Helmet choices Scorpion Arai or Shoei

[Folkgirl]

Started out with an HJC it was heavy, not a perfect fit and the venting is pretty bad= lots of fogging. Recently got a scorpion EXO 400 online, much tighter fit- a little too tight. Much better venting & lighter. The shield changing is not all that easy and does seem like the shields could pop off in a crash.
My next purchase will be something higher end and will be purchased from a real store where I can actually try them on to get a good fit and be able to see & compare how well the visors work, seal and switch.

[Jim]

street - Shoei RF1000
track - Arai RX-7

when it's time to replace them, i'll stick with RX-7. cant tell i have a helmet on when i wear it & i like the custom padding options

[teemstah]

Always had inexpensive helmets like HJC's and thought they fit great for the money. Then I tried on an Arai Astral X in a cycle shop last year and could not believe the comfort. No pressure points, comfy and quiet. Started saving up for a new one and ended up buying a Vector on eBay for just over $200. I will never go back to ill-fitting buckets again................

[FAST GSXR750]

Arai Quantum-II had two of them, love the fit even with glasses on. First had a KBC, probably safer with the arai box. Quantum feels the best for me. Tried Icon, Rocket, AGV and Bell, liked the Arai best. Never going to switch. Even tho i don't use my brain a lot, i still like to protect it

[slammp]

Suomy Extreme! My opinion, but it fits my melon better than Arai did and they are supposed to be equal quality.

[Doc]

Started with an HJC after trying all the less expensive helmets on back in the day. Bieffe, KBC, Nolan felt cheap. Arai and Shoei were out of the price range. HJC served me well.
I then got an AGV when I got my 1st Ducati (Italian Bike/ Italian Helmet) LOVED it and it was a couple hundred less than a Shoei or Arai...

Got a Shoei... Felt good in the store (wore it walking around for 15min or so) Wore it for a long ride, got a massive headache, brought it back, never bought another one.

Then I bought an Arai (can't remember but I think it was a Quantum)... Plain white, because I couldn't afford graphics but I LOVED that helmet... Comfy, Quiet, Great optics and venting.

I Sold it with my ZX7 to my friend that needed a helmet (I still had my old AGV). I then stuck with AGV, Great Helmet for the price and plenty comfy, not as light as an Arai but not bad and still a couple hundred cheaper... I got a couple XR2's and a Stealth, I want to pick up a TI Tech soon. The only problem is they are hard to find to try on.

I just got another HJC though... $120 on sale, FS-15, Fiberglass and Spectra Composite Weave shell... http://www.motorcycle.com/products/h...iew-87740.html Couldn't pass it up.

[batboy]

i have the arai corsair and love it. great helmet

[lrrs699]

wore a KBC last season, this past one had a scorpion exo, thinking of going with Suomy vandel. I just wish there was a dealer around me (CT) so i could try one on, to make sure it fits my melon correctly

[Tricklidz]

then- street- RF900
- track-RX7
now- street- KBC flip up
- track- RF1000
future-street- RF1000
-track- new Corsair RX?
I rotate them between Arai and Shoei depending if I get sick of my paint job, etc!!

[G21forme]

I wear a shoei rf-1000 and would buy another one in a heartbeat but would also consider an arai.

[G21forme]

Femmekat posting under G21forme

I have a KBC...and unfortunately it is more comfortable than the Arai's that I tried on at the shop... Just being honest...

Would not wear an Icon... but would try Arai... Was very interested in Suomy. Hated my HJC after I realized my head looked like a bowling ball.

[senecak19]

Been in an Arai Quantum II and Signet GTR for sometime now. Soon to be in a Suomy model... yet to be deteremined! :-)

[gjarrett29]

I have been a big icon fan but just got myself a shoei rf1100 and so far I like the helmet a lot

[2OO6rr]

I bought a Shoei RF-1000 last year and it is a fantastic helmet. I will be purchasing another one in the future.

[oVTo]

Other - HJC FS-15 Carbon

It fits my head perfectly and is all-day comfortable.

It's one of the lightest full face street helmets on the market, 5% lighter than an Arai Vector, 7.5% lighter than a Quantum II, 8% lighter than a Shoei X-Eleven, and 15% lighter than a Shoei RF1100. Weight = neck strain.

It's DOT and Snell certified. I don't care for the Snell M2005 rating because I agreed with the conclusions of the article in Motorcyclist a few years back. Snell must have (secretly) agreed to, because their new testing sure changed with M2010. That was a big step in the right direction.

The visor is high quality and has the pins for a Pinlock anti-fog insert. The visor was my biggest beef with old HJC helmets. They used to be thin, not very good optically, and really cheap. Now, they're excellent. They aren't the easiest visor to change, but no tools are required and after a couple of changes you get the hang of it.

The interior padding used to be cheap too, but on the FS-15 it is outstanding. Very plush, moisture wicking, removable.

Ventilation is very good.

Finally, price - about $250. I can buy this lid and a set of tires for my Beemer for the price of a very similar helmet with a trendy logo.

I don't believe that a $500+ lid will automatically protect my head any better than this one. I crashed once (at the track) years ago in an old model HJC and it worked great. The helmet was trashed and I was fine.

I won't argue this is a better helmet than an Arai or Shoei, but I do believe it is comparable quality and will protect me just as well.

Negatives? It's not the quietest helmet on the market. But I always wear ear plugs, so that doesn't matter to me.

[SteveM]

I buy helmets based on the perceived worth of the contents they are designed to protect.

I've owned Shoei's rf800, rf900, rf1000, x-11 and Arai Astral and Astral X as well as a couple of HJC half helmets.

I've tried on a ton of others, all the major brands. The Shoei's always immediately stood out as better fit and finish compared to the others, until I made my way up to MotoMarket and had Paul fit me in an Arai.

The intermediate oval shape fits my melon, and now most of the current line Arai's have adopted that shape. Like many riders, I found I was riding in a too large helmet. The Arai small is right for me.

My sense is that there are price buyers and quality buyers. Sind the price only buyers can get their needs satisfied with a cheap helmet on the internet after wasting a dealer's time trying on their stock, this market is not where I would set my sights. The serious rider who values his/her head and has the scratch to buy a top line helmet AND patronize a local shop has to be where the right market is.

When you stock the best, you never have to say, "It's almost as good as a..."

I'm drooling for a new Arai RX-Q Spencer restyle for this year. The prices are steep but it's not Arai vs. something else for me. It's new Arai vs. keep my current Arai for another season.

DuncanMoto is closer than MotoMarket for me and if I shamelessly beg for the "valuable prize" (hopefully not a leg lamp) I'd love to make another trip out to see you.

[aLive]

I've got the EXO400 which fits my somewhat unusually shaped head very well. The only thing I don't like about it is that it fogs all the time when I'm riding in sub-30 degrees ... but that's understandable considering its price. I think my next one will be an EXO700/1000.

[-jro-]

I started in a Bell, then got an HJC to ride track in and finally my Arai XD-3. Arai for teh win, hands down.

[Hoss]

Used to run HJC and never had too much of a problem. Arai always seemed too expensive an option.

Finally pulled the trigger on a Colin Edwards replica Arai Rx7 and have never had a helmet that fit better. The helmet was on my head 20 seconds and I knew I've never had a better fitting helmet on my head.

Unfortunately, it lasted just a few weeks before I crash tested the helmet in T6 during a tony's track day. Smacked my head hard enough to get John Owens to come out and make sure I was ok (and I was).


Replaced that helmet with another Arai, and will never own anything else again.

[Sportygurl131]

i love scropion. they are comfy to me and one of the more appealing helmets to me both safety and cosmetically. they are sleek, and the designs are endless. they have removable and changeable inserts as well as great antifog visors

[schleppy]

I've been wearning HJCs for a while now and I have no complaints. My current AC-12 lid is nice and light, and fits my head well.

Someday I may try one of the big ticket brands. We'll see...

[mrezra]

The last two seasons I was wearing a Scorpion EXO 700, I liked it (especially for the price) but it didn't fit my noggin perfectly. My new AGV GP Tech arrived yesterday, and it is amazing. The fit and finish is top notch. I haven't taken it out for a ride yet, so I can't comment on ventilation or noise, but it looks like it will vent brilliantly, and noise isn't a concern for me because I almost always wear earplugs.

[BURZA]

i am a Noob. when I went out to get my first helmet, i went for two things: was it comfortable for more than five minutes and was it approved by all sanctions. (as in could I use it to track or race) I tried on lots of helmets. I was there at the store for a looonnnngg time. my helper even left to go look at the used bikes I was there so long. sure I spent a lot, but not as much as I could have. I got a plain looking helmet. One which fits comfortably for hours of riding. what will i look for in my next helmet, I want one where I can replace the face shield without breaking off some tab or cover in the process. the arai I have is my first, what shall I get for my second... hmm now sure, but i will likely have tried quite a few on to find out.

[scottieducati]

Shark RSR2 - FTW!! Fit, Finish and Materials are among the best I have ever seen. My favorite feature is the 3mm thick visor, which I know no rock or debris will be getting through anytime soon.. it also just feels like quality in the way it closes, opens... and visor changes are the easiest of any helmet I've ever owned. Plus they come with tear offs

[butcher bergs]

Have a few Shoei helmets. Love 'em. Would like to try Arai next.

Something about going with a company that has proven protection results is the thing that stands out for me.....that and I got to take a pretty sweet head-first dive while wearing a Shoei and was very happy with the outcome.....