If you ride a motorbike in the UK, you already know how quickly a helmet visor can fog up. Cold weather, rain, damp air, traffic lights and your own breath can turn a clear visor into a misty mess in seconds.
A Pinlock visor insert is one of the most useful helmet accessories for everyday riding, commuting, touring and winter use. It helps reduce visor fogging by creating a sealed anti-fog layer on the inside of a compatible helmet visor.
In this guide, we explain what a Pinlock insert does, how it works, the difference between Pinlock ready and Pinlock included, what Pinlock 30, 70, 120 and 200 mean, and the common mistakes riders make when buying or fitting one.
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Why does a motorcycle helmet visor fog up?
Visor fogging is basically condensation. Inside your helmet, you have warm, moist air from your breath. Outside the helmet, especially in the UK, you often have cold air, rain, damp weather or a mixture of all three.
When warm moisture from your breath meets the cold inside surface of the visor, it condenses into tiny droplets. That is what creates the misty, fogged-up effect across your visor.
It is annoying, but it is also a safety issue. If you cannot see clearly, you cannot properly read the road, check mirrors, spot hazards or judge traffic around you. Cracking the visor open can help, but in winter or wet weather that usually means cold air, rain and discomfort straight into your face.
What is a Pinlock insert?
A Pinlock insert is an anti-fog lens that fits to the inside of your helmet visor. It is important to understand that the Pinlock is not the visor itself. The visor is the main clear shield on your helmet. The Pinlock is the separate anti-fog insert that clips onto the inside using the small pins fitted to a compatible visor.
For the system to work, you need two things:
- A Pinlock ready visor with the correct pins fitted.
- The correct Pinlock insert for that exact visor.
Pinlock inserts are not universal. A Pinlock insert for one Shoei visor will not necessarily fit an Arai visor, and an insert for one HJC helmet may not fit another HJC helmet. Even within the same brand, different helmet models can use different visors and different Pinlock inserts.
A Pinlock insert is a separate anti-fog lens that fits to the inside of a compatible motorcycle helmet visor.
How does a Pinlock stop visor fogging?
The easiest way to think of a Pinlock is like double glazing for your helmet visor. Around the outside edge of the insert is a silicone bead. When the insert is fitted correctly, that silicone bead seals against the inside of the visor.
This creates a thin pocket of air between the main visor and the Pinlock insert. That air pocket helps reduce the temperature difference between the cold outside visor and the warmer air inside the helmet.
The Pinlock insert itself is also designed to help absorb moisture. So the system works in two main ways:
- It creates a sealed air pocket between the visor and insert.
- It helps absorb moisture before it turns into fog across your main field of vision.
That is why a correctly fitted Pinlock can make such a big difference, especially in cold, damp or wet riding conditions.
Pinlock works by creating a sealed air pocket and helping absorb moisture before it turns into visor fog.
Pinlock 30, 70, 120 and 200 explained
This is where many riders get confused. You may see Pinlock 30, Pinlock 70, Pinlock 120 and Pinlock 200 listed on inserts or helmet specifications. In simple terms, the higher the number, the higher the anti-fog performance.
As you move up through the range, you are generally moving up in moisture absorption, anti-fog endurance, optical performance and how well the insert copes with tougher riding conditions.
| Pinlock type | Best suited for | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Pinlock 30 | Basic anti-fog protection | Shorter rides, casual riding, city use and fair-weather riding. |
| Pinlock 70 | Everyday anti-fog performance | Commuting, weekend rides, damp conditions and general UK riding. |
| Pinlock 120 | Premium anti-fog performance | Winter commuting, touring, longer rides, wet weather and higher humidity. |
| Pinlock 200 | Top-level anti-fog performance | Extreme conditions, race-level use and riders who want the strongest performance available. |
Pinlock 30, 70, 120 and 200 offer different levels of anti-fog performance for different riding conditions.
Pinlock ready vs Pinlock included
This is one of the most common buying mistakes. Pinlock ready does not always mean Pinlock included.
Pinlock ready means the visor has the correct pins and can accept a compatible Pinlock insert. It does not automatically mean the insert is supplied in the helmet box.
Pinlock included means the insert should actually be supplied with the helmet. Some helmets include one as standard, some have a Pinlock ready visor but require the insert to be purchased separately, and some budget helmets may not have a Pinlock ready visor at all.
| Wording | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Pinlock ready | The visor can accept a compatible Pinlock insert, but the insert may not be supplied. |
| Pinlock included | The Pinlock insert should be supplied in the box with the helmet. |
| No Pinlock ready visor | The standard visor may not accept a Pinlock insert unless a compatible visor is available separately. |
Pinlock ready means the visor can accept an insert - it does not always mean the insert is supplied in the box.
Regular Pinlock vs MaxVision
You may also see the term MaxVision. A regular Pinlock insert is usually smaller, so the edge of the insert can sometimes sit inside your field of view. It can still work well, but depending on the helmet and visor design, you may notice the outline while riding.
A MaxVision insert is designed to sit wider across the visor, often in a recessed area. This gives more of an edge-to-edge visible area and helps keep more of the rider’s main view clear.
That is especially useful for commuting helmets, touring helmets and race helmets, where clear visibility across the main field of view is a major benefit.
MaxVision inserts are designed to cover more of the rider’s visible area than a regular Pinlock insert.
What does XLT mean?
XLT is about optical clarity and light transmission. In simple terms, it is designed to give a clearer, brighter and more natural view through the visor.
This matters because anything placed inside a visor can potentially affect your view. A good anti-fog insert should not only reduce fogging, but also keep your vision as sharp and natural as possible.
What is Pinlock PrecisionTone?
If you have been around Pinlock inserts for a while, you may remember ProtecTINT. ProtecTINT was Pinlock’s older light-reactive option, designed to change from clearer to light smoke depending on UV light.
The newer adaptive tint option riders are more likely to see now is Pinlock PrecisionTone. PrecisionTone follows a similar idea in principle, but it is Pinlock’s newer adaptive tint anti-fog insert. It changes depending on the light intensity around you, staying clearer in lower light and tinting in brighter conditions.
The key point is that PrecisionTone is not just a tinted insert. It still uses the same basic Pinlock anti-fog idea, with a moisture-absorbing lens and an airtight seal against the visor, but adds adaptive tinting for changing light conditions.
PrecisionTone adds adaptive tinting to Pinlock’s anti-fog system for changing light conditions.
Pinlock colours explained
Pinlock inserts can come in different colours, and the right option depends on how and when you ride.
| Pinlock colour | Best suited for |
|---|---|
| Clear | The safest and most versatile all-round choice for everyday riding. |
| Yellow or high-definition yellow | Can improve contrast in dull, rainy, misty or overcast conditions. |
| Smoke | Better suited to brighter conditions, but visibility must always be considered. |
| PrecisionTone | Adaptive tint option for riders who want anti-fog performance with changing light response. |
For most UK riders, a clear Pinlock remains the easiest default choice. It gives maximum visibility, works in the widest range of conditions and avoids complications around low-light riding.
How to fit a Pinlock insert
Every helmet and visor system is slightly different, so always check the helmet or visor instructions before fitting. In the video, we fit a Pinlock insert to a Shoei Neotec 3, but the general principles apply to many Pinlock ready visors.
- Remove the visor from the helmet and place it on a clean, soft surface.
- Clean the inside of the visor before fitting the insert.
- Handle the Pinlock insert by the edges to avoid fingerprints.
- Make sure the silicone bead faces the visor.
- Gently flex the visor and hook the insert onto the pins.
- Check that the silicone bead seals all the way around.
- Remove any protective film once the insert is fitted correctly.
Fit the insert carefully, keep everything clean and make sure the silicone bead seals all the way around.
The Pinlock breath test
Once the Pinlock is fitted, a simple breath test can help check whether it is sealing properly. Hold the visor away from your face and breathe onto the inside.
The area outside the Pinlock may fog slightly. That is normal. The main area covered by the Pinlock should stay clear. If the Pinlock area fogs as well, the seal probably is not right.
If there is a gap around the silicone bead, moisture can get behind the insert and reduce performance. Some visors have adjustable pins, allowing tiny adjustments to change the tension of the insert. Be careful though - small movements only. Overtightening can distort the insert or affect how the visor closes.
Common Pinlock mistakes
Most Pinlock problems come down to compatibility, fitting or care. Here are the main mistakes we see riders make:
| Mistake | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Buying the wrong insert | The insert must match the actual visor, not just the helmet brand. |
| Assuming Pinlock ready means included | Pinlock ready means the visor can accept one. It does not always mean the insert is supplied. |
| Fitting it the wrong way round | The silicone bead must face the visor to create the correct seal. |
| Touching the inside of the insert | Pinlock inserts are softer than visors and can mark more easily. |
| Trapping dust or fingerprints behind it | Anything trapped behind the insert will be visible while riding. |
| Not checking the seal | If the silicone bead does not seal all the way around, the insert will not perform properly. |
| Leaving the protective film on | If the view looks cloudy or strange, check whether the film is still fitted. |
| Expecting Pinlock to solve everything | Pinlock helps massively, but helmet ventilation and airflow still matter. |
Buying the wrong insert, leaving gaps in the seal or assuming Pinlock ready means included are common mistakes.
How to make sure you buy the right Pinlock
The most important thing is to match the Pinlock insert to the correct visor. Do not rely on the helmet brand alone. Check the helmet model, visor code and Pinlock code before buying.
If you are not sure, it is usually easiest to check the visor itself, the helmet manual or the product details. You can also bring the helmet or visor into the Moto Central showroom so we can help identify the right insert.
Final thoughts
A Pinlock insert is not just a random piece of plastic that clips into your visor. It is a visor-specific anti-fog system that uses a sealed air pocket and moisture-absorbing material to help keep your view clear.
The key things to remember are simple: make sure your visor is Pinlock ready, check whether the insert is actually included, buy the correct insert for your exact visor, fit it cleanly and check the silicone seal all the way around.
If your helmet visor keeps fogging up, a correctly fitted Pinlock insert is one of the first upgrades we would recommend.
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