Ok, just over a week ago, i had a bit of an accident and i trashed my helmet! So i needed a new one! And my Missus, well, she has been making do with a cheapish HJC kids helmet!
My last 2 helmets have been HJC AC-12 Carbon fibre helmets! Awesome lids...great fit, look great, lsuper light, and as it turns out, bloody good at their job when you land on you nugget!
But this time i have decided to go for more of a road orientated helmet, rather than a Race orientated helmet...
My criteria for a new helmet, was he following...
1. Comfort & fit
2. Something with a bit of extra room around the mouth area.
3. A helmet which either has deep ear pockets, or even better, built in recess's for flat disc style Bluetooth intercom speakers.
4. Superior safety rating...ie: a 5 star sharp safety rating. Dot & Snell 2010 approval.
5. Decent tool less visor removal. decent visor ratcheting action, including, the ability to lock the visor in the "just open" position.
6. Wide face area aperture, so i dont end up looking at the side of the face port when doing headchecks, etc!
7. Something that is quiet at highway speeds...
8. Something with decent ventilation for those hot summer days in Oz!
So off i went to have a look, found a few HJC's that i liked, but they didnt quite tick all the boxes...
Found a Aria RX7- Corsair, for about half normal price....beautiful beautiful helmet, incredibly well made, but in the end, the helmet lining irritated my skin, and the mouth area was very small, my lips were touching it!
Then i came across the Shoei XR1100 (or for you Americans...the RF1100)! Now i have been a Shoei fan in the past, owning at least 3 of these helmets before, and they have all been awesome helmets, and have always fitted my head well! But the XR1100 is just an amazing helmet...
I put it on my head, in my size, and it fitted like it was mine, and i had been wearing it for months, immediately!
It is packed full of features...
1. Hi tech shell construction...5 star sharp safety rating, Snell 2010 approved!
2. Extensive venting system, both fresh air, and exhaust...
3. Wide face port opening.
4. Spring loaded, self "sealing" waterproof visor system, with tool less visor removal.
5. Nice and roomy around the mouth area.
6. allowance for intercom speaker installation in ear area, thanks to a 50mm round "indent" in the helmet interior lining, to mount speakers away from ears! Perfect for someone that has just bought a new Sena rider to passenger bluetooth intercom system!
The finish of the helmet is amazing, you can remove the inner liner completely for washing, or installing speakers, etc...Shoei does a anti-fog pinlock visor system, that not only prevents fogging, but is light reactive, tinting the view as needed.
In the end i was so impressed, that i thought it only fair that i upgrade the Missus's lid at the same time, cause i dont think it would be very nice to go on a 12 day with her at the end of February, if i was living in the lap of luxury in the helmet department, and the Missus was putting up with an inferior helmet at the same time...
So, matching Shoei XR1100 Enigma TC-6's it was....cause the colours sorta match all the bikes in the garage, and my riding gear! Lol!
View attachment 32736
The shop did not have the style i wanted, in the sizes we needed, so we are waiting for them to arrive from the Aussie distributor later this week...
They were not cheap at all, even with over $200 off each helmet, from their shelf price, it was still well in excess of a $1000 purchase!
Could of got them another $200 a helmet cheaper in the USA, but if i buy from there, there is no Australian Safety standard sticker, and if i crash and mash myself with a non AS approved helmet on my head, my insurance is void! So i got bent over on price!
Oh well, i am happy, these Shoei XR1100's are about as good as it gets in terms of road riding helmets...
Sorry i went on for a bit, but i am pretty chuffed with the result of my helmet search....and i needed to share my joy!
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
My last 2 helmets have been HJC AC-12 Carbon fibre helmets! Awesome lids...great fit, look great, lsuper light, and as it turns out, bloody good at their job when you land on you nugget!
But this time i have decided to go for more of a road orientated helmet, rather than a Race orientated helmet...
My criteria for a new helmet, was he following...
1. Comfort & fit
2. Something with a bit of extra room around the mouth area.
3. A helmet which either has deep ear pockets, or even better, built in recess's for flat disc style Bluetooth intercom speakers.
4. Superior safety rating...ie: a 5 star sharp safety rating. Dot & Snell 2010 approval.
5. Decent tool less visor removal. decent visor ratcheting action, including, the ability to lock the visor in the "just open" position.
6. Wide face area aperture, so i dont end up looking at the side of the face port when doing headchecks, etc!
7. Something that is quiet at highway speeds...
8. Something with decent ventilation for those hot summer days in Oz!
So off i went to have a look, found a few HJC's that i liked, but they didnt quite tick all the boxes...
Found a Aria RX7- Corsair, for about half normal price....beautiful beautiful helmet, incredibly well made, but in the end, the helmet lining irritated my skin, and the mouth area was very small, my lips were touching it!
Then i came across the Shoei XR1100 (or for you Americans...the RF1100)! Now i have been a Shoei fan in the past, owning at least 3 of these helmets before, and they have all been awesome helmets, and have always fitted my head well! But the XR1100 is just an amazing helmet...
I put it on my head, in my size, and it fitted like it was mine, and i had been wearing it for months, immediately!
It is packed full of features...
1. Hi tech shell construction...5 star sharp safety rating, Snell 2010 approved!
2. Extensive venting system, both fresh air, and exhaust...
3. Wide face port opening.
4. Spring loaded, self "sealing" waterproof visor system, with tool less visor removal.
5. Nice and roomy around the mouth area.
6. allowance for intercom speaker installation in ear area, thanks to a 50mm round "indent" in the helmet interior lining, to mount speakers away from ears! Perfect for someone that has just bought a new Sena rider to passenger bluetooth intercom system!
The finish of the helmet is amazing, you can remove the inner liner completely for washing, or installing speakers, etc...Shoei does a anti-fog pinlock visor system, that not only prevents fogging, but is light reactive, tinting the view as needed.
In the end i was so impressed, that i thought it only fair that i upgrade the Missus's lid at the same time, cause i dont think it would be very nice to go on a 12 day with her at the end of February, if i was living in the lap of luxury in the helmet department, and the Missus was putting up with an inferior helmet at the same time...
So, matching Shoei XR1100 Enigma TC-6's it was....cause the colours sorta match all the bikes in the garage, and my riding gear! Lol!
View attachment 32736
The shop did not have the style i wanted, in the sizes we needed, so we are waiting for them to arrive from the Aussie distributor later this week...
They were not cheap at all, even with over $200 off each helmet, from their shelf price, it was still well in excess of a $1000 purchase!
Could of got them another $200 a helmet cheaper in the USA, but if i buy from there, there is no Australian Safety standard sticker, and if i crash and mash myself with a non AS approved helmet on my head, my insurance is void! So i got bent over on price!
Oh well, i am happy, these Shoei XR1100's are about as good as it gets in terms of road riding helmets...
Sorry i went on for a bit, but i am pretty chuffed with the result of my helmet search....and i needed to share my joy!
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
