Late to the Pinlock party. Should'a gotten one AGES ago!

**samgab** · 24th April 2015, 13:10

I know there are heaps of threads on pinlock already, but I just wanted to say, after years of riding, I finally got a pinlock insert for my pinlock ready helmet yesterday. What a revolution!
With winter coming on, and all the rain, my helmet has been fogging up like crazy, so I'd taken to riding in the rain with the visor up most of the time. Got the pinlock insert yesterday, and went for a reasonable ride in torrential downpour, and not the slightest bit of fogging! The areas of the visor around the pinlock were still completely fogged up, but I had a good window of totally clear vision. Initially, I was distracted by the silicon bead of the pinlock running right through my usual field of vision, but I've found that if I push the front of the helmet up a bit, I can work around that, and I'm already getting used to it.

So, if you have a Pinlock ready helmet and DON'T have the insert, or have never tried them... It's well worth the spend, especially with winter approaching!

**swbarnett** · 24th April 2015, 19:59

I'm glad it works for you. Just don't ride with the visor open at all or the insert will likely fail.

I had one that worked for one winter and then completely failed. I got another one with a new helmet and thought I'd try again - complete and utter waste of time.

Since then I've figured out why pinlock inserts don't work for me. Even in the coldest weather I often ride with my visor open enough that the force of the wind breaks the seal.

**nzspokes** · 24th April 2015, 20:02

Originally Posted by samgab

I know there are heaps of threads on pinlock already, but I just wanted to say, after years of riding, I finally got a pinlock insert for my pinlock ready helmet yesterday. What a revolution!
With winter coming on, and all the rain, my helmet has been fogging up like crazy, so I'd taken to riding in the rain with the visor up most of the time. Got the pinlock insert yesterday, and went for a reasonable ride in torrential downpour, and not the slightest bit of fogging! The areas of the visor around the pinlock were still completely fogged up, but I had a good window of totally clear vision. Initially, I was distracted by the silicon bead of the pinlock running right through my usual field of vision, but I've found that if I push the front of the helmet up a bit, I can work around that, and I'm already getting used to it.

So, if you have a Pinlock ready helmet and DON'T have the insert, or have never tried them... It's well worth the spend, especially with winter approaching!

Welcome to the club. They are a brilliant thing. You get used to the edge. Better on the Shoei as I can only see it at the sides.

**nzspokes** · 24th April 2015, 20:04

Originally Posted by swbarnett

I'm glad it works for you. Just don't ride with the visor open at all or the insert will likely fail.

Bullshit. I ride a lot with my visor up and never had an issue.

**Erelyes** · 24th April 2015, 20:13

Originally Posted by nzspokes

Bullshit. I ride a lot with my visor up and never had an issue.

x2 on Bullshit. I can ride with my visor cracked open and it causes no probs with the pinlock whatsoever. Motorway speeds included.

Cleaning pinlocks on the other hand is an exercise in frustration. They scratch very, very easily. Generally I don't even bother trying now.

**Mike.Gayner** · 24th April 2015, 21:15

Wash with soapy water, rinse with clean water, blow dry with compressed air. Never wipe them, they scratch crazy easily.

**Berries** · 25th April 2015, 08:55

Originally Posted by samgab

Initially, I was distracted by the silicon bead of the pinlock running right through my usual field of vision, but I've found that if I push the front of the helmet up a bit, I can work around that, and I'm already getting used to it.

Piss poor design that is. My current Shoei has pinlock pins so I run with an insert but the bead annoys me as does the fact that over time the pins seem to turn of their own accord so you get a gap at the bottom of the insert reducing its effectiveness.

For years before this I used Fog City. Few things impress me but this did, enough that when I replace my visor I will consider going back to it.

http://www.fogcitysolutions.com/

**samgab** · 25th April 2015, 09:03

Originally Posted by Berries

Piss poor design that is. My current Shoei has pinlock pins so I run with an insert but the bead annoys me as does the fact that over time the pins seem to turn of their own accord so you get a gap at the bottom of the insert reducing its effectiveness.

For years before this I used Fog City. Few things impress me but this did, enough that when I replace my visor I will consider going back to it.

http://www.fogcitysolutions.com/

More modern pinlock integrated helmets have a much bigger area which goes closer to the edges, and a bigger visor area too, which effectively solves this problem.
Unfortunately, my helmet takes the older style pinlock inserts. But it's all good, I can still see much better with it than without it.

**Blackbird** · 25th April 2015, 12:04

I've used Pinlock inserts for a lot of years but about 3 years ago, bought a Shoei iridium clone visor ex-Hong Kong through eBay as a trial because they were crazy cheap compared with the OEM product. Quality-wise, it's been fantastic but the downside was that they aren't Pinlock-ready. However, I just used my OEM visor as a jig and with a very sharp drill, drilled my own holes. Perfect result and have done the same thing a couple of times since then.

**Mo NZ** · 25th April 2015, 12:12

My Nolan has the pin lock.

Works well

You mention a silicone bead. wassatt. ??
It is held by the pin lock,1 on each side.
No silicone at all.

I ride with my visor up most of the time and have no problems with the pin lock at all.

**samgab** · 25th April 2015, 12:17

Originally Posted by Mo NZ

My Nolan has the pin lock.

Works well

You mention a silicone bead. wassatt. ??
It is held by the pin lock,1 on each side.
No silicone at all.

I ride with my visor up most of the time and have no problems with the pin lock at all.

The bit that maintains the airtight seal between the visor and the pinlock is a thin clear bead of silicone like an o-ring or gasket which runs around inside the edge of the pinlock a few mm from the edge.

**swbarnett** · 25th April 2015, 12:23

Originally Posted by nzspokes

Bullshit. I ride a lot with my visor up and never had an issue.

No need to get tetchy. The simple fact of the matter is that they don't work for me. Maybe I'm wrong about why. I'll admit it was just a theory that seemed to ring true.

**swbarnett** · 25th April 2015, 12:26

Originally Posted by Erelyes

x2 on Bullshit. I can ride with my visor cracked open and it causes no probs with the pinlock whatsoever.

Who said anything about "cracked" open. I'm talking about fully up "Motorway speeds included". Maybe this is the difference.

**Erelyes** · 25th April 2015, 12:34

Originally Posted by swbarnett

Who said anything about "cracked" open. I'm talking about fully up "Motorway speeds included". Maybe this is the difference.

Ah, yes. As soon as I'm doing more than 50 (or sooner, on a windy day) down comes the visor to be either closed or cracked open.

Fully up at motorway speeds... I presume you're wearing glasses. Or don't mind bugs in your eyes.

**Mo NZ** · 25th April 2015, 12:36

Originally Posted by samgab

The bit that maintains the airtight seal between the visor and the pinlock is a thin clear bead of silicone like an o-ring or gasket which runs around inside the edge of the pinlock a few mm from the edge.

Himm. ok
On my Nolan it is a completely flat sheet.

But whatever. It works great.