Pinlock - when to use and what to expect

[ElevenFifty]

I just installed a pinlock in my Nolan N43 ... I had envisioned the system as a second layer with air space between it and the visor. Instead it is a very tight fit with the Pinlock pressed tight against the shield. I had to remove the visor to get the Pinlock installed and my fumbling around resulted in a few smudges.

 

I'll take it off and clean everything and try again. I have noticed that there is a SIGNIFICANT degradation in optical clarity with the Pinlock installed. Is this common?

 

Do you keep yours installed, or just put them in when weather advises it?

 

If you do take in out and reinstall as needed - do you have in installation tips that make this task a little easier?

 

Thanks

[Paul Mihalka]

I have the pinlock shields both in my Nolan N102 and my N43. I have them installed all the time. There is some minimal loss of clarity, but not enough to bother me. I guess you realize that you can turn the "pins" with a screwdriver to make them more tight or loose.

[dirtrider]

Morning ElevenFifty

 

Some riders don’t seem to mind or notice the degradation in optical clarity and some do. I’m in the “do notice it category”. Personally I can’t stand the Pin Lock most of the time. It has it’s place and for me that is in very cold damp weather but even then I seldom use one as I don’t like the distortion.

 

It isn’t just one bad Pin Lock either as I have tried many in many different helmets and so far haven’t liked any of them. One thing that might make me more critical is I do wear sun glasses inside my helmet so that makes 3 layers of stuff to look through (4 if you count the windshield).

 

I’ll bet I have 10 Pin Lock set ups and don’t use any of them.

 

Try yours for a while, you’ll either become used to it or end up like I did and remove it to become a piece of useless riding gear in your riding gear array.

 

[malcolmblalock]

I used the pinlock system on a Nolan, and liked it pretty well, but had some degradation of clarity, and dust filtered in between the layers, causing scratches on the visor over time. I'd rate that one as only fair overall.

 

I'm now using the pinlock on a Shoei. It uses a small silicon bead between the layers of plastic so that the two plastics are not touching each other. Optical quality is fine; I really can't tell it's there unless I look for it. Not sure how it will go in the long run; it only has about 9 months' of usage on it currently. Does a terrific job on fogging. I'd rate it as very good.

[Natche]

I have it on my Nolan N 102 and I notice the optical degradation, especially when wearing polarized sunglasses. I use it only in the colder weather, otherwise I'll crack the visor as necessary to avoid/remove fog. Personally, I thin the clarity is a distraction for me. When I first got it, I made the mistake of trying to clean the fog resistant shield with water, it absorbed the water and got all foggy and obscured looking. After a short time it went away but I thought I had ruined it.

[OoPEZoO]

Watching this with interest . I had one particular commute from hell last year that really made me want to look into the pinlocks. It was raining like crazy, standing water all over the roads, fogged up visor, glasses on under my helmet. It was the first time in my 100K+ miles of riding that I was forced to pull over and wait it out.

 

I use some rain-x style stuff on the outside of my visor and some anti-fog stuff on the inside, but both need to be applied almost daily to work well. Thats a lot of time and energy wasted, and I hate applying it "just in case".

 

I have checked out the Pinlock website, but didn't find the info I wanted. Can you buy them and install them on any visor, or just the ones they have listed? Do they come as just the inserts that you install yourself, or are they whole new visors that come with the inserts already installed? I am currently using an ICON helmet, and they don't call out any fitments for ICON.

 

 

[RockBottom]

Maybe it's a brand specific thing. I got a pinlock visor for my Arai for Christmas and don't notice any optical degradation with the insert in. But even with the non-pinlock visor, the optical quality of the visor on my Nolan is markedly inferior to my Schuberth and my Arai.

[RedMac]

Watching this with interest . I had one particular commute from hell last year that really made me want to look into the pinlocks. It was raining like crazy, standing water all over the roads, fogged up visor, glasses on under my helmet. It was the first time in my 100K+ miles of riding that I was forced to pull over and wait it out.

 

I use some rain-x style stuff on the outside of my visor and some anti-fog stuff on the inside, but both need to be applied almost daily to work well. Thats a lot of time and energy wasted, and I hate applying it "just in case".

 

I have checked out the Pinlock website, but didn't find the info I wanted. Can you buy them and install them on any visor, or just the ones they have listed? Do they come as just the inserts that you install yourself, or are they whole new visors that come with the inserts already installed? I am currently using an ICON helmet, and they don't call out any fitments for ICON.

 

 

Keith,

Your visor needs to be setup for the pinlock system. So only the ones they have listed. The pinlock uses 2 pins on either side of the visor to hold the internal visor in place. I'm not sure if there is an aftermarket visor for your helmet or if the manf offers a pinlock compatible visor.

 

While it DOES keep your helmet from fogging, the experience I had was that during a longer rain I had water seeping from the top of my visor. It actually ran between the visor and the pinlock shield and you had to remove the pinlock shield (which is a PITA) to clean it. You CANNOT clean the pinlock shield with anything but water or you'll ruin it.

 

That being said, it does work GREAT to keep the helmet from fogging. I know the newer pinlock visors have a silicon edge around them to seal the area between the main shield and pinlock shield. That may help the water seepage and dust issue.

 

I had one on my Nolan N-103 and took it out. I didn't care for it. I just decided to crack my helmet in the rain.

 

I'm considering a Schuberth C3, that one has pinlock as well and I'll leave it in at first and reevaluate it then.

[johnlt]

Be aware there is a front and back to the shield. There is a slight lip on one side of the edge that keeps it very slightly off the main shield and allows for an air gap. On distortion, I've got two helmets (Schuberth C3 and Nolan N103) and notice zero distortion. I was amazed.

[RockBottom]

Watching this with interest . I had one particular commute from hell last year that really made me want to look into the pinlocks. It was raining like crazy, standing water all over the roads, fogged up visor, glasses on under my helmet. It was the first time in my 100K+ miles of riding that I was forced to pull over and wait it out.

 

I use some rain-x style stuff on the outside of my visor and some anti-fog stuff on the inside, but both need to be applied almost daily to work well. Thats a lot of time and energy wasted, and I hate applying it "just in case".

 

I have checked out the Pinlock website, but didn't find the info I wanted. Can you buy them and install them on any visor, or just the ones they have listed? Do they come as just the inserts that you install yourself, or are they whole new visors that come with the inserts already installed? I am currently using an ICON helmet, and they don't call out any fitments for ICON.

 

 

You might consider this:

 

Respro Breathguard

[OoPEZoO]

I don't have a cold weather fogging problem......never have. The problem I had was more of a summer rain storm condensation issue.

 

I have no problem cracking my visor when its not pouring down rain, but cracking the visor when raining ends up getting water on the inside of the visor. Once water gets inside, you are pretty much screwed. I want to be able to keep my visor sealed tight when its raining. I was thinking the Pinlock would really help with this?

[RockBottom]

Yeah, it would work fine. Like some of the other posters, I leave mine in all the time. I have both a clear and tinted insert. My only issue in the winter is that my eyeglasses still fog, so I either have to put defogger on them or use that Respro mask.

[OoPEZoO]

Yeah, it would work fine. Like some of the other posters, I leave mine in all the time. I have both a clear and tinted insert. My only issue in the winter is that my eyeglasses still fog, so I either have to put defogger on them or use that Respro mask.

 

I fixed that issue two weeks ago with laser surgery

[terryofperry]

I have a pinlock on my Schuberth S1 and I love it.

 

Pinlock sells a "universal kit" but only available from the UK.

 

http://www.racevisors.co.uk/category/accessories-pinlock-universal

 

this guy did his own:

 

http://www.nsr125.co.uk/index.php?action=printpage;topic=976.0

 

I believe it can be done on any visor but the size needs to be chosen carefully.

 

And there is this:

 

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=323650

 

Ride safely

 

Terry

[OoPEZoO]

Good links Terry. Thank you.

 

Anyone know if these universal kits can be purchased here in the US?

[terryofperry]

Keith

 

I could be wrong but I believe it is only available overseas.

Just guessing here but the only issue I see is if the pinlock insert were larger than the original visor. The insert is very flexible so it should form to any shield but again I am guessing.

 

If you could find a dealer that would take one out of the package and see if it would work on your visor then you might be in business. The installation is simple with the drilling and such.

 

Pinlock actually started with the universal but then the individual manufacturers started paying them to design for specific helmets so the universal kits became an afterthought.

 

They are readily available overseas.

 

Good luck

 

Terry

[OoPEZoO]

Looks like the guys over on ADV have had good luck ordering the universal kits from the UK and having them delivered here. Might just have to go that route.

 

I'm also going to shoot an email directly to Pinlock and see how that goes

[ElevenFifty]

Thanks for the comments ... Like Keith, my problem has been fogging in the rain ... I always just kept the visor open a bit in the cold. The problems were their worst in warmer weather with steady rain. If I opened my visor a crack, then water would run down from the top and eventually make the fogging even worse.

 

I had my first real use of the Pinlock yesterday on a short run to do some errands. I kept the visor down and tried to fog the shield ... I was able to get the area under the Pinlock completely fogged up but the Pinlock definitely did its job.

 

I'm looking forward to a good long ride in a spring rain ... today would be perfect but work awaits ;~(

 

So far though, +1 on the Pinlock.