SHOEI X-SPIRIT III

CONTACT: www.shoeiassured.co.uk PRICE: £599.99

You’ve got to love a good lid. The X-Spirit IIIs in a class of its own, in my opinion, and I trust it implicitly. To be honest, I’ve always been a Shoei man. I like the way they fit, how well vented they are and how stylish they look. Even in plain white (like mine, because I’m tight), the thing looks a treat. But it’s also a very functional helmet, or so the specs go to tell. Without boring you with every single last intimacy of its build, the III’s got all the major awards imaginable on its side, thanks to its considered, hand-made construction. On a day-to-day basis, assuming you don’t go spending your days head-butting solid features, you never get to note just how safe the lid is (and I’m hoping I’ll never have to find out), but you do get a real sense its high comfort level and secure fit.

I can’t think how many times this Shoei’s been on and off my head this year, but it’s a fair few times. Even so, the padding’s still firm and the interior looks a treat. Likewise, all the vents open and close as you’d hope they would and the visor mechanism is a doddle to operate – and secure in a locked position. Better still, the visor changing system has to be one of the easiest in the world to operate, which is essential for me because my TT mechanics never tend to be the smartest of folk and I’d hate to be heading off down Bray Hill with a partially located visor. Anyway, the point is this is a great helmet. In fact, it’s the best helmet I’ve ever owned.