The newbie fog and a bee

[OldBadger]

For those that didn't catch my initial hello in the new bikers thread a quick recap; returning biker after 33 years in the wilderness having now bought an r6 in May this year.

Actually I only went to the bike shop in London to buy a tail storage bag for my Son's birthday which he needed for his impending Scottish motorcycle tour. Ok so I came out with an R6 for myself and I am not sure I was too popular with the misses but that's another story.

Ok so, read all the posts and began to understand the magnitude of my newest adventure, including the common held belief that an R6 is so not for a newbie ( which effectively I now am).
Insured the bike for 2000 miles, no way would I need more than this , after all it is Scotand and we don't get any sunshine and I am going to be a fair weather biker this time. 3500 miles later (yes I had to pay the extra £120 for the extra miles insurance wise) I am beginning to feel confident. Supported the young lad on his Scottish tour with a trip up to Glen Coe (200 mies ish) and then later in the week up to Grantown and Spey and back over the Lecht etc (240 miles round trip).

All looking good now, rocket Ron in his fancy leathers is the man, but somehow you just know there are some challenges still to come.

So to my latest wee run; simple trip from Dundee to St Andrews, Crail, Anstruther and back. Nothing too hard in there then especially as it it has now turned out to be such a fine sunny day after the poor start.

All goes well until just after Crail heading to Anstruther when the mist from hell moves in. Small, narrow twisting coast road and I can now see no more than about 50 feet in front of me. Visor mists up, both inside and out, so I decide to lift it up (big mistake). Now 33 years have brought other personal challenges (failing eyeight) so my prescription sunglasses are all that now stand between me and clear progress. The distance I can see quickly reduces until I can see no more than about 10 feet. In fear of my life, with cars appoaching from behind and the front, I stop and realise that it is my glasses that are the problem, completely misted up both inside and out.

So Rocket Ron in his infinite wisdom then decides to continue without glasses and with the visor still up (even bigger mistake). It is at this point that a fairly large bee, also apparently lost in the mist, appears out of the gloom. I can just about see the aborted attempt from the bee trying to put the brakes on to avoid the inevitable impact.

Now all I can say is that was not the most pleasant experience since returning to the bikers fold and my eye now hurts big time.

So the question is; how should you deal with thick fog.
Visor down and wipe with back of glove or play russian roulette with the wild life?

Sorry for rambling but seriously I am really having a ball since my return to the biking world and just though I would share my experiences.

Keep safe.

OldBadger
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1974 FS1E, 1972 YCS5E, 1977 RD250 (Dunstall), 1979 RD400, 2013 R6

[Muscle Bike Rider]

Pinlock visor, would not fit a visor without pinlock now, no fogging at all.
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Previously Known As A5tra_G
Old Bikes :2010 Kawasaki ER6 F & 2000 Honda VTR Firestorm
Current Bike : XJR1300

[OldBadger]

Will give that a go, do have one that came free with my helmet but it all looked a bit complicated at the time so haven't yet tried it out
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1974 FS1E, 1972 YCS5E, 1977 RD250 (Dunstall), 1979 RD400, 2013 R6

[Rogerborg]

A- on the B story.

A+ on the pinlock, I dicked around with anti-fog gloop and Fog City inserts which sort of worked, but I'm also pinlock for life now.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Shinigami]

[_Iain_]

Ultimately a pinlock is the way forwards. A lot of new lids come with em as standard. Scorpions exo 500 & 1000 come with one free in the box, as do Sharks S900/Speed-R. Even nitro are offering pinlock compatible visors with all of their lids now!

However short term solution is Bob heath's anti fog spray (the pump one not the aerosol as it applies better) and a Foggy mask. Sorted my K3 right out. Looking around a tenner for the mask & about £4.50 for the spray - but to be honest you could do it with just the mask.

With that said i've had no issues so far with fogging on my Icon lid & that's just got some crazy coating on the visor from the factory. You cant apply anti fog to it, just wash in warm water whenever the thing starts to fog to renew it. Not that i've had to do this yet after about 5,000 miles or so.
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Ariel Badger]

Badger my ©
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Tungtvann]

To all those with pinlock, I notice it says 'not for night time use', I do still use it at night, but I get a lot of glare from oncoming vehicles. Anyone else notice this?

Secondly, I have a bottle of Rain-X anti-fog and also rain repellant. Anti fog for the inside and anti rain on the outside. Always worked a treat for me, reapply the anti fog once a week or so and perfect vision.

It's available pretty cheap online and a bottle lasts absolutely ages as you only need a tiny amount on a kitchen towel to do you.

[Rogerborg]

I get a little glare, but not enough to bother me. I cleaned the visor and pinlock scrupulously before application though, you've probably got chip fat and wife juice on yours.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Shinigami]

didn't know it stated anywhere not for night time use? you sure that's not just the tinted inserts?

I've used mine at night many times and not noticed any difference than daytime use.

as above, do you have fanny batter on it?
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[Tungtvann]

No, it's a clear one. With the instructions was some random crap about it letting in less than 85% light which is not permitted in 'some jurisdictions', probably for the US markets.

There's no juice on it, it's perfectly clean, but compared to my old visor I get a bit of glare, not too much in reality, but some.

[Shinigami]

not sure how it reduces light getting through as it's completely clear, all it's doing is adding another thin layer of clear plastic to create an air seal gap between itself and the visor like double glazing
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[deadwolf]

[c_dug]

I had a very close call on my ride in yesterday, the fog was so thick in the morning that from this position:

https://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee81/paddy2007dug/thickfog_zps7fdc5222.png

I could see nothing at all behind the advertising board, no market, no buildings, just pea soup!

Long story short I was faffing with my visor trying to clear it but I couldn't work out if the layer was inside or outside. I lifted the visor to try and poke a finger up the inside but with it up I got hit in the face by something, I flinched and closed the visor at the same time and in that moment that I couldn't see very very very nearly went strait into the back of a lorry at ~60mph, missed it by less than a foot.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Shinigami]

probably slow down if you can't see as far as your stopping distance?
____________________
Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[OldBadger]

To all, thanks for contributions much appreciated.

General concensus appears to be keep visor down and then protect view by stopping internal misting through the use of pinlock and foggy mask (will check that one out - had to google it).
Once this is achieved a basic wipe of outside visor surface is then best approach.

C_dug; yep thats what it was like - not pleasant or easy to deal with.

Ariel Badger no copyright issues, yours is the young and trendy one mine is the old and grey version

Deadwolf - save the badgers you know you have to.

Shinigami; not sure I could go any slower it was the slow speed that caused biggest concern with appoaching vehicles. There was no pavement or runoff areas either to escape to.

Seriously thanks all, comments are appreciated and will be taken on board.

OldBadger
____________________
1974 FS1E, 1972 YCS5E, 1977 RD250 (Dunstall), 1979 RD400, 2013 R6

[c_dug]

I think old and trendy would be more accurate
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Shinigami]

[Ariel Badger]