Helmets helmet visibility help

In a fit of old thinking I bought a black helmet. It's not ready to be retired just yet and I like the fit and function so I'm not reinvesting in a brighter colour just yet. I've been entertaining some ideas to make it a bit more visible. What have you clever folks done to add some reflective or hivis elements to your helmets?Ian

Here's one solution from Aerostich. I think others must offer other stick on reflective options.

Those look good Pat, thanks.

I used 3M reflective tapes on mine. Bought them on Amazon.com but Home Depot carries 2" reflective tape as well.

Mark

The tape looks like huge value. Just ordered some. Nice work on the striping Mark. I'll have to think about my own now.

Methinks there is just no limit on designs/ideas...



;-)

Remontoire said:

The tape looks like huge value. Just ordered some. Nice work on the striping Mark. I'll have to think about my own now.

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Thank you. That's winters evenings staring at the helmet and some creativity lol. And inexpensive way of making yourself visible...

Mark

Glitter. Not a way I'd go. Maybe some of those 3M reflective beads. Battery operated side markers and tail lights.

I wish I could get the Borealis stickers for my Neotec. That helmet wasn't out when I got mine.

Some years ago I found some of the 3M tailbright material die cut for helmets. Unfortunately I don't remember where. This stuff is black until headlights shine on it, and then it reflects a lot of the light back.

Recently I have seen (and bought) strips of 3M reflective tape at a tractor trailer parts store. This stuff comes in strips about 2" wide, and maybe 12" long for about $1.60. You see this exact material on the backs of trailers, and also in its half white, half red variety. I put some of this on my mailbox and the stuff lights up amazingly at night. Been thinking about putting a strip or two on the back of the bike somewhere.

Maximark did a real nice job on his hat.

If ST1100Y's suggestion was within my artistic skill set, I'd have that or something like it in hivis lime. I'm sure I like riding more than fine cut out efforts though.

Throttlejockey, that helmet is exactly the type of design I wish I'd been smart enough to buy initially. Nice find. Next time that's the type of design I'm getting.

SMSW, I've had my "best offer" rejected on ebay, so I get to reconsider this purchase. I love the huge number of options. I like the red and white trailer 2" stuff a lot, especially for night riding, but I want some help during day light hours as well, so will go with a lime hivis something. Right now this is the leader: http://goo.gl/puMy77

I'm a little concerned that what I get won't conform to the contour of the helmet. I'll be cranky if it's buckled. Whatever, I'm sure I can adapt. Die cut stickers for helmets are very nice, but I didn't see anything dedicated to visibility.

The black and lime tape looks like a guy could have a lot of options for how long the pieces were and still have the motif intact. Just thinkin' out loud here.

Ian

Remontoire said:

If ST1100Y's suggestion was within my artistic skill set, I'd have that or something like it in hivis lime. I'm sure I like riding more than fine cut out efforts though.

I'm a little concerned that what I get won't conform to the contour of the helmet. I'll be cranky if it's buckled. Whatever, I'm sure I can adapt. Die cut stickers for helmets are very nice, but I didn't see anything dedicated to

Ian

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Ian, I use heat gun to soften stickers (can't be paper ) for curved surfaces. That's how I did carbon fiber film on top of "tank" when it was beat up and chipped, and re spray wouldn't last much. Just warm up the tape or sticker and spread it over contour away from center gradually.

Mark

Remontoire said:

If ST1100Y's suggestion was within my artistic skill set, I'd have that or something like it in hivis lime.

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That's what cutting plotters are for, we've many decal/design shops who can make any graphical shape for you: lettering, outlines, multi colour (placing one cut foil over another) and combinations with UV-resistant printing on them... reflective foil is avail in all kinds or colours, structures and strength.
Scotchlite and Orafol have the strongest reflection effect (used on ETM vehicles), but its thickness favours application on flat surfaces (panel vans, car doors, trucks, construction vehicles, etc...), not to imagine on the spherical shape of a helmet.

So I think applying a narrow strip along the centre or the lower rim of the helmet will be the easiest task...
Or go with reflective vinyl, which is quite thin and maybe could be stretched into the required shape.

Heat guns and plotters. Great tips, thanks guys.

The brightest reflective will be SOLAS rated. It used for maritime personal gear. To get the best of both worlds..day and night visibility, look for HiViz colored reflective materials. These are commonly used on firefighter helmets and such. Reflexite is one brand that is often used. The make some different shapes of stickers in e HiViz green as well as other colors. These are a highly reflective, almost like SOLAS rated stuff. Lots of options out there. google reflective helmet decals and you will get many options.

I too have an all black helmet (Neotec shoei) . I put a sticker on the back from Twisted Throttle that has reflective properties in it. Every little bit helps.

ST-Traveler said:

I too have an all black helmet (Neotec shoei).

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Aren't their [SHOEI] labels on front and rear not already reflective? (the silver ones on my black Multitec are... my Neotec is white though...)

BTW: stumbled over a site that also does custom jobs (cutting shapes, lettering, etc...), they also carry the "black turns white" stealth-type foils
Knock yourself out: http://reflectivelyyours.com/homepage.html helmet decals, pinstripes, luggage kits, wheel stripes, iron & sew on's, etc, etc...

I used Scotchlite reflective tape on the black parts of my saddkebags. Its black till headlights hit it then they light up. Should work welk on a black helmet as stripes.
its on ebay.

New Jersey law requires 4 in/sq of reflectorization on a helmet. Most shops there sell reflective strips

A while back the MSF did a study and found that a white helmet is seen by more people than any other color.