Shoei RF-1100 reviews

[ResqFE]

Anyone have one?  Inputs?  I'm reading good reviews in the mags but wanted some input from anyone here.

[Uncle Leo]

I've had mine for about 3 months now, and love it. It's replacing my old RF1000, which I thought could not be better. I was wrong. The 1100 has a wide eyeport for better vision, and it's quieter than the 1000 was, which was pretty quiet. Although it weighs just a tad more than the 1000, it feels much more...balanced...than the 1000 did. I can't really explain that feeling, but in comparison, I also have a Multi-Tec that begins to feel heavy at about 300 miles and really DOES get heavy at about 400. The 1100 is an all day lid with no neck wringing feelings at all. The 1100 also flows air like crazy, and for me I leave the breath guard in to keep the airflow from the chin vent from drying out my eyes. The new face shield mechanism is butter smooth, and opening or closing the shield is as easy as an afterthought. I'm really pleased with the new helmet.

[yotes65]

I've had my RF-1100 for about a month now... The Air Flow is Great... However the true test will be in July & August when it is Hot as Puck here in Phoenix. I love the extra wide Eye Opening Area, make it easier to look over my shoulder before making any lane changes or just to check what is going on behind/beside me.

I also have a Nolan N-103 & a Schubert S1. So far I perfer the RF-1100 over the other 2...

[ResqFE]

I read a review that addressed the interior liner snaps coming loose when the helmet is put on.  Hopefully that's just a glitch on that test helmet.

I have a earlier Shoei helmet and was hoping to use the assortment of visors on the new RF-1100 when I buy it.  Bummer they won't work.

[delta one]

I just got my bike out a few days ago and was able to use my 1100, the weight and balance are superb but I seem to get a whistle out of it in cross winds or while head checking or even looking at the gauges. the liner is very nice an soft in compression but is a little coarse when putting the helmet on or taking it off and I have a rug burn looking spot just in front of each of my temples.

the sizing is just a little different from what I have noticed. the 1000 was not as long from front to back and if I wore a M I had my lips on the chin bar. the 1100 does not have that feeling to it. the eye port is HUGE, I an straining at the edges of my vision in order to see the helmet on the sides, peripheral feels very natural while riding.

this helmet does not seem to have any lift or buffeting in any position head checks looking up down or straight ahead and even over the shoulder. in fact it feels almost slippery when I turn my head to check traffic before changing lanes because there is not the resistance I am used to when I look back and back up front. I would say that it is not an overly stable helmet like my RSR2 but a neutral helmet. my RSR2 takes a bit of force to break from center and from a head check like breaking free of static friction when you push a box across the floor, its harder to start than it is to continue. with the 1100 I don't feel that at all its nearly as easy to turn my head  on the highway as at a stop light.

the finish is excellent, I hated the bolted on spoiler on the old 1000 helmets so not having one here was a big selling feature for me. the graphics are top notch including the "foil" pearlescent color graphics on my diabolic revilation style graphic. in fact I have noticed the pearlescent effect in places that i wasnt aware of it being before and it is a beautifull subtle effect.

all the vents have a consistent feel to them, the chin vent is VERY effective in moving air throughout the front but when head checking I get a gust of wind in my face that at times blinds me by drying out my eyes. the top vents make a noticeable difference in air flow, enough so that my very short hair looks slightly blown after i remove the helmet right where the two front vents are located.

the shields are currently on back order so I can not speak for the level of tint but the optical quality of the clear is flawless. I notice virtually no difference from shield open to shield shut.

I have had no issue with the liner coming unsnapped when putting the helmet on and maybe twice when taking it off. I have noticed that it is very compatible with Velcro, when putting my gloves inside the helmet I need to be very sure that the Velcro wrist closures are secured otherwise they will pull my cheek pads out with them when I take them out.


note my bike has no windshield so this may be a large contributing factor to anything wind related, ie whistle and gust from the bottom

[Uncle Leo]

Delta, the whistle can be eliminated by fiddling with the shield mechanism to get a really snug fit. The brochure that comes with the helmet explains what to adjust, but it does take a few test rides to get it right.

[delta one]

Delta, the whistle can be eliminated by fiddling with the shield mechanism to get a really snug fit. The brochure that comes with the helmet explains what to adjust, but it does take a few test rides to get it right.

mine seems to be coming from the front vent holes most of the time but I will give it a try in the event that I am wrong, thanks.

[MadOzodi]

thanks for sharing all the feedback delta one.  

[delta one]

Ill keep you posted on how my shield adjustment goes.

[delta one]

update:

I now have roughly 1200 miles on this helmet and the whistle will not go away. I have had it adjusted by three local shoei dealers as well as half a dozen adjustments I have done myself.

finally I made another call to the dealer I purchased the helmet from, (on the other side of the state) I was then advised to trouble shoot the vents for the whistle. use my hands to cover the vents while riding and once I narrowed it down from there use blue painters tape to further diagnose what vent or vents were causing the undesired noise. I am fairly sure the two rearmost vents are my culprits.

     soon I will be sending my helmet back to the distributor where they will look at the helmet and the vents and I am told that they will either fix the problem or replace the helmet. this process will take roughly three weeks. I must admit I find it somewhat frustrating considering I noted the problem shortly after my first use of the helmet; but it cannot be replaced because I followed the advice of adjusting the visor and taping off vents. (not your fault Uncle Leo  ) the time it took to trouble shoot thoroughly the helmet put me in a position where I have had it for an extended period of time and my helmet is not too heavily used to be exchanged for a new one. this may be a dealer/distributor problem and less a manufacturer problem

further notes on venting

   now that I have seen temperatures above 70 I feel I can better judge the functionality of helmets vents.
   Compared to my Shark RSR2 this helmet leaves something to be desired at low speed. I feel that in order to keep internal temperatures down and my visor from fogging (I have an anti fogging agent that I have started use Ill review that at a later time) without an anti fogging agent the shield fogging is abysmal. this seems to be well known for the shoei line so I will not touch on it any further. I have no experience with the pinlock visors so I cannot speak on their effectiveness.
    this helmet seems to be hotter than my RSR2 and even my Scorpion EXO-700. the vents do seem to have quite a bit of effect but only in a centralized area. I will admit that this may be due in part to my very low cropped hair cut and not having a lot of space for air flow from front to rear along the contour of the helmet. this is not a problem in the RSR2 due to its deep channels in the EPS. the channels are something that I wish shoei had copied into their line.
     the venting seems to be little more that a set section of cool spots along the top of the helmet and a somewhat turbulent section along the top of my forehead where the brow extractor vents are less effective than the chin vents ability to push air into the helmet.

further thoughts on stray airflow.

    there are times that I am trying to replicate the exact conditions but I will have air come into the helmet and swirl right into my eyes, besides the obvious problem of drying out my eyes and causing them to tear up in response I find that insects or light debris also comes into the helmet and into my eyes. this is most likely debris that bounces off of my chest and is sucked up through the low pressure zone under my chin or it could be pulled in through the very large chin vent.

Finish

    the gloss seems fairly easy to keep clean and low maintenance with only a microfiber cloth and a light cleaning solution. I like to use an aerosol free window cleaner without strong evaporation accelerators such as alcohol or acetone.
    durability is less than expected, nearly dead center along the brow I have a stone chip that I acquired at less than 35MPH following a fellow biker down a gravel road. the stone was thrown from his back tire as no other vehicles were present on our brief jaunt down the road.

Speakers
 
    not much to say here other than; there is not only room for slim speakers in the helmet but the liner is very easy to remove and install making instillation of speakers and routing of wires a snap.

[delta one]

aerodynamics

       aerodynamically I am very pleased with this helmet. it is very stable at speed and even when riding behind cars trucks and the dreaded minivan/SUV I experience very limited buffeting. lift is virtually non existent, the only time it is detectable for me is while riding in strong cross winds. the lift on the helmet is limited to only the rear of the helmet and does not seem to increase pressure on my jaw via the chin strap, the only pressure that I feel is at the top of my neck and the bottom of my skull. in fact the lift is not strong enough to create discomfort for prolonged rides in these conditions.

lining and interior

       my previous issue of rug burn and raw feeling spots on my temples is completely gone. the cloth has not broken down in any way and shows no visible signs of material breakdown. it feels as though the helmet is now more secure on my head than it was when I first purchased it. the parts of the helmet that created pressure points (areas of greater pressure applied to my head not areas of higher nerve density) and pushed hard on my head have broken down and are conforming nicely to my unique head shape, much like a nice leather glove. additionally the points that felt open and farther away from my head are now more snug, I will attribute this to the breakdown of the liner and minor compression on the EPS liner allowing my helmet that was once stressed an potentially bowing outwards around my pressure points. with these points conforming the forces applied by my head onto the outer shell of the helmet have been reduced allowing it to actually feel tighter by closing the gaps it was once pushed away from.
less stress on the shell less stress on my head and a helmet with more even pressure distribution across the entire interior of the helmet has also reduced the amount of shifting possible. additionally the larger the contact area on my head and face has reduced the friction burn feeling along my temples.

the brow lining is lacking one detail that my EXO-700 has addressed nicely. when I remove my helmet the brow liner drops down partly obstructing the visor opening. this is not a real issue because as I said it only happens when I remove my helmet, or if for some reason I need to shift the helmet up and down (as some of us do if our ears fold when putting out helmets on) Scorpion has a very simple solution for this. the EPS liner along the brow is moderately tacky keeping the crown liner from shifting.

[Uncle Leo]

Great writeup, Delta. Sorry you had so much trouble with the whistle, mine hushed up as soon as the visor was adjusted, so we'll wait and see what the deal is. I have a pinlock for mine and on a recent 2600 miler (up to and around North Carolina) it worked perfectly, but I also found it easier at times to just do the reverse shield lock trick to get the fog out, and it always worked. I find that now I'm leaving the pinlock home. Although I brought 2 helmets on the North Carolina ride (I always take two on longer trips) I'm happy to say the other helmet was a waste on the trip that day long comfort for me was a reality with the 1100. I was also pleased with how easily the shield mechanism worked the whole time, easy to switch and ridiculously easy to raise and lower, but never a hint it would do either on its own. I didn't have any heat issues with the lid, but temps only got up to 80 so I'll have to wait and see if I cook.

[yotes65]

I can say the RF-1100 is noisier then my Nolan N-103... doesn't make sense that my Flip Up is quieter then the Full Face. I would think it would be the other way around . Maybe I should go back in & visit the Dealer where I'd picked mine up at....

[Poweranger]

I purchased a RF1100 for $408 shipped a few months ago. Now have about 1000 miles with the helmet.

I also have the issue with the whistling from the helmet. It does quiet some when the shield is pushed closed very tightly but as soon as I turn my head the wind lifts the shield just enough to get the whistle back. And that was with the shield locked in the closed position. It seems to whistle some from the top vents also. Although it is not bad with earplugs in and listening to music over the BT speakers. It is a soft whistle and not that loud but more on the annoying side. Overall the helmet is fairly quiet but the whistling is not what you would expect from a helmet that retails for $499.

The helmet fit well when I tried it on in store but has loosened up now to the point that it makes me a little nervous as far as crash protection. My previous helmet was a HJC CL-SP large and the RF1100 large seems a tad bigger. It just doesn't have that perfect snugness for my head shape now that it loosened up. The liner is not the softest or smoothest I have had either. It almost seems "sandpaper" like rough when taking the helmet on or off. I definitely like the HJC and Scorpion liners better.

It seems to vent well but I have not had any days over 75 yet either.

As far as fogging. Well it sucks. If the temp is below 65 it will completely fog with one large breath. I am not sure what HJC knows that Shoei doesn't about shields but they should try to figure this one out. I see why they feel the need for the lock mechanism on the shield that props it slightly open. I could wear my HJC down to 35 degres and not get the slightest bit of fog.

The helmet seems to push and lift in cross winds more than my old HJC. But it also transitions from side to side very easily without much effort at highway speeds.

The overall fit and finish of the helmet is excellent. The gloss clear coat seems durable and all the vents have that positive tight quality feel to them.

Overall though I am not that happy with the RF1100. Mainly due to the fitting which is a purely personal issue. But the whistling and fogging is just not what I expected from a helmet that retails for $499. This just seems like a helmet that fits in the $200-$250 range. I think Shoei came up a little short on this one. I am going to give Shark a try next time.

[Corbeau]

I need to replace my 5(+) year old Shoei X-Tec. I'm considering the RF-1100 (or even 1000) or the X-11. What the heck is the difference between these two?

[delta one]

the 1100 will have a slightly larger eye port than the other two you listed. other than that I think aerodynamics, and price.

the x12 will have the large eye port and shares the shield with the 1100 and again is much more money and is typically marketed as a race lid.

[stk0308]

I just used an Arkansas trip to break in my new RF-1100.  Fit is coming in very well for me.  My last Shoei, a Duo-Tec, gave me the "Shoei dot" on the forhead.  No such pressure with the RF.  I had just the slightest pressure to 2 points on the top of my head, and the cheekpads were a bit tight.  But as I said these are working in.  It's noticably quieter at most speeds than the Shark RSX it replaced.  The Pinlock visor did a wonderful job.  I can open 3 of the 4 exhaust vents without appreciable noise, the front right one is just short of scream loud, having a hard time figuring that one out.  I have to adjust the visor-to-helmet gap at the top to get rid of an intermittent wind squeal.  I can usually get rid of it by pressing towards my face on the visor.  But it comes back after I do a lane change head check.  Even with that needed I didn't get any rain dripping inside the visor, something the RSX did even with a bunch of adjusting.  The front vents moved a great deal of air.  The ducktail sometimes drags on my Cortech Sport GX jacket shoulder when I look through a corner.  Overall we're getting along pretty well.

[Poweranger]

  I can open 3 of the 4 exhaust vents without appreciable noise, the front right one is just short of scream loud, having a hard time figuring that one out.  I have to adjust the visor-to-helmet gap at the top to get rid of an intermittent wind squeal.  I can usually get rid of it by pressing towards my face on the visor.  But it comes back after I do a lane change head check.  

Exactly the same with mine. I have noticed that if I raise up and have the entire helmet in clean air the squealing from the front right vent goes away. I'm riding a Sprint with MRA DB shield.

[Poweranger]

How do the RF1000 and 1100 compare from those of you that have had both? Is the 1100 worth the extra money? Personally I think the 1100 will be a good helmet when the price drops in few years and you can pick them up for around 250 bucks.

[stk0308]

Exactly the same with mine. I have noticed that if I raise up and have the entire helmet in clean air the squealing from the front right vent goes away. I'm riding a Sprint with MRA DB shield.

Interesting.  I'm still using the stock shield on my '08 Sprint.

[tigertom1965]

Keep in mind that the RF1100 looks similar to the RF1000 but it conforms to the new Snell standards, the giant wing placed on the back of the Rf1000 is now built into the RF1100, the RF1100 liner is removeable and on the RF1000 it is not, the Rf1100 covers your chin better than the RF1000 (Comes down further), and the RF1100 has more shell sizes so please don't assume the RF1100 will fit exactly the same as the RF1000.

[delta one]

ok so after a few weeks my helmet has returned just as I sent it in, sans the super loud whistle, there is still a whistle but not nearly as bad. perhaps this can be taken care of with another shield adjustment, but I fear it may be another vent issue. fortunately this whistle is much quieter than the last and with my music at a moderate level I don't notice it, but it is audible over just earplugs.

I had forgotten how heavy this lid was, after using my EXO700 and then a shark RSR2 carbon and then the RF1100 it felt like I stepped back into my EXO700 as far a weight.
blame it on the new snell

[Last1Out]

I just got back from a long ride on my ST1300, and on the ride I heard the infamous RF1100 whistle. After fiddling in different air streams, I can conclusively say it's coming from the chin vent. Close the chin vent and the whistle is gone. open it and 'hello'. I'm trying a few things to kill it, I'll let you know.

[satxbonneville]

I wore the 1100 on my recent "Mountain lions and bears? Nobody said anything about mountain lions and bears!" bike ride/camping trip with my 2 sons and while there is some vent induced noise I can't say that it was particularly bothersome while wearing earplugs. Mostly what I get on the Strom is a low frequency rumble that is a result of dirty air off the top and sides of the windscreen hitting the chin vent, while on the Bonneville I get a pretty quiet ride with some low-volume high frequency whistling that seems to be upper vent related and can be eliminated simply by turning or tilting my head. I'd guess that it's probably Helmholtz stuff and that other than changing the airflow across the vent opening or closing the vent there's not much to done about it.

$.02

I am very happy with the 1100 and the white color seems to generate less heat gain than the darker helmets I used to wear (entirely subjective observation with ZERO supporting evidence) and the buffeting that caused me so much consternation on the Strom has been largely tamed by adding a couple of simple mirror extenders that move the mirrors outboard by about 1.25 inches.

[lonerider]

I'm wearing a size MEDIUM RF-1000.  Is the RF-1100 size MEDIUM same as the RF-1000?
Thanks.
-mike-

[J-Mac]

I've found my old 1000 quieter than the new 1100....

I still love the 1100 though. It's a better all around helmet.

[steve.ski]

I've been wearing my 1100 for about 3 weeks in weather varying from 65 degrees to 108 yesterday. it's quiet and aerodynamically sound. My X-11 is way noisier but a shade lighter, but the 1100 is a far better street helmet in my opinion.

If it is whistling you do need to tighten up the sideplates apparently. Shoei can help you with that if you call their offices.

Cheers!

[stk0308]

If it is whistling you do need to tighten up the sideplates apparently. Shoei can help you with that if you call their offices.

I've got the sideplates pretty much maxed out on pulling the shield up tight to the seals, and if I tip my head down so that the helmet isn't perfectly level, the top of the visor whistles.  And now doing headchecks the shield get's pulled away from the seal, which makes a louder whistle.  Pushing in on the visor quiets it down again.  I'm not real impressed with this little foible.

[MadOzodi]

I've got the sideplates pretty much maxed out on pulling the shield up tight to the seals, and if I tip my head down so that the helmet isn't perfectly level, the top of the visor whistles.  And now doing headchecks the shield get's pulled away from the seal, which makes a louder whistle.  Pushing in on the visor quiets it down again.  I'm not real impressed with this little foible.

Maybe that other Sprint owner we know will let you swap your shield for his just to see if that makes a difference.  Although he's mentioned his RF1100 is noisy as well.  

[steve.ski]

I've got the sideplates pretty much maxed out on pulling the shield up tight to the seals, and if I tip my head down so that the helmet isn't perfectly level, the top of the visor whistles.  And now doing headchecks the shield get's pulled away from the seal, which makes a louder whistle.  Pushing in on the visor quiets it down again.  I'm not real impressed with this little foible.

Interesting. Perhaps it's the aerodynamics of your bike, because mine does not whistle at all. I"m 6'4" so I'm pretty much directly in the wind blast.

Regardless, stinks that yours is whistling.