Shoei RF-1100 Helmets

The Shoei RF-1100 is going to be a mid to higher price point helmet but delivers a ton of bang for the buck. Big change, everybody knows the RF-1000 has been stable helmet from Shoei for years in that three to five hundred dollar price range. The big change for this year is the new shell shapes and a new snail 2010 standard, that's available in the RF-1100 and actually the X-12 which is the successor to the X-11 but we'll get to that in other video. So basically this is gonna be a top end helmet with a lot of improvements over the last year. We mention snail 2010 standard, it's gonna add a couple extra ounces to the helmet but what it's going to do is gonna add a lot of the new protective features that are gonna be necessary from the snail standardization, the snail certification as well as for the track in a few years.

You're also gonna notice the shell shape of this helmet is slightly different and one of the key features right out of the gates is that this is an old RF-1000 which we're still selling a ton of which is still a great helmet if you don't need snail 2010 standards. But what you're gonna notice is that they have this wing for aerodynamics for down force on the helmet but the wing is actually built in to the helmet. It's screwed in, it's an after effect and depending... this is a graphic version of the helmet but even in the solid it'll be a color match wing that will sit as an extra piece. What they've done advances in technology 2010 design, you now have the ability to add this wing for aerodynamic down force to the helmet without compromising, you can actually build it in to the actual shell shape itself without compromising the integrity of the outer shell. That's why they did it this way on this helmet at the time when they tried to do this type of technology what they found was it would weaken the outer shell and they would have to bolt it on to remain the safety integrity of the helmet.

So for this guy they built the wing in, another thing you're gonna notice is moving up to the RF-1100 five shell shapes, three on the RF-1000. So now the shell size is gonna grow with each individual helmet size versus having you know, small and medium same shell shapes with different shapes liner and cheek pads. You're gonna notice as well the upgraded venting pattern, the shift vent is slightly different it's two position, you have you know, your chimney vents up top which your basically the same on this guy but as you flip it around the back, the addition of the integrated wing versus the bolt on wing, you now have four exhaust ports. She have four ports on the back for exhaust and you're still gonna have your two exhaust ports that are gonna follow the EPS channel around the liner and exhaust at the back of the neck. You notice that we have a diffuser slash boiler down here for aerodynamics and the ventory effect as well.

Spinning the helmet back around, other key differences with the 1100 are gonna be the shield. This used I believe the CX-1 shield, this is the new and improved CW-1 shield which actually now has the availability for a pinlock system from Shoei this is something it's new. For those of you did don't understand what a pinlock system is, is basically a dual layer pinlock insert that goes behind the shield you buy a different shield for this helmet and by creating that dual layer it eliminates all fogging, it doesn't come standard but it's now on available option. The other pieces that your gonna notice is the periphery, if I stack 'em next to each other the periphery on this guy is increased by a couple millimeters on both sides so you have better visibility with the RF-1100 versus this predecessor the RF-1000. Another nice feature is that the shield is very easy to remove. I'm going to show you that in a second, one of the big things that people love is they have improved the fit, they've improved the air and weather proofing of the shield and let me explain to you why. So have improved gasket is gonna run around the whole eye port of this helmet and basically when any shield on any helmet comes down it has to come in contact and that pressure against that gasket so think about it. You're out in the rain, waters coming down at the of the helmet, if that gasket is not tight, water is gonna get in behind your shield, air could get in, it's gonna give you problems when your trying to shut out the outer elements.

What this helmets done is it has Shoei's brand new quick release, self adjusting system for the shield and what that is come in tight here. I want you to come in real tight on this back end, you're gonna notice, I'm actually gonna pull this guy off for the time being as well for the purpose of this video. You're gonna notice it's a spring loaded system so what I'm gonna do is when I go to this first ratchet setting, you're gonna notice it popped out, you see that spring loaded section in there, there's a couple of springs that are completely visible. What that does is that you still have all of your different detents, you still have all of your different ratchet settings but as you come down on that last setting it pulls down, it sucks in, it's gonna lock and create a great seal that's gonna be pressurized via spring with the outer shield of this helmet. That's something we're not seeing anybody else do right now it's available in the 1100, it's available on the X-12 brand new for 2010. That's huge, that's weather proofing, that's ability to block the fog, block the air. That's gonna give you that micro climate within the helmet that your looking for and then you'll control with your own ventilation system.

Another thing that you're starting to see on helmets of this range is a three position lock for the shield so you have lock for race, you have open for basic functionality and then you have crack which is a forward setting which it's just gonna give you slight air flow, it'll sit on top of this adjuster and basically gonna give you that defog setting. So your rocking down the highway, you start to fog, your out of light all the sudden bang! Hit the crack setting it pops that, it pops that spring out slightly, your gonna get the air in there and your gonna be back to the basics where you need to be. Shape on this guys gonna be medium oval, it's gonna be a slightly improved fit from the RF-1000 they made some adjustments for this in 2010 fully removable liner, fully removable top helmet liner, it's fully washable. This guys gonna come with a breath diffuser it's also gonna come with the chin curtain obviously your gonna see that on this guy I have them both removed but they slide in very quickly, I did mention that the shield removing is very easy on this system, it's a two trigger switch it happens very, very quick I'm actually gonna do it in a single take here to show you how easy it is. So you have a thumb trigger, shield the open position, you pop it, push it forward, shield comes right out. Other side, see how quick and easy this is, bang! Off, go back to that top end position, line up the hole here put the backside in, pops right in, flip it around this way, your back hook goes in, pops in all set to go. So basically this guys gonna start in a $350 range and there are 11 different colors of solids available and there's eight specific graphics that will also have their own color variations.