Shoei Qwest vs Shoei XR1100

[wannars125]

Does anyone have any thoughts on these helmets? I've tried them both on and they are both a good fit for me and there doesn't seem to be much in it on price.

The Qwest in a plain colour is £250ish and the XR1100 £309 in a plain colour. For that, all I can see is that the XR is a little lighter. I don't know whether it is worth paying the extra for just a few less grams as compared to my current lid, the Qwest feels light as a feather anyway...

[getready]

I've got a Qwest - dead light (medium size), very quiet and fits me like a glove. I got £30 off the RRP at J&S, by a little haggling...

If I were to offer one criticism ii would be that it does get a little bit hot at times and I would prefer a bigger vent on the front to get more air in, but having said that it would make it noisier!

[queen bodecia]

I have the XR1100. Like you both fit me really well but I preferred the lightness and the vents on the XR, not to mention the graphics.

Both score really well in the Sharp tests and are excellent lids.

[NearOn]

Have you tried the Shoei Multitec? Before I did I was pretty set on either a Qwest or a XR1100, as was not sure wanted a flip front again, had a caberg before. But the Multitec for me was even more comfy, and my glasses fit perfectly in it. Bit more expensive, but also apparently the best flip front lid out there in terms of minimal noise and buffeting. Mine hopefully should be here tomorrow

[wannars125]

Not really considered a flip front lid before. I think for my own piece of mind I think I'd rather stick with a full face. I know the flip ones are perfectly safe but it would be just my luck that for one reason or another it failed if I crashed!

I also didn't really want to cross the £300 mark so going over it by a tenner didn't seem too bad.

A little off topic but I've also got to get a sat nav, intercom and helmet cam next week so looking at spending in the region of a grand which makes me feel just a little sick

[toon83]

fist off check youtube for a full review.

i have a xr1100 and i have to say other than fit its a real let down, the visor doesn't lock as good as it is advertised as it has small gaps that lets air and water through.at low speeds or with no wind its really quiet but once you reach 50 mph+ it sounds like a wind tunnel.

[Roadtorque]

Shoei helmets ain't worth that sort of money,, you can buy helmets just as good & half the price,

I had a Multitec over £300 quid, looked good, BUT it was Crap

Remember the saying about a fool & his money

[JamieK]

Ive got xr1000 so basically an older version and its a really good helmet, its lightweight but at speed there is alot of wind noise and i think mine could do with one of those wind deflectors under the chin..

But if you can get one for around £250 i would say its a good buy

[Colin the Bear]

If you keep paying stupid prices for helmets, they're gunna keep charging 'em

[wannars125]

Hmmm I wonder if the bike shop would let me test the helmet on a quick ride.

You're right Colin, the prices are high but what are you supposed to do when you need a lightweight helmet that has a good visor and venting options? Looking around we're all pretty much at the mercy of what the companies want to charge. So far I've not found a better alternative...

[JamieK]

A helmet is one thing id rather pay a bit more for anyway.. But depends how much your heads worth as to how much you pay

[getready]

Hmmm I wonder if the bike shop would let me test the helmet on a quick ride.

You're right Colin, the prices are high but what are you supposed to do when you need a lightweight helmet that has a good visor and venting options? Looking around we're all pretty much at the mercy of what the companies want to charge. So far I've not found a better alternative...

 

This was the dilemma I had when choosing a helmet, I know the likes of Shoei etc invest loads in marketing and their prices are very steep, but IMO they are also very well made.

A mate of mine had a budget helmet whereby the visor used to lift up of it's own accord at speed

Being a new rider, I didn't want a heavy helmet, nor any other "features" that would distract me from my riding.

I tried on loads of helmets and found the Qwest to be the lightest and best made for what I could afford. I don't think £250 is bad if it lasts you five years = £50 a year to protect the squishy stuff in your skull!

[auk gixer]

Alright anand

didn't u try my shoei xr1100 when we were down on yer bike??

You can get the xr1100 for under £300 from helmet city

http://www.helmetcity.co.uk/Shoei-XR110 ... APLXM.aspx

http://www.helmetcity.co.uk/Shoei-XR110 ... AT7WI.aspx

http://www.helmetcity.co.uk/Shoei-XR110 ... AT7WH.aspx

[Colin the Bear]

Don't get mixed up with a quality helmet and a fancy paint job. A helmet with a Rossi paint job will cost a load more than the same helmet in plain white.

Aerodynamics in my opinion are more important than saving a few ounces. The noise will be reduced making the rider more aware of surroundings and maybe not so deaf later in life. Wind drag at 70mph will give you more of a pain in the neck than an extra 4 oz. Of course 4oz is important to a motogp rider where a 0.1 second difference on lap times can mean the difference between winning a £1million pound sponsor for coming first and being relegated to the lower echelons. So if you have the need to sport a race winners helmet you'll pay for that. Just like an England or Man U strip bares no relation to cost of production.

Granted a lot of research and development goes into materials and shape and some helmets have lots of little extras like vents, flip fronts etc. but it's still a production line, mass produced item, not a hand built, custom fit , one off. Essentially a helmet is a plastic bucket full of expanded foam with a cloth liner. All we need is a good shell and a good fit.

Remember also that more than 50% of the price you pay is retailer mark up on a designer brand. They easy knock 50% off in the sales and stay in business. Watch how much the price dips when your race replica starts losing.

If you barter with the shop and ask for 20% off a £250 helmet, you'll be doing us all a favour.

[Roadtorque]

What Colin say's is quite true, I can only talk of the Multitec, as it's the only Shoie i've ever bought & am never likely to buy another,

The chin strap fastening used by Shoie was around in the early 50s when i first started to ride, not the modern quick release fittings used by a lot of manufactures of today;

the two strap pads either side of your face that the straps rub on are like feeble bit of limp cloth with no padding of any quality,

the inner lining itself is glued in position, not detachable like a lot of the linings in the modern helmets, so you can't take it out & put in in the washer,

the lining fabric itself, to me does not seem to be the stuff that will stand 5yrs of every day use,, But it's your money & your choice,

Just as a point of interest my helmet is coming up for renewal, my choice will be a Givi,,,,, have a look at this it runs rings round the Shoei,,, & half the price,,

Watch the video

http://www.givi.co.uk/helmets/Modular-Helmet/X-Modular

[NearOn]

What Colin say's is quite true, I can only talk of the Multitec, as it's the only Shoie i've ever bought & am never likely to buy another,

The chin strap fastening used by Shoie was around in the early 50s when i first started to ride, not the modern quick release fittings used by a lot of manufactures of today;

the two strap pads either side of your face that the straps rub on are like feeble bit of limp cloth with no padding of any quality,

the inner lining itself is glued in position, not detachable like a lot of the linings in the modern helmets, so you can't take it out & put in in the washer,

the lining fabric itself, to me does not seem to be the stuff that will stand 5yrs of every day use,, But it's your money & your choice,

Just as a point of interest my helmet is coming up for renewal, my choice will be a Givi,,,,, have a look at this it runs rings round the Shoei,,, & half the price,,

Watch the video

http://www.givi.co.uk/helmets/Modular-Helmet/X-Modular

 

I think this is where individual experiences and likes come in to it. My opinion of the Multitec is the opposite to Roadtorque's, and is also the only Shoei I have ever bought so far.

Granted the double D Ring is a bit of a pain if going from the one touch button system, but easy to get used to and just as secure. The strap pads look fine to me and not much different to most helmets. The cheek pads are very comfy compared to my previous Caberg and AGV lids, and make the helmet slip on like a glove. But I do think the head liner should be removable so can wash it. However I personally cant see why this lid if well looked after would not make 5 years, and even further.

Where I think it excels compared to my experience of other helmets, so far only being a Caberg and an AGV SV S4, is in terms of wind noise and wind buffeting. I was out on the bike today, and pretty damn windy just at a standstill today, but at high speeds, obviously national speed limit only , the wind noise/wind buffeting is far less than my caberg and AGV and impressed me.

I too would not pay nearly 400 quid though for it, that's why I got mine new much cheaper, and with the extras just by searching the net. My previous AGV lid was not far off that price, and the wind noise in that was ridiculous, I wonder if the Givi is as light and what its like at speeds, not heard much about Givi lids before.

[Bogof]

A helmet is one thing id rather pay a bit more for anyway.. But depends how much your heads worth as to how much you pay

 

Sharp test given way to price-tag as a way of measuring effectiveness of a helmet now has it?

Tesco value helmet at £30 scored higher than some Arai helmets. What value do you place on your head?

[Colin the Bear]

A helmet is one thing id rather pay a bit more for anyway.. But depends how much your heads worth as to how much you pay

 

Sharp test given way to price-tag as a way of measuring effectiveness of a helmet now has it?

Tesco value helmet at £30 scored higher than some Arai helmets. What value do you place on your head?

 

BOGOF Buy one get one free very apt

[wannars125]

You'd be proud!

I got the XR1100 for £300 which was list price but also them to throw in a £60 tinted visor and 2 pinlock inserts (one for the missus).

Additionally, I bought some other bits (helmet cam, intercom and sat nav) and managed to get 10% off and a balaclava.

A total of 12% off and items all bought at internet prices. Not bad I don't think.

[auk gixer]

Cool, helmet cam.... so when we going for ride so u can make vid

[wannars125]

Hopefully won't have to wait too long. Need to be able to afford a huge sd card. This one chews up 1Gb/10mins!

[Colin the Bear]

Not dear these days.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... F8Q8wIwAg#

[wannars125]

Nice find Colin!

[Colin the Bear]

Yeah. If you haven't used Google before, it's greathttp://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z28/Colin_the_bear/smiley-face-bouncing-008.gif