Eye-opening new perspective on my daily commute

[Gone in 60]

Nice observations for visibility. My grey helmet will be replaced with a white one soon.

Yes, Ferret, that's what I need to start wearing again.

Pdedse, not wanting to buy a grey helmet is what got me onto my recent euro-helmet kick. I wanted a Scorpion HX1, but it only came in dark grey or black over here. But I got this version from a supplier in the Netherlands.

I do remember that, nice looking...overall good?

I do remember that, nice looking...overall good?
Yes, Pdedse, it generally gets panned in reviews for "trying to be too many things at once", but I'm enjoying it. I wanted a vintagy-sorta helmet that's practical. I remember you got the TORC and ended up not finding it too comfortable. I tried that same one at a local shop and came away with the same feeling - too round for my long head. I have a Biltwell Gringo that has a face shield, but it doesn't have detents to hold it open just a crack, doesn't have vents, and the shield is very fiddly. I'll reserve that for office display and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, when I need to be a Dapper Hipster.

Being a Scorpion, it's an intermediate-oval and very comfy. The shield is going for the same minimalist concept that most "vintage style" helmets go for, so it has one detent, which is about 1/2" open, a bit too much air at freeway speeds. But the Vader Mouth front shoves in more air at speed than you'll ever need, so on the freeway I just let it close. The Euro version has an added bonus of a drop-down shade which the U.S. version didn't get for some reason.

Plus, it's super cheap on Chromeburner, even with shipping to the U.S. And since it was apparently a sales dud, the U.S. distributors are now blowing out the black and grey models for around a hundred bucks.

Two years ago I got my first white riding jacket and white riding pants to match. Lots of reflective piping.

They are great for winter riding.

I picked up a light cream jacket on clearance last year. Love the light color for visibility, but I have to be careful where I toss it when I'm not wearing it... the light color picks up dirt easily. Not sure why I care... I can't control bugs hitting it, but I can control laying it on a dirty work bench.

In the seventies, Bill Rodgers, the marathon runner, had a line of running clothes that included a light jacket that was reflective. The jacket was a normal blue and grey in daylight, but at night, when lights hit it, it lit up like a Christmas tree. It was too light weight to wear on a motorcycle, but was great otherwise. I have never seen that technology used in any other application and wonder what happened to it.

That's why I run a Brake Free light on my helmets. Great added tail/brake light up high on the back of my head. I've caught my Nelson Rigg neighbor wearing his and at dusk, it's a real attention-grabber.