Shoei XR1100 Review
Can the Shoei XR1100 be even better than the XR1000?
We have had the Shoei XR1100 with us now for a little over a year since it's release back in September 2009, so let's see if it has been able to live up to it's older brother, the XR1000.
It's evident that the first priority of the Shoei XR1100 was safety and when looking at the various aspects of this helmet it's obvious why the XR1100 scored a perfect five stars in the government's SHARP helmet safety rating system.
So let's start with the bit that keeps your cranium safe. It features an organic fibreglass shell made up of both a multi-composite and high performance fibre that has been cleverly layered to give an almost flexible shock absorbent shell, while at the same time giving maximum rigidity. The inner liner on the Shoei XR1100 is an EPS liner system made with two different densities to give two different shock absorbing levels. Other areas where Shoei were thinking of safety are not just in crash protection, but also vision. The XR1100 comes with a mist retardant visor to give maximum visibility during those wetter, soggier rides.
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Another big factor that has been important in the XR1100's design is comfort. The helmet features a whopping 6 different size cheeks pads to fine tune the fitting, ensuring you get a nice tight fit. Both the cheek pads and the 3D centre pad are machine washable making wearing the helmet that bit more pleasant after a nice 'spring forest' machine wash. The Shoei XR1100 weighs in at around 1450g and with this low weight you can be sure you will suffer minimal neck muscle fatigue during those longer rides.
The shell design and shape accomplish two different things. The first is it gives the helmet sleek and stylish lines, almost like a fighter plane, but second it gives it excellent aerodynamic traits so you can be sure buffeting from the wind will be kept as low as possible which in turn helps reduce fatigue further.
Another feature worth mentioning is the venting system which you would be correct in thinking is quite common place now, but the Shoei XR1100 features four outlet vents on the back of the helmet to exhaust any used warm air, which you will be most grateful for in the warmer months. The vents can be closed in winter to keep in all that lovely warmth inside.
When it's all summed up then it's easy to see why the XR1100 is getting all the praise and acclaim it has done so far with it's impressive safety, comfort and usability stats, and now that prices have come down a little you would be hard pressed to find a helmet of this quality for the same money. If you're on the market for a new lid, you would be silly not to even consider the Shoei XR1100.