My Arai is now 11 yrs old.
I'm thinking Shoei as well as Arai as they have changed their shell shape in recent years and they now appear to fit me of the couple of new ones I've tried on.
Who wears a Shoei? Which model? Any recommendations? Budget of about £400.
Only tried a GT Air in recent times...felt hollow inside...didn't touch the parts I wanted touching.
HJC head here...fit and finish is up there imo.
A red one to fo with the new track bike :rofl:
I can't comment as my Shoei is a flip front. But I can confirm that they seem to have changed their shape, mine fits just as well as my Arai RX7 GP does.
Quote from: Neio79 on July 10, 2019, 09:18:05 AM
A red one to fo with the new track bike :rofl:
I'm not a shallow snowflake like you - no need for colour co-ord. Function over form every time.
Have worn Arai lids for years. And I have always been able to wear one off the shelf. Best lid out there IMO. Although I think they are taking the piss with their prices these days. Get an Arai and get it tailored to fit. You know it makes sense.
Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on July 10, 2019, 09:47:07 AM
Quote from: Neio79 on July 10, 2019, 09:18:05 AM
A red one to fo with the new track bike :rofl:
I'm not a shallow snowflake like you - no need for colour co-ord. Function over form every time.
:rofl: There isn't a chance my lid matches my bike. I have AGV now, I like how they fit :)
From memory only the NXR is around but still above your budget.
Helmet prices for Arai and Shoei steadily increasing. Still the best in the market though.
If you keep it 11 years you can maybe stretch the budget a bit?
Are there any other Shoei owners on here. Having pulled a GT Air on it felt much better than the equivalent Arai from a "comfort" point of view. Maybe that's the one.
I need to understand both Shoei and Arai's ranges now. They seem to have models I've never heard of.
I had a Shoei x-spirit 2. It's a good helmet, lighter than the Arai too. The problem I had with it was due to me having speakers in my lid. It didn't bother me when wearing the helmet, but when I took the helmet off my ears would hurt/tingle for a minute or so. It must have been just squeezing my ears just that wee bit. I also made the mistake of getting a matte finish. Looks good when new, soon shows up marks though. I still think the Arai is a comfier/plusher interior but everybody's different and the most important thing when buying a helmet is fit. Arai also have speaker pockets in the lining to accommodate said speakers. Go try on a few helmets. If you are keeping a helmet for 11 years you should be going for a top quality lid.
My lid is 11 years old but I think I've only had it for about 8-9 of them. I got it at the NEC so it could have been old stock.
I'll try a few on and see what's what. Problem I have is finding a stockist of a good selection of lids near to me. I think J&S near Oulton would be the place to go?
Still liking my NXR, which succeeded an XR1000
Light, quiet and stable :)
Quote from: the invisible dog on July 10, 2019, 07:22:01 PM
Still liking my NXR, which succeeded an XR1000
Light, quiet and stable :)
The NXR looks the best option for me.
I've got an X-Spirit III because the last RX7 I bought was so uncomfortable it gave me headaches. The Shoei is awesome. A lot more than £400 though.
Quote from: David W on July 10, 2019, 08:27:41 PM
I've got an X-Spirit III because the last RX7 I bought was so uncomfortable it gave me headaches. The Shoei is awesome. A lot more than £400 though.
Did you try different cheek pads, skull pad ? How long were you having to wear it before you were getting headaches ? RX7 is a great lid as is the X-spirit. I know folk who have had either Arai or Shoei custom fitted to get the right fit. Something that is not always an option on some helmets,cheaper Arai and Shoei too.
Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on July 10, 2019, 08:01:09 PM
Quote from: the invisible dog on July 10, 2019, 07:22:01 PM
Still liking my NXR, which succeeded an XR1000
Light, quiet and stable :)
The NXR looks the best option for me.
I have NXRs (2 as I always like to have spare, the first one which replaced an XR1100, which replaced and XR1000) is now about 4 years old, the new one is about 2 years old and I love em. They fit me well, are fairly quiet (I always wear earplugs anyway) and they seem to wear well. Pretty good ventilation without the wind roar you can get with.
I've had quite a few Shoei in my time and always seem to come back to them after trying other brands including Arai, The GT-Air I've got is 5 years old, superb helmet if a little heavier than I'd like and there are some bargains to be had because the GT-Air II is now out.. The NXR is on my list because of weight although doesnt have the drop down sun visor and doesn't fit speakers as well at the GT.
Superb build quality and strength from the shells is the big attraction backed up by the plush feeling, great airflow and in the GT-Air noise is low, may have a look at a Schuberth next as some cracking deals on the R2 and they have an excellent rep
Quote from: GRUMPY on July 10, 2019, 08:56:33 PM
Did you try different cheek pads, skull pad ? How long were you having to wear it before you were getting headaches ? RX7 is a great lid as is the X-spirit. I know folk who have had either Arai or Shoei custom fitted to get the right fit. Something that is not always an option on some helmets,cheaper Arai and Shoei too.
It wasn't the padding. The solid, structural part of the helmet was leaving a mark on my forehead. Padding wouldn't have made a difference. I've had four RX7's over the years, and it was the first one I wished I hadn't bought.
I've had a Shoei NXR for a few of years. Comfy, detachable linings.
My only slight issue is that the ventilation is not adequate enough for my liking (track use)
Quote from: Thegodfather on July 12, 2019, 07:01:09 PM
I've had a Shoei NXR for a few of years. Comfy, detachable linings.
My only slight issue is that the ventilation is not adequate enough for my liking (track use)
Interesting. Would the GT Air be any better?
It's a toss up between the 2 at the moment. I'm guessing the GT is a better road helmet which, lets face it, is what I'll use it for for 99.9% of the time.
I think the GT is above the NXR in the range?
GT does not float my boat. Too big looking. NXR is the Shoei for me.
We both have NXR's and XR1100's before that.
Just got a replacement for my Shark ... X-Lite 803RR (huge discount on them as they are "last years model") -- link below:
X-Lite Sale (https://www.helmetcity.co.uk/x-lite-x-803-u-c-nuance-blue-006-sale/)
Super comfy and at that price rude not too ....
Quote from: mc101 on July 18, 2019, 01:05:19 PMJust got a replacement for my Shark ... X-Lite 803RR (huge discount on them as they are "last years model") -- link below:
X-Lite Sale (https://www.helmetcity.co.uk/x-lite-x-803-u-c-nuance-blue-006-sale/)
Super comfy and at that price rude not too ....
Nice lids, had a much earlier version which i was wearing when got knocked off my K4, do fancy the 803 but it definitely feels 'snug' ... ,must be my huge brain lol
Still looking although now found an NXR (not in a colour scheme I'd choose but not a bad one) for £268 delivered.
I think I'll go for it. The only downside is a new dark visor will be needed at £52 extra!
Just bought an NXR. The eBay sale got me 20% off plus I had about £65 in cashback to spend. Got the helmet brand new for £200ish and spent extra on a black visor.
As it was cheap, not a colour scheme I'd normally go for but it ain't that offensive. Went for the Rumpus TC2 in blue.
😎
Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on August 01, 2019, 04:25:41 PMJust bought an NXR. The eBay sale got me 20% off plus I had about £65 in cashback to spend. Got the helmet brand new for £200ish and spent extra on a black visor.
As it was cheap, not a colour scheme I'd normally go for but it ain't that offensive. Went for the Rumpus TC2 in blue.
😎
That's a nice looking design. The blue looks good with a dark visor. :cool: :cool: