Polarized face shields

[Gary856]

What brand of helmet/shield are you having problems with polarized sunglasses?

For me, prescription sunglasses + Shoie RF1000 clear shielf or pinlock shield -> never noticed any color distortion (nor anything unusual) thru the shields.

With the same pair of prescription sungalsses I have problem reading the LCD radio display in the car, so I assume the sunglasses are polarized.

I checked it out during lunch time just now.

With my prescription sunglasses, looking straight at the LCD display of ZX-10R – normal. With my head tiled 45 deg to the right, the LCD display went blank. The LCD display looked normal at any other angle (up to 90 deg to the left/right). Yup, the sunglasses are polarized.

During the ride, still didn’t see anything unusual thru the pinlock face shield. Stopped, raised and lowered the shield, looked up and down, and all the way around, for comparison – now I saw what you guys are talking about. It’s very obvious when looking up against a clear blue sky. Facing the sun – nothing. As I turned, still looking up at the blue sky, I saw large patches of purple (plus other colors) “bruises” appeared at different spots of the face shield, size and location changing as I continued turning. It was less obvious when looking at the landscape, but it was still there.

Even now that I know these changing purple spots on the face shield are there, once I started riding and focusing on the surroundings, I stopped noticing them right away.

 

[garciawork]

Weird... I have very sensitive eyes, so I can barely see during the day without polarized lenses, and I have NEVER had an issue with either helmet I use... Lucky I guess. Both helmets I own are Shoei, maybe they do something different with there shields?

 

[Stormdragon]

Polarized light shows stress patterns in plastic. Doesn't anyone do science fairs anymore?

Thank you. I was sitting here aghast at the amount of bay-area techno geeks that don't understand what's going on.

Like others, I'd suggest a pair of clear glasses, and a smoked shield. Yeah, it's a PITA to carry a clear around with you, but hey. It's a pain to suit up in the mornings and drive in the cold instead of using a nice warm car with a radio, isn't it?

 

[Squidly McSmearstain]

As is typical with the BARF, I've learned something useful.

There appears to be anecdotal evidence that Shoei faceshields don't show as much of the stressed plastic effect when used with polarized lenses. Can any other Shoei owners chime in on this?

 

[Albal0ney]

My experience has been the opposite of Garcia's. Shoei faceshields do the same thing with when wearing polarized lenses, at least that was true for my RF1000. I can't wear polarized sunglasses with it

 

[Motech]

Same here. Have worn Shoei RF1000 and X-Eleven for almost seven years, polarized shades are unbearable.

 

[Squidly McSmearstain]

My experience has been the opposite of Garcia's. Shoei faceshields do the same thing with when wearing polarized lenses, at least that was true for my RF1000. I can't wear polarized sunglasses with it

Same here. Have worn Shoei RF1000 and X-Eleven for almost seven years, polarized shades are unbearable.

Scratch that theory.

Well darn. I guess I just get used to funky colors or ride without sunglasses.

 

[Aluisious]

So upon further research, it seems highly unlikely my face shield is polarized. However, I still get really funky effects when using sunglasses and my faceshield when I ride. Does anyone else have this issue? Solutions?

Your face shield is not polarized, but it does randomly screw with the polarization of all light that passes through it, resulting in the psychedelic trip effect with your sunglasses. Other than ditching the polarized sun glasses or inventing a new kind of shield, there is nothing to be done.

 

[budman]

I recently got a pair of prescription sunglasses. I stopped wearing sunglasses when I ride a few years ago and just got used to not having sunglasses.

I put them on, and thought, "Why did I stop using sunglasses to ride?" Then, I pulled my face shield down and thought, "Oh yeah, THAT'S why I stopped using sunglasses when I ride." The fact that the sunglasses lens are polarized AND the face shield acts like it is polarized makes for some interesting and distracting effects.

Does anybody else have this issue? Do you just live with the funky "purple/black" shiny colors from have two polarized light filters in play. I absolutely HATE the color results for the double polarization. Tar snakes in particular look shiny and wet like this and are quite distracting.

I call that the Jimi Hendrix effect.. can't deal.. so I wear regular glasses and keep the sunglasses on hand for the cool factor at bux..

I first found it at fricken Laguna when my regular glasses flew out of the helmet when I checked behind me exiting T11.. Try the Jimi Hendrix experience at a buck forty..

 

[Mark S]

Only solution is not wear polarized shades. If you told your eye doc or glasses builder you ride motorcycles, they should have been all over this and warned you to avoid polarized lenses. Basic sunglasses 10, they're all aware of it.

+1

I recently got new prescription sunglasses. Beyond the issue of LCDs being difficult to read, my ophthalmologist, optometrist, and optician were in unanimous agreement that polarized lenses were to be avoided for moto riders as the would decrease* the ability to discern wet, oily or slick areas on the pavement. That's the exact kind of "glare" (polarized light) that they are designed to filter. Not a good thing when riding.

(*This seems to be partially contradicted by reports above of purple/green flashes off of tar snakes, etc. Per cycle61's great explanation, that may be an interaction between the polarized light reflected off the slick surface, the plastic stress lines of the face shield, and the polarized lenses. Nonetheless, I'll go with normal, non-attenuated, and non-Jimi Hendrixonian road surface reflections, thank you very much.)

 

[Cycle61]

No. Dude. You've GOT to try the Jimi Hendrix tar snakes, man. They're awesome.

 

[Aluisious]

/shrug

I find polarized glasses to be annoying anyway. Just walking around the park, they make things look weird. I'm the type that's very picky about image quality.

Tint > polarization