New lid

[derek badger]

I took my Shoei XR1100 off the other day and wondered what all the dusty crap was in my hair. Turned out to be the foam from the lining pad. I ordered a new part from Shoei but then later checked the manufactured date on the sticker...2010. Ahh, probably time for a replacement.

Fuck me, things have changed and got expensive. Emergency removal tags, £500 for the base model Shoei, integrated Bluetooth and sunvisors, ratchet chin straps rather than double D-rings... I felt an old git in the shop today.

Anyway, the bloke was really helpful. The main criteria was that my glasses fit snug and not bounce about. Tried about 7 or 8 lids on including the Shoei GT Air 2, which would have been the closest like for like replacement, but in the end I went for a more budget model as it fitted best - the HJC F70.

I wanted a plain-ish paint scheme but needed to get a helmet today as I've got to ride into the London office tomorrow. This isn't too power ranger at least. We'll see what wind noise is like on the M25 tomorrow.

[ChrisW]

HJC are nicking a lot of business from the old-school regulars, and rightly so. We've had a few and they've been excellent.

[mangocrazy]

I love Shoeis but they are getting majorly spendy. Even my usual trick of going for end of line bargains doesn't seem to work these days. When I next need a new lid I'll be giving HJC a good dose of looking at.

[Mr Moofo]

I took my Shoei XR1100 off the other day and wondered what all the dusty crap was in my hair. Turned out to be the foam from the lining pad. I ordered a new part from Shoei but then later checked the manufactured date on the sticker...2010. Ahh, probably time for a replacement.

Fuck me, things have changed and got expensive. Emergency removal tags, £500 for the base model Shoei, integrated Bluetooth and sunvisors, ratchet chin straps rather than double D-rings... I felt an old git in the shop today.

Anyway, the bloke was really helpful. The main criteria was that my glasses fit snug and not bounce about. Tried about 7 or 8 lids on including the Shoei GT Air 2, which would have been the closest like for like replacement, but in the end I went for a more budget model as it fitted best - the HJC F70.

I wanted a plain-ish paint scheme but needed to get a helmet today as I've got to ride into the London office tomorrow. This isn't too power ranger at least. We'll see what wind noise is like on the M25 tomorrow.

My shoe xr1100 did the same as yours about 5 years ago - despite being kept in a cool dark place. I wasn't impressed - my even older Arai RX7 is still in great condition

My next helmet will probably be HJC - after 30 years of Arai ( and 1 shoe, one Davida, and a Roof - but I would rather forget that one)

[Dickyboy]

I got an HJC when my old helmet shed its inner on me too, I do find the wind noise a bit excessive at times though

[KungFooBob]

Fuck me, things have changed and got expensive. Emergency removal tags, £500 for the base model Shoei, integrated Bluetooth and sunvisors, ratchet chin straps rather than double D-rings... I felt an old git in the shop today.

I find Arai helmets reassuringly old school (and expensive).

I REALLY don't want an internal sun visor in a lid. It's not an easy find these days.

I think an Arai Quantic will be my next helmet, if I ever get round to buying one.

[derek badger]

Fuck me, things have changed and got expensive. Emergency removal tags, £500 for the base model Shoei, integrated Bluetooth and sunvisors, ratchet chin straps rather than double D-rings... I felt an old git in the shop today.

I find Arai helmets reassuringly old school (and expensive).

I REALLY don't want an internal sun visor in a lid. It's not an easy find these days.

I think an Arai Quantic will be my next helmet, if I ever get round to buying one.

I've tried Arai before, but I've got a Shoei shaped head. Always been a good fit, even the one I tried today felt 'right'...until I tried to get my glasses on.

[KungFooBob]

I guess the most important thing is it fits right and doesn't distract you when riding.

The other stuff is secondary (until you crash).

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I used to have an Arai shaped head, but I find X-Lite / Nolans fit me better now.

[KungFooBob]

I used to have an Arai shaped head, but I find X-Lite / Nolans fit me better now I'm poor.

EFA

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I used to have an Arai shaped head, but I find X-Lite / Nolans fit me better now I'm poor.

EFA

Weirdly the cheaper Arais fit me better than the spendy ones, but even the cheap ones rattle on my head now, and if I go down a size it's like someone trying to squeeze my large head.

[Bigyin]

Just had a look at Sportsbikeshop to see what current pricing is like and the plain white Shoei Neotec 2 is listed at 529 quid..... i paid 380 for mine pre pandemic albeit it with a 10% discount

The Arai Tour X4 with the same paint job i have is listed at 599 which is 100 more than i paid in 2019

Roughly 20% increase in not a lot of time

While instructing most of my CBT pupils arrive with MT, Nitro, LS2 helmets or others at the budget end of the market. Very rarely does anyone turn up with an Arai or Shoei anymore except the occasional DAS student with more disposable income. The majority of the DAS lot now turn up with HJC or Shark lids which seem to have taken a lot of the market

[KungFooBob]

I used to have an Arai shaped head, but I find X-Lite / Nolans fit me better now I'm poor.

EFA

Weirdly the cheaper Arais fit me better than the spendy ones, but even the cheap ones rattle on my head now, and if I go down a size it's like someone trying to squeeze my large head.

I noticed the RX7 I tried didn't fit as nice as my cheap Axces II (to tight across the forehead), the Quantum is just right tho... shame they don't do it in a Haga rep like the RX7 tho'

[Dodgy69]

Fuck me, things have changed and got expensive. Emergency removal tags, £500 for the base model Shoei, integrated Bluetooth and sunvisors, ratchet chin straps rather than double D-rings... I felt an old git in the shop today.

I find Arai helmets reassuringly old school (and expensive).

I REALLY don't want an internal sun visor in a lid. It's not an easy find these days.

I think an Arai Quantic will be my next helmet, if I ever get round to buying one.

Why don't you want a sun visor kfb, ???

[KungFooBob]

Cos I want a full dark visor to hide my ugly mush.

Which makes a little internal one pointless.

[Dodgy69]

You can still do that, if it opens up the choice.

[KungFooBob]

I dunno, I just feel like I'd be compromising in some way with an internal visor, especially if it was non-removeable.

Arai say they don't do them because it compromises the integrity of the helmet, If that was the case those with internal visors wouldn't pass the safety tests.

I think I'm just a bit old school.

[Supermofo]

I've had both Shoei and Arai and liked both but too spendy for me now. Last 2 lids have been Shark as will my next one I think. Really good lids for the money and the internal visor on the Shark was a fair bit better than the one on the Shoei which was too short and not dark enough.

Money no object I might get another Arai but I'm the reverse of KFB, I don't think I'd want to be without an internal drop down visor now. Just way more convenient. So I'd probably never buy another Arai again unless it was track only

[ChrisW]

I don't think I'd want to be without an internal drop down visor now

Same - especially handy on warm days when you can drop it down and leave the visor open when you're going more slowly.

I think Arai may have backed themselves into a bit of corner a bit with their 'never compromise on the perfectly round shell with no compromising features' thing.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Its pretty uncompromising yeah.