Motorcycle goggles are a must if you want to look cool and protect your eyes when riding in an open-face helmet.
It always confounded me how the guys on Easy Rider could ride wearing no glasses or Rayban sunglasses. I can’t ride more than 60km/h in sunglasses without my eyes watering.
Tight-fitting motorcycle goggles that keep the wind and dust out of your eyes are a must. But they sometimes look a bit geeky; something Biggles might have worn!
These French motorcycle goggles from Jeantet are the most fashionable I’ve seen. Thankfully, they are also the lightest and most comfortable while providing the widest vision of any two-lens goggles I’ve used.
The Aviator Retro Pilot T2 motorcycle goggles are imported into Australia by chic Sydney bike company, Motociclo. They cost $199 and come with a soft carry pouch.
They are made of hyper allergenic soft goat leather over soft foam padding that seals out all the wind. I’ve worn other goggles that always seem to leave some gap where the wind sneaks in. It could be my face shape, but these fit perfectly. They have rear-facing vents all around the rolled brass frames so you don’t get dust, but have ventilation to prevent misting.
The Aviators also have a curved shape that provides wide vision and the narrow frames in the middle mean you don’t have a wide and annoying blind spot right in the centre of your field of vision.
The motorcycle goggles come with clear glass but you can get replacement lenses in smoke, silver mirror, blue mirror ($49), yellow or clear ($39). The first three are great for day riding and the yellow lenses are terrific in twilight or dark where they make objects stand out.
I use them with the clear lenses as they will fit comfortably over a small pair of spectacles or sunglasses and have a cutaway section to accommodate the arms.
While they are specifically made in collaboration with Davida to be worn with their stylish open-face helmets, l have been using them with a variety of open-face helmets and even MX-style helmets and they fit just fine because they aren’t too big. They should also fit some of the new retro-style full-faced helmets such as the new Bell Bullit four that ultra-hispter look.
Jeantet have been making glasses for cyclists and motorists since 1880 and the Aviator model was created in 1929 for motorcycle riders and pilots.
Motociclo of St Peters, in Sydney, has been importing boutique motorcycle products such as these motorcycle goggles and Davida helmets since 2004. They have a wide variety of cool gear, accessories, books, videos and more.
