Well, my foray with a Shoei GT-Air ended in a mess:
And a year later and I finally give up on the GT-Air. I simply can't tolerate the pain anymore. I bought smaller pads, thicker pads, added more padding that Shoei sent me in various places, nothing works. I absolutely love everything about the GT-Air, best helmet I have ever owned except I can't wear it. Tonight I pulled the Sena out of it and installed it on the old, crufty Scorpion EXO-1000.
I guess I will have to start a new search for a replacement. Since how it feels and fits seems to have no relationship to the pain it causes, I have no idea how I am going to find something, and I will be stuck with whatever I get. I am not opposed to trying a newer Scorpion, but nobody carries it, so it would be a completely "blind" mailorder transaction. The closest current match seems to be the EXO-T1200 but it looks like that is also an old design and being dropped. More importantly, there are reviews saying they changed the shape from the 1000, so I might be in the same boat as before; plus it is LOUD. Ug.
Have no idea what I will do with this expensive but now considerably used GT-Air and accessories. Anyway, someone suggested I take a stab at the EXT-T1200 (Scorpion's high-end touring):
I am taking a gamble and ordered the Scorpion EXO-T1200 for a ridiculously low clearance price of $150 from motorcyclegear.com, in Large. Never seen one before, never touched one before, have no idea about size. But it seems the more effort I put into research, the more it seems random, so what the hell. I will post a review of it at some point, mostly if it actually fits/works and I keep it. Cross your fingers for me.
It arrived several weeks ago from Motorcyclegear.com and I had no problems with the transaction. It is a lot of helmet for such a low, low price. I called Scorpion and asked them lots of questions before I ordered it. They warned me that they started sizing things a little bigger than they used to in the 1000/1100 days and that I should go a size smaller. My EXO-1000 was an extra large and a little too big. So I ordered a large. They are right, it is about 2/3rd a size smaller than before. The large is a bit more tight than I normally would like, but I am sure the extra large would have been way too big. I can talk without biting my cheeks, barely, so the face is right, but the crown is very snug. Unfortunately, you can't buy optional plus and minus sized pads (cheek/neck/crown) for the 1200 like you can with the GT-Air, so customizing fit is not possible (except for the cheeks can be made tighter using the air-pump bladder system).
I wore it inside for hours so it would be "unused" and could swap with another size if needed. I had NO PAIN. So I decided to de-sticker it and put it into service. Same thing with several trips- NO PAIN. It does impart a "forehead print" on me, like the GT-Air does, and creases my hair badly, but I decided to keep it.
It has all the same features of the EXO-1000 and EXO-1100- drop down shield, pump-up adjustable cheek sizing (which I don't need), lots of vents, removable washable insides, quick release shields, high-quality composite construction, etc. The EXO-1000 was loud (a lot louder than the GT-Air), but the 1200 is louder, still. I knew this going into the purchase because all the reviews said so, even Scorpion customer support said so
But it is tolerable. At least the venting in the helmet is much better. The top vents seem to do about twice as much as before (in contrast, the GT-Air is still twice as good at top venting than the 1200), but it lacks a forehead vent that the 1000 has. The real surprise is that the chin vent actually works VERY well. On the Concours with my setup, the chin vent on the 1000 did almost nothing but make tons of noise and the GT-Air chin vent was quiet but also did nothing. The crown vents on the 1200 are sensitive to helmet angle (much more so than the GT-Air). Unfortunately for me, they are most effective if I tilt my head DOWN a bit, which is not my normal riding position. This will vary greatly from person to person.
One big surprise that was immediately noticeable and appreciated, the 1200 weighs 3lb 11oz! And that is WITH both shields AND the speakers/mic/clamp. The same configuration of the 1000 weighs in at 4lb 5oz. The GT-Air is also 4lb 5oz but WITHOUT the speakers/mic/clamp so it actually is a few ounces heaver. The 1000 tends to buffet in the wind but neither the GT-Air nor 1200 does!
When I got the T1200 the shield was not adjusted properly, so there were gaps where it should touch the seal and I had to loosen the clamp screws and trial-and-error it until it fit correctly. The shield removal and installation is a little easier than the 1000 and about the same as the GT-Air. The sun-shade works much better than the 1000 and drops lower too, and is adjustable. The GT-Air is similar but not adjustable. The T1200 uses the same outer shield as the R410, R710, R2000, and T510 (making them easier to find). It uses the same inner sun shield as the T510. Installing the Sena clamp and speakers was a SNAP, it is pre-made to accept them (unlike the GT-Air or EXO-1000).
Unfortunately, Scorpion still uses crappy anti-fog coating on the INSIDE of both the main shield and drop-down sun shield. When I tried to clean the sun shield using a fresh lens cloth and some distilled water with a tad of dish washing detergent and alcohol (my standard mix I have used for eons), it severely scratched the inside of the sun shield. When I called Scorpion to complain, they said to be very careful on the anti-fog, use only freshly cleaned microfiber and water with a neutral soap, and asked for my address and are mailing me another one AT NO COST and without even asking for my receipts or anything to verify warranty. This seems like it will be a nice upgrade path for the 1000 or 1100 and even a decent swap for the GT-Air.
Summary:
+ Great value (insane value if you get one on clearance)
+ Lightweight
+ Great venting
+ Non-buffeting
+ Lots of great features
+ Super easy Sena install
+ Attractive looking and nice feel with study materials
+ Excellent customer support and warranty support
+ Easy to assemble/disassemble pads and shields
- Easily scratched anti-fog coating on inside of shields
- Can't buy different sized interior pads (cheek/neck/crown)
- Quite loud
