I was pretty gobsmacked to find out two things about Shoei recently. Firstly, it turns out that Shoei have been making motorcycle crash helmets since 1959. For some reason I thought they were pretty new. Secondly, they’re actually Japanese when I thought they were German. I guess it’s just that the name looks kinda German. A little like I always thought Arai were Italian (they’re actually Japanese too).
I’ve always been a fan of Shoei. When I was first in a position to buy a helmet for more than £50, it was a Shoei that fitted best and I suppose I just stuck with them ever since. It’s probably a bit of a truism to say that my head is Shoei-shaped (a recent cheapy AGV I bought fits like a glove, whereas AGVs I’ve tried in the past always squashed my forehead like I’ve got a Frankenstein head!).
Shoei are usually very well built. They have thick liners and their helmet ratchet system is fantastic – really simple and positive to use and has a great quick-release mechanism (best one I’ve come across) which is very handy when it comes to clean crud off it. Some helmets you end up leaving the visor on the helmet when you’re cleaning it, but the Shoei, you quickly whip it off , run it under the tap, wipe it clean and wack it back on, all in under a couple of minutes.
Shoei themselves have a corporate goal to try and dominate the ‘priemium’ motorcycle crash helmet sector. They currently say they have ‘over 50%’ of the global market, focusing mainly on Europe and the US (not necessarily in that order!). In the UK, the official importer is a company called Feridax. At the time of writing, they’re advertising 8 different ranges of helmets.
Full Face Crash Helmets
Open Face Crash Helmets
- Hornet
- J-Wing
- RJ
Click links above to read each review – or visit our Shoei page to access all our Shoei helmet reviews.
Best places to buy a Shoei crash helmet?
We've chosen some of the best places to buy from - whether it's a Shoei or any other helmet/gear.
If you want piece of mind when you buy, SportsBikeShop is based in the UK and offers outstanding service (9.8/10 on Trustpilot) including 365 day refunds. They may not always be the cheapest but are our recommended retailer for quality of service.
FC-Moto widely offers the best range of helmets in Europe and scores a decent (8.7/10 on Trustpilot) - and are based in Germany. If you want the biggest selection to choose from, we recommend you buy from here.
GetGeared is another recommended UK retailer, with no-quibble 365 day returns, free UK delivery and scoring 4.8/5 on eKomi.
Please click any picture/link to visit their Shoei helmets page where you can see all the latest colour schemes and prices. And if you buy from any, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you - a massive THANKS! (it's how we finance the site). Click here for more info on our recommended retailers.
