So I finally got it. I've talked about it before. Most recently in this thread:
http://www.600cc.org/forum/f9/helmet-time-26235/
Here's a pic:
I ordered it from Revzilla late at night. They called the following day to check some paypal info. No argument with that. Please, if there's a question, verify that it's actually me spending that much money. It shipped the following day, free to me UPS ground.
Keep in mind, I'm making comparisons between this helmet and my RF1000, that was so wore out, that I wore a small, even though it shouldn't have gone on my head. My only previous "legal" lid (I wasn't always ATGATT) is a AJC, bought many years ago, and simply not in the same league, timescale wise. By the time I got the hand me down Shoei RF1000, my HJC was dryrotting and left crumbles of foam on my head, though by the time I put it back on, I was working towards ATGATT. Oh, the irony.
Anyway, all my comparisons will be my RF1000 vs. the RF1100. I've worn it for an hour, sitting here at the computer, and for the 20 minute commute to work, and then back. Plus lots of put in on and take it off, late last night, because it was my new lid. I have yet to do my accustomed day long ride, but it might be a while, and I figured ya'll deserved a first impression review. That being said, here's my first day's take, on the Shoei RF1100:
There's no mention of it anywhere that I've found, not even on the Shoei N.A. websiste, but the graphic is really kind of amazing. It's black, silver and yellow in the sunshine. As soon as the light drops, it's black and reflective white. Very reflective. That's not a clear piece reflecting those trees, that's actually black. The pic was taken in my open garage, at about noon. There's not enough ambient light to make the helmet silver, yet the trees, at the other end of the horse pasture are clearly seen in a black part of the helmet.
At night the silver and yellow disappear and it's all black stripes on reflective white. Really pretty cool and unexpected.
I opened the box last night, after work, at about 11pm. I was seriously disappointed that it was so white, then in the morning, it's all black, silver and yellow. Damn, I thought, that's pretty cool!
The fit is simply amazing. It hugs my head, without being too tight, like nothing I could have imagined. A head-check at highway speeds would pull at my RF1000, and made it an exercise for the neck muscles. The RF1100 doesn't seem to know the difference. Basic wind buffeting is also pretty much zero, with the 1100. The top of the inside of helmet is on my skull, and the other padding just sort of surrounds my head. My head size, at 22 and 13/16" circumference is actually at the top of the medium size, yet just short of the large. Given a break-in period, I feel like it's going to fit about perfectly for me.
The cheek pads are too tight on me, and the bottom seam of the pads intersect my lower jaw in a mildly uncomfortable way. I've got a strong jaw, and new cheek pads are on my list.
The mesh, under-chin guard is more or less ported over from the 1000, and is functional and easy to install or remove.
The nose guard is a definite improvement. The 1100's is rubber and doesn't deform and touch my nose, as the 1000's did.
The venting is crazy good. The helmet moves so much air that it's difficult to describe. Keep in mind, that the Shoei Qwest is designed for the angle of our head on the FZ6R, as far as venting is concerned. The RF1100 moves so much air, I can't imagine what the Qwest must be like. My RF1000 couldn't dream of the kind of ventilation the 1100 has.
It's a small thing, but It was actually chilly on my ride home from work tonight. Living up to the Shoei reputation, the face shield wanted to fog. The chin vent is now two position, and I got to choose to open it half way, just for defogging. It worked very well, but the darn thing still moved so much air that my forehead was cold. I see a pinlock in my future, before winter.
Peripheral vision seems just about as good as it can get. I have to really try to push my eyes to the side, to see the edges of the helmet.
The slick little spring loaded mechanism that pulls the visor against the gasket is pretty cool, too. Positive seal the whole way around.
The visor itself is pretty much invisible, not just clear, but as far as I can tell, optically without imperfection. Shoei also improved the little tab where you lift the visor. It's just a little larger, differently shaped and easier to find.
Round about now, you're thinking "OK, fanboy, thanks for the ad." Not quite. I was seriously disappointed at the amount of wind noise the helmet has. Shoei is known for the low noise level of their helmets, compared to others. I've no doubt, that comparatively speaking, it's pretty quiet. Seemed damn loud to me. Loud enough that I'll still need earplugs. BIG disappointment, but I've become used to using good plugs, so it's not that big a deal.
Fit and finish seems to be a big thing when someone writes a helmet review. It's a $500 Shoei. The fit of the parts, and the overall finish of the helmet are exactly what I would have expected and been darn disappointed had it been otherwise.
Overall impression? It's a keeper. It's not easy for me to drop $500 bucks on a helm. I went to the stores and tried on Icon's and Scorpions and others. Honestly, they just felt.... weak. The Shoei is such a solid-feeling helm, to me. DOT and Snell aside, because other manufacturers achieve it, if I'm going to buy a helmet, I want the best that I can afford, and I want to feel like I've spend my money wisely. The RF1100 is that.
Long-ass, many mile, many hour, hot as hell's gate weather, riding hard and being all twitchy, because I'm on the edge review to come at a later date.
Wait! The all twitchy, riding on the edge part? I don't ride that way.
But there'll be another review after my next, oh so careful, long ride.
http://www.600cc.org/forum/f9/helmet-time-26235/
Here's a pic:
I ordered it from Revzilla late at night. They called the following day to check some paypal info. No argument with that. Please, if there's a question, verify that it's actually me spending that much money. It shipped the following day, free to me UPS ground.
Keep in mind, I'm making comparisons between this helmet and my RF1000, that was so wore out, that I wore a small, even though it shouldn't have gone on my head. My only previous "legal" lid (I wasn't always ATGATT) is a AJC, bought many years ago, and simply not in the same league, timescale wise. By the time I got the hand me down Shoei RF1000, my HJC was dryrotting and left crumbles of foam on my head, though by the time I put it back on, I was working towards ATGATT. Oh, the irony.
Anyway, all my comparisons will be my RF1000 vs. the RF1100. I've worn it for an hour, sitting here at the computer, and for the 20 minute commute to work, and then back. Plus lots of put in on and take it off, late last night, because it was my new lid. I have yet to do my accustomed day long ride, but it might be a while, and I figured ya'll deserved a first impression review. That being said, here's my first day's take, on the Shoei RF1100:
There's no mention of it anywhere that I've found, not even on the Shoei N.A. websiste, but the graphic is really kind of amazing. It's black, silver and yellow in the sunshine. As soon as the light drops, it's black and reflective white. Very reflective. That's not a clear piece reflecting those trees, that's actually black. The pic was taken in my open garage, at about noon. There's not enough ambient light to make the helmet silver, yet the trees, at the other end of the horse pasture are clearly seen in a black part of the helmet.
At night the silver and yellow disappear and it's all black stripes on reflective white. Really pretty cool and unexpected.
I opened the box last night, after work, at about 11pm. I was seriously disappointed that it was so white, then in the morning, it's all black, silver and yellow. Damn, I thought, that's pretty cool!
The fit is simply amazing. It hugs my head, without being too tight, like nothing I could have imagined. A head-check at highway speeds would pull at my RF1000, and made it an exercise for the neck muscles. The RF1100 doesn't seem to know the difference. Basic wind buffeting is also pretty much zero, with the 1100. The top of the inside of helmet is on my skull, and the other padding just sort of surrounds my head. My head size, at 22 and 13/16" circumference is actually at the top of the medium size, yet just short of the large. Given a break-in period, I feel like it's going to fit about perfectly for me.
The cheek pads are too tight on me, and the bottom seam of the pads intersect my lower jaw in a mildly uncomfortable way. I've got a strong jaw, and new cheek pads are on my list.
The mesh, under-chin guard is more or less ported over from the 1000, and is functional and easy to install or remove.
The nose guard is a definite improvement. The 1100's is rubber and doesn't deform and touch my nose, as the 1000's did.
The venting is crazy good. The helmet moves so much air that it's difficult to describe. Keep in mind, that the Shoei Qwest is designed for the angle of our head on the FZ6R, as far as venting is concerned. The RF1100 moves so much air, I can't imagine what the Qwest must be like. My RF1000 couldn't dream of the kind of ventilation the 1100 has.
It's a small thing, but It was actually chilly on my ride home from work tonight. Living up to the Shoei reputation, the face shield wanted to fog. The chin vent is now two position, and I got to choose to open it half way, just for defogging. It worked very well, but the darn thing still moved so much air that my forehead was cold. I see a pinlock in my future, before winter.
Peripheral vision seems just about as good as it can get. I have to really try to push my eyes to the side, to see the edges of the helmet.
The slick little spring loaded mechanism that pulls the visor against the gasket is pretty cool, too. Positive seal the whole way around.
The visor itself is pretty much invisible, not just clear, but as far as I can tell, optically without imperfection. Shoei also improved the little tab where you lift the visor. It's just a little larger, differently shaped and easier to find.
Round about now, you're thinking "OK, fanboy, thanks for the ad." Not quite. I was seriously disappointed at the amount of wind noise the helmet has. Shoei is known for the low noise level of their helmets, compared to others. I've no doubt, that comparatively speaking, it's pretty quiet. Seemed damn loud to me. Loud enough that I'll still need earplugs. BIG disappointment, but I've become used to using good plugs, so it's not that big a deal.
Fit and finish seems to be a big thing when someone writes a helmet review. It's a $500 Shoei. The fit of the parts, and the overall finish of the helmet are exactly what I would have expected and been darn disappointed had it been otherwise.
Overall impression? It's a keeper. It's not easy for me to drop $500 bucks on a helm. I went to the stores and tried on Icon's and Scorpions and others. Honestly, they just felt.... weak. The Shoei is such a solid-feeling helm, to me. DOT and Snell aside, because other manufacturers achieve it, if I'm going to buy a helmet, I want the best that I can afford, and I want to feel like I've spend my money wisely. The RF1100 is that.
Long-ass, many mile, many hour, hot as hell's gate weather, riding hard and being all twitchy, because I'm on the edge review to come at a later date.
Wait! The all twitchy, riding on the edge part? I don't ride that way.
But there'll be another review after my next, oh so careful, long ride.
