Some time back, encouraged by positive reviews here, I ended my long-standing relationship with Arai and bought an X-lite. And I'm very pleased with it. So light, and pretty comfy. Well today was one of those December days. I'm getting a bit too old for long journeys in winter, but as I like to keep the bike on the road all year round, I jump at a fine clear, mild days in the winter months to get it out and give it a run. Which I just did, and it's very gratifying how sweetly the old bus still runs. But those dark-green visors! They are just awful! They never seen to give clear vision in any weather conditions. A black Arai visor was way better in bright sunlight. Or, indeed, at any time. I've just been to the visorshop website, and it looks like they don't do a black visor. Well if anyone thought the green ones were 'safer', I'd strongly disagree! All I've seen is clear visors or 'smoke', and on past experience they are hardly any different to clear, other than cosmetically. Do other posters agree? There's also these 'metallic' visors, but I have no experience of them. Maybe a clear visor and a black pinlock insert is the answer. What are the preferred options of other X-lite owners, please?
I have both Arai and Xlite 803. Personally I have never noticed any difference in visibility with either dark visor. Are you due and eye test (I know this sounds sarcastic but it’s honestly not meant to be)?
I had an eye test quite recently, as it goes. But I have always found those green visors awful from Day 1. Sadly, it seems they don't do a black one.
Yeah the OE dark tint is super dark and has a definite Green look about it. I ended up with a job lot of genuine race ready visors from a race team that were allocated for Hector Barbera. The light and mid tint visors don’t seem to have the same green finish. I’ve kept a spare of each for myself but all the others sold pretty quickly. I’d say the dark is only suitable for super bright sunny skys!
It's not just me, then! It's a shame there isn't a better option; even the pinlock inserts only seem to be available in 'smoke' for the X-803, not black. It wasn't so bad when I used to wear contact lens; I used to wear a cheap pair of sunnies inside a clear visor. But nowadays I stick to glasses, and although I have an expensive pair of prescription Ray-Bans, I'm not ruining those by forcing them inside a helmet.
I switched from Arai to X-lite a few years back - another satisfied customer, as it's carbon fibre it is much lighter (with the possible exception of Arai carbon Fibre - but have you seen the price!) fits better, (slightly) quieter and much cheaper. Can't say I've found the green tint visor to be a problem though.
I have a legal tint visor and a ‘dark’ one, tbh I can see the green in it when I show it but I can’t say I’ve noticed it when the helmet on, maybe if I back to backed them I might but I haven’t obviously noticed it
See if there’s an aftermarket Transitions type visor available. I’ve had many X Lites, all having dark visors. Possibly, marginally darker than an Arai/Shoei but I never bought genuine Arai/Shoei dark visors, only copies. Having said that, I noticed the beginning of the darkness, got an eye test and was advised that ageing was the cause of my issues. I’m 59. I’ve subsequently gone to another X Lite, but flip-up and an AGV K5s. Both have drop downs that are dark but not as dark as the aforementioned dark visors.
I;ve just swapped from an Arai RX-7 to the x803 RS. The helmet is lovely but I was disappointed to find that I couldn't get the ProtecTint visor for the x803 as I find it really useful. I've emailed Nolan as Pinlock in Holland advised me that Nolan make their own Pinlock lenses under licence, to ask if they have plans to add the ProtecTint for the x803.
