Arai v's Shoei

[fozzym]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking to get a new helmet and have narrowed it down to the Arai Chaser V and the Shoei XR1100. Have any of you had any experience with either of these lids?

If I'm being uber critical, I prefer the fit of the Arai slightly over the Shoei although I know helmets do take a little bit to "wear in" plus you can buy seperate cheek pads to get a pefect fit.

Money wise the Shoei comes in a bit cheaper but I'd rather pay a bit more and get the Arai if its the better lid.

I'll be mainly using it for weekend runs out as I don't commute and will probably keep my current cheap but safe lid for the track.

I'm looking for a quiet lid that is comfortable to wear all day and will last well.

All comments welcome

[RealNinja]

Really depends on the shape of your head and which fits better.

Many years ago I was told people have a particular manufacturer's shape head!

Personally Shoei over Arai, I have always found Shoei's quieter and lighter.

Oh, and Shoei's dont have that 'am I going to snap the visor when i'm fitting the new one' feeling...
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You will become my force of retribution. Where you tread, doom will follow. Go now and claim your destiny

[clancy]

Whenever I have worn shoei helmets the inner padding feels like those gay cyclist crash hats

Best bet is whatever fits the best
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KLX 300r

[fozzym]

I get what you mean RealNinja, the Arai seemed a lovely fit but the Shoei did feel Like I was an inbetween size, Small a bit tight and medium a bit loose. Like I said though I could always get different cheek pads to make the shoei perfect.

[keggyhander]

Neither of them fit my enormous panda head.

[Walloper]

[Bloggsy]

I have both as well but the Shoei wins for me cos the visor is easier to change

[kawakid]

I have the XR1100 what I really noticed when coming from a Raid was just how bloody light the thing was.

I also like the chin curtain, I don't know if Arai have them or not.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[fozzym]

Weight wise I think they are the same from what I can find out 1450g a piece. Interesting though that people think the Shoei "feels" light.

I think I'm coming down on the Arai side at the mo though as it fit that bit better and folks keep saying the best helmet is the one that feels right.

After all, you're paying the premium price to have a nicer fit and feel amongst other things.

[clancy]

[daffy]

[andys675]

both of them are excellent helmet manufacturers

I worked in motorcycle clothing retail for 11 years, I would choose shoei over arai, only because we never had any demand for shoei spares, they used to gather dust, Arai side pods are always breaking and they always blame it on chemical contamination, cleaning your visor with mr sheene, using rain-x, or bob heath visor spray and the side pods are £30 odd for replica or multi coloured helmets, plus a base plate kit and screws you're looking at £40 if they break.....!
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[Clanger]

I don't have the head shape for either you have listed. So cannot advise you at all. Sorry.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[fozzym]

Think I might go and have another try on, went to J&S today so might try somewhere else. I do feel bad using a retailer just to try something on when I know I'm going to buy online......But not bad enough to pay upto a 100quid more!!

J&S are selling Shoei XR1000's for similar money as XR1100's are going for with online reatailers!

[Musketeer]

Arai is comfy when it fits your head. I love mine so much that I will probably buy Arai again.

It's comfy, quality is good, vents are efficient, it doesn't feel heavy.

The only bad thing about Arai is they are not quiet. But it doesn't bother me much as I always wear earplugs.

I cannot comment on Shoei as I've never had one, they don't fit my head.

[bikertomm]

Another XR1100 here.. no complaints at all does the job perfectly, can tell it's a quality piece of kit.

I don't think you'll be disappointed in either to be honest they are both at the top of their game, just get the one that you feel fits best as previously said.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[TT_Man]

[Vincent]

Arai or Shoei ?

Dainese

Just got a Dainese "Performance" and I'm chuffed with it, quietest helmet I've ever had. Plus it's cheap so I don't have to worry too much about it getting half-inched.
Like others, I've found that neither Arai or Shoei, at least ones I've tried, seem to fit too well. I think I have a wierd shaped head, (forceps birth apparantly), not quite as bad as in my avatar but that shape - maybe that's it.
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Space Is Deep

[Vincent]

[bikertomm]

[kitty kat]

I have a Shoei XR1100, Arai don't suit me, infact not many helmets do fit me properly.

I also own an AGV which I do prefer, but it lets rain in the top of the visor, so it has become my dry weather lid & the Shoei is my wet weather or riding with husband lid (it has the intercom system fitted ti it).

My Shoei is now 18 months old, has been to work on a daily basis, either thrown on top of my work's locker or left in all weathers in my top box in a car park in Ambleside, it still is as good as it was when I bought it. As long as they still suit the shape of my head I would buy a Shoei again.

[fozzym]

https://www.helmetcity.co.uk/products/Shoei-XR1100-Conqueror-TC5.html

[henry hoover]

+1 Shoei xr1100

For someone as clumsy as me i can change that visor over in seconds! They really are a brilliant lid.
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Cbr600rr 2010 Sold
Zx6r 636 2006 sold
Gsxr 750 L1 current

[drzsta]

Have not tried the xr1100 but have tried the chaser v and I can say that it is the most comfortable helmet I've ever had.

[The Tot]

Here's my 2 cents.

I've got both the XR-1000, XR-1100 AND the Arai Corsair and RX-GP (Corsair V).

So to summarise

Shoei XR-1100

+ves

Light, clean shape, well vented
Modern design.
excellent peripheral vision
Cheaper than equivalent arai by a measurable degree
Visor change mechanism easier than Arai (but when you get used to the Arai system, it's a lot quicker to use)

-ves

Weight distribution is rear biased compared to arais - despite being lighter than the Arai, it didn't feel as comfortable over longer distances
Buffeting experienced on a sports bikes used to get rather tiresome. This happened to me on a regular basis at motorway speeds when in the 3/4 position
Noisy! With earplugs in, there was always a booming low frequency noise coming from the back/neck end of the helmet which I found annoying. This is absent in the arai.
It's actually a lot larger than you think it is!

Arai

I can only speak from trying on a few Chaser V's rather than road testing. So for this, I'll compare to my corsairs

+ves

Comfort - second to none! I think the my head is better suited to arai shells than shoes - arais have a better off the peg fit
long distance comfort - weight distribution is more neutral despite being heavier.
Visor change mechanism - I've never been able to change a shoei visor in less than 5 seconds with the helmet still on my head! (<10 seconds usually)
Ventilation - Corsair is just as good as the XR, but not sure about the Chaser.
Aftersales support - take your lid to an arai stand at a bike show or a race meeting and they'll happily service your visor mechansim and other things to keep it in tip top form!
Better replica designs! I'm a flash git, so I like my Aldo Drudi designed paint jobs

-ves

price
visor change mechanism (if you're totally new to it)
Sidepods breaking (if you don't look after them) - My nakano rep has gone through 2 sets of side pods in 6 years, whilst my Hayden rep has been fine.

Despite having both brands of lids, I'm most definitely an Arai snob. If you can bag at least 20% off an Arai, I'd happily pay the price of it over any other brand. Why? Because I've done enough miles to tell me what my head feels comfortable in!

I often use the shoeis as an interim stop-gap between arais. What I usually do is wait about 18 months before I realise "hmm, actually, I find the Arais more comfortable".

Have you considered the Nolan/Xlite X-802 or AGV GP-tech? If were to go for a next lid, I'd get any of those two on clearance. The Xlite is very well made, comfortable lining, and is very light. It's smaller in profile than the shoei. AGV have recently released their Pista and Corsa helmets, so you can expect the price of GP-Techs to come down drastically!

If the other lids fit your head, why not give them a go? I've always found Arais fitted me better and are therefore more comfortable. This is obviously entirely subjective, but if you find that you fit a shoei fine, then go for it!
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism