SHOEI e:DRYLENS Impression】It is comfortable to change brightness instantly and the automatic mode is very user-friendly!　Worth considering despite the high price!

SHOEI's e:DRYLENS, which can electronically change the brightness of the shield, is now available. In addition to being able to manually change the color in two stages, it also has an auto mode that automatically dims the light according to the ambient brightness. We thoroughly report on its usability!

In addition to preventing fogging, the color can also be changed. The controller must be installed at a retailer.

SHOEI launched the "e:DRYLENS 304," an anti-fog sheet attached to the inside of a helmet shield with an "electronic dimming" function, on January 9. In addition to the anti-fogging function of the pin-lock sheet, the most important point of this product is that it is equipped with a light-dimming function using a liquid crystal film, allowing the user to instantly switch between "light" (light transmittance of approximately 65%) and "dark" (light transmittance of approximately 20%). A controller is installed on the left side of the shield and can be manually changed between light and dark. There is also an auto mode that automatically adjusts to optimum brightness, equipped with an ambient light sensor. Compatible helmets are the X-Fifteen, Z-8, and WYVERN Ø (zero) models that use the CWR-F2 and CWR-F2R shields. When we borrowed the products from SHOEI, we received the shields with the controllers already installed. To use the product, the e:Dry Lens 304 (27,500 yen) and an optional controller (6,600 yen) are required. The controller is recommended to be installed & removed by the dealer. This is why SHOEI sent it to us in the installed condition. The controller is not sold by itself (not attached to the shield), and if you want to attach it to your shield, you need to bring your shield to the retailer at the time of purchase and have them attach it to your shield. The weight of the shield with the e:Dry Lens and the controller is 175g as measured by the author, and 158g with the shield and the normal dry lens, so the increase in weight is negligible.

In manual mode, it switches pleasantly, with no effect on visibility or wind noise.

I immediately tried it on my Z-8. The normal "light" mode has a transmittance of about 65%, which is slightly darker than the standard clear shield (85% or higher). The company's "Mellow Smoke" has a transmittance of 56% to 62%, so it is slightly brighter than the "Light". When the switch is pressed, it instantly switches to "dark". There is almost no time lag, and the changeover is very comfortable. Dark is about 20% transmittance, so it is a little brighter than a typical built-in sun visor, and in winter, when looking directly at the sun, it was a little dazzling.

Naturally, it is very comfortable to be able to change the color of the shield instantly whenever you want. It is like having a sun visor retrofitted to your own helmet, and the electronically dimming shield has advantages in terms of weight, aerodynamics, and safety compared to helmets with built-in visors. This is because helmets with built-in visors tend to be larger and heavier. It also has an aerodynamic advantage over the outer visor version. In addition, the ability to change colors with the touch of a button, rather than using a physical lever to raise or lower it, is also very user-friendly. Although the controller is added, we did not notice any effect on wind noise even when driving at 100 km/h. However, the buttons are small, measuring only 6 mm in diameter (measured by the author), so there were times when we were unsure of where to press the buttons. It was also a little difficult to press the button with thick winter gloves. If you cannot find the switch and want to switch back to the light as soon as possible, you can cover the sensor part with your hand, and the sensor will judge that it has become dark and switch back to the light. The sensor will determine that it is dark and return to the light.

Auto mode is not too sensitive to ambient light and is basically comfortable

Next, we tried the auto mode. When the switch is pressed and held for about 1.5 seconds while the light is on, the seat blinks three times and the system goes into auto mode. The ambient light sensor automatically switches between light and dark depending on the ambient light. A short press of the switch during auto mode will cancel auto mode and return to manual mode. During the daytime when the sun is shining and there are continuous shadows of buildings and trees on the street, I was concerned that the frequent color switching might be bothersome. However, as it turns out, this was not the case at all. Basically, it is dark outdoors during the daytime, regardless of whether it is sunny or cloudy. It remained dark even when the car entered the shadows intermittently from under the sunlight or stopped in the shadows while driving. It did not switch to light unless in very dark areas such as tunnels or under elevated railway tracks. According to the release, "Test riders thoroughly tested the system in various environments and set the sensor sensitivity to the optimum level. It is likely that this setting was made with a margin of safety, so that if the sensor detects light to some extent, it does not switch to the light. While this adjustment was indeed quite appropriate, there were times when the dark setting seemed a bit too dark. For example, when waiting to make a right turn at an intersection under an elevated highway, the light is bright on our side but dark on the other side. In such a case, you can switch back to manual mode, open the shield, or cover the sensor part with your hand and switch back to the light. Nevertheless, even in dark, it is not extremely dark, so it is not impossible to see (although this may vary from person to person). The response in auto mode is not very sensitive, perhaps because of the margin. The time lag when brightening from dark to light (light to dark) is about 0.5 seconds by feel. The opposite case (dark to light) is almost the same, but I felt a little more time lag. The sensitivity of the ambient light sensor is fixed and cannot be adjusted. If it were me, I would use the auto mode as a basic setting and operate it manually if there are situations where it is difficult to see.

The battery lasts well, with over 23 hours of continuous use in dark conditions.

According to the release, the battery can operate for about 20 hours continuously in the dark state. When we tested the actual operating time, it was able to maintain the dark state for about 23 hours and 15 minutes. Although the battery will probably deteriorate over time, this is a sufficient operating time. Note that the temperature was about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, so it could be longer in warmer weather. The battery will last long enough for a touring trip of about one night and two days, since the battery consumption can be reduced by using the manual mode with the light on. Note that with a quick charger, the overcharge prevention function of the charger may stop charging before the battery is fully charged. Also, since batteries deteriorate when stored in a fully discharged state, it is recommended to recharge the battery once every two to three months even when not in use.

[summary] Full of advantages, recommended if price is acceptable.

The ability to add the ability to switch shields to an existing model is a comforting one. As mentioned above, the electronic dimming shield has all the advantages in terms of weight, aerodynamic performance, and ease of use. Photochromic shields that react to light and chemically color are also available, but these shields cannot be changed to any color. In this respect, the advantage of the e:Dry lens is that it can be changed freely. The total price with the controller is 34,100 yen, which is not inexpensive, but considering that the photochromic shield costs 29,700 yen, it is an adequate option. The CWR-F2 shield is priced at 8,250 yen, and the two shields are also inexpensive at 16,500 yen for the two colors, but of course they require time and effort to put on, remove, and carry around. For users who have the three compatible models, the e:Dry Lens is a product worth considering. The author, who normally uses the Z-8, is also very interested in this product, although the price is a concern. Image Gallery (14)