Shoei Hornet + Pinlock but still mists up

[SilverFish]

I've had Shoei Hornet since last summer now, and its become the helmet I always grab before leaving the garage. I also used it through the winter, whereas before I would have used my Schuberth C2.

Anyway, the Pinlock dealt well with the rain we had last year - a bit of misting up, but mostly clear. The last month or two has been real pain though - it mists up very badly indeed, so much so that its unsafe to keep it down.

I've been trying a few things, like:

• Drying the Pinlock thoroughly every night (bit of a pita as it needs to screw in and out)
• Leaving the helmet in the living room overnight to keep the whole thing warm.
• Adjusting the visor (as best I can) to get as close a seal as possible along the top.
• Keeping it as clean as I possibly can.
• Keeping it closed shut for as long as I can, before it eventually mists up anyway.
• Adjusting the two plastic pegs so that they push the Pinlock as tight as possible against the visor.
• Adjusting the two pegs again in a different way to see if they had any effect at all.

I think the mist is actually forming on the surface of the Pinlock nearest my face, as when its v v bad, I stick a gloved finger in and can wipe it clean.

I've adjusted the visor as best I can to keep a good seal on the top, but there is a small gap I can push a piece of paper through - about an inch worth on one side of the visor. The mists always happens in the upper, centre part of the Pinlock visor only - everything else is clear and dry.

Any suggestions? Do Pinlocks have limited useful lives?

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Schtum]

Time for a breath guard of some description, perhaps...?

Options would be a Respro Foggy mask, an Oxford Huff which is similar but a bit more robust or an Arai Race Breathguard. Yes, I did say Arai.....

 

[Annette]

My chap had a similiar issue with the pinlock on his Shoei Hornet - he took it back to Infinity and they rotated the pinlock mounting studs to make it fit tight again. Apparently the pinlock mounting studs are a sort of cam system so you need to rotate them to make the pinlock visor a better fit.
The chap did also say that if you're not careful when cleaning the pinlock visor you can remove the special coating.

Not that I would know - just what the man in the shop said

 

[SilverFish]

Thanks for your replies.

I tried to fit an Oxford Huff last night, but it didnt want to stay fixed, and the velcro would scratch my face when I put the helmet on - and it hurt my soft, pink skin!

I've twiddled with the cam studs/pins a fair bit and I'm pretty sure the Pinlock seal is as tight as it can be.

I've used microfibre clothes to clean the face side of the lens a few times now - I think I might have worn it out a bit, plus being a all round biker, it probably suffers more than your average wearer.

I've emailed Pinlock to see what they say, but a replacement isnt going to break the bank. Just want to make sure its the right thing to do first.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Kev B]

I have had the same problem with my shoei hornet.I found that by adjusting the plastic cams it made the pinlock reseal itself and did the trick.They apparentley they do come loose after a time! My problem only occured in heavy rain.

 

[Gruffalo]

ive got a tour x 3 and have the same issue, but only when its really really cold outside, just push the visor up slightly so lock thing on the right hadn side it resting on the rubber seal, seems to alow enough air to flow onto the visor and clear it
also take mine out completely every few weeks (or when i can be arsed) and wash it over with luke warm soapy water, gets rid of all the bogies and other bits of chaff that accumilate on the inside of the visor when riding everyday
also got pinlock on my tinted visor but this never seems to mist up, prob as it hasnt had the same amount of abuse as the clear one!
hope this helps in some way, ior you could just replace it for a new one? had a few dud pinlocks in the past, replaced it and no probs after that,
hope this helps

 

[Annette]

Another thing you might find is that you do need SOME airflow through your helmet or nothing will stop it misting. I've found when I have the whisper kit fitted and wearing a buff, that the helmet is so snug and warm that it starts to mist up just because there is no airflow.

 

[SilverFish]

A quick update, as I hate it when people take everybody's comments and suggestions, but then never feedback with how they got on!

I did two things as a result of suggestions here:

1. Cleaned the visor and pinlock insert with basic hand soap, and then thoroughly dried them overnight.
2. Removed the Shoei helmet chin curtain.

Both of these have made a big difference. I rode to the City at about 5.30am yesterday, it was very cold, snowing to start with and then a little rain - conditions which would cause fogging. The pinlock remained clear all the way, with only the periphery (the bits not covered by the Pinlock Insert) being fogged up. Result!

I think the main issue was ventilation: I thought that having the chin vent, and foreheads open was sufficient, but the chin curtain was blocking the full amount of circulating air from entering the helment. Without this curtain, there was a noticeable breeze which did most of the job in stopping the fogging. Also, my cleaning of the Pinlock insert had been limited to wiping it with a microfibre cloth each day. This meant that dirty, greasy glove marks were being left on which made it more likely to fog up on the 'face' side of the Pinlock.

Thanks again for helping,

Mike