Pinlock at night...

[Cerbera]

Just been adding some general thoughts to another thread about night / wet weather riding, in which I lament the rubbish visibility I am getting in those conditions through my Scorpion ADX-2. And then I was further wondering why that might be, and stumbled on a general warning that we should never use pinlock visors at night, which was news to me ! Perhaps that is why I am struggling a bit in the rainy dark ? I do have a pinlock installed on that visor, and I am getting dazzled by car headlights, and generally blurring / slight fogging if it's more than drizzle, which makes doing terrain look-ahead quite tricky even if you have directable torch light and a decent headlight on the wheel.

I also find that if I can't see very well even my balance and wheel control becomes much more flaky than I would expect !

As it's something of a PITA to be swapping a pinlock visor in and out for day vs night rides, what are other people doing with theirs at night - do you use it, or do you have good reasons why not to ?

 

[mtl]

This probably limits your options but there are helmets with electrified visors to deal with fogging. Maybe that would work better for day/night versatility?

[OldSolo]

Interesting, my road helmet is a Shoei with pinloc visor - no particular issues at night.  Not sure what the big deal is.  On a motorcycle, but that shouldn't really matter.

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Edited December 20, 2023 by OldSolo

[davewood1982]

Have 3 road helmets, all 3 with pinlocks, One of them is same helmet (ADX-2) as yours and im having zero issues riding  in the dark UK winter nights, Maybe you haven't installed the pinlock correctly or just have a faulty, low quality one?

 

on another note though i have to say ff helmets with visors are a godsend at this time of the year riding in freezing temps and rainy weather.

[Cerbera]

Interesting thoughts - cheers everyone. I suspect I had a confluence of factors conspiring to make that one journey I had particularly notable - light rain, at dusk, on a pavement contraflow to traffic, so it's all coming at you in fairly close proximity, and using the pinlock on a chromed visor that does additional darkening.

I think the pinlock itself is working, and, being an original brand one, have to assume it's not duff quality either. In more normal conditions it does a great job keeping things completely clear, so don't think there are seal integrity problems either. I read that even the best pinlocks fog slightly in really humid / rainy conditions, and mine is doing no more than that really.

I think m ore than anything this post was about me confirming to myself that I just don't like riding on dark cold rainy nights, and expressing the annual annoyance I feel when it gets dark shortly after I get up !  At least nobody is reporting any reasons why it's not a good idea, so I take some comfort from that... and may try again occasionally all the while wishing Summer comes as quickly as possible so I can be out in the evenings in the light again !

Edited December 23, 2023 by Cerbera

[Unventor]

I use a Klim Krios pro helmet with factory pinlock.

Pinlock itself isn't the real problem. It is the tinting visor, in my case a transaction visor that darkens on uv lighting. It is great in direct sunlight or in the dark but whenever light shifts in dusk or dawn or in a tunnel or under a bridge that is when it can be difficult to see ground contour. If you then need the pinlock it can add a little more to the problem. 

But if I were to choose I do use the pinlock at any time. In the shifting light I tend to ride slower and more cautiously and maybe flip up visor just a bit.