dean2287
Easy Rider
I just upgraded this year from my ol' HJC Cl-Max Evolve modular to a Shoei Qwest. Thought I'd share my opinion.
The Qwest fits me nice and snug, with padding in all the right places to prevent movement. I think their sizing chart is spot-on. The padding forms to yer head after a while but remains snug enough, just more comfortable. It is advertised as a sport-touring helmet, although I found that it suits a bit more aggressive posture in terms of field of view and aerodynamics. The side to side view is a bit restricted, maybe even moreso that my last helmet, which requires a bit more of a head turn when shoulder checking.
The shield is adjustable to get a tighter seal, and changing out shields is super easy. I was annoyed by a whistling sound at first, only to realize that I didn't have the shield on properly...now it's good. I put on a dark smoke shield, but it cost a pretty penny.
The air intakes are effective. The chin lets in a ton of air on the inside on the shield, which combined with the inside nosepiece keeps the fog off. It is a bit noisy at speed - just close the vent. There is a top vent that directs two jets of air on your head, and the rear outlets allow good cooling airflow around the back.
There are recessed spots inside the helmet for speakers, and I did put some in. The speakers are in just the right place, are comfortable (unlike my HJC where they were too close to my ears), and the sound in great. I couldn't really use the speakers in my HJC because it was too noisy to hear anything, but in the Qwest it works.
As for the ride...it was a bit of an adjustment in terms of how the air flows around it compared to my HJC. The Qwest seems to channel the air a bit more, so it's more aerodynamic when you're looking straight ahead, but you notice it if you turn your head to the side. I got used to it in no time, and it didn't bother me on the first long trip.
The noise level is OK, but a little disappointing. The face shield sticks out a bit from the helmet at the top, and I think this causes a bit of turbulence. With the chin vent open forget it, it's very windy. You do need to screw around with the face shield adjustment to get a good seal, but once it's set the noise is reduced. Again, better than my HJC but still I was expecting more, and my HJC was a modular. However, if you use earplugs everything is gravy...just silence.
The finish on my Qwest is excellent, really nice graphics and no sign of any shaudy workmanship. The lining is nice material, and it came with a nice big storage bag to keep it looking good.
Overall I'd give it a 8.5/10.
The Qwest fits me nice and snug, with padding in all the right places to prevent movement. I think their sizing chart is spot-on. The padding forms to yer head after a while but remains snug enough, just more comfortable. It is advertised as a sport-touring helmet, although I found that it suits a bit more aggressive posture in terms of field of view and aerodynamics. The side to side view is a bit restricted, maybe even moreso that my last helmet, which requires a bit more of a head turn when shoulder checking.
The shield is adjustable to get a tighter seal, and changing out shields is super easy. I was annoyed by a whistling sound at first, only to realize that I didn't have the shield on properly...now it's good. I put on a dark smoke shield, but it cost a pretty penny.
The air intakes are effective. The chin lets in a ton of air on the inside on the shield, which combined with the inside nosepiece keeps the fog off. It is a bit noisy at speed - just close the vent. There is a top vent that directs two jets of air on your head, and the rear outlets allow good cooling airflow around the back.
There are recessed spots inside the helmet for speakers, and I did put some in. The speakers are in just the right place, are comfortable (unlike my HJC where they were too close to my ears), and the sound in great. I couldn't really use the speakers in my HJC because it was too noisy to hear anything, but in the Qwest it works.
As for the ride...it was a bit of an adjustment in terms of how the air flows around it compared to my HJC. The Qwest seems to channel the air a bit more, so it's more aerodynamic when you're looking straight ahead, but you notice it if you turn your head to the side. I got used to it in no time, and it didn't bother me on the first long trip.
The noise level is OK, but a little disappointing. The face shield sticks out a bit from the helmet at the top, and I think this causes a bit of turbulence. With the chin vent open forget it, it's very windy. You do need to screw around with the face shield adjustment to get a good seal, but once it's set the noise is reduced. Again, better than my HJC but still I was expecting more, and my HJC was a modular. However, if you use earplugs everything is gravy...just silence.
The finish on my Qwest is excellent, really nice graphics and no sign of any shaudy workmanship. The lining is nice material, and it came with a nice big storage bag to keep it looking good.
Overall I'd give it a 8.5/10.
