The AGV K3 vs K3 SV visor question comes up because AGV has used the K3 name on three different helmets, and the visors do not cross over between them. The original K3, the K3 SV with its drop-down sun visor, and the current K3 sold under ECE 22.06 each take a different shield. Order by the name alone and there is a real chance the visor arrives, the pivots do not line up, and it goes back in the box.
Aftermarket visors for AGV helmets
The short answer: the K3 SV takes the visor AGV also lists for the K5 S, K1 S and K1, fitted through AGV’s GT2/GT2-1 click mechanism. The current K3 (2023 onwards) takes its own visor, which AGV sells in two shell-size versions, one for XS to L and one for XL and XXL. The original pre-SV K3 is a third fitment again. The sun visor is the quickest tell: if your helmet has an internal drop-down sun shield, it is an SV, and it needs the shared visor, not the K3-only one.
AGV K3 vs K3 SV visor: three helmets, one name
The confusion is not the buyer’s fault. AGV reused the K3 badge across more than a decade, and the two most common helmets on the road today, the K3 SV and the current K3, look similar from the front. The differences that matter for a visor are in the side plates and the shell sizing, not the paint.
The table below sets the three apart. Every fitment entry in it comes from AGV’s own spare-parts listings, which we fetched and read for this guide, and from the matching pages in the ClearLineMoto AGV-compatible range. Where ClearLineMoto’s listings carry a note from the supplier rather than from AGV, we say so.
| Helmet | How to recognise it | Visor AGV lists for it | Where to look on ClearLineMoto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original K3 (pre-SV) | No internal sun visor, older ECE 22.05 label, GT2 visor family | The older GT2 shield, no longer a current AGV line | AGV K3 Replacement Visor (tint options labelled “Old K3”) |
| K3 SV | Internal drop-down sun visor, ECE 22.05 label | Shared visor: “K5 S and K3 SV (ML-L-XL-XXL) and K1 S (L-XL-XXL)”, plus a smaller-shell version | AGV K3 SV visor category |
| Current K3 (2023 onwards) | ECE 22.06 label, product codes ending in E2206 | Its own visor: “VISOR K3 (XS-S-M-L)” and a separate “VISOR K3 (XL-XXL)” | AGV K3 visor category |
How to tell which K3 you own
Start with the sun visor. The SV in K3 SV stands for the internal sun visor, operated by a slider on the shell, and the original K3 and the current K3 do not have one. If there is a second tinted shield that drops down inside the main visor, you have an SV.
Next, read the homologation label stitched into the chin strap or printed on the shell sticker. The current K3 is approved under ECE 22.06, and AGV’s own product codes for it end in E2206. The K3 SV and the original K3 were sold under the older ECE 22.05 approval, so a 22.05 label rules the current K3 out.
Finally, check the helmet size, because AGV splits the visor by shell on both current helmets. A current K3 in XS, S, M or L takes one visor and an XL or XXL takes another. The K3 SV follows the same idea with a split between the smaller shells and the ML to XXL shells. Keep the size label to hand before you order anything.
What AGV’s own parts pages say
We do not take fitment from memory or from another retailer’s listing. For this guide we fetched AGV’s spare-parts pages in the UK store and read the descriptions as written. Three of them settle the question.
AGV’s page for the GT2/GT2-1 click mechanism describes it as the “Click for visor mechanism compatible with: K5 S, K-3 SV, K1 S and K1.” That is the maker grouping the K3 SV with the K5 S and the K1 family on one visor system.
AGV’s listing for the K5 S and K3 SV shield reads “Scratch-resistant shield compatible with K5 S and K3 SV (ML-L-XL-XXL) and with K1 S (L-XL-XXL).” The K3 does not appear on that page at all.
AGV’s listing for the current K3 visor reads “Scratch-resistant visor compatible with K3 helmet in sizes XS, S, M and L.” It names the K3 alone, and AGV sells a second version for XL and XXL. Nothing on either K3 page mentions the SV, the K5 S or the K1.
Why the K3 SV shares its visor and the K3 does not
The K3 SV was built on the same visor platform as the K5 S and the K1 helmets, which is why AGV sells one mechanism kit for all four. A visor is matched to the pivot and the ratchet on the shell, not to the model badge, so helmets that share a mechanism share a shield. That is also why our guide to changing the visor on an AGV K1 S describes the same lever action an SV owner will recognise.
The current K3 was a fresh design for the ECE 22.06 approval, with a new shell and a new side plate. AGV lists its visor under the K3 name only and splits it by shell size, which is the clearest sign that it is not interchangeable with the older group. A K3 SV visor will not click home on a 2023 K3, and a 2023 K3 visor will not sit on an SV.
The original K3 is the awkward one. It predates the SV and used the earlier GT2 visor, which AGV no longer lists as a current line. On ClearLineMoto the tint options for that helmet are labelled “Old K3” so they cannot be confused with the current model, and our K3 fitment guide walks through the generation check in more detail.
Shell size matters on both helmets
Most visor returns on these two helmets are not generation mistakes, they are size mistakes. AGV cuts the current K3 visor in two sizes, XS to L and XL to XXL, and the K3 SV shield in two sizes as well. The two versions are not a few millimetres apart; the pivot spacing changes with the shell.
ClearLineMoto’s AGV New K3 Replacement Visor is listed by our supplier for the S, M and L shells of the 2023 K3, and not for XL or XXL. The AGV K3 Photochromic Visor and the AGV K3 (2023) Photochromic Visor carry a note that the supplier does not state which of AGV’s two size versions they are, so check your shell size against that note before ordering. If your helmet is an XL or XXL, read the listing twice.
If you are unsure which shell you have, the size is printed on the label inside the helmet and usually on the box end. Our motorcycle visor finder narrows the catalogue by model, and the shell size is the second thing to confirm after the generation.
Choosing a replacement: clear, tinted or photochromic
Once you know the generation and the size, the choice is the same as for any helmet. A clear shield has no tint and passes the most light of any type. The clear replacement visor range covers both K3 generations and the SV.
Photochromic visors darken in sunlight and clear again in shade, which suits riders who do not want to carry a second shield. A photochromic lens still has to be read against the legal test described below, because the marking on the individual visor decides, not the technology. The photochromic visor range lists the AGV options by generation.
In Great Britain the legal test is the marking on the individual visor, not its colour or its tint name. The Motor Cycles (Eye Protectors) Regulations 1999 prescribe a British Standard grade and require the protector to be “marked with an approved certification mark of an approved body”, and Highway Code Rule 83 tells riders to “check that your helmet visor is clean and in good condition” before each journey. Iridium, mirrored and dark smoke visors transmit too little light to be legal for road use in Great Britain, day or night, and ClearLineMoto does not verify markings on individual items. Our guide to tinted visor legality covers the rules in full.
Anti-fog inserts for each generation
The anti-fog insert follows the visor, not the helmet name, so the same generation check applies. AGV describes its current K3 visor and its K5 S/K3 SV shield as “Max Pinlock® 70 lens ready”, which means each has the pin recesses for a pin-mounted insert. An insert cut for the SV shield will not match the pin spacing on the current K3 visor.
ClearLineMoto lists a Pinlock-compatible anti-fog insert for the AGV New K3 and a separate insert for the AGV K1, K3 SV and K5. Pinlock is a third-party trademark; our inserts are compatible with pin-ready visors and are not Pinlock-brand products. The anti-fog insert hub explains how a hydrophilic insert works and how to seat one without trapping dust.
Fitting notes for the K3 SV and the current K3
On the K3 SV, the visor sits on AGV’s GT2/GT2-1 click mechanism. Open the visor fully, press the release on the side plate and lift the visor off the pivot, then offer the new one up in the same fully open position until it clicks. If a replacement does not click on both sides with light pressure, stop and check the generation and size rather than forcing it.
The current K3 has its own side plate, and the action is similar but the parts are not shared. Fit the visor with the helmet on a soft surface, keep the ratchet teeth clean, and work the shield through its full range before you ride. A visor that drags or will not seal at the top edge usually means the wrong size version, not a faulty part.
Whichever generation you have, fit the visor at home, not at the roadside, and keep the old one until the new one has been ridden in daylight. Scratched or poorly fitting eye protection limits your view, which is exactly the point the Highway Code makes to riders, so a visor that does not seat correctly should not be used. For a broader picture of the ranges AGV has used across its helmets, see our overview of visors that fit AGV helmets.
Visors and inserts mentioned in this guide
- AGV K3 Photochromic Visor
- replacement visor for the 2023 AGV K3
- See the Old K3 replacement visor
- replacement visor for the AGV K1, K3 SV and K5
- anti-fog insert for the AGV New K3
- anti-fog insert for the AGV K1, K3 SV and K5
- AGV K3 visor category
- AGV K3 SV visor category
Frequently asked questions
Does the AGV K3 SV visor fit the new AGV K3?
No. AGV lists the K3 SV shield for the K5 S, K3 SV and K1 S, and lists a separate visor for the current K3 in two shell-size versions. The pivots are different and the shields do not interchange.
Is the AGV K3 SV visor the same as the K1 visor?
AGV’s own spare-parts pages group the K3 SV with the K5 S, K1 S and K1 on one GT2/GT2-1 click mechanism, and its K3 SV shield listing names the K5 S and K1 S alongside it. ClearLineMoto’s K1 / K3 SV / K5 listings follow that grouping. Check the shell-size split on the listing before ordering.
How do I know if my helmet is a K3 or a K3 SV?
Look for the internal drop-down sun visor; only the SV has one. Then read the approval label: the current K3 is ECE 22.06 and the K3 SV is ECE 22.05.
Which AGV K3 visor do I need for an XL helmet?
AGV makes the current K3 visor in two versions, one for XS to L and one for XL and XXL. Read the ClearLineMoto listing’s size note before ordering, because some supplier listings cover the smaller shells only.
What is the legal test for a tinted K3 visor in Great Britain?
The legal test in Great Britain is the marking on the individual visor. Iridium, mirrored and dark smoke visors transmit too little light to be legal for road use, and ClearLineMoto does not verify markings on individual items, so treat tinted options as track or display items unless the marking says otherwise.