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.
, just my 2 cents because i dont like either Arai or Shoei IMO they are $5 helmets hiding behind $800 badges :thumbup:
