Helmets Pinlock inserts

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About 1.5 years ago I purchased a Shoei Neotec that had the pinlock insert installed. I never removed it, mostly because I didn't know how, but I had no issue with it being in. Fast forward to recently and I noticed it was getting pretty dirty and I wasn't able to improve the situation by just wiping the inside of my visor. I figured out how to remove it to try to clean it up. No luck!! It appears that its scratched?? I have no idea how this could have happened as I always use a very soft cloth etc. Maybe the insert and visor were rubbing together slightly as I tried to clean it while still on the helmet? Anyhow, these things are way more expensive than I thought and I don't want to ruin my new one. Just not sure what I did to scratch my old one. Anybody have any thoughts?

PS, I got caught in some serious rain this weekend without the insert installed. Let me tell you, I fogged up quick. I'm a believer in the system.
 
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The pinlocks are pretty soft; I suppose it's part of the properties that allows it to absorb moisture. I just installed a new one, probably a couple of years after the last one. Supposedly, you are to install and remove the pinlock as necessary; Shoei says that it's not to be used at night, due to the level of light transmission. (I leave mine in all the time, and it doesn't seem to be a problem.) They are a bit pricey, but I think it's worth the expense.
 
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kendoo
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The pinlocks are pretty soft; I suppose it's part of the properties that allows it to absorb moisture. I just installed a new one, probably a couple of years after the last one. Supposedly, you are to install and remove the pinlock as necessary; Shoei says that it's not to be used at night, due to the level of light transmission. (I leave mine in all the time, and it doesn't seem to be a problem.) They are a bit pricey, but I think it's worth the expense.
Yours was scratched as well? Maybe that's all I can expect is a couple years.
 

dduelin

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I'm still using one 5 or 6 years old. I guess I'm just really careful cleaning it. I only use a clean microfiber or terry cloth and soap and water.
 

nerSTeve

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Can't help you there Ken, been using mine over 3 years now. Have pinlock on the clear shield and the tinted one. No scratches, I put them back in the helmet bags when not in use (the whole shield I mean). Never any issue on the inside, just use pledge furniture polish on the outside before every ride and sometimes if I get a big nasty bug in line of sight I'll reclean at a stop. That year I rode coldest ride.... no figging. Pinlock is awesome. But yes.... VERY soft of the inside..
 

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The pinlocks are pretty soft; I suppose it's part of the properties that allows it to absorb moisture.
+1, already the ones I'd used in the Nolan appeared like made out soft cellophane...
Due this they tend to attract fine (road)dust like mad, attempts to wipe that off dry leaves deep scarring...

So I never use any rags or paper towels for cleaning visors, and especially no window/glass cleaners (most contain alcohol/spirit which softens the plastic)...
Just running water, liquid hand/dish soap/shampoo and my wetted, soapy fingertips for gentle rubbing... rinse well, shake the few remaining drops of the (separated) visors and let them sit to dry; carefully reassemble and clip back onto the helmet in the morning, go ride...
 
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kendoo
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Can't help you there Ken, been using mine over 3 years now. Have pinlock on the clear shield and the tinted one. No scratches, I put them back in the helmet bags when not in use (the whole shield I mean). Never any issue on the inside, just use pledge furniture polish on the outside before every ride and sometimes if I get a big nasty bug in line of sight I'll reclean at a stop. That year I rode coldest ride.... no figging. Pinlock is awesome. But yes.... VERY soft of the inside..
So You've never wiped the pinlock insert while it attached? I'll be super careful with the new one. I absolutely could not ride without it in place during rain...instant fog.
 

nerSTeve

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So You've never wiped the pinlock insert while it attached? I'll be super careful with the new one. I absolutely could not ride without it in place during rain...instant fog.
Instant fog without. Never. A need to lift the shield so it very rarely gets roads grime. I bring it inside and hold it under the water to rinse it off maybe 4 times in 3 years? Very soft cloth and gentle single motion wipe to dry it.

After watching the Revzilla video about them it made me almost scared to use anything on them. Like I said, never an issue for me. Love them.
 

nerSTeve

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And never take it off the shield. No need to clean the inside. That said, make absolute certain the shield is super clean before you install.
 

dduelin

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Ken,

I've removed mine many, many times for cleaning. The inside will remain clean like the inside of a double pane window but the side facing me picks up whatever haze and grime from breathing against it and I don't clean it when secured to a shield. I did that in the beginning but when drying with a cloth I torqued the thing enough to open the seal enough to let water in then I had to remove it to dry it anyway so I always remove it for cleaning. I don't clean it with anything but soap and water and dry it with a microfiber cloth. On long trips I have dried it with a clean hotel towel but terry cloth will leave some lint. The Pinlock on my current Neotec is actually the first one I purchased about 6 years ago IIRC. On trips I carry both a Pinlock equipped shield and a plain one switching them as needed for expected weather that day. I'd rather always use the plain shield but when expecting or encountering rain and/or fog the Pinlock sees duty.

This vid is very hokey but shows how easy it is to remove and install a Pinlock.

https://youtu.be/maJ1hPYGCtE
 
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kendoo
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Ken,

I've removed mine many, many times for cleaning. The inside will remain clean like the inside of a double pane window but the side facing me picks up whatever haze and grime from breathing against it and I don't clean it when secured to a shield. I did that in the beginning but when drying with a cloth I torqued the thing enough to open the seal enough to let water in then I had to remove it to dry it anyway so I always remove it for cleaning. I don't clean it with anything but soap and water and dry it with a microfiber cloth. On long trips I have dried it with a clean hotel towel but terry cloth will leave some lint. The Pinlock on my current Neotec is actually the first one I purchased about 6 years ago IIRC. On trips I carry both a Pinlock equipped shield and a plain one switching them as needed for expected weather that day. I'd rather always use the plain shield but when expecting or encountering rain and/or fog the Pinlock sees duty.

This vid is very hokey but shows how easy it is to remove and install a Pinlock.

https://youtu.be/maJ1hPYGCtE
Thanks Dave. It never really bothered me to leave the pinlock installed until recently after it got scratched. I'll take yours and Steve's advice about being real careful with my new one.
 

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I wiped mine with a cloth that had wax on it wrecked the pinlock by making it very blotchy. I think the replacement cost 20 or 25 and I found out that the pins are actually not straight so turning them changes the tension on the pinlock film.

Gerhard
 

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I could never get the seal right on my last pinlock - probably due to me preferring to ride visor up unless it is raining, and the airflow getting behind the pinlock.
Exactly the issues I had with pinlock on the Nolan N101/2 lids... turned out that the visor on the Nolan obviously stretches over time, so the insert gets loose and wouldn't seal anymore (nor would the visor seal on the upper rim of the helmet BTW), yet actually start to flip around, collecting dust between, seal rubbing on the plastic, leaving nasty, matte scratch-marks on the inside of the main-visor; I did adjust the eccentric plastic thingies to put max load on the pinlock, but the only real fix was to replace visor and pinlock insert like every 6 months... quickly equalizing the lower price of the Nolan...

On the Shoei's (Multitec and Neotec) the material used for the visor is of much better quality, more durable and doesn't deform/stretch at all, pinlock seat and seal are still flawless after 5 years!
 
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I used pinlock for many years on my various Shoei helmets, with mixed results. I found that they would mist after a couple of minutes in wet weather, but my nose is very close to the visor and i put it down to that. I could never get the seal right on my last pinlock - probably due to me preferring to ride visor up unless it is raining, and the airflow getting behind the pinlock. Then when it rained, i got rain between the two layers. It came out and i have never replaced it. I find that silicon rain repellant on the outside of the visor helps visibility. Then when it rains i leave the visor open a tad at the bottom and drop the windshield to its lowest to maintain a good airflow on my visor - and that is all that i need.

Im sure this never used to be the case, otherwise i wouldn't have tried pinlock in the first place. But it works for me now.
I was think the same thing. I ride with my visor open too unless it's raining or I have the windshield down on the ST. My new Shoei has the pin locks. I don't plan on using the inserts.
 
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