Greetings my fellow VFRD-ers. 
So, around about August of last year, my P.O.S helmet finally gave up on staying together and smelling fresh. It threw up it's little vent-shaped arms and surrendered. While I'm appreciative of it's sacrificial efforts (that never coalesced in to real WORK, thank God), it was time for a decent replacement that didn't smell of... well... death.
I posted up a question on the forums asking for helmet recommendations right here on this fancy site and received many, MANY replies and bits of advice. (Seen here:http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/72686-deluxo-helmeto/?hl=%2Bdeluxo+%2Bhelmeto ) Many thanks to those of you who took the time to respond.
In the spirit of sharing knowledge for the collective good of the motorcycling community at large, I figure it's high-time for a "lived in" review of my Shoei Qwest with PinLock visor thingiemabob. (Linky: http://www.shoei-helmets.com/Helmet.aspx?QWEST&h=20&t mine is the PASSAGE flat black [for you, Timmy]).
I took the advice of many people and tried on a barrage of helmets... nothing quite felt right. When I slipped my head in to the Shoei Qwest, it was like coming home.
Helmet fit is obviously highly personal as head shapes are varied, just ask any Phrenologist. My head has a package of hotdogs stuck to the back of it posing as my neck skin, thinning hair, a relatively round shape (not very elongated that is) and a fairly well-defined, broad forehead. The Qwest has a fantastic interior feel. The fabric is of high quality, the padding was snug but plush, the chin strap (a DD ring system) is also velvety and padded. The cheekpads in the interior are also removable for cleaning, as is the chin-strap cover. The cranial portion of the interior upholstery is NOT removable, and caution is needed when cleaning this off so that no chemical deterioration is caused to the polystyrene foam.
Build quality is as expected in a helmet of this price point. Everything fits tightly, none of the air vent actuation buttons/selectors are loose at all, they snap closed tightly and are very stationary when open. The helmet has a dampened sound to it in comparison to other lids I've owned, there's no ringing harmonic to any of the actuation associated with any of its features. There is no evidence of careless gluing, and coming from someone in the manufacturing business, it's fairly obvious they have some significant quality control measures in place. The operation of the shield is fantastic, tight and it seals flawlessly. The design actually pulls the shield in to the silicone rubber seal of the helmet eyeport proper. It locks in place if desired and also props open if fogging becomes a concern.
A chin curtain comes standard with this helmet, it is unobtrusive in putting on or removing the helmet. The airflow Shoei promises with this lid is delivered. I've never worn a helmet that flowed this freely except when I was wearing bicycle helmets as a kid in Jr. High. In fact, this leads me to my first of a couple gripes...
If you're typically one that uses the front "defroster" vent when in cooler temperatures, it blows just a touch too much in your friggin' eyes. This is a minor thing for me all told, but it IS something I've noticed that I don't like. However, if you're a glasses wearer, it will defrost a pair of fogging glasses, so there's that. YMMV
I also do not like the lack of a flip-down sun-visor. My last helmet had one and I LOVED that feature. I really miss it.
However, if you do wear glasses or sunglasses by either prescription or opting not to carry a second visor along, the cheek pads produce absolutely ZERO pressure points along the temples or at the top/rear of your ear. That's a first.
The things I like would compile a HUGE list. Highlighs...
I *really* like the visor system and large eyeport. Being self-adjusting, I don't need to worry about my pinlock shield having the same precise dimensions as the factory supplied visor. The mechanism auto-snugs it to the seal without having to adjust mounting screws like on other lids when swapping shields.
I like the sound levels. For a helmet (and all are flipping loud just by nature) it's really quite calm inside. There's virtually no buffeting, and no deep roaring at speed. Many would attribute that to a windshield, but I know for fact, this helmet is much more tuned to noise reduction having experienced it firsthand with no change in the windshield on my machine.
I like the clearance near my ears for glasses and earbuds. My last two helmets touched my earbuds when they were in my ears causing considerable discomfort after a few hours. This helmet has a bit of space between my ears and the shell/padding allowing my earbuds to sit as they were intended to... which makes them slightly less uncomfortable over time than they were in my other helmets. 
I *(@)(&%@# LOVE the Pinlock shield. I would kiss the inventor of this thing full on the mouth if offered the opportunity. I have never in my life seen a product that actually fulfills a need so stinking well, doing absolutely EVERYTHING as promised. It's not cheap... think it and the pinlock compatible shield were about an additional Benjamin, but to be honest, with the results I've had, I'll be a customer of their products for life. There is ONE minor shortcoming for me with this shield, but I'll touch on that after I get my cash spiff for the shameless plug for their product.
I like the all-round feel. It's not cumbersome, heavy, doesn't pull when looking around in the wind, it's cool in 110 degree heat and warm in 12 degree cold... it's just a damn fine piece of kit.
Let's chat about fogging. I am a cold-weather rider... if it's not icy out, I'm on the bike whenever I get the itch, temperatures be damned. It's only a 15 minute commute, so why not, right? This helmet fogs. A lot. the eyeport is considerably larger than most non-modular full-face rigs, and that means more acreage to view OUT of, but also more real-estate to condensate your bad breath. It's especially bad for someone like me who's filled to the gills with bullsh*t and hot-air. Fortunately, the monstrous front vent does a decent job at speed of clearing the worst of it, but the periphery of your view is obscured like you're trying to watch some cute co-ed shower in a bad slasher flick from the 80's. Enter the Pinlock.
For the uninitiated, the Pinlock insert is a clear, smoked or coloured insert consisting of a water-absorbent plastic with a thin, soft silicone bead running around the perimeter of one side. When installed, that bead seats against the face-shield creating a bubble of dry air between the visor and the pinlock insert, effectively sealing the visor proper from moisture on the inside of the shield. This thing flat works. It simply will not fog at all. Any part of the visor outside the protection of the pinlock will fog as per usual, but the insert absolutely, positively, without any doubt whatsoever will not skew vision due to condensation. No more wet nose in the rain, no more flipping the visor open in cold weather at a stop light, it just does exactly what it says it will. It does not intrude on your sightlines, though you do notice its presence and the presence of the pins on the shield. It's easy to clean, easy to install and a blessing to live with. (Linky: http://pinlockusa.net/LensDescription )
*BUT*
It's kind of a distraction at night. Due to the nature of the insert creating a dry-air gap between the insert and the visor, you do get a moderate amount of double vision from bright points of light. This took some getting used to. Streetlights, oncoming headlamps, reflectors... any bright point of light will create multiple reflections in your field of view. You can adjust your viewing angle (bring your chin down!) to minimize these, and fortunately for me, it's not too much of an adjustment to overcome this shortcoming. I work nights, commute in the dark, and if I had to pick between fog or holding my chin down a bit more, I've made my easy-peasy decision. Foggy visors are flat dangerous in the dark, give me the pinlock any time.
One of the harder things to get used to in using the pinlock is to get out of the habit of having your visor open a crack. Wind coming in from the front can force itself between the insert and the shield. This could be quite problematic in rainy conditions. I have not HAD this issue, but it's a possibility to get dust/debris/water between the two shields.
Overall, on a scale of 1-10 I would give the helmet a 9. I find myself pining for the 2nd flippy-downy-tinty-visor-thing. I also would like to see better air control from the front vent, but that's a small issue overall.
For the pinlock system, again a 9 of 10. The double vision thing is annoying regardless of being used to it. Some people would absolutely HATE that about it, but fortunately the insert is easily removed in about 5 seconds if you've got the tool to adjust the pins (or incredibly durable fingernails).
I thought about posting some photos, but quite frankly there is a plethora of information on the internet about both of these. (Linky: http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=Shoei+Qwest+with+pinlock+insert )
Hopefully, my thoughts/experience in living with these products for a few months and offering pros/cons will help someone make a better decision about the most valuable piece of gear we can possibly buy.
If I've not mentioned something you're curious about, please feel free to ask. I really appreciated all the help I received from the community when I was shopping, I'll be delighted to offer any advice or opinions.
-Jon 