Date reviewed: July 2017 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £34.99 | https://www.visorcat.com
Designed and made in the UK, the Visorcat is a simple but effective device that helps keep your motorcycle helmet’s visor clear whatever the weather. I’ve used one on and off for about three years now – anybody who’s sat behind a car in the winter, willing the motorist to use their windscreen washers, will understand this product’s value…
Construction
The Visorcat – which fits over your glove – is a rubber-like unit with a long strip of sponge and a reservoir that’s filled with the supplied cleaner to keep it moist. The sponge is covered by a flexible wiper blade system, with an elastic strap to go over your thumb or forefinger, along with a strap that fits around your wrist.
Fitting and comfort
Slipping easily over any of my gloves – summer or winter – I tend to have the elastic loop over my forefinger. Either way though, I’ve had no issues at all with it getting in the way of the controls on any bike I’ve tried it on, including adventure, sports and naked.
Once on your glove, it can be left there, just requiring a quick pull on the wrist strap to tighten, and a flick of the buckle to loosen. The only thing to beware of is that I dropped mine a couple of times when walking in from the bike park at work because I loosened the strap too much. You also won’t be able to shove your gloves in your lid without getting the lid’s lining a little wet, but you shouldn’t be doing that anyway (the dirt on your gloves gets pressed in and any Velcro tears at the lining).
Effectiveness
Wipe from the left to the right, and the rubber cover opens up to expose the strip of sponge, which is kept wet by wicking the fluid – made for Visorcat by Shift-It – from the reservoir. If left, it will dry out, but only after a good week or so, depending on the weather.
If you remove flies as soon as they hit your visor, this can help to budge them – especially on those really fat, juicy ones – but leave them much longer and they’re welded on, so need soaking when you get home.
Where I find the sponge most useful is during the winter on motorways, when it’s not raining but the roads are wet – the filthy spray that comes up dries instantly and can really ruin visibility. It’s a serious hazard; I’ve spent many miles willing the driver in front to use their windscreen washers, just in the hope of getting enough overspray to wet the grime and allow me to wipe it off with my gloves. Visorcat eliminates that.
Wipe from right to left and the two blades sweep moisture away – whether it’s from a previous wipe with the sponge or simply rain. I usually wear gloves with a built-in wiper on the thumb or finger, so I find this less essential for general use, but it does complete the swipe when using the sponge.
Visorcat won’t deliver a pristine visor with a single swipe back and forth, but it can get the worst of the gunk off, giving you a much clearer and safer view of the road ahead. Grit can get held on the edge of the sponge, so give it a rinse when stopping – while it could be argued that this could scratch your visor during use, it’s muck that’s come off what was already there, and it’s a lot less damaging that trying to rub it away with a dry glove.
Running costs
50ml of washer fluid is supplied, and I got through this in three weeks of commuting. A 250ml bottle costs £7.99 with free delivery, or you could use plain water if you want, though the solution has a gentle cleaning formula that’s safe for visors and gives slightly better performance.
I use the Visorcat very intermittently, so I haven’t worn a sponge out yet, but they cost just £6.99 for three, again, with delivery.
Conclusion
Visorcat isn’t for everyone; riders using their bikes purely for short weekend blasts probably won’t see the benefit, but anyone who’s putting the miles in – especially through winter – will be safer with it.
If you’re in any doubt over whether this is for you, then take advantage of Visorcat’s excellent money-back guarantee. I don’t wear mine all the time, but when the bad weather comes, I kick myself if I’ve forgotten to slip it over my glove.
