cycleforums.com Review on Shoei RF-1000

Well, it finally happened. The time had come, after 4 years and 40k miles, my old faithful Shoei RF800 was due for replacement.

After trying on a multitude of helmets, from KBC's to Arai's, I settled back on the Shoei's for one main reason: Quick release face shields. Damned if Shoei just doesn't offer the BEST release mechanism in the industry.

I tried on the X11 and the RF900. Whereas the X11 didn't fit right, the RF fit beautifully. And then, it hit.

The RF900 was being discontinued. The Shoei RF-1000 was to be it's replacement.

And so I ordered a Shoei RF-1000, sight unseen, from Helmet Harbor. Anthracite color. I must admit to succumbing to the god, Bling Bling as I also ordered the gold tinted replacement shield...

A quick spin (100 miles) later, it is time to post a brief review.

This helmet is magnificent.

Pros:

Fit & Finish: Flawless paint. Increadible fit. Plush and cushioned. Sizing is RF exact. If you wore an older RF in a sie Medium, the RF1000 in size medium will be a perfect fit. The RF1000 now incorporates "Ear Cutouts" - your ears fit into their own little pockets without having pressure put on them. The RF1000 also now incorporates snap in replaceable cheek pads. Very nice to customize the fit, or to wash. I also noticed that because of the way the cheek pads are located, there is a horizonatal "seam" between the cheek pad and the normal padding that is in just the perfect position to slide the arms of glasses down! I doubt this was intentional, but it works great. My glasses slid in beautifully and rested on my ear without any discernable pressure from helmet padding.

Shield Mechanism: Not only is the fastest replacement system in the market, but the new shield does indeed offer marginally better peripheral vision. Even better though, the new shield mechanism offers 4 positions. A very small, "fog" opening. A slightly larger "ventilation" opening, a "normal" setting for opening the shield. And finally, a "locked" setting which locks the shield in the down position. BIG props to Shoei for the locked position. One of the problems with the RF800 that I had was that at higher speeds, the shield would blow open about 1/16th of an inch - just enough to allow wind to hit the face, roll over the eyeballs, and dry my eyes out! NOT a problem at all with the RF1000 (more on this btw.))

Ventilation: FAR better ventilation than my old RF800. Fogging was a major issue with the RF800, even at 75mph. With the RF1000, fogging only appears to be a "problem" at stoplights, albeit a small issue (it really isn't bad at all). The lower vent is also very well designed. Two forward mounted "ram air" style vents are just over the eyebrows, there are two exit vents behind the head, and of course, the chin vent. They work very well and I would say that the helmet flows 200% more air than the RF800. Remember though, the RF800 only had one forehead vent and one chin vent, and did not have any rear vents...

Ventilation #2: Air control management. One of the biggest problems I encountered with the RF800 was that air would circulate right over my eyes. As a wearer of glasses, the air would circulate up the inside of the faceshield, roll over my nose, up under my glasses, and then spin around on my naken eyeball! Dry eyes was a common problem, but worse was that on some cooler mornings, my right eye would start to water up, and then would pour tears like crazy. On the RF1000, this is NOT a problem. Shoei has done a very admirable job making sure the air circulates directly up the faceshield or down below the chin: On my ride, I could not even get the slightest wiff of irritating air on my eyeballs. GOOD JOB here.

Aerodynamics: Shoei claimed that the RF1000 lid design was far more aerodynamic than the older styles. Indeed it is. The RF800 has a more rounded exterior profile while the RF1000 is slightly more of a "squashed oval" design. Certainly, the RF1000 is a bit longer than the RF800. The interior shape of the padding in the helmet has not changed, so the fit is exactly the same. On the RF800, at speeds over 100mph, the helmet had a huge amount of lift. Very often I would feel the strap digging deep under my chin, and the helmet threatening to try and rip off my head. On the RF1000, this is not an issue, at least up to an indicated 120mph. Also, the helmet seems to be more stable, with less buffeting from side to side. However, due to the longer helmet length, turning the head from side to side did require a bit more effort.

Quietness: Well, this is a mixed bag. First, the Good news: The RF1000 is definitely quieter than the RF800. It is quite noticeably so. However, the two "eyebrow" vents do create a whistle. It is noticable with MaxLite (the two tone, yellow/pink ones) earplugs - slightly distracting, but livable. I am sure with time I will get used to it and won't even notice it by the end of the week.

Protection: it is worth noting that the chin section of the liner is about twice as thick as the styrene lining on the RF800. A definite plus.

Weight: RF800: 1550 grams. RF1000: 1430 grams.
You can definitely feel the weight diff.

Summary and Conclusion:

RF800 RF1000
Fit and Finish 8 9
Shield Mechanism 8 9
Ventilation #1 4 8
Ventilation #2 5 8
Aerodynamics 6 8
Noise 5 7
Protection 8 9
Weight 7 8
Value 10 (see price)

Plain and simple, the RF1000 is an improvement over the RF800 in every way. I absolutely think it is the best helmet that I have ever had on my head (Arai's fit is about 5% better, but their shield replacement system just blows). Comfort, protection, convenience, fit & finish are all top notch and set the industry standard for all other helmet companies to follow.