I have always known open-faced helmets would return to popularity among the cognoscenti. It’s one of the reasons I have never stopped wearing them.
But as wonderful as open-face lids are, they do have certain drawbacks if you like to ride long distances at uplifting speeds.
Being hit in the mouth at 190km/h by a whirring claw-faced knob-beetle tends to make me teary-eyed. It’s hard to sip beer at the next pub with any type of élan when your gob is swelled up like an infantryman’s heel-blister.
I have, in the past, used those wonderful neck-socks. And they work – mainly by providing the rocketing insect or tumbling rock a type of mattress to land on, thus dissipating its force on my face.
But then someone very clever at Scott affixed a ventilated plastic lower-face-shield to a pair of very fine goggles, and my face is no longer a knob-beetle’s trampoline.
Scott has long made superb off-road gear for men who like to throw their motorcycles at the sky. And its goggs have always been top-notch.
They are treated to be permanently no-fog, and aided in this by very good ventilation, which extends right across the actual top of the lens. The Trueview double lenses are 100 per cent proofed against UVB and UVA rays, and you can swap them out if you need to.
The two-layer foamy bits are thick, rich and soft. They sit snug on my face and provide good peripheral vision, which is important if you’re using them in traffic. And when you fill the foam with the sweat of fear, it’s wicked away by some kind of sorcery, allowing you to produce even more of it in perfect comfort.
Four-eyed people cannot wear their glasses underneath the goggs, but that can only add to the thrill of their ride.
The adjustable silicone strap is gummy on the back so it doesn’t slip off your lid, and I have personally had them on my face at speeds of over 220km/h without an issue.
The inside of the face-shield has a foam pad, and sits very lightly on your face allowing lots of air gets through the eight gills. You can still lick your lips and access your mouth and cheeks for scratching if they itch. When it was cold, I added a face sock underneath and rejoiced in the result.
I also rejoiced at the fact that I looked a bit like Immortan Joe pursuing his sexy wives across the desert.
And on no planet is that a bad thing.
Scott Safari Goggles – great product.
FAQ
Do they work in the rain? Yes. You can still see through them. They don’t fog up, but if the rain is heavy and you’re belting along, water does seep onto the inside of the lens. No biggie.
Do they work with all open-face helmets? I do not own all the open-face helmets available, but they work with Bell, Nolan, Held and some cheap rat-bastard thing I refuse to throw away.
Does the lens scratch easily? All lenses scratch. Depends what you drag across it. Try to get out of the habit of wiping a dirty lens without washing it first.
Is there buffeting? What? Like from a badly made fairing? No. There is no buffeting. They sit snug on your face and you can go very fast and even turn your head and they just sit there.
Can you talk while they are on? Yes. But always make sure you have something interesting to say.
HOW MUCH? $99.95
HERE CAN I GET THEM FROM? Certainly any good bike shop should stock Scott products, but if you’re struggling contact the good people at Ficeda at
and they will direct you to the nearest dealer.
Words by Boris Mihailovic