Jet Fighter Tech, or Pain in the Neck? We Test the NUVIZ Head-Up Display

With the release of the NUVIZ, there's finally a head-up display (HUD) for motorcyclists. First, the important stuff. The NUVIZ carries a hefty price of $699, adheres to your helmet's chin bar, and projects info onto its own small screen, not on your helmet's visor. It does not have a rearview function and currently doesn't incorporate a Bluetooth communicator, which is a hang-up for me since it means slapping another device onto the side of your lid. Thankfully NUVIZ says it's working on an update that will add a communication feature, and the remote control already has a button specifically for that purpose.

So what does the Nuviz do? It’ll play music from your phone, allows you to place and receive calls, offers turn-by-turn navigation, lets you shoot still photos and video, and permits you to easily check the time, your speed, and other info at a glance without looking down at your handlebar or the bike’s dash.

Navigation is the device’s strongest feature. If you’re used to mounting your smartphone on your handlebar or piping Waze through your Sena or Scala, then you might not find the HUD that helpful, but I appreciated not needing to look down at a screen or having to rely solely on spoken directions.

It’s fairly heavy too. My kitchen scale says it weights 8.5 ounces, and that doesn’t include the mounting plate or the speakers and microphone that live inside the helmet. I certainly noticed the added heft while riding. Wind noise and drag are also evident, though thankfully only when you turn your head.

And of course there are safety concerns. The NUVIZ can be distracting, and it could catch on something in a crash. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not the NUVIZ is worth it. For the time being I’m content to keep rocking my Sena 10C with its built-in camera and Bluetooth communicator because in my mind the only thing the NUVIZ offers is the convenience of at-the-ready navigation, and my cell phone works fine for that.