This is my review of the two helmets. Its all my opinion and I hope it helps if you, like me, just cant decide!!
This is my personal review of the Arai RX-7 Corsair and the Shoei X-11. Both helmets are an XL. My first helmet to test was the Shoei X-11 E-Bos edition. When looking at its appearance it has very nice graphics that appear to flow with the helmets design. It has three sets of front flowing vents, along with two big back vents and two small bottom vents. There is also a vent on the back of the neck. The interior is soft, but its design is obvious in absorbing sweat and to help cool your head. This helmet comes with a removable chin curtain and nose piece. The first thing I did was change the shield to a dark one, because the helmet comes with a clear shield. The fit on this helmet is amazing, it fits snug and is very comfortable to wear. I had no rub spots or red forehead from this helmet at all. The first thing I noticed after opening all the vents is how well this helmet flows air. I can literally feel the hot air being pulled out of the helmet even at low speeds. The vents kept me cool with 100 degree weather and was still comfortable to wear after several hours of driving. When up to speeds of around 60mph the helmet cuts through the air with ease. It has no drag and doesn’t feel like you have to push it through the wind like a cheaper helmet does. When driving at 60, I was able to turn my head around to look behind or beside me without the wind trying to rip it off. The chin curtain really makes a difference by keeping the wind from flowing right up and into my face. I prefer the chin curtain even though it’s a bit of a pain when slipping the helmet on. Overall, this helmet is a nice change from some of the cheaper ones I used to own!
The next helmet is the Arai RX-7 Corsair Hopkins edition. At first appearance this helmet has very crisp and bright colors in the graphics. This helmet has several front vents, one in the chin, two in the visor, and three on the top of the head. There are two more vents towards the back of the helmet and two at the bottom along with one in the neck. The interior is very clean looking, and is very soft. This helmet comes with a pull out chin curtain and a removable nose piece. This helmet fits very well, at first it felt a little on the tight side but it never rubbed me or left any red marks. After wearing it, it broke in very well and fits very well to my head. It’s very comfortable and you can really feel the softer material on your skin. When driving at low speeds this helmet flows very well, I had no issues staying cool at all. This helmet has a few vents that have several positions that can affect the way the air flows, so it took me a while to find a nice combination. Once up to speeds of around 60mph, this helmet feels very stable and very light weight, it just seems to float there in the air on my head. I was able to turn my head around and it cuts through the air with no issues. The chin curtain on this helmet does not do as well as I would have liked. It was borderline cold when driving because the chin curtain does not seem to seal the helmet from the bottom. I could feel the wind coming in and flowing all around my head keeping me very cool. If you look at the pictures you can see the chin curtain does not come out very far and I feel that’s why I was feeling the wind like I was. Overall this helmet is a very good helmet and the fit is amazing!
When I compared the two helmets side by side there are a few differences I would like to point out. First of all the weight of the Shoei is a tad bit heavier than the Arai, not enough to complain about but it’s something to consider. When looking at the graphics, the Arai is by far more crisp and bright with its colors. When you look at the inside, the Arai has less visual padding than the Shoei, but when you’re wearing the helmet the Arai feels much softer. Both helmets have a quick change visor system, which is a very nice feature. To me the Arai flows much more air, but it’s not in the right place. I could not get over the small chin curtain which directs the air directly into my face. As far as air flow goes I will be wearing the Shoei in the cooler weather and the Arai in the hotter weather, due to the chin curtain. I also found out that at a higher rate of speed (155mph) the Shoei is much more stable and does not move around as much. The Arai didn’t move much but it did shove its self up against my nose where as the Shoei stayed in place.
Overall, both helmets are top of the line and you will not be disappointed with either. My personal opinion though is if I am going to be making high speed runs or driving in cooler weather I will be wearing my Shoei. If I am going cruising or Its hot out, I will be wearing my Arai. But If I could chose only one to have, to me the Shoei fits my riding style better. Enjoy the pictures, sorry about the quality.
This is my personal review of the Arai RX-7 Corsair and the Shoei X-11. Both helmets are an XL. My first helmet to test was the Shoei X-11 E-Bos edition. When looking at its appearance it has very nice graphics that appear to flow with the helmets design. It has three sets of front flowing vents, along with two big back vents and two small bottom vents. There is also a vent on the back of the neck. The interior is soft, but its design is obvious in absorbing sweat and to help cool your head. This helmet comes with a removable chin curtain and nose piece. The first thing I did was change the shield to a dark one, because the helmet comes with a clear shield. The fit on this helmet is amazing, it fits snug and is very comfortable to wear. I had no rub spots or red forehead from this helmet at all. The first thing I noticed after opening all the vents is how well this helmet flows air. I can literally feel the hot air being pulled out of the helmet even at low speeds. The vents kept me cool with 100 degree weather and was still comfortable to wear after several hours of driving. When up to speeds of around 60mph the helmet cuts through the air with ease. It has no drag and doesn’t feel like you have to push it through the wind like a cheaper helmet does. When driving at 60, I was able to turn my head around to look behind or beside me without the wind trying to rip it off. The chin curtain really makes a difference by keeping the wind from flowing right up and into my face. I prefer the chin curtain even though it’s a bit of a pain when slipping the helmet on. Overall, this helmet is a nice change from some of the cheaper ones I used to own!
The next helmet is the Arai RX-7 Corsair Hopkins edition. At first appearance this helmet has very crisp and bright colors in the graphics. This helmet has several front vents, one in the chin, two in the visor, and three on the top of the head. There are two more vents towards the back of the helmet and two at the bottom along with one in the neck. The interior is very clean looking, and is very soft. This helmet comes with a pull out chin curtain and a removable nose piece. This helmet fits very well, at first it felt a little on the tight side but it never rubbed me or left any red marks. After wearing it, it broke in very well and fits very well to my head. It’s very comfortable and you can really feel the softer material on your skin. When driving at low speeds this helmet flows very well, I had no issues staying cool at all. This helmet has a few vents that have several positions that can affect the way the air flows, so it took me a while to find a nice combination. Once up to speeds of around 60mph, this helmet feels very stable and very light weight, it just seems to float there in the air on my head. I was able to turn my head around and it cuts through the air with no issues. The chin curtain on this helmet does not do as well as I would have liked. It was borderline cold when driving because the chin curtain does not seem to seal the helmet from the bottom. I could feel the wind coming in and flowing all around my head keeping me very cool. If you look at the pictures you can see the chin curtain does not come out very far and I feel that’s why I was feeling the wind like I was. Overall this helmet is a very good helmet and the fit is amazing!
When I compared the two helmets side by side there are a few differences I would like to point out. First of all the weight of the Shoei is a tad bit heavier than the Arai, not enough to complain about but it’s something to consider. When looking at the graphics, the Arai is by far more crisp and bright with its colors. When you look at the inside, the Arai has less visual padding than the Shoei, but when you’re wearing the helmet the Arai feels much softer. Both helmets have a quick change visor system, which is a very nice feature. To me the Arai flows much more air, but it’s not in the right place. I could not get over the small chin curtain which directs the air directly into my face. As far as air flow goes I will be wearing the Shoei in the cooler weather and the Arai in the hotter weather, due to the chin curtain. I also found out that at a higher rate of speed (155mph) the Shoei is much more stable and does not move around as much. The Arai didn’t move much but it did shove its self up against my nose where as the Shoei stayed in place.
Overall, both helmets are top of the line and you will not be disappointed with either. My personal opinion though is if I am going to be making high speed runs or driving in cooler weather I will be wearing my Shoei. If I am going cruising or Its hot out, I will be wearing my Arai. But If I could chose only one to have, to me the Shoei fits my riding style better. Enjoy the pictures, sorry about the quality.
