Modern Vespa

You guys & gals have all been so amazing when I post questions on here that I thought I'd throw another one out.

I don't want a full face helmet, I understand all the pros about it, but as I've gotten older, I've come down with this strange case of claustrophobia to the point it's hard to wear a full face helmet even when I go to the go kart track.

So with my new scooter arriving next month, and me, not having worn helmets on two wheels for about 35 years, and certainly not having to wear glasses when I was younger, I've been trying on helmets that have the, what I'll call "fighter pilot" sunshield, flip down. But the only helmet I found that doesn't hit my glasses is the Shoei J cruise II (which is just shy of $900 Canadian… And yes I know it's my brain and it's worth it but it's $900 or 10% of the price of my super tech). I've tried quite a few including the Nolan N21 & the Vespa (a couple of models)


For open face riders that wear glasses… What helmet do you use?

If Jethelm with glasses than Scorpion.

(not sure if available in your country / meet necessary approvals)

https://scorpionsports.eu/en/casque_categorie/openface/

Edit: seems that in North America different models of scorpion helmets available… (can't say if this models fit with glasses as good as the European ones)
https://www.scorpionusa.com/

Last edited by GermanGTSDriver on Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:38:06 +0000; edited 2 times

I find using a modular / flip front helmet reduces the claustrophobia while I put it on. (never wore any other type of full face apart from a borrowed one at the riding school when getting my learners). I suggest trying one of these at the store. I wear the Shark Evo

I also wear glasses not that the affects my comment about putting it on.

I have a Scorpion EXO-CT220, and I love it. It fits a fairly long oval head shape. Has locking clear face shield that you can remove and replace with a visor for warmer weather. I wear prescription glasses, and it accommodates them fine.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/scorpion-exo-ct220-helmet-solid?gclid=CjwKCAjw_MqgBhAGEiwAnYOAehcHhRb2OTuDVNOxNfha3569J80x0RJw7ta26LBr5C8CKdJNecSQCBoCAC4QAvD_BwE

I don't wear open face helmets, but I understand the claustrophobia. I do ride with my visor up below 45 mph, so...

I went the other route and got Rx sunglasses designed for wind protection. My particular choice was the Alpe 2.0 frames from Tifosi Optics... I used them when I was a serious cyclist and knew they worked well. If the weather is decent, I can ride wind in my face without issue until the speed of wind shuts my visor for me.

Another option, if you want chin protection but better viewing area, is an ADV helmet with a removable shade/thingit. I just switched to one and I was really surprised how more open it feels. Not trying to push, just a thought.

Thats some great ideas. Thx Cheshire!!

Ok thats cool. Does it fit large or normal? I found I could wear a Medium in the Shoei but needed a large in the Nolan.

Extra question, are your glasses transitions? Mine are and I wondered if that clear "Fighter pilot" flip down allowed your glasses to tint?

My warm weather helmet is a Bell custom 500. For added wind protection I also wear a set of standard industrial clear visitors safety glasses over my regular glasses - like a pair of goggles. I cut the ear pieces short so my helmet pads hold them on. Works great. Should work for any 3/4 helmet.

My night glasses are sunglasses frames with clear lenses. Was a bit of a pain to find an optician who would make them (and you have to use your imagination when trying them on, since the demos have dark lenses), but it's a huge win to have wind and debris protection, even after the sun goes down. I tend to ride shield up unless there's inclement weather or big trucks coming the other way.

Daytona 3/4 fits and feels good while working with my glasses. I have 2. They don't have that fat bulky look.
Uses the 3 snaps like the 500 so visors and shields work well.

One other option is the helmets that flip completely over and are certified for open or closed use like the LS2 Valiant.

Here is a database of glasses friendly helmets:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PwCbGEeGHSL51Eb76smNydn-2YbdsiQZHzvQuliqNFc/edit#gid=0

I think the only open face on the list is the LS2 Spitfire. But for anyone doing helmet research for glasses, this is a good starter list. The Daytona works well, but was not included on this database.

I have an open face Shark X-Drak. If I wear a balaclava I can put my helmet on whilst still wearing glasses.

This is actually interesting that you say this, I tend to buy sunglasses and turn them into normal glasses, because I can't sometimes find styles I like in normal glasses. But I've honestly never had a problem, finding an optician to do it. I think they find me a pain in the behind when I asked them to pop the lenses out, but other than that sounds like you and I are on the same page

I think it depends on the brand. Mine are Maui Jim, who refuse to put clear lenses in their frames, and tend to sign exclusivity agreements with their opticians to prevent other labs from doing the work.

There are some pros to open face helmets. Visibility is much greater, people see your face which I feel makes me feel more human to other drivers, and also you get much more air flow.

There was a YouTube video recently where Fortnine showed that most full face helmets can limit your brain function by 50% in traffic due to the amount of CO2 that builds up!

There are of course pros for full face helmets, which become greater the faster you go. If I was going 70mph plus all day, I wouldn't entertain an open face helmet, but the majority of my riding is 0-40mph in cities, and so I feel the pros of an open face helmet outweigh the drawbacks.

Now to visors... I actually don't use the visor on my helmet. With my last pair of glasses, I have reaction lenses added that darken in sunlight and lighten as the sun sets. It happens so slowly that you don't perceive it when wearing them, but it means I don't have to think about raising / lowering a visor.

I also asked for the lenses to be made of plastic, rather than glass. This is common on childrens glasses to stop them smashing if they fall over.

The drop down sunshade clears my glassees. It has an adjustment to it that allows you to slightly alter how far down it drops. It is dark grey, looking through it is like looking through Raybans. I think it runs a bit small. I wear a 2xl in Arai Signet X, I bought this in a 3xl. Ventelation is great, quality of the clear face shield is great as well. When It's down, I forget it is there. I bought an open box return off Ebay for $70 shipped.

I have always worn a full face, but I am not going to make an argument here. I would say once you have measured your head properly, to try on as many helmets as you can. For me, Shoei, Bell and Nolan have always fit me best. I ride year round and have a full face for cold, modular for the warm. I wear glasses as well, and it is nice to open up the modular helmet at traffic lights when it's warm.

Helmet aside,
I find glasses an essential part of my riding gear,
never leave home without a good pair of dark sunglasses, and a good pair clear mountain bike glasses for when it gets dark.
Like the double tint of the visor on bright days, being able to have visor open for air and open for better visibility when driving in traffic 45mph-ish and lower

Bell 500 Classic.

Been wearing one for about 6 years now with glasses and no issues.

My current helmet is an HJC i100 modular. I have no issues wearing glasses with it.

I have also had no issues with glasses and an HJC IS-5 open face, or my old Shoei full face.

I have both Nolan and Scorpion half helmets.
I know it's a bit contradictory but I feel like I need more eye protection than brain protection.
I don't trust my eyeglasses in case of an impact like a stone so I have two pair of over-the-glasses (OTG) shooting glasses.
One pair clear and one pair tinted.
I keep them in the glove box and can choose whichever pair is appropriate.
You can find them at a sporting goods store or on Amazon.
The Scorpion helmet has a drop-down sunscreen that I have replaced with a clear lens. Very nice for when it rains and it does not interfere with either my regular glasses or the OTG ones.

Shoei Ex Zero, feels like an open face as the opening is huge but has the added chin protection.

I wear it with glasses and the drop down visor clears them easily, super light as well.

I wear large aviator frame spectacles under this Nolan modular. The internal flip down sunglass does not hit my glasses.
Some say the helmet is the most visible thing to drivers...so I go safe (white, or day-glo yellow) colors rather than stealth and cool 😎 looking.
Snow white is probably the best......
O.S.

(N100-5 NOLAN Dutch ebay seller had best prices, free 3 or 4 day shipping to Ohio from Europe!)

Shoei J O it is a great open face lid and has an internal visor you can pull down when the rain starts which goes down as far as the bridge of your nose and can be adjusted to suit. It all works just fine with glasses or sunglasses and no pinch behind the ears.

I'm also helmet shopping.

My HJC CL-Max and Bell 500 are over 7 years old, and my eyeglass frames have gotten bigger to accommodate progressive lenses with wide fields of correction, so I find my helmets are pressing my eyeglasses painfully into the bridge of my nose.

HJC advertises many different models of its helmets as having eyeglass grooves cut into the forehead portion of the liner. I intend to test that proposition.

I'll probably go with another modular, because I like the combination of ease of donning and chin protection, but with a 3X-4X head, my choices are restricted.

Good luck.

My experience with Arai is that they make superb helmets that are extremely comfortable and durable for me.
They make 2 open face models, the classic V and the Ram X
Both are quite pricey but they are handmade and the quality of the Arai that I had was far above the clamshell Shoei that it replaced.
For me, the best helmet I have ever slipped onto my head!

+1 for the Nolan N100-5

I started out back in 1975 at age 16 wearing open face helmets (what most call 3/4 helmets) with snap on face shields. The shields were flat off the helmet, and had 5 snaps. A few years later I met a former rider who had crashed while wearing such a helmet. I immediately switched to full face helmets, which I thought would be really awkward, but I got used to them very quickly, and loved the extra wind protection, as well as knowing that chin bar was there if I did crash and landed on my face. I've had tinnitus (ringing in my ears) from a fairly young age, and also wear earplugs. I'm not claustrophobic, and so far, at age 63, don't need glasses. I use a tinted face shield. I rarely ever ride at night, but my current helmet makes it super easy to change face shields without tools. I have tried on sunglasses with my current helmet, an HJC CL-17, and they fit ok. Besides the CL-17 that I am currently wearing, I have three more brand new ones exactly like it still in the box in the closet. I don't expect to ever need to buy another helmet.

I saw that Fortnine video. Some of his stuff I agree with, some I don't. I have to disagree with that one. Most riders that wear actual helmets (I don't mean the worthless beanies that outlaw types wear in helmet law states) wear full face helmets. Roadracers wear full face helmets. I have never noticed any difference when wearing a full face helmet. I get plenty of air flow through my helmet, extreme wind noise is why I wear ear plugs. I've been riding and reading motorcycle magazines for 46+ years, and that is the first time I've ever heard anything like that. If it were true, it would have almost certainly showed up decades ago. It has also been said that your reaction time gets worse with age. For me it seems to be the exact opposite. Perhaps that is because I have learned to actively look for things to react to BEFORE they happen.


As far as the price of a helmet, my helmet cost around $150, and the other three cost less than that, because that model was being discontinued and I got them on sale. Is my head worth more than $150? I certainly think so. But I also think that it's worth a lot more than $2000. There is no helmet at any price that is worth as much as your head. A $2000 helmet does not provide 13 times as much protection as a $2000 helmet. On average, you are about 15 times more likely to be killed while riding a scooter or motorcycle in traffic than you are in a car. If you find that unacceptable, maybe it's better to not ride at all. Everybody has to decide for themselves how much risk is too much.

Thx Vintage dude for the response. I also have tinnitus, but it's mainly caused from being a musician/drummer my younger days

I must say you're a very lucky man to not need glasses by 63 (I was 16 in 1979)

I'm not sure which fort Nine video you're referencing. Would you mind sharing the link?

I'm on my second MOMO Fighter (crashed my first one years ago, but it saved my head pretty well). I like it a lot, and the face shield engages eaily and clears my glasses with room to spare. It's a size L. My head is round and reasonably big. I tried a Nolan in size L, but it was fit for coneheads.

I ordered the helmet from one of the big internet shops in Europe, and it arrived in less than a week. Easy peasy. I will probably get a second new one just to change things up and have an alternative to black. They come in a lot of fun colors and finishes, so you can get something to complement your bike or outfit or whatever.


MOMO Fighter, Anniversary Edition

not such an issue with my modular / flip. Most full face will have a piece of material under your chin with a piece of elastic pulling it towards your neck
making the helmet sorta more air tight (not quite of course). My modular (and probably others) don't have this material flap in place which does make it more drafty and hence more fresh air (and probably more noisy) compared to a full face

Ahhhh right this one!

Thx Vintage!!

Aside from your brains protection, you have eyes involved no matter if you wear corrective glasses or not. I don't wear glasses to ride but for protection. I have both clear and sunglasses proper for impacts. I find that a modular helmet never is bothered by glasses at all. Claustrophobia doesn't figure into my riding helmet choices or life in general. I do cheat at times and flip my visor while wearing glasses for eye protection. Love my Shoei-it's my cocoon of safety. Also note that helmets don't provide complete hearing protection and even on a Vespa, wind noise combined with air pressure across the ear openings-> can damage your hearing. Use ear plugs AND eye protection AND brain protection.

one danger when riding in some environments ...

https://modernvespa.com/forum/post2597662#2597662

I like my MX helmet for field of view & visibility, while still protecting my nose & face
The visor is effective at sunrise or sunset
An open modular helmet won't protect you & may twist your neck in special ways as you slide across the pavement
Both my scooters have windshields, which greatly reduce wind noise & turbulent air in my face
I wear glasses, even when wearing a full face with a shield
My favorites are bi-focal safety glasses
These fit close & are easy to put on while wearing a helmet
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P6H1YYX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The CO2 thing is nonsense some anti masker thought up for views & likes