Shoei RF-1100 vs Arai Vector

I can't decide which one to buy. They both fit me very well after being fitted by a "helmet guru"(Shoei medium and Arai large) and I like them equally and they're very close in price. What do I do????


...crap I meant to make this a poll

Flip a coin???

Sorry. Sucky dilemma to be in since they both fit properly.

If they both fit well, and are similar price, it now comes down to graphics

(I'm a Shoei person now - I have the RF-1000 - love it

I'd go with the graphics too, but which one will give you the best air flow in the helmet, quieter, and weigh less.

Just to throw another bucket to the mix, the Arai RX-Q is a new 2010 helmet designed for the street. I got it, and love it.

Kazza said:

If they both fit well, and are similar price, it now comes down to graphics

(I'm a Shoei person now - I have the RF-1000 - love it

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I'm most likely going for a solid in either case, debating among matte black, metallic grey, metallic black...

discgolfdude said:

I'd go with the graphics too, but which one will give you the best air flow in the helmet, quieter, and weigh less.

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I don't know for sure, but I think the Arai weighs less and the Shoei, with its new shape, is quieter.

Can both idea's and go for an AGV Stealth :rockon: , just my 2 cents because i dont like either Arai or Shoei IMO they are $5 helmets hiding behind $800 badges :thumbup:

I was in the exact same boat, and ended up with the Arai. No regrets. On Shoei's side is the 5-star SHARP safety rating, and the quick release cheek pads, but here's what I wrote about it in a brief comparison:

I'd narrowed my helmet search down to the Vector, the Shoei XR1100, or a Shark RSF3 (in terms of fit). The Arai had a more plush liner than the others, and the graphics were far brighter than the offerings of the other two.

After using it solidly now for a few weeks, I'm extremely happy. It's light, quiet, and I'm loving the ratchet-free visor. You can open it a little, or a lot, and it just holds there. Then at the lights if you have it open, then take off and need to close it, just a flick of the finger and it's all the way down. Much easier than pushing through the ratchet.

The anti-fog lens is quite good. I needed a fog-free lens on my previous Shark, but this one seems far more resilient to fog in the mornings.

Visor changing is easy (contrary to what some will say) - although I've owned Arais before so am used to it. But once you get the hang of it, it's faster than most systems.

I'd highly recommend this helmet if the fit suits you.

I've got a RF-1000 and a X-11 (my favorite helmet, ever), but yesterday I got the chance to finally try on an Arai Vector. One of the local shops had one in and they are the only ones that are an Arai dealer in my area (and they don't carry much to begin with).

All I can say is...WOW. What a comfortable and great-fitting helmet! I couldn't believe it. Though the shield mechanism could use some work, I loved how it doesn't have detents and just slides up and down. I'm DEFINITELY looking into an Arai as my next helmet.

I've always had AGV, but have moved to the Shoei XR-1000. Mike has the X-11 - loves it but is probably looking at a new helmet soon. He will probably get the X-12 next. He's had AGV, Arai, etc - Arai and Shoei were definately the best.

I have an Rf-1000 now and I like it a lot, but a friend has the Arai, and it's the better helmet. Biggest issue for me is the noise - this shoei is louder than my $125 KBC was... I still have the KBC and have worn it recently, so I'm 100% sure. The shoei is perfect (or close to it) in most other ways but they cut the sides of the helmet up too far on the bottom lip over your shoulders, I think, so the wind buffets down there creating turbulence and noise. I can't stand riding over 50mph without ear plugs.

I had kind of the same dilema but with the shoei rf and the multitec so I bought the RF 1000 Voyager TC5 and the Multitec Crystal White.
I like both and find myself using the RF douring the cold weather or long trips and the Multitec for city comute since you don't have to remove it to flip the whole front to get some air when summer heat tries to kill you on a red light.

turbo311 said:

I'm most likely going for a solid in either case, debating among matte black, metallic grey, metallic black...

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I'd go with matte black, def the best looking one in my opinion. Will get hot in the summer, but still. :thumbup:

The Arai isn't the quietest helmet I've owned though, so don't expect miracles in that department. Shark and Scorpion seem to generally be the quietest at the moment. It's more dosh, but the Shark RSR2 Carbon is unbelievably light, quiet, and has a nice thick 3mm visor (standard is 2.2mm).

i have an arai vector and i love it, its pretty bare bones as far as any fancy features go, but i didnt need any of that. its very lightweight and decently quiet. i love the ratchetless visor. arai helmets have slightly different profiles than other brands, seems to fit me better at least. quality/fit and finish is top notch too (i believe theyre all handmade?) 5 year warranty is a plus too

Bikebiz said:

The Arai isn't the quietest helmet I've owned though, so don't expect miracles in that department. Shark and Scorpion seem to generally be the quietest at the moment. It's more dosh, but the Shark RSR2 Carbon is unbelievably light, quiet, and has a nice thick 3mm visor (standard is 2.2mm).

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I tried on a Shark, not sure which model, and it was very snug and comfy. Might try that one on again. I wouldn't consider my Scorpion Exo700 quiet, so I really hope the Vector is not louder.

flightpro said:

i have an arai vector and i love it, its pretty bare bones as far as any fancy features go, but i didnt need any of that. its very lightweight and decently quiet. i love the ratchetless visor. arai helmets have slightly different profiles than other brands, seems to fit me better at least. quality/fit and finish is top notch too (i believe theyre all handmade?) 5 year warranty is a plus too

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I'm all about simple too. The Arai focus on fit, safety, and quality are very attractive to me. And yes they are all handmade start to finish according to their website. Didn't know about the 5 year warranty, that is a big plus!

Sounds like a lot of people here have a helmet collection, didn't know that was done. I'll probably get the Vector next, maybe try the new Corsair V again before I decide, and maybe get a Shoei, Shark, or AGV down the line when I have more money to throw around. I do really like the Exo700 in the new high-vis yellow, but I don't know if I'll ever get another Scorpion since these others fit me better and are lighter. I've seen the Vector in fluorescent yellow online, but not in person. I don't know if it's the same "safety yellow" color as the Scorpion.

nimzotech said:

Just to throw another bucket to the mix, the Arai RX-Q is a new 2010 helmet designed for the street. I got it, and love it.

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Can you get anti-fog inserts for them yet? I have been using Arai's for years because they fit me the better than anything else. I saw the advertisements about the RX-Q and then heard that they don't have anti-fog inserts for them yet, so I was bit disappointed.

My current helmet is an Arai Vector. Have owned it for the last 2 or 3 years and like it in almost every way. Biggest drawback for me is that it feels like I'm in a wind tunnel at freeway speeds. It helps to wear a good set of earplugs if on a road trip. Too bad it can't be worn for a short 5 minute ride before you buy.

Don't they (RX-Q) use the same visor as the rest of the range? Or you could just use the DIY version for it.....

goker said:

Can you get anti-fog inserts for them yet? I have been using Arai's for years because they fit me the better than anything else. I saw the advertisements about the RX-Q and then heard that they don't have anti-fog inserts for them yet, so I was bit disappointed.

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Yes they do, though I have not used them:
Arai Helmets | PinlockUSA

Bikebiz said:

Don't they (RX-Q) use the same visor as the rest of the range? Or you could just use the DIY version for it.....

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Yep uses same visor as the corsair v.