Review Harley-Davidson Profile Goggle

The Harley-Davidson Profile Goggle is stylish and versatile, serving as both a solid pair of riding goggles and an attractive set of shades.

"Eyewear is a critically important part of riding," said Matt Thompson, Harley-Davidson's Category Manager of Riding Gear.

With that in mind, it's no surprise that The Motor Company has come out with a line of stylish, high-quality optics to help protect a rider's vaunted peepers. In the R& D process, H-D enlisted the services of optician Carl Zeiss and his Vision Sunlens company to help them develop a patented Enhanced Vision System (EVS) that is claimed to provide up to a 20% wider field of vision and greater clarity on the outer edges of the lenses in comparison to standard sunglasses.

The appeal of H-D's Profile Goggles is in its versatility. The padded mid-frame easily pops out when you're not riding, and voila, you've got an attractive pair of shades. The design is modest, with oblong smoked lenses that aren't Hollywood-wide. The lightweight frame and arms are matte black, and a small embossed Bar & Shield logo with the initials H-D is stamped indelibly in silver on each side, adding to the cool factor. Small vents have been cut into the nosepiece and on the sides of the frame to help with defogging on cold mornings.

Worn as sunglasses, the Profiles are very comfortable. Its lightweight design makes them almost unnoticeable. I've got a wide head and many sunglasses fit me too tight, but the width of the H-D Profiles is spot-on.

In converting to goggles, the padded mid-frame pops right in behind the hinges that connect the arms. You sacrifice a little field of vision in this mode, but you can still get a wider view of the road than most standard sunglasses that haven't been designed with motorcycling in mind. With the snap-out frame in place, the Profiles seal flush against your eye sockets and win the battle against the wind while wearing a half-shell up to about 70 mph. At that speed, wind begins to seep under the seal, but tighten up the goggle leash that comes as part of the package and you can continue to crack the throttle without worrying about them blowing off your head. With a full-face helmet on, they fit snug and secure, even with the visor up.

Another attractive feature is its second set of clear lenses. On a recent road trip, I forgot to bring a clear visor for my helmet. Getting home took longer than expected and I was losing the race against nightfall. I can't see crap through my dark visor at night, but luckily I had the spare set of clear lenses with me. With a little thumb pressure, the lenses pop out forward, and replacing them only takes a minute. I had to ride with my visor up the rest of the way home, but at least I could see. The Profiles definitely came in handy on that ride.

A C-note gets you the convertible goggle with a pop-out mid-frame, a set of clear and smoked lenses, a goggle leash, a soft bag and a hard storage case.

For a C-note, you get the convertible goggle with its foam-lined pop-out mid-frame, two sets of lenses (the smoked pair has UV protection) that meet ANSI Z77.1 standards, a goggle leash to help keep them on your head, a microfiber bag to carry everything with when you're on the go and a sweet silver metallic hard case to store them in when you're at home. The styling is attractive without being overdone, and the fact that they serve dual purposes is a bonus. The clarity of the lenses is stellar and they offer a wide field of view. I also like the fact that they're not as bulky as other eyewear. Overall, Harley-Davidson's Profile Goggle definitely gets a big Motorcycle USA thumbs up.

MSRP $100