New Nawgin' Holder

It's been about fours weeks now with this new helmet. From what I've been reading on some of my fellow bloggers post it was time to replace my ten year old Shoei RF800 helmet. The final straw was when I lost a screw a couple of weeks prior for the visor opening thingy. I'm sure I could have found a replacement screw but like I said it was time.

Since I was so please with the comfort of my old Shoei I figured might as well get another one. I got a Shoei RF1000 this time in Light Silver which matches the silver engine and striping on my bike. It's a nice contrast with the black leather too or the rain gear for that matter. Like every thing else in modern times ten years is a long time for technology and helmets are no exception.  I'm stunned at how much they have improved. This new helmet is lighter, more aerodynamic, has much less noise and the vent system actually works plus it offers even more wind protection.

My old helmet vent system never really worked as far as I was concerned. I could never really tell if the vents were open or closed. With this new helmet there is no mistaking when the vents are open. When I walked out of the local Honda dealer where a friend works I went for a test ride. Some 250 miles later that weekend I was completely thrilled with the update.

One of the features I like is the removable liner. I never wore hair goo in my old helmet because of this since I couldn't wash the liner, now I can. Now I should have some killer helmet hair. Plus the cheek pads come in different thickness so they can be custom fit to your face, they come in +/- 2mm changes.

Another thing I like is the "breath guard" and the "chin curtain." Having seen the former on other helmets and talking with the owners of them this was a feature I wanted. Guess what? They work.

With the "breath guard" in place and the chin vent open the visor stays clear all the time except when at a stop on the coldest of days. Once moving the visor clears right up. The best part is you can't feel the wind from the chin vent so you don't get cold.

After a few miles I pulled over and installed the "chin curtain." This was a big surprise  since I couldn't see how this mess horse shoe shaped material thing could be of any use. I immediately could tell lack of wind on my chin which makes riding in cold weather a much warmer ride. With both pieces in place you can get just a bit of warmth from your breath an added benefit.

Then it was time to see if the vent system really worked. Again to my surprise this helmet showed what years of devolvement can do. Opening the top front vents I could feel the air coming in. This would have been enough of an improvement over my old helmet that I would have been happy. Then I opened the rear vent and I could actually feel my hair blowing in the helmet. With the guard and the curtain removed and the vents open I'm sure this helmet will be cool and comfortable in the hot summer months.

Other things worth noting. The vents all open and close with easy even with big leather winter gloves. The visor opening lever pops the it open just to the first notch of the seven visor detents. The lever also can be moved to lock the visor closed. The quick release visor means no tools are needed to remove it for cleaning or replacement, a simple flip of the lever and it comes right off, something I liked with the old one too. The optics of the visor are just a bonus, they are that clear and distortion free.

Over all the $320.00 investment was worth ever penny. If your helmet is getting long in the tooth you owe it to yourself to check out a newer helmet. I think you will be surprise as much as I was what tens years can do for helmet technology.

fasthair