sportbikes.net Review on Shoei RF-1000

My first proper street riding helmet was a lender RF700 in the ole Smokin' Joe the-friendly-toking-camel-that-children-love paint scheme to match the replica bike I was learning the street on (yeah I know, perfect learner's bike to bin and rash). This was a great helmet with good fit that was quiet as can be, but in the traditional bowling ball shape of old compared with today's wind cutting and channeling hyper-aerodynamic brain buckets. It was however a Shoei, with excellent quality and a fit and finish only bettered in appearance by Arai. An excellent street lid, though missing the exit vents so common today which keep your dome free of the helmet greenhouse effect, leaving your mop like it was left in the bucket of day old Mr. Clean. But, it was quiet mind you. Quieter than mouse sex, if you can imagine.

Having purchased my own obnoxiously loud Arai RX7-RR4 on eBay for $300 as my first street lid, I had a good idea of what the competition had to offer at the highest level. Sure you might say the X11 is the true competition of the Arai RX7, but alas, the Shoei RF-1000 is essentially the same helmet minus some of the extra vents and track-oriented goodies. The construction and shape remain essentially identical. A wolf in sheeps clothing really, especially at a retail that won't leave you auctioning off sex tapes with your wife on eBay.

How has the RF model changed from the 700 to the 1000? Well it's 300 of something better of course, leaving Darwin a happy man. Well, not entirely. The shield system and all that? The same. The noise level? Much louder than the old model. So hey, why did they drop the deuce in the good lid? Well, that quiet peaceful sanctuary-like atmosphere that the 700 provided came at the price of f*ck all ventilation. It also was a heavy bastard compared to the ultra light and mucho venty 1000. So it seems that with any new light and vented helmet noise will be an issue. Plan on wearing plugs no matter what you buy if you want to hear the devils in your Ozzy records playing backwards. Though, if you're married better skip the plugs because you don't want to hear anymore anyways.

According to Japan the 1000 is also the result of wind tunnel testing aimed at reducing buffeting (aka flopping around in the wind) and to help the helmet to cut through the air like a certain Mrs. Bobbit cutting through... Mommy. Anyways, this is a knife aimed at saving your head, not losing it. For the $300-400 price that you can pick them up in most stores at it's tough to find a better helmet for the street. You're not going to believe it, but I actually prefer it to my $750 retail Arai on the street. Guess what else; the females seem to prefer it as well considering the wave of Paris Hilton style dirty slut smirks. As Hunter S. Thompson used to put it, ho ho ho.