Shoei Neotec II flip-front helmet
From £519.99 | Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | www.shoeiassured.co.uk
I like a good flip-front helmet. They might not be for everyone, but I love the ease and flexibility that they bring to riding. Especially ones like the Shoei Neotec II, which is legal for riding with the chin piece up or down. I used the old Neotec quite a bit, so I was excited to see what the difference is.
The shell (which comes in three sizes) is made from organic and multi-composite fibres in various layers for a shock-absorbent shell with optimum rigidity, and although – luckily – I haven’t crash tested the helmet, it feels nice and firm when you try to force the sides to move.
The lining is all removable and washable as you’d expect. Venting is provided by the chin and top vents, and an extractor at the back as with the old helmet, but the shaping of the vents is all new, with the chin vent in particular much easier to open and close than before.
The weight of the Neotec II is indicated as 1682g on my kitchen scales, while the old Neotec returns a 1709g with the Sena headphones, microphone and mount-plate attached, so the weight difference isn’t huge. What is clear though, when you examine the two helmets, is how much smoother the design of the new one is. The ridges between the chin piece and the main shell have been reduced, the top vent protrudes much less out of the new lid, and at the back the aerodynamic shaping is different. This is clearly a brand new helmet, not just a minor update. Whereas I had to install a whole Sena system to my old helmet when I wanted to link to my phone and sat-nav, to chat to those I ride with, the new helmet is all prepared to take a Sena unit without having to add any external mounts. All you need to do is route the speakers and microphone in place and that’s it. The visor with its Pinlock lens is new, although very similar to the old one in its size and shape.
The main difference is that it seals better around the visor opening, making the new helmet slightly quieter in use. The integral sun visor is also of high quality and makes a real difference on bright days.
The new Neotec II is easy to use with the flip-function, sun visor slider, visor release mechanism, vents and the micro-ratchet strap all working flawlessly.
Overall, the Neotec II is a great improvement on an already impressive helmet. It’s not cheap at over £500, but the features and build quality go a long way to justifying the cost.