MXA TEAM TESTED: EKS BRAND ZIP-OFF SYSTEM GOGGLE

WHAT IS IT? Zip-Off is EKS Brand’s version of a Roll-Off system. It allows a racer to get as many as 33 clear views by pulling a strip of film across the lens rather than layering on multiple tear-offs.

WHAT’S IT COST? $59.95 (complete goggle); $34.99 (Zip-Off lens and canisters only).

CONTACT? www.eksbrand.com or (800) 231-8529.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with EKS Brand’s Zip-Off system.

(1) Options. To run EKS Brand’s Zip-Off system, you have two options: The “Racer Pack” is a set of plain-Jane black goggles with the full Zip-Off system installed, which includes two rolls of film, a stick-on rain visor and retails for $59.95. Option two is the Zip-Off system mounted to a lens but without the goggle frame. This includes two rolls of film and a stick-on rain visor and retails for $34.99. Option two mounts to any EKS Brand goggle.

(2) Lens. EKS Brand lenses are interchangeable, so the Zip-Off system fits into any goggle (except the youth model). There are two different Zip-Off lenses (rain and roost), but if you had your heart set on using a colored, tinted or mirrored lens, you could drill your own holes. Both of the available Zip-Off lenses are clear, anti-fog and cost $9.95. The rain lens has two tiny ridges to help the film slide easier when wet, while the roost lens is smooth. After spinning two simple Phillips head screws, EKS Brand’s Zip-Off canisters unscrew from an old scratched-up lens and quickly transfers to a fresh one.

(3) Rip cord. It takes two full pulls to get a completely fresh stretch of film in front of your eyes. It can be done 33 times on one roll of film. EKS Brand also offers laminated tear-offs in stacks of 10.

(4) Ease of use. No matter how you design it, a Roll-Off system is a lot more trouble to clean and prepare than tear-offs. That said, EKS Brand’s Zip-Off system is relatively easy to take apart, and the parts are affordable. These two aspects set it apart from several other brands’ Roll-Off systems.

(5) Price breakdown. After some number crunching, we discovered that at 33 uses per roll, you get almost 400 uses out of the 12-roll pack. At $24.95, that’s about six cents per use. Regular tear-offs break down to 60 cents each, and laminated tear-offs work out to $1.30 each. As a rule, however, Roll-Off systems scratch up lenses faster, and the initial price is always higher.

(6) Refills. Zip-Off refill packages come with a dozen rolls and cost $24.99. Stick-on rain visors come three in a package for $4.95 (one visor comes with the system). The stick-on visors are crucial for keeping contaminants from getting underneath the film.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? At the start of a race, when the only way to avoid roost is getting the holeshot, the Zip-Off system is in desperate need of tear-off posts over the canisters. We taped a standard tear-off onto the canisters, but a laminated stack over the Roll-Off would be great.

We wouldn’t run them all the time, but the Zip-Off system is very handy in long motos, bad weather, after the track has been watered or when there is a lot of roost.