Now this is BRAND new :-)
I have found a cheap, simple way to keep the airflow from following down the
face shield curve and end up hitting me right at the nape (?) of the neck - when it's
50 or colder, that gets miserable in short order, no matter how tall of a collar on
my jacket.
Discovered it when I raised my hand to wipe a big bug splatter off the shield.
Just out of curiosity, and for probly the 1,000th time over the years, held my hand
up to see where the airflow was hitting my helmet. I don't have a real tall windshield
so the wind hits me about at the top of the face shield. You'd think all the wind
would just bounce over the top of the helmet, but some of goes downward.
I happened to move my hand downward sort of following the air flow and when I got
it just above the base of my full face helmet, noticed the wind quit hitting me at the
base of my neck. Curious to the last, I tried holding just a gloved finger there, and
got the same result.
As my helmet has about 75k miles on it and is getting a little scruffy anyway, I didn't
feel bad trying something. I ride at temps down into the 30's so am always open to
something that lowers the misery factor. Sooo - went to Lowes and looked for some
cheap stick on foam weatherstripping just to give it a try. Thickest I could find was some
round 5/8" diameter foam backer rod, which was tough to glue onto the helmet as I
feared. But it lasted long enuf to prove that it works! So went back and got some
1/2x3/4 typical black stick on weatherstripping. Had to glue it on with some Loctite
Super Glue so it stayed. Helmet is black and silver so isn't TOO awfully obtrusive.
I purposely held it up about 3/4" above the bottom edge of the helmet to allow room
for some small screw in snaps, or velcro, to attach a piece of fabric that extends down
about 6" and goes around about the front 1/2 of the helmet that I can tuck inside my
jacket to protect the underside of my chin and anything my jacket doesn't cover. Even
without direct airflow (blocked by my weatherstripping), it still gets cold on bare skin
so I have my wife making a little flap out of some thin but windproof fabric or vinyl
(whatever she has in her fabric stash) that I can attach in cold weather and remove in
summer.
I think holding it up even that little bit higher than the bottom edge of the helmet
required a little more sticking out to kick the airflow out away from my neck.
The airflow now hits me about at the top of shirt pocket level, where it's totally
covered by my jacket or whatever. Admittedly a side wind (more than just a breeze)
reduces the effectiveness and makes the "dead air space" a little smaller, but it has to
be a pretty strong crosswind before it doesn't protect that sensitive spot that's hard
to cover.
I'll try to post a couple photobucket pics sometime soon and link them here.
Yes, doesn't look "chic" but I'm already riding in temps down into the upper 40's
in the higher elevations in the Mojave Desert just across the CA border SW of Vegas
at 4:30 am and the elimination of that cold spot makes it well worthwhile. I'm sure
some of you more savvy craft types could come up with something that doesn't look
cobbled together.
Cheers!
Helmet wind break
Moderator: Moderators
Re: Helmet wind break
Looking forward to seeing the pics!
2002 R1150R
"Better is the enemy of good enough"
- my brother-in-law's brother
"Better is the enemy of good enough"
- my brother-in-law's brother
Re: Helmet wind break
Looking forward to seeing the pics!
2002 R1150R
"Better is the enemy of good enough"
- my brother-in-law's brother
"Better is the enemy of good enough"
- my brother-in-law's brother
Re: Helmet wind break
any word? I obsess sometimes over cold weather wind blockage...any tips are GREAT!
right now
I have a thick flannel scarf, sort of like a dickie.. someone got me for xmas, its a cheapo walmart thing. i had cut holes in it near my nose, because I used it for winter atv riding.
Keep fogging down. I reverse it for the bike... holes behind neck. GOes inside the collar of my leather riding jacket, and up over my ears and behind my head. Wedged between my chin and the helmet. keeps 99% of the air out.
For my arms, it hasnt got cold out enough for me to think about buying expensive gauntlet style long cuff gloves. Only in the morning, So i cut then end of some old thermal socks for fingers, and a hole on the side for my thumbs. They inside glove. then the upper part of socks, I wrap over my jacket sleeve. Basically, home made gauntlet ...SO far so good. Only ridden at 42 degrees so far. But i was perfectly comfortable with my "elcheapo" solution. My legs are freezing though, Ill need some warmer lined pants to get much lower......
right now
I have a thick flannel scarf, sort of like a dickie.. someone got me for xmas, its a cheapo walmart thing. i had cut holes in it near my nose, because I used it for winter atv riding.
Keep fogging down. I reverse it for the bike... holes behind neck. GOes inside the collar of my leather riding jacket, and up over my ears and behind my head. Wedged between my chin and the helmet. keeps 99% of the air out.
For my arms, it hasnt got cold out enough for me to think about buying expensive gauntlet style long cuff gloves. Only in the morning, So i cut then end of some old thermal socks for fingers, and a hole on the side for my thumbs. They inside glove. then the upper part of socks, I wrap over my jacket sleeve. Basically, home made gauntlet ...SO far so good. Only ridden at 42 degrees so far. But i was perfectly comfortable with my "elcheapo" solution. My legs are freezing though, Ill need some warmer lined pants to get much lower......
2002 R1150R. Helmets save more lives than loud pipes.
Re: Helmet wind break
That's a great idea macx. I use a double thick fleece throat coat that stretches on over my head. Cold air finding it's way to bare skin when it's freezing weather isn't pleasant. Hope to see your pics.
Re: Helmet wind break
Tried to add comments to the photos in Photobucket but couldn't get them to post, will try again later.
Keep in mind that airflow over all helmets won't be the same, so experiment a little. Just hold one finger near the base of the front of the helmet, then move your finger away and feel the difference. I discovered this while wiping a big bug splat off my face shield. I would have thought that all airflow would go over the top of the helmet - it hits me about at the top of the face shield. But a surprising amount of air seems to split off and follow the rounded contour of the helmet downward and ends up hitting me right below my adams apple. With a different windshield height and/or different helmet contour, this might work differently or not at all. So give it a try with your gloved finger, first!
Basically, I first tried some 5/8 round foam "backer rod" that I glued on pretty close to the bottom. It didn't hold more than about 75 miles at 80 mph because of the narrow contact surface for the glue. But it worked really well. No wind on my neck much at all above about the level of the tops of normal shirt pockets.
But I wanted it up a little farther to make room for a row of small snaps with short 3/8 or 1/4" screws to snap a piece of windproof thin fabric to for tucking down inside the jacket before I fasten it all the way up to the top of the collar. Even with no wind on my lower throat, it still gets cold under the chin at 30 degrees (!)
I couldn't find any cheap weather strip bigger than 3/4 by 1/2, so that's what you see on the helmet, with the foam silver rod glued to it. I cut a flat surface on the rod to give it a larger area for the glue to hold. Total stick out from the helmet as you see it is about 3/4". I think 5/8" would work OK. I think if I glued the 1/2" width of the weatherstrip onto the helmet and let the 3/4" dimension stick out it would work fine. I'd cut the outer top corner off a little to smooth airflow a tad.
I used Loctite Super Glue and lightly sanded the contact surface which I maybe wouldn't have had to do. That glue really holds!
I'm sure with a little thought and careful workmanship, it could be made to look more "finished".
Keep in mind that airflow over all helmets won't be the same, so experiment a little. Just hold one finger near the base of the front of the helmet, then move your finger away and feel the difference. I discovered this while wiping a big bug splat off my face shield. I would have thought that all airflow would go over the top of the helmet - it hits me about at the top of the face shield. But a surprising amount of air seems to split off and follow the rounded contour of the helmet downward and ends up hitting me right below my adams apple. With a different windshield height and/or different helmet contour, this might work differently or not at all. So give it a try with your gloved finger, first!
Basically, I first tried some 5/8 round foam "backer rod" that I glued on pretty close to the bottom. It didn't hold more than about 75 miles at 80 mph because of the narrow contact surface for the glue. But it worked really well. No wind on my neck much at all above about the level of the tops of normal shirt pockets.
But I wanted it up a little farther to make room for a row of small snaps with short 3/8 or 1/4" screws to snap a piece of windproof thin fabric to for tucking down inside the jacket before I fasten it all the way up to the top of the collar. Even with no wind on my lower throat, it still gets cold under the chin at 30 degrees (!)
I couldn't find any cheap weather strip bigger than 3/4 by 1/2, so that's what you see on the helmet, with the foam silver rod glued to it. I cut a flat surface on the rod to give it a larger area for the glue to hold. Total stick out from the helmet as you see it is about 3/4". I think 5/8" would work OK. I think if I glued the 1/2" width of the weatherstrip onto the helmet and let the 3/4" dimension stick out it would work fine. I'd cut the outer top corner off a little to smooth airflow a tad.
I used Loctite Super Glue and lightly sanded the contact surface which I maybe wouldn't have had to do. That glue really holds!
I'm sure with a little thought and careful workmanship, it could be made to look more "finished".
-
Rider Rick
- Lifer
- Posts: 243
- Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:29 pm
- Location: Yukon, OK (OKC)
Re: Helmet wind break
Hey Mac! Still inventing, I see , keep going, I'm in for most of your ideas so far. When my friend showed up for a trip in April wearing new Leatt STX Road Neck Brace I decided to see what one felt like so I got an Alpinestars neck roll, not really that similar to the Leatt, of course. Anyway, it is a bit awkward to wear at first, but I soon discovered it can let you lean your helmet against your shoulders and relax a bit, also when I am wearing a bigger-collared coat it does a nice job of stopping errant cold drafts down my neck, and even quiets down the road noise. I have a Nolan 104 on the way so not sure how this will interact, but could be worth a try. For 30-40 bucks, it was cheap insurance until I can handle the Leatt price, lol.
, keep going, I'm in for most of your ideas so far. When my friend showed up for a trip in April wearing new Leatt STX Road Neck Brace I decided to see what one felt like so I got an Alpinestars neck roll, not really that similar to the Leatt, of course. Anyway, it is a bit awkward to wear at first, but I soon discovered it can let you lean your helmet against your shoulders and relax a bit, also when I am wearing a bigger-collared coat it does a nice job of stopping errant cold drafts down my neck, and even quiets down the road noise. I have a Nolan 104 on the way so not sure how this will interact, but could be worth a try. For 30-40 bucks, it was cheap insurance until I can handle the Leatt price, lol.2004 Red R1150R
Re: Helmet wind break
very inventive! I like it.
2002 R1150R. Helmets save more lives than loud pipes.
Re: Helmet wind break
Hmmm, never heard of or seen those "neck rolls" - sounds like a great idea, esp on long rides
when my neck gets tired holding my head up against the wind!
I'll have to check into that.
It's currently 1220AM and just had to ride 40 miles in to work (welding inspection for nite shift on the
project) and got down into the 30's for a couple miles across a low, dry lake bed. Had a good warm jacket
on with several underneath layers, but that jacket doesn't close up at the neck hardly at all so
never used to wear it on the bike. No problem this morning, didn't even feel any cold on my neck.
"I love it when a plan comes together"! My problem often is that my ideas are good but the execution
sometimes suffers. At least this one works as envisioned.
After I get that snap-on flap mounted for tucking down in under the jacket after my wife sends it to me
I'll update with a photo of that on the helmet.
when my neck gets tired holding my head up against the wind!
I'll have to check into that.
It's currently 1220AM and just had to ride 40 miles in to work (welding inspection for nite shift on the
project) and got down into the 30's for a couple miles across a low, dry lake bed. Had a good warm jacket
on with several underneath layers, but that jacket doesn't close up at the neck hardly at all so
never used to wear it on the bike. No problem this morning, didn't even feel any cold on my neck.
"I love it when a plan comes together"! My problem often is that my ideas are good but the execution
sometimes suffers. At least this one works as envisioned.
After I get that snap-on flap mounted for tucking down in under the jacket after my wife sends it to me
I'll update with a photo of that on the helmet.