Are Arai and Shoei so much better than all the rest?

[Mr Moofo]

Following on my my recent purchase and return of a Scorpion ADF 9000, I popped into helmet city for a try on.
Arai Quantic - felt lovely, familiar and high quality, if not a little old fashioned
Arai Tour X - the Arai that just doesnt fit me
Shoei GT Air - lively snug fit, great build quality.
Shoei NXR 2 - snug, maybe a little to race fit

I know Horse is a great believer in Sharp tearing but are Shoei and Arai on a pedestal due to performance or brand loyalty?

[KungFooBob]

I had loads of 'cheaper' helmets, then about 20 years ago my mate persuaded me to buy an Arai, a Chaser iirc.

It was such a revelation I bought Arai ever since.

Other brands may be just as good, but I know most Arais fit me well and are comfortable. I can live without an internal sun visor.

[Nordboy]

I've had a couple of cheaper helmets over the years, but have always gone back to Shoei. They just feel 'right' fit me well, the quality is good, especially the interiors. I think the interior pads often let the cheaper helmets down, not sure why?

I've been looking at an adv style helmet, haven't tried any on yet, looking at Nexx, Airoh etc but then feel like waiting for the new Shoei Hornet 06 as I know it'll fit me and be good. Even if it's going to be expensive.

[weeksy]

Not sure about better, depends on context. But they’re deffo comfortable and nicely put together for sure

[MrLongbeard]

As per others, started with cheap n cheerful in the early days, then stuck my head in a Shoei and haven't looked back in 24 years.
I occasionally try my head in something else but they're all cheap, thin, hollow, scratchy, echoey, light, etc etc compared to a Shoei, so fan boy I remain.

[Rockburner]

I've seen an Arai take the weight of a low-loader truck bed without being crushed.

But the new Arai visor change mechanism is far too fiddly.

I've had a couple of cheaper helmets and they've always felt cheaper and more bucket-like than Arai or Shoeis.

[Count Steer]

Never had either Shoei or Arai. I found Schuberth fitted my bonce and stuck with them, despite trying just about everything in stock at Helmet City, in my size, a couple of times.

Have to say that if I wanted a 'dual sports adventure' lid though, I'd be hot footing it to Helmet City in Westerham to try this.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... t_cat/1961#

I'm surprised they don't give the weights (of middle sized helmets) though.

[Skub]

I've never had a Shoei,but I've worn Arai since the early 80s. When trying on other brands of helmet (when such a thing was allowed without buying) they always felt less plush and cheap in comparison.

I've owned a succession of RX7 Arais,but recent crazy prices well North of a grand encouraged me to look elsewhere. As RB says,changing the tried and tested visor system for something needlessly fiddly was another minus point.

Come new lid time,I bought an HJC RPHA-11 instead.

Good points?
Much better peripheral vision.
Much lighter.
Visor removal a piece of piss.

Not so good points?
Not as plush and secure feeling as Arai,but perhaps the lightness may subconsciously and wrongly add to this feeling.
To get the sizing perfect I had to buy a smaller set of cheek pads. About £40.

I still have an RX7 and one of the cheaper models of Arai,but I only ever wear the HJC now.

Must say something.

[Mr Moofo]

Never had either Shoei or Arai. I found Schuberth fitted my bonce and stuck with them, despite trying just about everything in stock at Helmet City, in my size, a couple of times.

Have to say that if I wanted a 'dual sports adventure' lid though, I'd be hot footing it to Helmet City in Westerham to try this.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... t_cat/1961#

I'm surprised they don't give the weights (of middle sized helmets) though.

I love my C5 - and would like a E2 but can help think that that E1 is a little old for New Old Stock, whichever way you look at helmet life

[McNab]

I've pretty much always had Arai or Shoei. I did have one, much cheaper shark, but I found it to be a bit creaky after a while and I went back to Shoei.

Arai priced themselves out of the market for me, but I stuck to Shoei. I had a GT air that I got a lot of use from and when it was time to change, I was fully prepared to buy another, despite the price, but I discovered they'd switched from the D ring strap to a clip type (that I had on my old shark) and that was a deal breaker for me. I ended up buying one of the higher end shark helmets (still half the cost of the GT Air) with the D ring strap and so far, 2 years later, it's been fine. I think the only complaint I would have is I really have to push the visor down hard, or I get a slight wind whistle through the visor somewhere. Perhaps I could adjust that out.

I'd deffo have another shark, but those are the only 3 brands I've tried.

[Count Steer]

Never had either Shoei or Arai. I found Schuberth fitted my bonce and stuck with them, despite trying just about everything in stock at Helmet City, in my size, a couple of times.

Have to say that if I wanted a 'dual sports adventure' lid though, I'd be hot footing it to Helmet City in Westerham to try this.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorc ... t_cat/1961#

I'm surprised they don't give the weights (of middle sized helmets) though.

I love my C5 - and would like a E2 but can help think that that E1 is a little old for New Old Stock, whichever way you look at helmet life

When did they stop making the E1? (TBH, if it's been boxed since manufacture the age wouldn't bother me).

I assume that this is the only colour they have at the price, Infinity have an E2 - Defender for £399.

https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/pro ... nder-white

[Nordboy]

I've never had a Shoei,but I've worn Arai since the early 80s. When trying on other brands of helmet (when such a thing was allowed without buying) they always felt less plush and cheap in comparison.

I've owned a succession of RX7 Arais,but recent crazy prices well North of a grand encouraged me to look elsewhere. As RB says,changing the tried and tested visor system for something needlessly fiddly was another minus point.

Come new lid time,I bought an HJC RPHA-11 instead.

Good points?
Much better peripheral vision.
Much lighter.
Visor removal a piece of piss.

Not so good points?
Not as plush and secure feeling as Arai,but perhaps the lightness may subconsciously and wrongly add to this feeling.
To get the sizing perfect I had to buy a smaller set of cheek pads. About £40.

I still have an RX7 and one of the cheaper models of Arai,but I only ever wear the HJC now.

Must say something.

I do have a few yr old now HJC r-pha, not sure what model full face. It is comfortable and the quality of that is very good. HJC i think have a huge range from the cheap to quite expensive. The expensive stuff is not far off the quality of Arai/ Shoei I don't think.

[Supermofo]

I used to wear Arai but a combination of cost and lack of drop down visor prompted a change to Shark. My first Shark, one of their higher end lids, had a much improved field of vision, was lighter, almost as comfy and felt almost as nice. The Arai felt just that bit more premium, but the drop down visor made the Shark much better for me.

Since then I've stuck with Shark. I did try a Shoei GT Air a couple of lids ago when buying and it felt again just a little more premium feeling than the Shark in terms of materials, but I didn't like chin strap, the drop down was smaller and not as dark as the Shark and it was more expensive.

This time around I've gone Shark again, blagged a Shark Spartan GT Pro Carbon for £292 It's back up to £455 now. It's a very nice lid indeed and feels as nice as the GT Air I tried. The fit/comfort/materials are very good. Only issue I've found with mine, and it's a first with a Shark for me, is a whistle at high speed from the visor, but I spend 90% of my time with the visor cracked a little and I can mitigate it by pushing on the visor so living with it, don't think having a naked bike helps. I also find the Shark visor detents are the best of any lid I've tried, loads of positions and the visor stays where you want it.

My take on Arai/Shoei having owned both and tried both recently just to try on is that they are a 'little' more premium feeling. But tend to be a LOT more expensive for that little extra. But then I'm also lucky in that my head fits lots of different lids. Over the years I've had Shoei, Arai, AGV, Soumi and Shark and all fit my head.

[ZRX61]

Years ago, someone at Arai admitted that "anything over $300 is just graphics"...

[Horse]

I know Horse is a great believer in Sharp tearing but are Shoei and Arai on a pedestal due to performance or brand loyalty?

'Tearing'? nah, they're impact tests

'Better' how? If it's reduced likelihood of traumatic brain injury, go for a 22-05 5* SHARP lid. And, potentially, look at the Australian 'Crash' ratings too.

But SHARP won't tell you much about materials quality in terms of 'plush', or how difficult a visor change might be.

[wheelnut]

I think the old saying that you either have a Shoei shaped head or an Arai shaped head holds some truth - I like Arai but never found a shoei that feels comfortable.

Currently got a Arai Tour x4 and a HJC RHPA ( which is nice).

Had Shark in the past which I also liked a lot.

[Skub]

Sportsbikeshop are doing good deals on Shoei at the moment,should anyone need a new lid.

[mangocrazy]

I've owned nothing other than Shoeis for the last 30+ years and the fit and finish has always been class-leading. But prices are getting more and more salty, so at some point I may try A N Other brand. Having said that, if you aren't fussed about having the latest model, wait until there is a model upgrade (i.e. NXR-2 to NXR-3) and pick up the outgoing model for a fraction of the RRP. I also go for solid colours, which tend to be a fair bit cheaper than the equivalent with a flash paint job (most of which I hate, anyway).

[Nordboy]

I've owned nothing other than Shoeis for the last 30+ years and the fit and finish has always been class-leading. But prices are getting more and more salty, so at some point I may try A N Other brand. Having said that, if you aren't fussed about having the latest model, wait until there is a model upgrade (i.e. NXR-2 to NXR-3) and pick up the outgoing model for a fraction of the RRP. I also go for solid colours, which tend to be a fair bit cheaper than the equivalent with a flash paint job (most of which I hate, anyway).

I have a Neotec 2 as my go to helmet, it was bought for me so I have no idea how much it was, and I haven't bought a Shoei since a Multitec. I was thinking about getting the Neotec 3 as an upgrade, but £690 is dead sea sort of salty!!! There's no way I'll be affording a Neotec 4 when that comes out? Dread to think how much that will be?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I had Arai since the mid 90s, bought an X-Lite (fancy Nolan) a few years ago, it felt fine for a couple of years, but then it went loose on my head and started moving about a little at speed, so I've gone back to Arai, nicer helmet, nicer inside, nicer finish, and, assuming it lasts as long as the other Arais I've had, it'll last more than twice as long as the X-Lite did, which justifies it costing twice as much.