Arai vs Shoei | GTAMotorcycle.com

Arai vs Shoei

Which ever fits your head better.
 
which one is best? is it true that arai is better cause they cost more?

ummm...no, helmets sold must meet certain stds (dot, snell, ece, etc) but generally price gets you more helmet shell sizes, better furniture, lighter materials though they will all meet the same standards.

More importantly find the helmet brands that fit your head correctly, check webbikeworld.com for a great guide on helmets along with great non-biased reviews. Also look at the british sharps tests http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Then go and try those brands out and find the right model that fits, then maybe start looking at graphics etc.

Both Arai and Shoei are reputable japanese brands, there are a multitude of other reputable brands as well such as Shark, Ogk, Agv, Schuberth, etc.

IMO fit is most important, construction quality, brand and graphic design follow in that order.

Good Luck, ride safe
 
I heard arai's are made for people with pointy heads and shoei's are made for people with round heads. :D
 
I thought Shoei cost more.

Arai generally cost more by a rather significant margin.

The question has been answered though, if neither fit your head both will be next to useless. My Bell Vortex will probably protect me better than the Shoei since I know most Shoei helmets don't fit my head. I just can't afford the $1100 Arai lol.

I heard arai's are made for people with pointy heads and shoei's are made for people with round heads. :D

If the reviews from RevZilla or Webbikeworld are true it's the exact opposite. Shoei tend to be narrower and longer and Arai are more neutral shaped.

Suomy and AGV are better for the money than either anyway imo.
 
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Both come in different styles, fit and price ranges. Go to the store and try them on, try lots of them on. Make sure it fits snug.
 
Arai generally cost more by a rather significant margin.

The question has been answered though, if neither fit your head both will be next to useless. My Bell Vortex will probably protect me better than the Shoei since I know most Shoei helmets don't fit my head. I just can't afford the $1100 Arai lol.



If the reviews from RevZilla or Webbikeworld are true it's the exact opposite. Shoei tend to be narrower and longer and Arai are more neutral shaped.

Suomy and AGV are better for the money than either anyway imo.

Hmmm my friends Arai was cheaper then the Shoei that I was looking at but I suppose that was an exception.

Sorry I got it reversed with respect to the head shapes but I knew it was something like that. I guess pointy head people get the cheaper helmets... seems like discrimination. lol!
 
Shoei long head, Arai round head. I'm in the Shoei camp. AGV fits OK, but the RF1100 felt like a dream for me. The Arai didn't come close to sitting properly. HJC really pinched my temples hard and the next size up was way to loose.
 
Try both on. Arai makes a variety of different helmets and they all have a different "fit". Some are for rounder heads, others are for narrower. The Shoeis tend to fit slightly to the Intermediate-oval shape. I have a pretty narrow head and the Shoei-RF1100 that I bought fits pretty well. I'd certainly recommend an RF-1100 - they're much less expensive than their Arai counterparts, and they're very good quality.

On the Sharp rating site, the Arais haven't done amazingly, but the Shoeis have.

There are other brands worth trying on as well: Shark, AGV, and Bell. Some of the new Shark helmets look really nice (I haven't tried them on for fit), Bell midrange helmets don't fit my head at all, and AGV helmets hurt my head. I was disappointed by the AGVs I tried on, actually. Seeing Simoncelli's AGV helmet fall off his head didn't inspire a lot of confidence with AGV either.
 
Hmmm my friends Arai was cheaper then the Shoei that I was looking at but I suppose that was an exception.

Sorry I got it reversed with respect to the head shapes but I knew it was something like that. I guess pointy head people get the cheaper helmets... seems like discrimination. lol!

Well as someone said different models different prices, but the top end Arai (Corsair V I think) costs more than the top end Shoei.
 
Shoei tend to be narrower and longer and Arai are more neutral shaped.

if that's true then i know why shoei has always been more appealing to me on pics...

ya my shoei actually hurts me a bit after a long ride. i think my next helmet will probaly be arai. and i blame my mom for giving me a rounder shaped head.
 
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this already but two additional things to consider when looking at helmets:

a) Noise reduction
b) Weight

Hard to really look into these features just by going and trying on a helmet so do the research. Anyone know which ones are generally the best for either of these considerations?
 
I heard arai's are made for people with pointy heads and shoei's are made for people with round heads. :D

I have both a Shoei RF1100 and an Arai XD3, both fit very well and comfortable. I always believed that 2, but owning one of each, I don't think its one or the other.

Both are very good brands, cant go wrong with either. Buy what fits you best.
 
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this already but two additional things to consider when looking at helmets:

a) Noise reduction
b) Weight

Hard to really look into these features just by going and trying on a helmet so do the research. Anyone know which ones are generally the best for either of these considerations?

ya agreed. i only tried a bell once on the road and forgot how noisy it was but i feel that my shoei is not that quiet either. ppl have been saying that shoei has good noise reduction so i will have to assume that some other brands are even worse?
 

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