Pin-lock inserts fitted.

[ZER0]

Only rode home for 40mins Sunday when I bought my bike, then went on a lovely ride today. Had a mix of dry daylight and also rainy dark evening.

My visor just would not stay clear though. I had to ride the whole time with my visor open slightly.

Stopped in at BikersWorld in Daventry and got a Pin-lock insert for £15.00. It's like witch-craft!!! No matter how much I breathed (And I did it quite regularly all the way home!) I had a perfectly clear view.

This may be common knowledge, but as a new biker I just had to share and recommend one to anyone who hasn't got one :p

[dkid]

Plenty swear by 'em. Check out this recent thread http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=203347&highlight=pinlock

[matt220]

Hi I'm a newish biker too and had seen these advertised and was considering getting it. Now after reading this I'll get it at the weekend, cheers

[nikon70]

Got a pin lock and rely on it!!! Get one

[SvNewbie]

Yup, a few people aren't keen but most of the people who have them love them.

The only thing I don't like about them is the optical clarity isn't great and the edges catch the light, you only notice this at night and its far better than a fogged up visor. Only other thing is they apparently don't last for ever, though I believe most people get a year or two out of them. At £7.50 / year is pretty cheap compared to the rest of your gear which also wears out over time.

[ZER0]

Yup, a few people aren't keen but most of the people who have them love them.

The only thing I don't like about them is the optical clarity isn't great and the edges catch the light, you only notice this at night and its far better than a fogged up visor. Only other thing is they apparently don't last for ever, though I believe most people get a year or two out of them. At £7.50 / year is pretty cheap compared to the rest of your gear which also wears out over time.

When asked how the inserts work, the sales guy said they actually absorb the moister.

After time they can't take on any more and stop being affective. Take it out, clean it using a baby shampoo (ph neutral), dry it, put it back and it should be fine again.

He has them in all his helmets; road and track (he's a track instructor apparently) and that's what he said he does. He swears by them

[Jayneflakes]

I have had one in my lids for a long time, they are great and work just like double glazing trapping a layer of warmer air between the layers, so the do not mist up. :-)

[otaylor38]

Love mine but it is somewhat less effective now. Iv had it 4 years though so cant complain.

Gonna treat myself to a nice another new shoei and it will defo have pinlock. when i get abit of spare cash that is. :).

[cornishsv]

i have them on both my visors and there great in the wet n cold cornish weather! tried the first winter after getting a bike a few years ago without one and it was a nightmare i'm definatley converted to them.

[Citizen]

I have them in both my lids, and have just bought the one that darkens down when the sun comes out, haven`t had a chance to try it yet but think it may help a little.....IF the sun ever comes out.

I think its money well spent to stop the misting, nothing worse than the lid slightly ajar and a cold wind blowing brr

[ClunkintheUK]

Got them on all my visors, even the tinted visor which only comes out in the sunshine. When I am riding home of a moist evening I'll do a shoulder check using my very peripheral vision, and around the pinlock its just fog, can't see a blinking thing through it. Wouldn't use a visor without one.

[LankyIanB]

Pinlocks work by simple insulation. The air gap between the insert and the visor is enough to keep the insert warm enough so that your breath doesn't condense on it.

It's basically the same as single glazed windows (visor without pinlock) tend to get coverered in condensation when it's cold outside - glass becomes roughly the same temp as outside and the water vapour in your nice warm room condenses on it - With double glazing (visor with pinlock) the outer glass is the same temperature as outside and the inner glass is nearly the same temp as inside so you don't get condensation....

The bit that is important is the seal between the two bits of glass. If the seal goes you get condensation between the panes.....

[daveyrach]

I need some advise, I have a pinlock for 3 months now, i took it out to clean it and the visor, I did this in accordance with the care sheet for the pinlock but now it won't seem to fit back properly and make a seal. I rocks on the pins so there is either a gap at the top or bottom so it steam up between the visor and insert. Bloody annoying in this weather. What can I do?

[trudd]

The pins should be an eccentric cam type arrangement so you can turn the pins and tighten up the insert to create a good seal.

[sputnik]

[QUOTE=LankyIanB;2927283]Pinlocks work by simple insulation. The air gap between the insert and the visor is enough to keep the insert warm enough so that your breath doesn't condense on it.
QUOTE]

You would have thought that would be it, but the packaging does definitely make some sort of claim about the material absorbing moisture. Moisture-absorbing plastic sounds questionable to me but it's what it says!

Regardless, pinlock inserts are immense! Take care cleaning/drying them though as they scratch very easily compared to the visor. The paper towels at my work were enough to make a right mess of my last one.

[daveyrach]

Water absorbing plastic is one of these materials that came from the space race, but it does exist, google it.

[Nutsinatin]

I had one for a year and it was great, pretty much never had to open my visor, even stopped at lights, however I did find as it aged it wasn't as transparent as my visor and it actually started to become difficult to see through, even in good conditions, so I had to ride with my visor open else everything looked like I was riding with a particularly dirty visor. The major issue I had though was at night in the rain, it scattered any lights from cars, streetlamps etc. and all I could see was glare so there was no option other then to leave my visor open and get wet. A month ago the silicone bead broke so I had to chuck it, I contemplated replacing it but just started opening my visor instead, and now it's habit to adjust my visor depending on speed, so I don't really miss the pinlock. I guess really it's more down to what's available for your visor, as some are better than others, but they are good when they work. I wouldn't recommend taking them out to clean, at least not too often, as it seems to cause all kinds of issues getting a good seal for a while after, and if you manage to get some liquid or condensation between the pinlock and your visor, good luck...!

[GowerSV]

I have one on my Shoe XR1100 - excellent. If it ever gets a bit of moisture trapped turn the buttons clockwise to tighten.

[Nutsinatin]

I have one on my Shoe XR1100 - excellent. If it ever gets a bit of moisture trapped turn the buttons clockwise to tighten.
I'll second that, my girlfriend has the XR1100 and the pinlock is definitely better and suffers less glare then in my X-lite!