Do you bother with a Pinlock?

[Simon Davey]

So, my new Nolan N100-5 fits superbly well, but as per another thread, the vision wasn't great.

It turns out that I hadn't forgotten to remove the protective film, but that it was pretty grubby between the Pinlock and the visor.

I removed the Pinlock to give it all a clean, but the silicon seal partly stuck to the visor, rendering it useless. I spent quite some time putting the seal back on the Pinlock, but I was left with excess, as I'd obviously stretched it a little.

Helmet City are on the case, and I'm hoping they'll send a new Pinlock.

 

With difference in clarity, I'm thinking that I won't fit it though, I barely use the bike in the winter (although, I do on crisp, dry days), and I think I'll just pop that visor open a tad, just like in the 90's/2000's.

I imagine you all use Pinlock because they come with pretty much every helmet, but would you replace it?

 

[RAYK47]

i do use Pinlock but probably more as a habit than if i actually notice the difference.  As you say most new helmets come with them so i just automatically use it.  

[manxie49]

I'm currently on my second pinlock in my Shoei Neotec helmet.  I'm pretty disappointed with them in fairness, I do ride through the winter months and have found that both visors still have a tendency to mist up.  I've fiddled about adjusting the pinlock and have now just lost the will.  Not sure if I'll bother when I need a new visor, I may just go back to using anti-mist spray which seemed to do a relatively ok job, just needed re-applying frequently. 

[RideWithStyles]

Ive used pinlocks since the I started riding, use pinlocks most of the time.

fliddly at start but when you know how to fit them best it’s easy.

currently the pinlock is mounted to a clear visor and the second tinted I rarely bothered with a pinlock cos if it’s nice enough for a tinted (with the pinlock pins still in), it’s nice enough not to need it. But I have on occasions put a insert into them.

i used to change them every year but more recently every two or three now .

 

plus I like the idea of two visors incase one is damaged etc as a back up till I can get another one.

 

most helmets don’t come with them mounted from the factory, but the insert is left in the box ready to be fitted. to do with selling product to an optical specification that is fitted when sold but the insert knocks it out when fitted hence the reason they aint.

silicone do fail, I’ve heard many years ago if it has a cheaply made one if it’s been mounted ages ago sat somewhere and really stuck to the visor.

 

 

[Fiddlesticks]

I do, but they're a bit of a pain, work loose and scratch the inside of the visor. Gets a bit spendy after a while. Someone should invent a true double-glazed visor, rather than the floppy plastic thing.

[rennie]

I do but it can be annoying with glasses 

[Mickly]

I do, on a Nolan N100-5, works brilliantly, but then it was applied by a highly skilled technician ( AKA me )

Doesn’t stop my bloody glasses steaming up though, so interested in the other thread 

[bonio]

I've always used them. I found them great when used to commute in towns a lot. But this winter for the first time I took mine out, as I wondered if it was making it harder to see on country roads. I've replaced it with a foggy mask, which has been ok, except the mask means my glasses start to steam up when stopped. So its, stop, open visor, go, close visor: ok until it starts raining.

[RideWithStyles]

Triple glazed! .

if your long sighted it shouldn’t bother you as much hence why most long sighted have mucky glasses and less likely to know ,  from experience. 

I wear glasses and can wear contacts but of the last few years mostly just glasses. .

 

fiddles, it’s bad enough with tyres (cost and complexity) and that’s with roughly the same chemical composition to do the exact same thing Or the tint changing lenses.

id wouldn’t want to pay for the cost of those two totally different plastic properties (hard deflector and the other an absorbent one) and for it to be optically correct to be able to work.
at least this way if you goose either of them you don’t have to shell out a fortune for a small scratch.

[bud]

I go through times of using them and not. A lot of the advantages are useless if you wear glasses, as they steam up anyway.

I have noticed at night you can get a slight ghosting reflection while using a pinlock. 

[Simon Davey]

It seems we're pretty much all in agreement. 

Many thanks for the replies. 

[Mawsley]

I've never had one that didn't start pulling away from the visor - and two that allowed rain ingress. I keep them in new visors until they fail, I never buy replacements.

[S-Westerly]

I use them. I like them. I wear glasses and they don't steam up too often. I ride all winter in all weathers and I'd not have a helmet without one unless it was the mythical double glazed visor.

[JRH]

14 hours ago, bud said:

 

I have noticed at night you can get a slight ghosting reflection while using a pinlock. 

Pillock now add a note saying not to use them at night. However, somewhere,  I have a very old email from pillock saying they are suitable for use at night. I think they changed their stance to avoid any come back, ie. Arse covering.

I always use the pillock. Ot takes a while to get them seated correctly but then I have no issues after that.

[RideWithStyles]

That is why I said they don’t come fitted from the factory.

pinlock will naturally knock the optically spec out, but to me I’d take that over fogging of the visor any day or having 60+ mph of freezing wind hitting my eyes because I’ve had to faff about opening and closing the visor abit just to clear it…..

[Shepherd]

I also have the Nolan 100-5, and found the pinlock failing from the first ride ( it was already fitted when delivered). I do normally use pinlocks, so I fitted it in backwards for a while and used my old lid. After a couple of days, turned it back around and it sealed OK.

Not noticed any ghosting or distortion when in use. I tend to lift my visor when I have the sunshade bit down.

 

[Blackholesun]

I don't use one anymore and most of the time it's fine

[Simon Davey]

BIG SHOUT OUT to Helmet City for delivering the above Pinlock to my door in just 22 hours! Free of charge too. 

[Stu]

I currently have no pinlock fitted to my clear visor! 

 

It's a pain in the arse 

 

I need a new visor and and a pinlock will be fitted at the same time I can't handle not having one fitted! 

 

Not sure why you was having vision problems though 

[billysugger]

I used to have a product called Bob heaths' anti fog, it worked on visors as well as glasses

[Simon Davey]

15 minutes ago, Stu said:

I currently have no pinlock fitted to my clear visor! 

 

It's a pain in the arse 

 

I need a new visor and and a pinlock will be fitted at the same time I can't handle not having one fitted! 

 

Not sure why you was having vision problems though 

 

Me neither, it looked clear until the light hit it at a certain angle, then I could see it was grubby between the Pinlock and the visor. Also, the Pinlock was starting to bubble. 

It's an old model now, superceded by the 100-6.  I reckon, even though it's brand new, it must be old stock. 

It was fitted by Nolan. 

As a side note, Nolan have just changed to different distribution in the UK. 

[V650]

I have the N100-6 and the pinlock was fitted when the helmet arrived 

Not noticed any issues with it 

But this is the first helmet I have had with a pinlock so I prob would not know if it was working / Installed correctly 

 

[Simon Davey]

20 minutes ago, V650 said:

I have the N100-6 and the pinlock was fitted when the helmet arrived 

Not noticed any issues with it 

But this is the first helmet I have had with a pinlock so I prob would not know if it was working / Installed correctly 

 

 

I have two other helmets with Pinlocks, I noticed this immediately. So if your not noticing anything negative, it's all good. 

[Throttled]

Pinlock is now a requirement for me, I find it works to stop the visor steaming up. I ride all year, in the rain, so get the advantage a lot.

[Simon Davey]

5 minutes ago, Throttled said:

Pinlock is now a requirement for me, I find it works to stop the visor steaming up. I ride all year, in the rain, so get the advantage a lot.

 

They do work very well, I wish they were "a thing" 25 years ago when I was commuting. 

I'm a fair weather rider now, so don't need it as much.