Comparison - Scorpion EXO-400 vs. Shoei RF-1000

[The Buddha]

OK so what's your point ... Helmets are over 1/8th or 3mm thick right ... And Acetone will also weaken and delaminate fiberglass
Cool.
Srinath.

[Ammanas]

I have a solid black EXO-700. It fits great (maybe a little loose; I was sized between medium and large and went with large) the noise isn't too bad, and is very comfortable.

[RVertigo]

I have a large too...  When I got it, it was so friggen' tight that I started getting headaches from puting it on and taking it off...  

Now that it packed out, it fits great!  No more headaches! :lol:

[leo]

Well I have the Exo-700 and I wore for about 4-5 hours on Sunday. It didn't feel bad, but I had a huge red line across my big ole forehead. Do you guys experience the same thing or is it just this helmet and my head not matching up properly?  I didn't do a very good job on picking out my first helmet.

But I don't get headaches, so I'm guessing I'm not too far off.

[RVertigo]

OK so what's your point ...

Not really bulletproof.  That was my point...  Even with a .22...  You still only have a chance...  Not a gaurentee...

[RVertigo]

I had a huge red line across my big ole forehead.

That might mean it isn't fitting right...  But, if it doesn't hurt you...   :dunno:

[leo]

I had a huge red line across my big ole forehead.

That might mean it isn't fitting right...  But, if it doesn't hurt you...   :dunno:

yea kinda what i thought too. well i guess there is some slight discomfort, but nothing that has me heading to the store to fix.

[Slavik]

I don't think it's fair to strikly compare the helmet materials.....the manufacturing process and the research that goes into figuring out the best one should count for something too.........we spend ovber a year trying to get a decint part out of china after we give them detailed drawings and process description, but the lack of "know-how" prevents them from building anything passable in teh first 5 tries or so.....thats why I paid 300 bucks for myu Z-II, i just don't feel like copies are as good as the original....( i hope noone is going to argue that shoie, arai and suomi are not premier brands in helmets)

[The Buddha]

OK so what's your point ...

Not really bulletproof.  That was my point...  Even with a .22...  You still only have a chance...  Not a gaurentee...

What ... OK what sorta neighborhood are you riding through ...  :lol:  ... you see many 22's on you commute I mentioned it just to say polycarbonate isn't plastic to the guy that said it was ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[The Buddha]

I don't think it's fair to strikly compare the helmet materials.....the manufacturing process and the research that goes into figuring out the best one should count for something too.........we spend ovber a year trying to get a decint part out of china after we give them detailed drawings and process description, but the lack of "know-how" prevents them from building anything passable in teh first 5 tries or so.....thats why I paid 300 bucks for myu Z-II, i just don't feel like copies are as good as the original....( i hope noone is going to argue that shoie, arai and suomi are not premier brands in helmets)

They are not ... They are brands that spread misinformation, and they have been milking the ignorance of the customer for decades. They may have started out as the first helmet manufacturers (even though I believe it was Simpson or Bell or someone else that pre dated them) and they grew into a microsoft in the helmet world ... using market position and advertising to spread misinformation. Technology has evolved, Polycarbonate is better, and we have much better choices than the crap they stick to as the best. Also remember they insisted Fiberglass was the best 10 years or so ago when many others (bieffe and Bell in particular) had gone to mix of Aramid, fiberglass and kevlar ... and what did shoei do ~3-4 years ago ... go to a tri fiber mix of Kevlar, aramid, and fiberglass. So how was fiber glass superior to the tri fiber mix in 1994 and suddenly in 2001 the tri fiber mix was superior. They are at best waaaaay behind the trends/research and at worst lying to push their crap at trumped up $$$ ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Badger]

i hope noone is going to argue that shoie, arai and suomi are not premier brands in helmets

Being a "premier brand" doesn't guarantee a superior product.  Obviously the brands you mention are excellent helmets, and all offer excellent protection, ventiation, aerodynamics, etc., and are of very high quality.  But I also think no one is going to argue that the brand name adds significantly to the $$.  Other products can't command that same price point because they don't have the same brand recognition...even if they are comperable products.

Marginally-related anecdote follows:

Back in college, a friend of mine got the lastest whiz-bang HP scientific calculator...a couple hundred dollars worth of programmable, polynomial graphing, nerdly bliss.  He was very proud of his new acquisition, and went to show it off to the professor after class.  The prof. was completely unimpressed, and pulled out his own $40 graphing calculator.  "Let's see who's works better," he said and wrote out a fairly complicated problem on the blackboard.  They both programmed the calculations into their respective devices (which took about the same amount of time), and on the count of three they were going to see which got the job done better.

"One...two...three!"  They both pressed the "go" button, and the professor immediately and unexpectedly threw his $40 calculator across the room (sidearm frisbee-style...good form).  It smacked into the wall smartly and fell on a shelf.  "Let's see you do that with yours," he said, grinning.  My buddy looked down at his $300 pride-and-joy in terror.  

"Which one is better now?" the prof. said triumphantly.

It wasn't necessary to check the results.

Moral:  Features are more important than Brand (unless you are in marketing).

[BigTwin]

Being that I work in at a motorcycle accessories store called Iron Pony in the helmet section, I can surely tell you that the KBC and HJC helmets have been called junk by many customers. Although I have crash tested my CL-14 and it did great; but when I was allowed to test a few floor model Arai's, one AGV, and the Shoei RF-1000 and X-Eleven I can surely say that these helmets are much better in every aspect. Whether it be weight, noise levels, vision, comfort, cooling, etc they were far superior to any HJC, KBC, Vega , or other lower priced helmets that I have ever worn.

Not to stir up any problems here, but this is just my personal experience and I stand behind it 100%.

-BigTwin-

[The Buddha]

Yup ... totally related ...  :lol:  ... BTW we are buying cheap ass bikes aren't we (I mean comparable parameters dont compare your 2005 GS to someone's 1981 xs 650 - yea ... ) So I dont think we are really the target market for either shoei or arai ... we are more sensible than the rest of the clowns out there ... BTW though ... the more $$ the bike, the cheap crappier the helmet ... so I dunno who the shoei target is ... Probably the ones that have sport bikes and to look raciest they have to have the helmets that are painted like their favorite racer ... BTW next year they change paint patters, or makes or even bike makes and your old sheite last year crap is worth less ... or atleast worth faaar less ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[RVertigo]

I mentioned it just to say polycarbonate isn't plastic to the guy that said it was ...

It's just a common misconception...  That's all...  I used to work with the stuff and people were always telling that it can stop a bullet...  Then I'd show them a standard thickness polycarb lens and poke a hole right through it.

Real bulletproof glass is layered...  And about an inch thick...  Even that stuff has a protective maximum.

That's all I was saying.

[Badger]

but when I was allowed to test a few floor model Arai's, one AGV, and the Shoei RF-1000 and X-Eleven I can surely say that these helmets are much better in every aspect.

No doubt...like I said, these helmets are obviously of exceptional quality.  I'm not trying to dig at Shoei or Arai, I'm just saying that the name alone doesn't make it the best--there may be others out there that provide similar features...and may even fit people better (I've heard a few people who -really- want a Shoei, but apparently don't have a Shoei-shaped head).

But those are fine helmets, nonetheless.

[The Buddha]

Being that I work in at a motorcycle accessories store called Iron Pony in the helmet section, I can surely tell you that the KBC and HJC helmets have been called junk by many customers. Although I have crash tested my CL-14 and it did great; but when I was allowed to test a few floor model Arai's, one AGV, and the Shoei RF-1000 and X-Eleven I can surely say that these helmets are much better in every aspect. Whether it be weight, noise levels, vision, comfort, cooling, etc they were far superior to any HJC, KBC, Vega , or other lower priced helmets that I have ever worn.

Not to stir up any problems here, but this is just my personal experience and I stand behind it 100%.

-BigTwin-

OK you are sorta comparing old world vs new world ... KBC vega and many more are distinctly new players in the market, while HJC has been around a while its engineered to a price point ... back when the old world helmets were still available in the US shoei and arai were right about on par with bell, simpson and Bieffe. Relatively speaking AGV is new as well into that group though not as new as KBC etc ... My wife had her pick of helmets back in the day, her choice was a bell, mine was bieffe just cos Shoei felt like my head was in a vice ... I took her to cycle gear and told her any one you pic ... and we went to 3 places before buying that helmet at I believe Hayward honda, yamaha, suzuki. I wonder what she'd pick now if I let her try it now. In the old days (95-99) they had like 10 makes on the shelves at cycle gear, and those were too all types and price ranges, now its down to 2 or 3.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Alphamazing]

Some brands fit people, some don't. Shoei fits me perfectly, Arai doesn't. HJC doesn't. KBC doesn't. Vega doesn't. Scorpion doesn't. Bieffe doesn't. The list goes on. Shoei's might be expensive, but I'm willing to pay $260 for the best level of comfort. Had a Scorpion fit me as well, I would have got that instead. Thing is, it didn't.

[RVertigo]

Some brands fit people, some don't.

Ed-Zakly!

I got a Scorpion 'cause it fit my head and I could get it on and off with little discomfort.

I tried a few that just didn't fit...  A few that fit, but were nearly impossible to get on and off...  Then I tried the Scorpion.  Fit perfectly...  So, that's the one I bought.

Good thing the $500 ones didn't fit me.   :lol:

[The Buddha]

OK that fit dealio was the case a few years ago, various brands all fit and felt different ... now every one feels just like the damn shoei I have. OK Scorpion was tighter in the cheeks, KBC VR1 was a bit looser but around my head they all were the same ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[RVertigo]

Well, I have an ill-shaped head...  So...  The helmet fit was pretty damn extreme for me. :dunno:

Some of them were tight on the top of my head, but I could fit both hands around my cheeks...   :dunno: