With the changing of the weather, comes the risk of fogging your helmet visor. Here's everything you need to know about pinlocks from which to buy, to what they'll do and how to fit them.
From the day people started riding motorcycles, helmet visors have been fogging up to the annoyance of riders everywhere. But riding with a fogged-up visor is not just annoying - it's also very dangerous. A fogged-up visor affects your vision but also affects your ability to focus on your surroundings and the road ahead. And in colder and rainy conditions this fogging can be even worse, building up thicker and further obscuring your vision. With the weather beginning to turn, now is the time to find yourself a solution...
Riders have tried everything to shift this fog and keep the visor from being affected again, from soap suds, rubbing potatoes or even spit: everything and anything you could think of has been tried to keep visors protected. But now there is a real solution that works.
Enter Pinlock’s range of Visor Insert Lens. Pinlock’s mission has been to provide a true working solution to stop the issue of fogging for motorcyclists.
WHAT IS A PINLOCK LENS?
A Pinlock Insert is made from a moisture-absorbing material that is secured to the visor with pins to create an ‘air-tight’ chamber. The moisture absorbing material reacts like a sponge to absorb moisture in the air before it can settle and start fogging the visor. The inner part of the Pinlock is lined with a silicon bead which creates a double-glazed window type effect. The pins on the insert allow you to easily adjust the lens so it provides the best possible seal but also make the lens easy to install and replace.
TYPES OF PINLOCK
With a Pinlock you can find three main levels of performance from the inserts: 30, 70 and 120. These numbers mean the level of fog resisting performance you get from the lens.
- Pinlock 30 is the entry level of fog resistance and is great for the occasional rider.
- Pinlock 70 is better suited for commuting riders as it offers longer and higher performance.
- Pinlock 120 is the top of the line of Pinlock’s lenses and offers their best performance for fog resistance. This is the go-to Pinlock for some of the biggest names in MotoGP, WSBK and Isle of Man TT competitions.
Pinlocks 70 & 120 are the Max Vision lenses which offer a greater field of vision whilst providing greater coverage for fog resistance.
Pinlock lenses are also available in multiple colours all best suited to different situations:
- Light & Dark smoke lenses are comfortable under partially clouded skies.
- High definition yellow is better suited for rainy conditions as it offers a brighter view.
- ProtecTINT automatically changes its tint from clear to light smoke in a matter of seconds when under the effect of UV light such as sunlight. So, the brighter the sun gets the darker the lens will get.
But you can’t just get any Pinlock lens you want, you must make sure that the Pinlock you are buying is for your make and model of motorcycle helmet.
All Pinlock’s sold by Infinity Motorcycles will provide a breakdown of which visor they are designed for and which motorcycle helmets use that visor, and you can find the full range here to find your particular helmet. If you ever need any extra help finding the Pinlock that is right for you, you can always contact us or pop into one of our 15 stores.
Now that you’ve got the Pinlock lens for your visor, you just have to fit it….
HOW TO INSTALL A PINLOCK VISOR
- First, you have to remove the visor from your helmet. If you’re having a little trouble removing the visor we recommend having a search for a guide on how to remove the visor for your specific helmet as every visor mechanism can be different
- Now that you’ve got your visor off your lid, you have to make sure that the inside surface of the visor is clean
- If it’s a brand-new helmet more than likely the visor will already be clean from the factory, but it’s always smart to give it a precautionary wipe, just in case
- The easiest technique that we’ve found for getting the visor in the correct position is to place one end of the visor against your ribs and then fold it out against your forearm
- Don't worry about breaking the visor, it won’t shatter or crack and is designed to withstand far more impact than what you’re doing right now
- You then have to take your Pinlock. Make sure that the rubber seal on the Pinlock is facing the inside of your visor and pop it between the pins on either side of the visor so that it sits comfortably
- With the Pinlock lens in position, you can peel away the blue film to find the Pinlock securely fitted
Of course, any issues don't hesitate to get in contact with Infinity Motorcycles, and we will be very happy helping you out.
You can follow our Step-by-Step video on our YouTube channel here.
ADJUSTING A PINLOCK VISOR
Now that the Pinlock is fitted, give it a check to make sure it has not raised up at all. You can then remove the blue film by peeling it away from the Pinlock and visor. A quick way to check that the Pinlock has been fitted correctly is to do the ‘Breath Test’. Going around the outside edge of the Pinlock and visor giving it a big lungful of air you should find that the visor is fogging up but not the Pinlock.
If you find that your Pinlock is fitted incorrectly or that after a few months of use it has started getting misty you can try re-adjusting it. There are two types of adjustment you will find on Pinlock ready visors, with their own distinct way to adjust the Pinlock.
Some visors will come with a screw adjuster where you use a little screwdriver on the screw on the outside rotating the lug forwards or backwards to find the best position, you’ll have to do this for the screws on both sides. All you have to do is give a small adjustment at a time until the lens is sitting correctly. You can then check whether it is sitting correctly by doing the ‘Breath Test’.
Other visors will not have any screws. In this case what you need to do is pop the visor off the helmet, and find the pair of lugs on either side of the visor’s inside. Using a small pair of pliers, you can carefully rotate the lugs on both sides to adjust the lens to the correct position. And again the ‘Breath Test’ will confirm that the seal of the lens is working correctly.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PINLOCK VISOR
Pinlocks come in all shapes & sizes and you need the one that is right for you. Pinlocks are mainly divided by what brand of motorcycle helmet they are built for and then deeper into the specific model of the helmet that they are designed for.
All Pinlocks that you find on Infinity Motorcycles will give a breakdown of the helmets they fit in the description, but if you ever feel unsure about which one you should be looking for don’t hesitate to get in contact and we will help you to find the one for you.
You're now wised up on Pinlocks! If you found this guide helpful, share it around with your fellow biker!
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You can see Infinity Motorcycle’s full range of Pinlocks right here. If you want to read more of our guides, you can read our Motorcycle Base Layers Guide here.
This article was written by Aaron Thomson, Website & Content Executive at Infinity Motorcycles