Fog riding

VetteRacer · 01-13-2005, 02:42 AM

Any advice for riding in Fog? Its been really foggy in Maryland, at one point I had about 15 foot of reasonable visibility. My visor fogged up after 5 minutes, opened it, and my glasses fogged up another 5 after that, luckily I can see decent enough without them to ride, but wasnt a comfortable feeling.

Any advice on what to do to my visor and glasses in fog? Any other advice I should be aware of?

Matt

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 03:18 AM

get an oxford or respro mask insert for you helmet...they are cheap. that will help but not completely eliminate it. depending on your helmet type, if you can just barely crak open the visor, that should make everything good. the arai's have a notched button on the visor that lets you popped it open like 1/8-1/4 inch just to keep it from fogging up. on other helmets visors you can work something out like sticking some tape or something at a spot to prop the visor open ever so slightly.

been riding these past few days as well. usully head out when it is still very much dark and damp. always fun avoiding near death episodes with sleepy angry commuters.

repoe3

lemec · 01-13-2005, 04:16 AM

Just arrived from the fog myself. Coming over the blue ridge mountain at Snickersville gap was a little skeeery. The outside of my face shield was misted up good. Just wiped it every now and then, kept it cracked to keep the inside clear. Commuters around here, repoe, you said it...

island_dude · 01-13-2005, 04:31 AM

I have been having problems with fogging on my new Arai. It seems to become progressivly more vulnerable to fogging. I find that the anti-fog opening isn't enough to do the job when its really cold out and I am moving slowly. At speed this isn't much of an issue, but in traffic its a real pain. I have an anti-fog insert in the visors for my other helmet. I find the visors cause a really anoying glare problem at night.

SCOTTinNJ · 01-13-2005, 04:36 AM

Just as important as seeing, is being seen. I try to ride with the hazards on, even when others don't. It looks dorky, but bikes are hard to see in the fog without them.

steve abella · 01-13-2005, 04:46 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/12/highway.crash.ap/index.html

DavidSoine · 01-13-2005, 04:56 AM

"fog city" on faceshield - IMO this is critical for cool weather commuting. I run one in winter and switch to a faceshield without it in summer.

Keep the faceshield closed (keeps the glasses from fogging), wipe with back of finger often.

Go slow.

best,

Dave
99 R11S

Dingo Joe · 01-13-2005, 05:43 AM

if it's a commute issue, take the damm cage! there's no prize for riding to work and getting hit, just because you wanted to ride that day. If on tour, stop in someplace and get a donut and coffee, chill out and read the paper, hit on the waitress, take a dump, etc...

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 05:56 AM

no there isnt a prize about riding that day, but my bike is my PRIMARY means of transport, regardless that i own a car. while it is a numbers game...statistics and all, it helps make you hyper aware of your surrounds and a better rider. we get HOV priveleges as well. that helps. getting in and around DC is much easier on the bike as well.

repoe3

Dingo Joe · 01-13-2005, 06:08 AM

I hear ya repoe, i'll ride in just about anything, including fog, but during a commute wit all the idiots would have me pulling my shorts outta my arse when I got to work. It's doable but dangerous, good luck...

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dingo Joe
I hear ya repoe, i'll ride in just about anything, including fog, but during a commute wit all the idiots would have me pulling my shorts outta my arse when I got to work. It's doable but dangerous, good luck...

trust me, i know...i hear it all the time...especially from the motorists that like to roll their window down and yell after they have pulled some stoopid move and i react with agression "you're gonna get your self killed riding like that?" if they can hear me, i ask if they have ever ridden a bike. when their response is a NO or a blank stare, i tell them to go phoock themselves and have a nice day.

in defense of some people, when it is dark and a person travelling in an adjacent lane wants to change lanes QUICKLY and they look in their mirror for a split moment and see a smaller headlight, they thing "other vehicle far away" when you end up next to them banging on their window...that kinda freaks them out. and they were being hasty.

aside from the occasional crazy on the road, like today a guy in a grand cherokee was in the lane next to me going around the lincoln memorial and he went aroudn the bend too fast that his tires were screeching and he hit the brakes hard and swearved a bit...i was worried. outside o that, i feel in control and able to respond accordingly. in DC you never really know what you up against, even in the car.

another reason i like the bike...this is paranoia speaking..in DC with the crazy traffic and hightened threats etc...if there was an evacuation of the city or something other bizarre series of events, i could take the bike off the road and do the sidewalk thing or whatever to get the hell outta dodge. besides, we are issued one-time use biohazard masks as a recent of our proximity to the capitol. yippie. not to mention we were evacuated yesterday for a suspicious package.

repoe3

ejfbmw · 01-13-2005, 07:00 AM

I hate fog. Fog will mess up my day like nothing else; fog can cause vertigo. Mist on the visor, same thing.
Three things. #1 is Fog City. #2 is athletic elastic headband wrapped around my left wrist and index finger and used to wiper off the visor. #3 is Cat Crap visor cleaner and polish.

Rapid Dog · 01-13-2005, 07:07 AM

there was some kind of fog mask dealie in the latest Cycle I think.
anyone know what it was?
it's a helmet insert that goes over your nose and mouth.

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 08:10 AM

it was the respro mask i mentioned earlier. i would like to get one of those as i use the oxford mask now. the respro is made from thicker neoprene and the oxford is a textured material with fabric inside. they both hav ea clasp at the bridge of the nose for custom fitting. just want to try the respro out. been using one since i wrecked the last bike...i bought a lot of thing from that rally.

repoe3

Rapid Dog · 01-13-2005, 08:23 AM

dANG! Nice but pricey at $44...wonder where you can fid them in the US?

http://www.respro.com/sportsleisure_street.php

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rapid Dog
dANG! Nice but pricey at $44...wonder where you can fid them in the US?

http://www.respro.com/sportsleisure_street.php

wrong product line...

http://www.streetandcomp.com/mcart/index.cgi?ID=HYVQIO&task=show&cat=Respro+Foggy+Mask

try $16.

repoe3

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 08:32 AM

they do offer the anti-pollution one, and i might get one of those as i do take in a lot of crap when i ride.

repoe3

VetteRacer · 01-13-2005, 08:39 AM

I tried the cracked open visor thingy, but the visor was getting soaked. My gloves have a little wiper on the back, useful for the outside, but cant get my finger inside to clean that.
I was just going between the dealer and base, about 4 miles, mostly empty freeway, that part was fine, was on base that it was super dense/wet. 30mph speedlimit, reflective gear required, so no worries on that.
A car is not an option as the R90 is my only transportation on this coast. As well, I was taking the bike to the dealer to get the carbs adjusted.
I have alittle neck warmer thing that is long enough to reach my mouth (forget the brand) but I wasnt wearing it, when I left the dealer it wasnt too bad looking, and its been really nice temps so no need for the warming of my neck.
I will go buy some anti-fog stuff this afternoon or tommorow when I go check out the R1100S at the dealer

Matt

repoe3 · 01-13-2005, 08:41 AM

it sounds like you are looking at darrell's he works the front desk at the service dept.

repoe3

dsl · 01-13-2005, 09:25 AM

I ride through the winters, here's the best choices:

I have Nolan flip-up with a proprietary fog free insert that does not fog under any circumstances, it's flat out awesome. The FogCity insert, I believe, is of the same material (although I've never tried it). The only problem (I've sometimes read about) is, being a generic insert, it many not fit all visors perfectly. If you get air space between insert and visor, you can get visual distortion, reflections, dust/dirt collection, and fogging.

As repoe3 brought up, the respro mask works as advertised and probably your best choice if you're only going to use it intermittently. Only negative I have to say about the Respro is that you leave the bottom of your helmet open to vent your breath out which can get chilly if you ride in the 20s or below for any distance. I like to totally seal the bottom of helment/neck off when it's that cold.

FogTech.com is on the only fluid that I've used that will not fog at all (tried zooke, cat crap, diving mask stuff, etc.). However, it takes practice to get a distortion free application (needs to be "painted") and it will collect enough dust by the days end to impair vision requiring a reapplication. I only use this for my eyeglasses, if it's too cold to used the Respro.

For the outside, you can get the VeeWipe from the Aerostich site:

Good luck