Shoei GT Air vs RF1200 - my test

[jbh]

Thought I would post this up, been awhile since I posted but back on an FJR again. I have an 06 with tall touring shield for the test. I purchased the GT Air at cycle gear in medium then a few days later purchased an RF1200 from cycle gear in medium and a tinted shield. I took a long ride yesterday to test them out, carried the second one in the side bag. My previous helmet was an old Scoripion EXO 400 which was fairly quiet but way too heavy on 4 hour rides. I used earplugs and kept the shield down mostly.

GT Air - Fits my Shoei head pretty well, very hard to get on over my head as many have said before but you get used to how to put it on. Could not even do it at first at store when I tried. Helmet was not really any more quiet than the EXO 400 but did vent much better and was lighter. I thought I would like the drop down shades but I really did not at all. I am used to always riding with a dark tinted shield and used to 100% of my vision being tinted. I thought the drop down shades were distracting to me. Helmet did not cut through the air as good as I wanted to, it pulled a little when I turned my head at speed (shield was down).

RF1200 - I was skeptical of this one because I heard it was loud. However it was a little quieter than the GT Air and also lighter. It has a slightly different head shape that fits my head very well. Really liked the tinted shield vs the drop down glasses. Ventilation on the top of the helmet felt about the same or better than the GT Air but I have some hair up there so it not as good as very short hair I am sure. The chin vent works much better than the GT Air - massive airflow. Good thing it has 3 positions, I used the middle one, except for my ride today that was 90 degrees I had it full open. The helmet sliced through the air very well, turning my head sideways did not produce any noticeable pull.

I returned the GT Air, it was noisier mainly because of the big top vent. Even when its closed its still louder because of that big air scoop. The RF1200 vents are not as noisy. I found the RF1200 to be lighter, quieter, and better venting. But both are good helmets, results will vary greatly based on bike set up and the rider.

 

[fjRaven]

Good to know, I was looking at the GT Air at cyclegear in Hurst this weekend. Will have to head back and try the 1200. Only downside for me is no drop down shade.

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

Hope you wear earplugs when you ride, they DO help prevent gradual hearing loss over decades of riding.

I started wearing them about 15 years ago, now if I forget to put em in I have to stop.

I can't believe how loud it is without them.

Don't know how I rode for years without them!

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Hope you wear earplugs when you ride, they DO help prevent gradual hearing loss over decades of riding.
I started wearing them about 15 years ago, now if I forget to put em in I have to stop.

I can't believe how loud it is without them.

Don't know how I rode for years without them!

Agreed +1!

 

[jbh]

Yes I wear earplugs.

 

[Allen_C]

Your review is very different than what my experience has been with the GT-Air. I also have a Scorpion Exo 400 to compare. I really believe each person's head shape is the key to determine comfort and noise. For me, the GT-Air fit best of all the helmets Cycle Gear has, I want to get the new RF-1200 but it just did not fit my head shape as well.

Sounds like you found THE helmet for you, congratulations!

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

I really believe each person's head shape is the key to determine comfort and noise.

Spot on.

 

[AKjitsu]

Hope you wear earplugs when you ride, they DO help prevent gradual hearing loss over decades of riding.
I started wearing them about 15 years ago, now if I forget to put em in I have to stop.

I can't believe how loud it is without them.

Don't know how I rode for years without them!

Oh hell yes!

 

[Fred W]

I agree about head shape affecting the noise level a lot.

But, I currently have a Scorpion EXO-900 with the flip down sun shield, and I find that to be a very useful feature in a couple of ways.

The primary use is on those cloudy days when I do not want to wear my prescription sunglasses. When wearing my clear glasses, and you hit a break in the clouds, and the sun is suddenly blindingly bright, you can just flip down the shield for the short duration until you are back into the clouds again.

My secondary use for the flipper is when wearing my dark prescription sunglasses on a clear day, when it gets to be late in the day I can lower it part way and use it as a sun shield when riding into the sun. I never actually use it for all day riding, but it sure does come in handy for those occasions.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

How are the cheek pads for you? I've put on an RF1200 in the store a couple-three times, and those feel extraordinarily tight on my jaw. That was one of the chief reasons I sold my Neotec and went back to a Multitec. I have no such issue with my RF1000. Shoei won't let you "customize" your fit at purchase; the only option is to buy a new set of cheek pads (to the tune of $45, IIRC).

 

[ionbeam]

The dealer where I bought my Air swapped the pads for free and matched the online price I quoted.

 

[mxboy96]

I have to agree with you JBH. I bought an RF1200 about a month ago and love it! It has about as much noise as my old Fulmer did with earplugs in, haha. Now I don't even bother wearing them unless it's a longer trip. It really does flow some air through those vents too, pretty noticeable. It's lightweight, is comfortable, and even Snell and DOT approved. It's nice knowing a company like Shoei goes a little further in the protection department.

 

[AKjitsu]

Interesting, that. Just goes to show how important fitting the helmet to the head can be. My GT Air is spooky quiet. I also tried the RF-1200 and discovered that some genius at Shoie had decided to make the "dark tint" shield way too light to be of any use in the Arizona summer.

 

[mxboy96]

Definitely agree with you FJR Pilot. The 'dark smoke' must mean dark when there's no light, haha. I have to wear my clip on sunglasses on my glasses to help out even with the dark shield on.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

Definitely agree with you FJR Pilot. The 'dark smoke' must mean dark when there's no light, haha. I have to wear my clip on sunglasses on my glasses to help out even with the dark shield on.

Fn Shoei. They seem to do this from time to time. Right now, it's enough to keep me from updating helmets. (No, I'm not wearing a tattered old POS...)

 

[ULEWZ]

Just bought a GT Air and found the helmet very quiet just in the store with the visor closed. It is a pain to put on, but not too bad. I will ride 300 miles tomorrow and post a review if different than above. The drop down inner shield seems to have much better clarity than my Scorpion EXO-1100.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I gotta say, after returning from SW-FOG on Sunday, I had had it with my old large Scorpion EXO1000. I prepped the new XL EXO1000 I got for a great price and have had in the garage for about a year. That helmet came with a tinted shield. I rode with it today for less than a half hour. Now I don't know why I never got a tinted shield before. I'm hooked...I never should have doubted you.

 

[AVGeek]

I also picked up a GT Air the other day. My previous helmet is an RF-1000 that was due for replacement. The GT is much quieter, but I've also been playing with the windshield angle on the Tenere to deal with the buffeting issue. The GT also flows a ton more air than the RF-1000, I even noticed a slight breeze through the helmet while not moving. I was able to get the 31mm cheek pads swapped out for the stock 35mm for free at my local Cycle Gear. I won't ever go back to a helmet without an internal sun shield again. The convenience factor is way too high. The optical quality of both shields is excellent, and unlike the Bilt offerings (I have one of their ADV helmets), the tint level of the sun shield is perfect for the dazzling Arizona sun.

 

[Allen_C]

I agree the sunshield is a good tint and is of great (optical) quality. If the GT-Air fits your head, it would be hard to find a better helmet.