Helmets Shoei Quest Overt vs. Shark Evoline 3

v65infla

v65infla

Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
17
Location
Boynton Beach, Fl.
Bike
2010 ST1300
It is time for a new lid and I am looking for some help deciding. My requirements so far is that it needs to be as nice looking Hi-Viz (Promise to the wife) as possible and lightweight. I like my current hat that is a Bell Revolver modular but it is way heavy and I have neck issues. The contenders so far are the Shoei Quest Overt and the Shark Evoline 3. I have a Scala comm system.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shoei-qwest-overt-helmet

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shark-evoline-3-st-century-hi-viz-helmet

I have tried on the Shoei but it was a size too small, tight but was comfortable. I have not tried on the Shark. So far this is what I have come up with in my decision making process. I think they are both solid name brands and both look good.

Shoei pro's; 1/2 pound lighter, full face with no chance of chin bar breaking open in the event of a crash. Tried it on and it was very comfortable
Shoei con's; No removable headliner, no inside sun shield. Have not tried on my actual size yet to determine correct size.

Shark pro's; Removable headliner, Open chin bar that locks in place that effectively turns FF helmet into 3/4 for hot summer time riding. I am always stuck between an XL and a XXL and they say the Shark run's a half size large so it is appealing that I could probably take comfort in the XL.
Shark con's; 1/2 pound heavier, chance of modular chin bar breaking open in the event of a crash. Have not tried it on yet so I have no idea on comfort.

There is a $6 price difference.

I am well aware I am kind of comparing apples to oranges in that they are two different kinds of helmets and I need to find a Shark to try on. And, I am also aware that my stance on the chin bar being open vs being able to break open in the event of a crash is contradictory but having worn both and believing I am probably safer in a FF, I do like the comfort of being able to flip open the the chin bar in the Florida heat.

Thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
 
The Qwest is large, heavy and under vented. It is comfortable in the winter, quiet, well built and has pockets for speakers. It's shape is like the Arai long oval (Signet Q). The Signet Q would be lighter, noisier but much better ventilated. Helmets are like shoes - different manufacturers helmets fit differently. Try before you buy. Any tightness around the cranium will torture you.

Bill

http://www.gphelmets.com/arai-signet-q-helmet-yellow-fluorescent-p/arai-signet-q-yellow-fluo.htm
 
I can't say I agree that the Qwest is heavy; mine is noticeably lighter than the RF-1000 it replaced, significantly lighter than the RF-900 and makes the RF-800 I had before that feel like a cinder block. Venting could be better, but it's adequate for me.

If high-viz is your goal, the Qwest is available in a solid yellow which is brighter, doesn't lose half its visible area to black stripes and chops a bit more than a Benjamin off the price.

--Mark
 
Thank you for the opinions and keep them coming. I want safety of course but I can't say I could ever get over the "look" of a full yellow or full yellow-green helmet. :p:

Ps, the Shoei in a Large comes in at 1,648 grams. I arbitrarily added 100 grams for the XXL based off the weight of another Shoei XXL model. This is the only info I could find. 1,750 grams comes out to 3.9 pounds. (Rounded up). The Shark weigh's 1,960 grams or 4.32 pounds.
 
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I have been riding with a Shark Evoline 2st for the last year. I like the helmet but it is too heavy - I just replaced it with a new Nolan N104 in Hi-Vis yellow. It is considerably lighter than the Evoline and the visibility from the side is much better. Venting is also much better. I understand the Evoline 3 has been lightened up but I could not find any good reviews on the newer model so I went with the Nolan as the reviews on it have been really good. Very good quality comparable to the Shoei Neotec in just about every way, I am very happy with it. Best fitting helmet I have ever had and it is much quieter than the Shark.

The Nolan also has nice molded pockets for speakers.

Dan
 
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Thank you for the review of the Shark. That is what I have been waiting for. I appreciate all the recommendations but I think the plain Hi-Viz helmets are less than attractive so unless something else catches my eye I will be going with one of these two.
 
I went up the dealer this morning and actually got to try on the Shoei Quest in my size and I have to say that is is pretty darn comfortable. Light weight and even with my sunglasses on they didn't feel any different than when I am not wearing a helmet and that is unusual in a good way. I downloaded a chart from webbikerworld of the 107 lightest helmets and I have been working my way through the list, reading reviews and such and while I was having second thoughts the Shoei just went back to the top of the list. Dealer had it for $490+ and I asked them if they would price match Cycle Gear who has it for $443 and he said "We can work something out". Continue to chat a while, priced out some brake pads, etc. As I was leaving he said to let him know when I was ready for that helmet, handed me his card and leaned over the counter and whispered $425. Hmmmm

:think1:
 
A quick note: I have a Qwest XL and it is too large (tall) to store in a the ST's saddlebag. Also, and I can't stress this enough, if you have heat and humidity the Qwest is seriously under vented. Love the helmet otherwise.

Bill
 
Gotta give Cycle Gear in West Palm a big thumbs up-it's one of the few shops where you can walk out and ride for a few days then come back and say something like this Qwest is freaking noisy, what else you got? Not many places you can get good prices and test them properly. Just go there and you will have to figure out what helmet fits you the best. For colors I have read somewhere that a white helmet might be as safe as a bright neon lime green one. They made me a screaming good deal on a Multitec Shoei which to my surprise feels really light and balanced plus is quiet for any helmet not only a modular.
 
tgreenwald said:
Gotta give Cycle Gear in West Palm a big thumbs up-it's one of the few shops where you can walk out and ride for a few days then come back and say something like this Qwest is freaking noisy, what else you got? Not many places you can get good prices and test them properly. Just go there and you will have to figure out what helmet fits you the best. For colors I have read somewhere that a white helmet might be as safe as a bright neon lime green one. They made me a screaming good deal on a Multitec Shoei which to my surprise feels really light and balanced plus is quiet for any helmet not only a modular.
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Yep, nice guy's good service so far. We had a talk about getting a better price and they said they used to make good deals on Shoei's all the time but Shoei came down on them and others for discounting prices and threatened to stop supplying them. When the kid at the dealer offered the lower price I figured it had to be an employee price or something like that.
 
Jamie - Try on the different Nolen flip-face helmets. Very comfortable, great to flip up in the heat, ear areas already set up for speakers, reasonably priced.
 
I like Shark, have two, and think its a terrific helmet. But I'm worried about the company. They have a new importer in southern California (Temecula as I recall) and Shark simply isn't supporting them in a meaningful way. Parts and visors can be back-ordered for 6 months and counting. Unless they get it together, I"ll be turning away from Shark next time around.
 
v65infla said:
Yep, nice guy's good service so far. We had a talk about getting a better price and they said they used to make good deals on Shoei's all the time but Shoei came down on them and others for discounting prices and threatened to stop supplying them. When the kid at the dealer offered the lower price I figured it had to be an employee price or something like that.
Click to expand...

The other place that has the goods: Shark, Arai, Shoei, (maybe Nolan) and a bunch of others is Competition Cycle off of Old Griffin Road between US1 and I95 in Dania Florida. If you go there on a Saturday or Sunday you sometimes can get a good deal. They seem to discount solid colors as the usual sport bike squids they deal with likes the bold patterns with clowns, devils, nekkid women, skulls and other wild graphics. Very easy also to return helmets there but not as liberal as Cycle Gear. Cycle Gear sometimes will meet an advertised price like from New Enough or Revzilla (sorry guys I have to give the local shops some business also) Competition is a huge store that is worth a visit if you have been there ever.

I'll send a PM about riding down there one Sunday.
 
If you could handle the weight of the Neotec I know you would be impressed with its performance. Best helmet I have ever owned...period. Great venting for Florida weather.
 
The Neotec is within a few grams of the Bell Revolver that it way too heavy now but Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I am being super picky but I do look at every single helmet suggested here. I am not quite ready to pull the trigger financially yet anyway although I would if I found what I thought was the perfect buy. Venting issues aside, the Qwest is still tops on my list so far. I like the look of it, the Hi-Viz part matched my new jacket and it was the most comfortable helmet I have ever had on. Venting might be a problem but having lived here in S. Fla since 1985 I accepted a long time ago that is going to be hot and that is why I limit my ride time in the summer.

To reiterate here are my criteria;

Hi-Viz prefer in the fluorescent green not the puke yellow (Just my opinion :D) maybe white as a last resort if I can't find anything else. Sub $500, light weight and quiet as possible which by the last two leaves most modular helmets out. I don't expect perfection for less than $500 but I am taking my time to get as close as I can.
 
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Just checked out the local Yamaha dealer and tried on a couple of HJC's an Icon Alliance and Shoei RF1100 which is a great touring helmet from what I hear. The more I try on the more I keep gravitating towards the Shoei. Just seems to be the best all around fit for me. The RF1100 and the Qwest are $4 apart at the Yamaha dealer.
 
Picked up the Shoei Neotec Borealis today and although I haven't ridden with it yet it is by far the most comfortable helmet I have ever put on my head and this includes the most expensive Shoei motocross helmet I had when I was racing dirt bikes 20 years ago.

In my almost 4 months of looking and research I have learned a lot. The most important lesson is that you can't shove 15 pounds of **** into a 5 pound bag no matter how hard you try. In other words I had a long line of criteria on a budget and the two just were not meshing. So I decided to figure out the budget part later and go with quality and comfort.

I didn't really want a modular again for safety, noise, weight, etc issues. After watching several videos and reading reviews I am convinced the almost 360* metal locking mechanism is about as safe as you are going to get and my claustrophobia issues that seem to be getting worse as I get older out-weighed the worry of it coming undone in an accident.

When I put the helmet on the showroom in dealership got noticeably quieter as if I had put cotton in my ears. Not foam ear plug quiet but def enough to notice. Research suggested that I had been wearing the wrong size helmet all these years. (XL) when I really needed a large. Not 100% convinced I talked it over with the parts guy and he did convince me to buy the proper size as measured and while it is a bit tight on my fat cheeks the combination of dropping some pounds again and the cheek pads breaking in it should fit nicely.

It is probably still a little heavier than I would have liked and only time will tell how my neck fares with it but I also learned that a properly aerodynamic balanced helmet will be a big improvement over my previous cheaper modular Bell. Plus getting the L instead of the XL helped shave a few ounces.

Never had an anti-fog pin-lock shield before but I installed it so we shall see how that plays out. The only last questions I have is how it will feel with the Cardo Scala hooked up and to see if I still love it after several hours in the saddle?

Highly recommended!! (so far anyway)


 
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