Shoei Qwest: Review

[jetnc1]

I picked up a new Shoei Qwest Ethereal the other day as it was time for a new lid. I trucked down to Cycle Gear and tried on pretty much every helmet they had to see what would fit. My last was a RF-1000, and I thought it was loud, but it was comfortable. The difference between the two is night and day. Some of the differences I noticed were:

Shield
Both helmets have a detent for cracking the shield, and locking it down. The Qwest operates very smoothly, my RF1000 is hard to adjust
Both helmets are really easy to change out the shield, they are equal here
The field of view is slightly larger in the Qwest
The Qwest seems to seal better, but the RF1000 is 7 yrs old

Comfort
Hard to tell as the RF1000 is 7 yrs old and the Qwest is new, but it is well padded and very comfortable. I did put new cheek pads in the RF1000 and that helped a little, but the Qwest is still more comfortable.

Noise
Hands down, the Qwest is quieter, much quieter.With all the vents open it is still quieter than the RF1000 with it's vents closed. If I crack the shield slightly to reduce fogging I get a decent amount of whistling if I turn my head to the right, but not to the left. With the shield down I get no whistling. If I close the vents on the Qwest I get very little wind noise or roaring and I still get decent ventilation.


Buffeting
Turning my head at speed did not rip it off. The RF1000 would give me a noticeable tug, but the Qwest does not do that. I didn't notice any bobbing or strain on my neck. I'm doing a 5 hour ride in 2 weeks so I'll update after that. But the Qwest felt like it was more a part of my head and didn't have a tendency to catch the wind.

Fogging
The Qwest seems to get foggy quick. But, I havern't installed the fog guard or the bottom curtain. I'll try those and see if they make a difference. I think they will , and I think they'll even reduce noise. Cracking the visor slightly helped, and like I said above, with the visor cracked I only had whisliting when I turned to the right.

Ventilation
It is very well ventilated. Playing around with closing the front vents and leaving the back open decreased noise and still gave good air flow. With all the vents closed it still felt cool, and the noise was dropped considerably.

For the price I think it is a very good helmet. The shields are a little pricey, and I bought a mirrored version, but I was going to try a knock off from ebay to see the difference. I would recommend this helmet if you're looking for something quiet and comfortable. I'm still not sure about the fogging, and I still need to try out my SENA SMH-10 but I'll try the optional parts later and report back.

[Marin Phil]

Quest will be my next lid.  Change the visor to a PinLock and it will never fog again-ever!

[Major 662]

Quest will be my next lid.  Change the visor to a PinLock and it will never fog again-ever!

That'd be great, if you could get the Shoei CW-1 Spectra shields (the metallic reflective ones) with a PinLock.  Right now, you're limited to clear for factory PinLock support.

I bought a Shoei Qwest earlier this year and rode a few thousand miles with it on my melon, and I'd echo many of the OP's review points:
1) It's fantastically quiet
2) The padding is very comfy
3) It fogs up like a mofo
4) Ventilation is fine, even in 100F degree heat

Regarding fogging, I installed the fog guard and it still fogs up when the first water molecule hits it.  I squirted some Scott Antifog spray on the inside, and it's been fine, but I wish some of the high-end helmet makers would lose the "perfect optics at all costs" philosophy and consider a factory antifog coating.

I also installed the bottom curtain and it makes the helmet quieter.

Vents and shield latch are all easy to operate with gloves on.  Unlike my Arai, the shield is a piece of cake to change.

I was bummed when I read that the design center for the vents was a "more upright riding position" (relative to the RF-1100), but I found the ventilation to be just fine in a forward riding position.  

[jetnc1]

I also have a Spektra shield and a little bummed about the lack of pinlock, I'll have to try some antifog on it. It seems that the ventilation is just better (compared to the RF1000) in all positions for some reason. I wonder why it fogs so easily with such good venting.

Looking at the "quiet" helmets it seems like the chin curtain and lower skirt is the key in reducing noise and wind roar. So I'm wondering how it will affect venting on the Qwest. I was thinking it may possibly increase it due to adjusting the internal pressure and allowing air to move freely. For example, I could definitely see why the Schuberth C3 is a quiet helmet, the skirt going around the bottom of the whole helmet effectively seals the helmet. On the same hand, I hope it doesn't increase fogging.....

[Mastros2]

Great review.  I have a Scorpion exo 700 now after owning a few Shoei's in the past.  The Shoei's always fit well.  I'll have to take a look at the Qwest when replacing the 700.  

[Cablebandit]

You could always just drill the two holes needed for the pins in your current shield.  It's not rocket surgery.

[jetnc1]

You could always just drill the two holes needed for the pins in your current shield.  It's not rocket surgery.

Might have to try that on an aftermarket ebay shield first. The Spektra's are kinda pricey to be experimenting on.

[Dan]

Useful info, I'm looking at one of these next.  

[BentAero]

I have about 5k on my qwest so far. Front top vent really works, if it's closed, once you start moving and then open it, it's like wow, a blast of cool air on the top of your head. But, the brow area is very warm as there is no air flowing where the brow padding touches your forehead.
Mine fogs very easily as well. It's light, and quiet, the two most important things to me.
Biggest downer for me is the fabric that the cheekpads are made from. There is something about it that irritates my skin. Not so bad on a day-ride, but wearing it all day long for several days straight really annoys my beard. None of my other helmets do that... It's bad enough that I may have my wife cover the cheekpads with a friendlier fabric.

[jetnc1]

I have about 5k on my qwest so far. Front top vent really works, if it's closed, once you start moving and then open it, it's like wow, a blast of cool air on the top of your head. But, the brow area is very warm as there is no air flowing where the brow padding touches your forehead.
Mine fogs very easily as well. It's light, and quiet, the two most important things to me.
Biggest downer for me is the fabric that the cheekpads are made from. There is something about it that irritates my skin. Not so bad on a day-ride, but wearing it all day long for several days straight really annoys my beard. None of my other helmets do that... It's bad enough that I may have my wife cover the cheekpads with a friendlier fabric.

Irritation like that is irritating ....lol. Do you think a different size cheek pad would make a difference? You could also pull them off and wash them in case theres some fiberglass or other irritant in the fabric. I noticed a strong fiberglass smell in mine but no irritation.

[billo]

My two complaints withe the (XL) Qwest are:
1) Won't fit in my ST1300 saddlebag w/o scratching the helmet top.
2) Way heavier than my Arai and gives me neck pain after a couple hours.
Want to love the helmet because of the fit and features, just can't.

Bill

[AzItLies]

For anyone having difficulty changing Arai Visor: this youtube vid shows how to easily change one... yes it is shameless of me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFFf4867XGI

Have one of the new Qwests now though and really like it. It's a better fit then my Quantum II. Need to put the bottom skirt on though as mine is kind of loud.

As others have mentioned, they don't fit in saddle bags that great. They have an odd shape to them on the bottom. The bottom of the front is angled down, making the overall shape larger. So for some, this could be a big problem.

[jetnc1]

The Quest Lg fits in my Givi top box, havent tried it in my saddle bags.

[Hambonee]

The Quest Lg fits in my Givi top box, havent tried it in my saddle bags.

fits fine in my side cases.

Have had mine for several k and love it. Someone called it heavy and I just can't imagine that. If it is heavier than an Arai it is maybe by an ounce or two as I have compared a few and just can't feel the difference.

That being said a pinlock shield with it is a MUST have. It is also only ok in super hot weather which is fine in WA state but maybe not so in AZ or such.

What it is is quiet, comfortable, light weight, well made and not over priced. I also have noticed it doesn't jerk my head around at high speeds like my AGV did. Shield swap on it is also a breeze.

Great helmet for the price!!

[bogfro]

I had/have the Qwest, and I also recently bought the RF-1100.   The 2 helmets are similar, with some notable differences.

1)  The fogging is a lot worse on the Qwest (like others have said), for whatever reason.
2)  The Qwest is definitely quieter, but I wear earplugs so it's not that big of a deal.
3)  The ventilation is a lot better on the RF-1100.  For hot and humid conditions, I felt like I was overheating wearing the Qwest.  After I got the RF-1100, I don't get that feeling anymore.  It seems to move a lot more air in the right spots to keep your face and head cooler.  Qwest only has 1 upper head vent, in the middle above your forehead --- RF-1100 has 2 upper head vents that start  closer to your eyebrows.  Also, the chin vent on the RF-1100 seems to move more air than the Qwest, and it has 3 adjustable positions (on/off/in between) instead of 2 (on/off).

Both helmets are very comfortable, FIT GLASSES WELL (I can't find any brand other than Shoei that does this, not even the $600 Arai's!), and have very smooth buffet-free air flow.

Between the 2 helmets, I think the RF-1100 is overall the better choice, but it is louder than the Qwest.

[keeptryn]

Both helmets are very comfortable, FIT GLASSES WELL (I can't find any brand other than Shoei that does this, not even the $600 Arai's!)

I don't understand why all helmets do not make better accommodations for eyeglasses.  I loved the Bell Star helmet but had to sell it as I could not get my glasses to work well with it.

[bogfro]

I don't understand why all helmets do not make better accommodations for eyeglasses.  I loved the Bell Star helmet but had to sell it as I could not get my glasses to work well with it.

Yeah, it boggles my mind, as many people there are that wear glasses.  Ever try a Scorpion with glasses?  They might as well have built in a vacuum seal against your face to prevent glasses from entering their helmets!!!  What really surprised me was how badly the expensive Arai's fit glasses.  I tried one on not too long ago, and after the 10th unsuccessful attempt to put my glasses on, I put the helmet back on the shelf......

[Nodaclu]

Yep, the eyeglasses thing is what predominantly keeps me in HJC's, though I've heard that Nolan's N90 is very glasses-friendly.

[Flying W]

We bought my wife the Quest hoping it would be much quieter than her old scorpion exo 700. She cant seem to find earplugs that don't really bother her so the claim of the quest being very quiet was the main reason for the purchase... Unfortunately she says that there is no difference in noise so we are back to square one as far as making things more comfortable for her on long rides... We have purchased a sample pack of earplugs from a couple bike sites hoping to find "the one" that works for her but have yet to be successful... O well her scorpion was three years old so a replacement was about due anyway, just too bad it didn't work for her.

[Hambonee]

We bought my wife the Quest hoping it would be much quieter than her old scorpion exo 700. She cant seem to find earplugs that don't really bother her so the claim of the quest being very quiet was the main reason for the purchase... Unfortunately she says that there is no difference in noise so we are back to square one as far as making things more comfortable for her on long rides... We have purchased a sample pack of earplugs from a couple bike sites hoping to find "the one" that works for her but have yet to be successful... O well her scorpion was three years old so a replacement was about due anyway, just too bad it didn't work for her.

I'm sure you did, but just checking...

Did she put in the chin piece(chin curtain)? I noticed my was loud as heck till I stuck that in...made all the difference and I have heard of many people thinking it was loud until finding that piece and putting it in.

[cognosticator]

I don't understand why all helmets do not make better accommodations for eyeglasses.  I loved the Bell Star helmet but had to sell it as I could not get my glasses to work well with it.

Same for me, a shame too.

[satxbonneville]

We bought my wife the Quest hoping it would be much quieter than her old scorpion exo 700. She cant seem to find earplugs that don't really bother her so the claim of the quest being very quiet was the main reason for the purchase... Unfortunately she says that there is no difference in noise so we are back to square one as far as making things more comfortable for her on long rides... We have purchased a sample pack of earplugs from a couple bike sites hoping to find "the one" that works for her but have yet to be successful... O well her scorpion was three years old so a replacement was about due anyway, just too bad it didn't work for her.

My wife and I use these and they work quite well...I have problems with standard earplugs because my left ear canal is very narrow and I can never get a plug to seat and seal properly...I found that putting on my helmet while the plugs set makes for a better fit and seal...

http://www.radians.com/main/p-282-radians-custom-molded-earplugs.aspx