Helmets Need expert advice on the Shoei RF1000

CZman

CZman

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
45
Location
Georgia
I ride with a full-face HJC CL14 Kast. It's a good value helmet, but not exactly state of the art. Time to upgrade, especially since I have dropped the bugger four times. I have been told that the Shoei RF1000 is fairly quiet and nicely built. I am looking for quiet and warm. Your experience with the RF1000?
 
Chris and I have used the RF1000 since it was 1st offered.
Its comfortable; but, if you want ventilation it isn't quiet and if you want quiet you don't get ventilation...
I wear it for protection so I wear it and earplugs.

And just so I don't give the wrong impression: We like them!

Mark
 
riding with the RF1000 for a couple of years, nice helmet, anti-fog ventilation doesn't work too well, do any? , I had to re-glue the little spoiler on the back..
quiet... hardly, but there is a lot worse... if you want quiet then you must wear earplugs, you should be wearing them anyway... in reference https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31355

it is comfortable for my shape of head.. try before you buy...
 
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I've been wearing one for a couple of years. Really like it. I can leave the vents open and raise my windshield enough so that it's quiet and can listen to my radio with no problems.

Highly recommend.
 
Trying it on to make sure it's right for your head shape is critical. I bought mine like-new from a guy on this forum who said it didn't fit him because he had wide cheeks. I've seen that comment on the net before. If you have a round head shape where your cheeks are about the same circumference as the crown of your skull, it might not be your helmet. Just go to a Shoei store and try-on the helmet before you buy.
 

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I've been using the RF1000 for a couple of years. I give it a "B" overall. It is very comfortable and is wearing well and the ventilation is the best of any helmet I've ever owned. I liked my RF800 a little better mostly because it was quieter (but didn't vent as well) and the lower edges were, well, lower than they are on the RF1000. To earn an "A" I'd look for a little less noise, better accommodations for ear speakers, and a lower skirt if you will, to make it feel like my head is further inside the helmet. This latter thing is probably just a personal "security blanket" mental thing.

You just can't beat the quick change shield design that Shoei uses on all their helmets, I can do it whilst wearing the helmet. Very handy at the side of the road when you need to make a quick change.
 
Shoei fits my shape head very well.
I like the ventilation of the RF-1000 (I get warm easily) and don't care much about noise; I have a non-movable windshield and I always wear earplugs.
 
pretbek said:
Shoei fits my shape head very well.
Click to expand...

And for a guy with a beak, that's important! :crackup

I'll second Jeff's comments about the noise level compared to the 800. The 1000 is sooo much lighter, and it's infinitely easier to adjust the vents with gloves on.

I've handled maybe six or eight different helmet brands, and I've always thought the construction on Shoeis was head and shoulders above everything else.

--Mark
 
wjbertrand said:
I've been using the RF1000 for a couple of years. I give it a "B" overall. It is very comfortable and is wearing well and the ventilation is the best of any helmet I've ever owned. I liked my RF800 a little better mostly because it was quieter (but didn't vent as well) and the lower edges were, well, lower than they are on the RF1000. To earn an "A" I'd look for a little less noise, better accommodations for ear speakers, and a lower skirt if you will, to make it feel like my head is further inside the helmet. This latter thing is probably just a personal "security blanket" mental thing.

You just can't beat the quick change shield design that Shoei uses on all their helmets, I can do it whilst wearing the helmet. Very handy at the side of the road when you need to make a quick change.
Click to expand...

My experience almost exactly. My old RF800 was way quieter, but didn't have near as good ventilation. When you open the top vents you instantly feel lots of air pouring onto the top of your head. When this happens the noise goes way up. Since I wear earplugs all the time this isn't a problem.

Phil
 
I recently tried an HJC AC-12 and it was quieter than the RF1000.. However, if you wear glasses, the RF1000 is gold. Neither is real easy to get speakers in but I had already cut into my shoei to install some and once you get it all right, it just works..

The HJC felt cooler than the Shoei. I'm wondering if that little spoiler on the back adds to the noise a little, not sure. Besides, wear earplugs and the noise won't matter.

So far, the RF1000 has been the most comfortable helmet I've ever had.
 
My wife and I both wear RF1000's and like them very much. If you decide to buy one, check out CompetitionAccessories.com. They have some discontinued colors and designs on close out for $299.99. Shipping is free. That's a great price.
 
Went from an HJC CL14 to an RF 1000 and like it a lot. The Shoei is more comfortable, fits better and is simply better built. The visor adjustments are more positive and stay where you put them at any speed. Still have my old HJC and it's a good helmet. The Shoei is a great helmet!
Jack.
 
Can't comment on the RF but, I just purchased a new Shoie Multitec FF.

I really like the lightness and the padding of the Shoie.

I always like to snap my head to the side before I change lanes and the lightness is much appreciated. Hard to tell it's even on.

The padding in the Shoie doesn't pinch my cheeks. I like to chew gum when I ride (helps with changing altitudes and allowing your ears pop.) Other helmets would smash my cheeks and it was hard to chew gum.
 
The comments about the RF1000 being louder than the RF800 are interesting, because my experience is just the opposite. I think the RF1000 is quieter, way lighter, and a lot better ventilated than the RF800 it replaced. But since I always wear earplugs when I ride, the quiet-comparison may not be accurate or even relevant in my case. OTOH, it may be because my chubby cheeks are blocking all the noise from getting to my ears. :D :D :D
 
I find my RF1000 light and very well vented but not very quiet. Ear plugs look after the noise. My only complaint is that the vents dont seal well. Gotta admit it was a monsoon i was riding in but water running in the upper vents, across my head,down my neck and ending up in the crack of you know where just aint right. Yes my vents were closed. just stuck in traffic and couldnt get enough speed to push the rain over me
 
i agree with the comments that the rf-1000 is loud with the vents open at speed (unless you have your windshield up) any arai owners have a comment about how loud the arai is with the windshield down and vents open?
 
I own a Scorpion and a RF-1000. Both are quite noisy.

But the wind generates noises at distinctively different frequency ranges in each one. Earplugs are very good at blocking the noise in the Scorpion but not in the Shoei. When wearing earplugs, the Scorpion is a relatively quiet helmet.

So although both helmets are just about equally noisy without plugs, the Shoei is the much noisier helmet when wearing plugs as somehow plugs are not very effective at filtering the Shoei's frequency ranges (remains true for me after going through a large assortment of trial plugs!)
 
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