Q: “With a new Bell full coverage helmet my head position is canted down 15 to 20 degrees. I’m certain this is common, but don’t know the solution. This is a daily driver and I don’t want to swap the seat out. What are your recommendations? Both of your books I’ve read emphasize the importance of good body position in the seat.”
A: I wish I could give you a solution that you’re happy with, but the only one I know is the best one… replace the seat and/or lower it with a special mount. I know other drivers who didn’t want to replace the seat, but did and kept the stock one for when they sell the car. You can get an aftermarket performance seat that is comfortable for everyday driving, but allows you to sit lower. Think about it… having your head against the roof is not the safest thing! And having your head canted down is going to make looking far ahead a big challenge.
Sorry I can’t give you an easier solution. But the best answer is the right one: install a seat the allows you to sit lower, resulting in better visibility, and much more safety. It’s the right thing to do. And it just so happens that it’s the only thing you can do that works.
The headrest in my VWGolf R is pitched forward, which makes it very uncomfortable with a helmet on. But, there is a solution. I remove the headrest and reinstall it 180* so that the angled part is facing the rear. Then there is no interference with the helmet.
Look at the seat you have, specifically how the back of the seat pan is attached to the structure of the seat. Often you can lower the back of the seat with a longer bolt and a spacer of some kind (washers are grand). Depends on the seat design though.
sometimes the helmet hits the headrest forcing your head down. You can try turning the headrest around if it is removable & one that appears to tilt forward for normal use. If this is the case, reversing it tilts it back a little and provides additional room behind your helmet so you can position your head correctly without removing the safety of having the headrest in the first place.