Shoei Helmets. Still premium? That noise and how to fix it.

[jdvuyk]

So when I was younger, Shoei helmets where what you lusted after. They were very premium, expensive and well thought of. Roll on a decade or two, Im not so sure.
My old helmet was getting very tired. It was well over 10yo and loose around my head. Time for a new one. After a bunch of trying stuff on, I chose a SHOEI NXR, aka the 1200 in other parts of the world. its fits nice, is comfortable, has nice venting, pinlock etc etc. And I got a good deal! :-)

BUT.
the noise! I had read the reviews. people talked about how they weren't very quiet with a fair share of low buffeting noise getting in around the ears. This is indeed true but no worse than i expected. I expect to use earplugs on longer or more high-speed runs. But the noise levels dont fall into the premium levels of expectation.

THE BIG BUT!
What I did not expect was the howling whistling noise the helmet creates when the visor (CW-1) is UP. I like to ride with the visor up quite a bit. Glasses on. This helps when its hot out and Im commuting. However, anything above 50km/h producing a medium pitched whistling sound that varies with the speed you are going on a the wind gust that hits you. It is around the pitch of a police siren and is SUPREMELY ANNOYING!!

So I set out to find its cause, and fix it. The good news is that I completely solved it. After quite a bit of gaffer tape on different parts of the helmet I found that it was the visor itself. On the INSIDE TOP of the visor, there is a sharp ridge at the very top. If you run your finger along the top inside edge its very obvious. Its not clear what this lip is for, if anything. When the visor is up, the air rushing through the opening has a whistle effect. I got my dremel out and removed the entire lip in question. THE WHISTLE NOISE IS COMPLETELY GONE! You cant notice the difference to look at and there is no obvious mark or modification! Nice. The remaining helmet noise is the usual buffeting noise and other people have documented ways of improving this (ie memory foam etc)

Thanks Shoei. Did anyone actually ride a bike with the helmet during testing or is it only wind tunnels these days? My R&D bill is on its ways.
The 'premium' status is very much dented IMO.

[eldog]

Was it required to shed water?
You also may want to use a neck roll/snood a lot of noise comes in that way

I wouldnt expect a helmet to make the noises you describe at those speeds.

[kiwi_adam]

I am really hoping this is a big joke?

Have you ever noticed when you're driving in a car and you wind the window down, it gets noisier? And depending on how much the window is up or down can change the pitch of the wind noise coming in. I visor is the same principal.

Any helmet when wind tested for noise is never tested with the visor up, as any full face helmet is intended to be ridden with the visor down. Visor up is usually a stand still or slow ride through town option....

I can understand you prefer to ride ride with the visor up, but in that case, would you not opt to get an open face helmet that is actually designed for this sort of riding? As opposed to a Sport helmet designed for visor down fast riding.

2nd, I also own an NXR and that lip that you shaved down/off with a dremel is part of the wind/water proofing at the top of the visor when then visor is closed.

If there is an issue with noise when the visor is down, and you don't have a big hole in the front of your helmet letting wind in, The visor side plates can be adjusted by almost any Shoei dealer.

I will not claim to be an expert, I am not the one getting paid millions or investing millions on R&D in a Premium Japanese company.

My only request is that you don't complain about the helmet being noisy with the visor down now that you have made your modifications.

[jdvuyk]

I dont believe the lip is about water shedding. If you look closely there is plenty of gap behind it to let water in. So its for that, its pretty poor anyway. Its not a seal in itself, the rubber seal underneath is for that. My feeling is that its to ensure the seal is in the right place and doesn't push out the top. But I see no evidence of this happening and Im happy to take the risk. Plus, if it all doesnt work out - ill buy a new visor. Then Im back to where I was, no harm done.

Regardless what the lip its for. ITS A TERRIBLE DESIGN and I expect more. Riding along at 50kmh with the visor open is not fast and perfectly normal for a helmet. Its rider choice and other helmets fair perfectly fine like this.
Also note: Im not complaining (much) about visor down noise. And this mod makes zero difference to it.

Its your choice. I think its super-poor form from Shoei and craap way of doing things. Your mileage may vary and if you dont give a sht, then good for you. But someone might get some value from my experience.

[R650R]

Big Shoei fan... had entry level (forgotten name), RF800??? RF1000, RF1100 and another one soon... would like to see some new colour choices.
My only complaint is those matt paint finishes on some are harder to clean than glossy helmets.

Have heard the whistle you speak of but only at an odd head angle and certain speeds, very are and not annoying. Have had same thing on a 1/4 million dollar Scania truck. At around 80km/h in certain fog conditions the exterior sunvisor can whistle also, quite spooky when it does. But very are and only in specific conditions.

Just had a look at that lip, wouldn't want to be you in next torrential rain session.....

[BMWST?]

i dont know why but the comination of a shoei raid 2,190 cm and a bmw r 100 gspd was bloody noisy.Tried earplugs,whsper kit,custom earplugs plus whisper kit,no screen,screen in every position possible,many adjustments of visor...it was just soooo noisy at anything over 50 km/hr.I have since learned it may have been the mirrors,but it was so bad i sold the bike

[HenryDorsetCase]

Big Shoei fan... had entry level (forgotten name), RF800??? RF1000, RF1100 and another one soon... would like to see some new colour choices.
My only complaint is those matt paint finishes on some are harder to clean than glossy helmets.

Have heard the whistle you speak of but only at an odd head angle and certain speeds, very are and not annoying. Have had same thing on a 1/4 million dollar Scania truck. At around 80km/h in certain fog conditions the exterior sunvisor can whistle also, quite spooky when it does. But very are and only in specific conditions.

Just had a look at that lip, wouldn't want to be you in next torrential rain session.....

So, uh, what you appear to be saying is that you spend a lot of time polishing your helmet?

OK, moving on...... ;-)

[Madness]

Big Shoei fan... had entry level (forgotten name)

"Raid", perhaps?

[HenryDorsetCase]

"Raid", perhaps?

I still wear one most days. Not the fucked one I had another.

[Madness]

I still wear one most days. Not the fucked one I had another.

My old Shoei Raid was my first decent helmet. Owning it taught me about the value of having a removable & washable liner. Good lid otherwise.

[nzspokes]

Riding along at 50kmh with the visor open is not fast and perfectly normal for a helmet. Its rider choice and other helmets fair perfectly fine like this.


Agree, a stone hitting your glasses when you are doing 50kph wont hurt at all.:lol:

[HenryDorsetCase]

Agree, a stone hitting your glasses when you are doing 50kph wont hurt at all.:lol:

fuck yeah. I was communting on the street triple a month or so ago and a stone flicked up from the shit tastic car in front of me and took out one of my headlights.... could have easily gotten me in the face.

[WristTwister]

fuck yeah. I was communting on the street triple a month or so ago and a stone flicked up from the shit tastic car in front of me and took out one of my headlights.... could have easily gotten me in the face.

I had bird shit hit my visor once, hit with such force I thought it was a stone and the whiteness was shattered perspex...

Shoei is still premium, I'm not sure perfection is attainable but the Schuberth C4 may be close?

326620

[Moise]

Yes, once you get to about 50 km/h, there's some noise from the visor if it's fully open. So I close it, either to the first click stop or completely. Problem solved.

Maybe Shoei deliberately engineered it like that as a safety feature?

The ribs at the top and bottom of the visor are to make it more rigid and improve the seal when it's closed.

I'm very happy with my NXR. The only negative for me is it doesn't flow as much air as the X-Spirit.

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[mossy1200]

So when I was younger, Shoei helmets where what you lusted after. They were very premium, expensive and well thought of. Roll on a decade or two, Im not so sure.
My old helmet was getting very tired. It was well over 10yo and loose around my head. Time for a new one. After a bunch of trying stuff on, I chose a SHOEI NXR, aka the 1200 in other parts of the world. its fits nice, is comfortable, has nice venting, pinlock etc etc. And I got a good deal! :-)

BUT.
the noise! I had read the reviews. people talked about how they weren't very quiet with a fair share of low buffeting noise getting in around the ears. This is indeed true but no worse than i expected. I expect to use earplugs on longer or more high-speed runs. But the noise levels dont fall into the premium levels of expectation.

THE BIG BUT!
What I did not expect was the howling whistling noise the helmet creates when the visor (CW-1) is UP. I like to ride with the visor up quite a bit. Glasses on. This helps when its hot out and Im commuting. However, anything above 50km/h producing a medium pitched whistling sound that varies with the speed you are going on a the wind gust that hits you. It is around the pitch of a police siren and is SUPREMELY ANNOYING!!

So I set out to find its cause, and fix it. The good news is that I completely solved it. After quite a bit of gaffer tape on different parts of the helmet I found that it was the visor itself. On the INSIDE TOP of the visor, there is a sharp ridge at the very top. If you run your finger along the top inside edge its very obvious. Its not clear what this lip is for, if anything. When the visor is up, the air rushing through the opening has a whistle effect. I got my dremel out and removed the entire lip in question. THE WHISTLE NOISE IS COMPLETELY GONE! You cant notice the difference to look at and there is no obvious mark or modification! Nice. The remaining helmet noise is the usual buffeting noise and other people have documented ways of improving this (ie memory foam etc)

Thanks Shoei. Did anyone actually ride a bike with the helmet during testing or is it only wind tunnels these days? My R&D bill is on its ways.
The 'premium' status is very much dented IMO.


I am really hoping this is a big joke?

Have you ever noticed when you're driving in a car and you wind the window down, it gets noisier? And depending on how much the window is up or down can change the pitch of the wind noise coming in. I visor is the same principal.

Any helmet when wind tested for noise is never tested with the visor up, as any full face helmet is intended to be ridden with the visor down. Visor up is usually a stand still or slow ride through town option....

I can understand you prefer to ride ride with the visor up, but in that case, would you not opt to get an open face helmet that is actually designed for this sort of riding? As opposed to a Sport helmet designed for visor down fast riding.

2nd, I also own an NXR and that lip that you shaved down/off with a dremel is part of the wind/water proofing at the top of the visor when then visor is closed.

If there is an issue with noise when the visor is down, and you don't have a big hole in the front of your helmet letting wind in, The visor side plates can be adjusted by almost any Shoei dealer.

I will not claim to be an expert, I am not the one getting paid millions or investing millions on R&D in a Premium Japanese company.

My only request is that you don't complain about the helmet being noisy with the visor down now that you have made your modifications.


I dont believe the lip is about water shedding. If you look closely there is plenty of gap behind it to let water in. So its for that, its pretty poor anyway. Its not a seal in itself, the rubber seal underneath is for that. My feeling is that its to ensure the seal is in the right place and doesn't push out the top. But I see no evidence of this happening and Im happy to take the risk. Plus, if it all doesnt work out - ill buy a new visor. Then Im back to where I was, no harm done.

Regardless what the lip its for. ITS A TERRIBLE DESIGN and I expect more. Riding along at 50kmh with the visor open is not fast and perfectly normal for a helmet. Its rider choice and other helmets fair perfectly fine like this.
Also note: Im not complaining (much) about visor down noise. And this mod makes zero difference to it.

Its your choice. I think its super-poor form from Shoei and craap way of doing things. Your mileage may vary and if you dont give a sht, then good for you. But someone might get some value from my experience.

So many words.
Should have bought a HJC

[AllanB]

So many words.
Should have bought a HJC

Been a HJC fan for a lot of years now. They just fit my head right :woohoo:

[Maha]

Been a HJC fan for a lot of years now. They just fit my head right :woohoo:

I switched to HJC from KBC (perfect head fit) because I wanted a particular graphic, turns out the HJC is a perfect head fit as well. I usually bought a new helmet when I bought a new bike...annually at one point. 2011 I bought an FZ8 and a white KBC lid to go with it, then saw a the HJC and still have that helmet, stopped all that new stuff nonsense.

[Luckylegs]

I switched to HJC from KBC (perfect head fit) because I wanted a particular graphic, turns out the HJC is a perfect head fit as well. I usually bought a new helmet when I bought a new bike...annually at one point. 2011 I bought an FZ8 and a white KBC lid to go with it, then saw a the HJC and still have that helmet, stopped all that new stuff nonsense.

What about the other one you had at one point. Could we say "...it was made for fitting you baby, you were made for wearing it..." iykwim

[Maha]

What about the other one you had at one point. Could we say "...it was made for fitting you baby, you were made for wearing it..." iykwim

I still have that... wore it on our 08' north Island tour, it's a KBC lid. Here we are at Lottin Point East Cape taking the CB off road. Anne took the photo as pillion.
Only wankers need helmet mounted cameras. Just take your film crew with you.

[Ulsterkiwi]

........Anne took the photo as pillion. Only wankers need helmet mounted cameras. Just take your film crew with you.

And if your better half rides rather than pillions?

[Big Dog]

And if your better half rides rather than pillions?
Make her wear the helmet cam, because it's all about capturing your ride... :rofl:

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[Maha]

And if your better half rides rather than pillions?

Twas a wee bit of sarcasm directed at the thread concerned. I see your point, and it's only been in the past two years they we decided to have one bike only, purely because riding is no longer an every other weekend fun time like it was for good number of years prior.

[Ulsterkiwi]

Make her wear the helmet cam, because it's all about capturing your ride... :rofl:

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absolutely, its all about me :woohoo:



Twas a wee bit of sarcasm directed at the thread concerned. I see your point, and it's only been in the past two years they we decided to have one bike only, purely because riding is no longer an every other weekend fun time like it was for good number of years prior.

so I made you feel a wee bit bad then? :laugh: My wife started riding (a motorcycle) herself a year ago. Having the helmet cam has been a great learning tool for us to use, filming the ride allows a really good debrief giving some positive affirmation of when things go well and something to think about when they aren't so flash (for both of us)
I enjoy the editing process, just not very good at it. Its a great way to create some tangible memories.

[Big Dog]

My wife started riding herself a year ago.

This sentence made me glad I did not have a mouthful of fresh coffee...

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[Ulsterkiwi]

This sentence made me glad I did not have a mouthful of fresh coffee...

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yes, I pretty much fed the trolls there didn't I.........:brick::brick:

[Luckylegs]

So, as it turns out - ive just invested in the gt air. Fark me, turns out there is a reason why people pay a little more for these lids. I loved my avg's as they felt like they fitted well however they have only ever been the middle of the range versions and the diff between the shoei and old lids is night and day.... everything just feels more substantial and better engineering'd. And, the best bit.... its fookin quiet.

Thats all

:2thumbsup

[pritch]

So, as it turns out - ive just invested in the gt air. Fark me, turns out there is a reason why people pay a little more for these lids. I loved my avg's as they felt like they fitted well however they have only ever been the middle of the range versions and the diff between the shoei and old lids is night and day.... everything just feels more substantial and better engineering'd. And, the best bit.... its fookin quiet.

Thats all

:2thumbsup

Glad you like your new Shoei. I was happy with mine, but it turns out I like Arai even more.

Strange little thread this. Someone uses a product in a way that was never intended, then complains about the quality. Ah well, we seem to get stuff like that on KB.

[nzspokes]

Glad you like your new Shoei. I was happy with mine, but it turns out I like Arai even more.

Strange little thread this. Someone uses a product in a way that was never intended, then complains about the quality. Ah well, we seem to get stuff like that on KB.

Fair call. Arai I tried felt a bit off for me so I went with the Shoei.

But quality gear just works out better.

[sinned]

So, as it turns out - ive just invested in the gt air. Fark me, turns out there is a reason why people pay a little more for these lids. I loved my avg's as they felt like they fitted well however they have only ever been the middle of the range versions and the diff between the shoei and old lids is night and day.... everything just feels more substantial and better engineering'd. And, the best bit.... its fookin quiet.

Thats all

:2thumbsup
Glad to hear you like the helmet I have just ordered. My 8 year old Raid 2 should have replaced a while ago. This is a big splash of cash and paying for graphics in the GT Air Expanse (red&black). These helmets need to be good given the horrendous price.

[Moise]

You're paying for a hand made, Japanese helmet that probably has better paint quality than your motorcycle.

Unlike some other stuff (TYRES!), Shoei helmets are priced reasonably here compared to overseas.

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