Helmets Pinlock anti-fog inserts

[ChriSTian_64]

Many of you already know the pinlock system. I just want to share the info with some who may not know the product yet.

So it is a thin layer of a kind of clear material, like a clear plastic sheet, and it comes with a very thin silicone joint. You stick it inside your helmet visor and.... no more fog.

They are made for many ( all ? ) brands of motorcycles helmet, well, for most model of almost any brand.
It clips inside your visor, since most helmet manufacturer know make small pins inside their helmet visor, so that you could clip your pinlock insert.
Beeing a new motorcyclist (since 2020), I didn't knew that product.

My helmet is a HJC I-70. A good value for the money. I paid around $300 Canadian dollars in 2021. Now they are beeing offered with a big reduction, since HJC now offers a refined model : the I-71.

Anyway, I am happy for now whit that helmet, the only problem is that I was getting fog all the time. At almost every stop, every light, every times it rains or when the air gets really fresh, late in the season or early in the morning.
So, I decided to give a try to one of those pinlock inserts. I order mine from Fortnine.ca, I paid around $40 or $50.
And... man... it really works.
No more fog. Wow. So it really worthed it.




Can you see it ?



I am really happy with it.

There web site is at pinlock.com

 

[Upt' North]

I can't imagine riding without one.
Upt.

 

[mudduc]

Well worth the money.
Keeps my vision clear down to -10f. Below that I do get a frost build up, but no fog.

Later,
Kent Larson in Minnesota

 

[klaproth]

When I switched from Scorpion Helmets to Shoei, I really missed the fog free shields of the Scorpion helmets. I did install a pinlock on my Shoei , and it worked a treat. I never go without now.

I remember years ago, I installed a "universal" pinlock on my Arai, it came from a company called Fog City. Worked pretty darn well.

 

[Larry Fine]

Are they all the same fitment, i.e., interchangeable?

 

[dduelin]

Yes, the Pinlock insert is great in wet and/or humid conditions. Here is a low quality video I made showing how I insert and remove it.

I have two visors for my daily ride helmet and just leave one with an insert and one without and choose the one best suited for the day. On trips I take both with one stored in the bag the helmet came in.

 

[Sunday Rider]

Are they all the same fitment, i.e., interchangeable?

There are different sizes for the different helmet visors.

Pinlock - Anti-fog inserts for your helmet

Pinlock® Anti-fog lenses prevent your helmet visor from condensation so that you can ride fog-free with a perfect view.

pinlock.com

 

[Sadlsor]

I tried the Fog City a couple of times, withs sketchy results... in all likelihood because I didn't install it correctly. They would eventually come lose at one edge.
Cycle Gear installed the one that came with my Neotec 2 last December, and it has worked beautifully.
They WILL add some minor distortion at the edges, as when you have your visor slightly lifted for ventilation (not fully raised up) and you glance down at the gauges or mirrors, and there can be some light scattering at night, but not like I had been led to believe.
The pin lock from Shoei has been really helpful, and though I didn't ride much this past winter, I know it will be a blessing when the temps drop later in the year. Despite our present heat, I'm sure winter will roll along again -- it always does.

 

[rwthomas1]

Yes indeed, Pinlocks are fantastic. Now you want the Holy Grail? Go get a Transitions shield and put a Pinlock in it. Whatever you do, don't look at the price! Just pay, install and be amazed.....

 

[drrod]

The downside (not including cost) of a Pinlock insert (granted, from my experience only) is that they are very fragile. If you do not take extreme care when cleaning/handling them, they get scratched very easily. Even removing a thin layer of dust with a microfiber will cause scratching. Removing it and storing it on the bike (during warm dry rides) is a problem as well since storing them, even in a microfiber sock, can cause scratching if you are not careful.
That, and cost aside, I still would not own a helmet that did not have a PInlock compatible visor.

A better solution would be a 2 layer visor, made of the same poly carbonate material with an air gap between the layers. Easier to clean and longer lasting. I don't know if any such thing exists though.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

A better solution would be a 2 layer visor, made of the same poly carbonate material with an air gap between the layers. Easier to clean and longer lasting. I don't know if any such thing exists though.

Or a heated visor like has been available on snowmobile helmets for years.

My snowmobile helmet visor is not heated and I never had a fogging problem. The ventilation on it is unbelievable. It flows much, much more air than a motorcycle helmet. One would think that that much ventilation at 25° degrees below zero would be cold, but it isn't. I never understood why if they figured it out with snowmobile helmets, at half the price, why can't they figure it out with motorcycle helmets, or have heated visors on motorcycle helmets. The substantial extra ventilation would be nice on a motorcycle helmet when it is 95° out.

 

[ST1100Y]

I can't imagine riding without one.

Heavy user since the Nolan N100... which was how many moons ago??

Careful handling and maintenance are the issues...
Cleaning only with bare fingers, under running water, with liquid soap... don't wipe dry, just shake off the drops, let sit for a while before putting all back together...
The white taps are eccentric allowing to adjust the tension/sealing towards the main visor...
On the Nolan the visor had the tendency to stretch in length, causing it a) to leak on the top seal and b) getting the pinlock insert loose beyond adjustment... mains visor lasted 6 months at max...

Shoei shows much better quality there, never needed replace any visor over this issue, neither on the Multitec, nor the Neotec, or the Neotec II...

 

[Upt' North]

Very long lasting on my Shoei Qwest and GTAir. The GTAir are now 5 years old and the Pinlocks are like new x 2.
Upt.

 

[OldMcClelland]

I have one on my Arai and like it. One concern is that at night, you have an extra surface for reflection of others' lights. It's not harsh, but noticeable.
Rob

 

[dduelin]

The downside (not including cost) of a Pinlock insert (granted, from my experience only) is that they are very fragile. If you do not take extreme care when cleaning/handling them, they get scratched very easily. Even removing a thin layer of dust with a microfiber will cause scratching. Removing it and storing it on the bike (during warm dry rides) is a problem as well since storing them, even in a microfiber sock, can cause scratching if you are not careful.
That, and cost aside, I still would not own a helmet that did not have a PInlock compatible visor.

You are correct. I would never want to clean it without running soapy water and a known clean microfiber cloth. On trips I refrained from removing it from the fitted visor but would wash it and the fitted visor. My first one lasted about 7 years but of course I did not use it much when it wasn't needed. The failure came from the silicone seal hardening and failing to seal the air layer. It was still in great optical shape with only one scratch out of my direct field of view.

 

[Nexus]

When I switched from Scorpion Helmets to Shoei, I really missed the fog free shields of the Scorpion helmets. I did install a pinlock on my Shoei , and it worked a treat. I never go without now.

This! I also went from a Scorpion to a Shoei and thought, "I'll never need this thing." Turns out I was wrong.

 

[jfheath]

I have a pinlock visor on my Shoei GT Air 2.
I also have a big head - size 64 - so my choice of helmet and colour is limited, but white is good.
And I have a big nose. Noses like mine run in our family. Ho Ho. Most largest size helmets that I try on, my nose is pressing on the inside of the visor. Shoei are one of the few that make size 64, which give me a bit more room).

I don't use the pinlock, its sitting here on my desk, having been tested only once with this new helmet. Just like the other times, with other helmets. It doesn't work. My pillion uses hers and it is brilliant. The difference is the head that is inside the helmet.

The reason is that my nose is too close to the visor. The visor remains clear for about 2 minutes with the visor closed and then it slowly starts to mist from the sides and then suddenly it all goes cloudy. I don't understand this. I do that hhhaaa breath that you use to clean glasses and the pinlock does not mist up no matter how hard I try. Close the visor and it will mist up in a couple of minutes. It must require more space between face and visor. I can't do owt about that.

So I resorted to riding with the visor open at the bottom a tad. This keeps the airflow up the inside of the visor, but it also forces air between the two layers. That then gets misty between the layers, but in rain it also the sucks water in by capillary action, creating a thin layer which distorts the view better than a bathroom window. And I cannot wipe that clear without removing it.

So I took it out. Now mainly I ride with glasses on and the visor up. The Bike-Quip flip up screen keeps the air flow over my helmet, but in rain I lower the screen and drop the visor down with out it sealing and that prevents the screen and glasses from misting up. The screen down keeps the visor clear of rain. It's not foolproof - eventually I do get water on the inside so I will have to clean it at each stop - but that is mainly 'cos when I slow down I have a habit of lifting the visor !

(Photo from the original of my avatar picture on the Col Du Galibier. Helmet is not the current GT Air 2, its probably the XR1100.)

 

[Sadlsor]

We always knew you were special, John, but I never realized how bloomin' inconvenient it was to be so.
Isn't that what you blokes call "a bit of a faf"? Or is it "faff"?

 

[Al st1100]

amazon sells universal fog film. It's stick on for sheilds that don't have pins but works with pins. Lot of choices and sizes, 8-25 dollars. Once it's on it doesn't come off. Have one , works great

 

[Larry Fine]

And I have a big nose. Noses like mine run in our family. Ho Ho. Most largest size helmets that I try on, my nose is pressing on the inside of the visor.