of the eye opening, causing a bit of wind noise. I've thought of buying another visor ($$$) and having a chunk cut out from the lower edge, so I can close the visor and still have extra ventilation, same as if I cracked the visor.

Decisions, decisions, ........

[Peter Aawen]

....that by cracking the visor, I lose the sealing effect at the top of the visor where it contacts the upper edge of the eye opening, causing a bit of wind noise.........

My Missus & I run Shoei GT-Air's with Pinlocks, & for somewhat similar reasons, we both tend to ride with the visor cracked open on its first detent with similar issues, plus the fact that whenever we are riding in the rain (which we do fairly often when it's raining here!! It's pretty much either drought or flooding rain where we are!) sometimes we get drips down the gap betwen the helmet & top of the visor & onto inside top of the visor, from where they run down across your field of view, & occasionally those drips end up between the visor's inside and the Pinlock screen! The effect is sorta like what you get from sneezing inside a sealed helmet! And I can tell you that THAT is bloody annoying, but veeeerrrrry slightly less annoying than fully closing the visor & ending up with our heads encased inside a steam bath!!

Anyhoo, you've probably got the gist of the problem.... it hasn't been exactly 'cheap', but I've tried trimming the visor just a tiny bit shorter - that failed due to too much wind noise & rain ingress; then I had a go with adding a small strip of black tape across the inside top of the visor along the lines of the 'sun-shield' that many use, affixed so that it seals the top edge of the pinlock and provides a sun visor, & that sorta works, but it still leaves enough of a gap for some rain drips to end up on the inside of the visor/Pinlock screen! Sooo, my latest attempt has been to fix a small strip of high density foam (actually it's thin door seal draught excluder stuff) along that top inside edge of the visor.

So far (it's only been a month or so, but it IS our winter!) it's been working FANTASTICALLY!! The foam is barely 1/8th of an inch thick, runs right across the top inside edge of the eye gap in the helmet, & it lets the visor be 'fully closed' rather than leaving it cracked in the first detent position, but the thickness of the foam is just enough to hold the bottom of the visor open sufficiently far enough off 'fully sealed' that it lets sufficient air circulate & fully stop the 'steam bath' effect - and better yet, there's almost NO extra wind noise!! AND we get NO fog, NO extra wind noise & NO drips or runnels of water making their way into the gap between the helmet & the top of the visor!!

Still in the testing phase, but so far, the outlook is good - without any extra wind noise or rain making its way inside!

[djhobin]

I purchased a Shoei Neotech Helmet and it included the pinlock with the helmet. I have ridden in the rain. Just turn your head to the side the water blows off the shield. Even with Pinlock installed I still leave the shield open just a notch before it locks. I ride the basic 2013 ST Spyder.

[RTman10]

There is just one important rule to remember about Pinlock inserts. NEVER try cleaning the insert with anything but clean water. Any type of chemical cleaner or anti fog liquid will kill it. The inside surface i.e. Next to your nose is also very delicate and will easily scratch. Hold it under running water, give it a shake and carefully finish drying it with a lint free cloth.