GT-Air Shoei helmet

[Jaxter]

Has anyone used thr GT-Air helmet from Shoei? I currently have the Shoei 1100 and I really like it, but I am intrigued by the flip down sunglasses built into the GT-Air model...my concern is how easy is it to flip down the build in sunglasses. I tried one on today and I wear size L (the 1100) and when I tried on the GT-Air size L it was so tight that I almost had a claustrophobic moment. The size XL fit better.

[TallyRex]

Haven't tried one yet and currently use an RF1000, but I could use more ventilation, so I'm interested in this thread.  I also have a L and that's a good tip about the sizing

[dion40]

I don't have the Air but I do have the Neotec which should be the same flip mechanism. It's very easy and would never buy another helmet that didn't have the built in sun visor, it's so convenient to flip it up and down depending on lighting conditions. It just takes a little learning to know exactly where the trigger is, and that on at least the neotec, pushing up makes the visor go down but besides that it's fantastic. The only caveat I have is when the visor is down the air from the front vent gets blocked so it doesn't hit your face on the neotec at least, but it's not a big deal because I can flip the whole thing open.

[CrashGordon]

Looked hard at helmets with a flip down visor, but ended up with a Bell with a transition shield. Had the same concern about airflow with the visor down.

[maxtog]

Just got my new Shoei GT Air a few days ago and wore it for the first time tonight.  It is XL and a bit too tight on my cheeks, but I will give it some time to break in.  This makes it a little smaller than the Scorpion  EXO-1000 it is replacing.

It is considerably quieter and lighter than the EXO-1000.  And the venting is MUCH better (on top... on the chin there is little air because I am using the full windscreen right now).  Unlike the Scorpion, the drop-down visor comes down lower (which is nice) and is far easier and smoother to operate.  Plus a DARK visor is installed by default (instead of the stupid light one in the Scorpion, which immediately has to be replaced with something darker for more $).  Seems to sit on my head a little taller, or perhaps it just doesn't come down my neck quite as far (especially on the back).  Build quality seems excellent.  The silver paint has more depth and gloss and matches the silver Concours better.  Will move the SENA stuff to it tomorrow.

The visibility port seems to be about the same size.  The shield is easy to operate, and the positive-click latch for full close works and without much effort.  I like that is has a much smaller lowest-open detent (about half the size of the EXO).   It is more difficult on the AIR to remove and install a shield.
 
The included pinlock does work- no fogging at all (and the ride home at 52F would be fogged when I stopped and it doesn't, just the area around it).  But it has an annoying and somewhat distracting glare at night where the oncoming lights are reflected above and move OPPOSITE to head movement.  I think it is tolerable... barely.  I have a feeling I will only use the pinlock during cold weather riding.

[maxtog]

Will move the SENA stuff to it tomorrow.

The SMH10 installation was a snap.  About the same as when I installed it on the Scorpion, but the mounting bracket works a bit better on the Shoei.  The only difficult part was that the speakers are too thick for the Shoei earpad foam, so I just took scissors and cut away about half the thickness of that foam and they fit perfectly.

[elp_jc]

The only difficult part was that the speakers are too thick for the Shoei earpad foam

You're supposed to remove them for speakers . Not only for better fit, but for not muffling the sound.

Going for my first ride with the GT-Air in a bit. But I can comment on fit. I came from an XL Shoei X-12, and the GT-Air is L. It's a bit tight, but I'm relatively sure I'll be able to leave it alone. In case it was a bit tight for comfort after a few uses, both the center pad and cheek pads are offered in thinner versions (center pad from 9 to 5, and cheekpads from 35 to 31). The cheek pads are a bit tight, but they should be that way. I was used to ride with a loose helmet, which is NOT good for safety. This thing fits like a glove, tight, but with no obvious pressure points after wearing it 2 hours at home (with a head liner). As Maxtog said, we need to give it a bit of time to break in, before making any changes. Will post my impressions after using it. Forgot to say it weighs 2.5-oz LESS than the racier X-12, which was surprising. And won't install the pinlock after so many negatives/warnings. I'm used to just open the vents when needed, and will continue to do that unless this helmet makes it difficult to dissipate the fog (hope not). I don't ride much in cold weather anyway.

[MAN OF BLUES]

after purchasing and wearing dozens of helmets, I have to say putting on a helmet, and walking around the house, is no test of its fit or acceptability...
putting one on, and getting 50 riding hours on it just begins to give the rating...
variables of wind noise, and even moreso the wind drag and loading on your neck while riding, cannot be surmised by "static" it fits on my couch testing.

sorry, jmho.... I found some helmets that fit ok,  but were tight, to be extremely painfull 4 hours into a 12 hour ride, and knew that on that ride, I would have to endure another 36 hours to complete my "trip", not fun when your temples throb, face hurts, neck in great pain, and all the seconds that pass when you try to pay attention to the road are spent cursing the choice of helmet... which felt, or still feels fine.... while sitting on the couch.


again, jmho. ymmv.

I'll also add I've altered many cheek, ear area pads to use my speakers, which I cannablized from some high end headphones, simply used copper wire to attach an exacto blade to my high output soldering iron, and heat cut from the backside hard plastic to create a padded recess... works great.
I've tried slipping speakers into a recess cut under the cloth on the inside surface, but after 4 or 5 ours, the rubbing on my ears was unbearable.. can't use earbuds... they freak me out... I need some ambient sound....

some of the most comfortable helmets I've owned cost less than $200, actually most of them were that price... and I had no fear they were "inferior" to a $600 lid...  I've been wearing a ZOX Genesis modular for a few years now, and I totally love it, I can remove the innerds, and wash them, it has an internal flip down goggle type tinted visor, which in hot weather is nice as I can open the outer screen, and still have eye protection, and has well thought out cutouts in the ear area allowing easy and non contact speaker addition, I even could cut 1/4" thich pourus foam, covered with a polyester fleece cloth layer, to make my ears non contact... sweet.

again, ymmv.

expensive ain't always the best, in fact, I've found it to be the opposite. if you have a brain, you can modify stuff, within reason....

ride safe, and wear a helmet.... whatever helmet you choose....

[maxtog]

You're supposed to remove them for speakers . Not only for better fit, but for not muffling the sound.

I think I discovered that today.  The volume was significantly less on the speakers than in my previous helmet where the speaker was just covered with material.  I will have to play with it some more.

Going for my first ride with the GT-Air in a bit. But I can comment on fit. I came from an XL Shoei X-12, and the GT-Air is L. It's a bit tight, but I'm relatively sure I'll be able to leave it alone. In case it was a bit tight for comfort after a few uses, both the center pad and cheek pads are offered in thinner versions (center pad from 9 to 5, and cheekpads from 35 to 31). The cheek pads are a bit tight, but they should be that way. I was used to ride with a loose helmet, which is NOT good for safety. This thing fits like a glove, tight, but with no obvious pressure points after wearing it 2 hours at home (with a head liner).

I think I have a pretty big problem with fit.  1.5 hours into a ride today, I ended up with a radiating pain headache and nausea.  My buddy suggested we pull over and rest.  When I took off the helmet the pain was gone in a few minutes.  He said "you should see your head, you have red marks on your scalp.  I looked in the mirror and could see only a red "dent" in my forehead, so I took out my phone and took a photo of the top of my head... amazingly it worked.  I could see clear pressure marks on my scalp where the foam is located in the helmet crown.   After 10 min, I put it back on, left the chin strap pretty loose, and was home in 20 min or so and the pain was just starting again.

I have never experienced this before.  The XL cheek pads are certainly a little too tight.  If I relax my mouth completely and then close it, I would be biting my cheeks.  But the XL crown seems like a correct fit.  I will call Cycle Gear tomorrow to see what they think I should do.

And the pinlock is annoying in the daytime too.... not as much as night, but there is still glare.  For general riding, I think I will be removing it.

One thing more- it is amazingly less "turbulent" in the wind compared to the Scorpion EXO-1000.   At first I thought it was just because of the large windshield, so I stood on the pegs at various speeds... smooth as silk and so much less drag.  None of my previous 4 helmets have been like that!

[elp_jc]

I think I have a pretty big problem with fit. 1.5 hours into a ride today, I ended up with a radiating pain headache and nausea. 
The XL cheek pads are certainly a little too tight.  If I relax my mouth completely and then close it, I would be biting my cheeks.

Oh man, sorry to hear that. That's why I now wear a new helmet at home for 2 hours before using it. It's not the same as riding, obviously. But at least I know for sure if fit is a big issue or not, since you CANNOT return a helmet if it's been used outside. I'm an expert at helmet pain by now , and if you got the wrong size and/or helmet shape (need to return it), you would know in less than an hour, when your head is throbbing. If you pass the 2-hr mark, like in my case, then a center and/or cheek pad change is the worst that can happen... and both are available for this helmet. The trick is to determine if you got the wrong size, wrong shape, or both. That'd tell you if you need a larger size, or a different helmet altogether. Go to webbikeworld.com to try to determine your head shape by previous helmets used. They have the best reviews overall, but not all are completely right, so you know. Good luck, and keep us posted.

I also have the 'biting cheek' issue, but wanted to point out it should be that way for a proper fitting helmet. But if you develop pain, then you need thinner cheek pads (31mm for the GT-Air). Finally, very few will have the luck to own a helmet that fits perfectly, even when it's more or less the right shape. You always have some imperfections in your head. I, for too long, bought a larger helmet for just a specific pressure point, because people said to never touch the foam. Not anymore. MUCH safer to just adjust the foam for a millimeter or so in a specific area, than buy a larger helmet that fits too loose. And that's exactly what I do now. I've bought dozens of helmets because most didn't fit right... even though they were supposed to. And most of those times just ordered the next larger size until no more pain. Thankfully never had an accident, but it's NOT safe to wear a helmet like that. After about a dozen or so, became an expert in helmet pain, and learned what can and can't be tolerated by testing them at home. And also what needs a larger size, a different helmet, or just a small adjustment on the foam for a pain-free fit. Now I'm not going to buy another helmet that doesn't fit GOOD. Unfortunately, my stupid head requires expensive helmets, because only premium models (Arai and Shoei) seem to cover oval heads like mine. Finally seems like the GT-Air is what I needed all along. If it works out fine at the end, will buy another and just store it for future use. I could always sell it as new. Will keep you guys posted how it works out. And you do the same with yours. If your head is not oval like mine, and more neutral, you have a million options buddy... but not the GT-Air. Take care.

[fmwhit]

I have had a GT-Air for abt 32k miles.  I actually tried one out at Americade where Shoei was doing test drives.  I actually thought that I wanted a Quest and test drove that helmet first.  Driving up the interstate and a few back roads before returning the helmet and trying the GT-Air. The test drives were only abt 20 miles each on the same route.  The GT-Air was perfect for me.  The Sun Visor that the Original Poster asked about is a feature that I don't use very often but its there when I want it and am able to lower it and raise it with gloves on.  It is convenient when I don't have my sun glasses with me. 

My concern abt the GT-Air was the air flow.  The air flow in the GT-Air was substantial compared to my Shoei 900 and I was concerned abt riding in the colder weather as I live in the North East(NY).  Closing the front top vent in the colder weather cuts the air flow enough that my head stays warm down to abt 45 degrees and closing the other vents in colder weather keeps my head warm when it gets colder.

Fred
Wa2gzw

 

[maxtog]

I think I have a pretty big problem with fit.  1.5 hours into a ride today, I ended up with a radiating pain headache and nausea.  My buddy suggested we pull over and rest.  When I took off the helmet the pain was gone in a few minutes.  He said "you should see your head, you have red marks on your scalp.  I looked in the mirror and could see only a red "dent" in my forehead, so I took out my phone and took a photo of the top of my head... amazingly it worked.  I could see clear pressure marks on my scalp where the foam is located in the helmet crown.   After 10 min, I put it back on, left the chin strap pretty loose, and was home in 20 min or so and the pain was just starting again.

Update!  Mystery solved.  All the pressure of the helmet *was* being funneled on that 1" square patch on my upper forehead.   It seems like the helmet did have a slight hump there (although it was hard to tell with all the air channels).  I just pushed in the EPS (expanded poly styrene foam) liner with my thumb, slightly... perhaps 2mm, in that 1" area.  That is all it took, it effectively added 1/2 size to the helmet and it is slightly too loose now.   No more headaches, no more red dent on my forehead!

[PH14]

Update!  Mystery solved.  All the pressure of the helmet *was* being funneled on that 1" square patch on my upper forehead.   It seems like the helmet did have a slight hump there (although it was hard to tell with all the air channels).  I just pushed in the EPS (expanded poly styrene foam) liner with my thumb, slightly... perhaps 2mm, in that 1" area.  That is all it took, it effectively added 1/2 size to the helmet and it is slightly too loose now.   No more headaches, no more red dent on my forehead!

Good to hear. We used to use a spoon for the same purpose. It is an old recommended fix that wasn't allowed to be recommended. 

[maxtog]

Good to hear. We used to use a spoon for the same purpose. It is an old recommended fix that wasn't allowed to be recommended. 

I was a bit worried, but my friend said "well, after a year of wearing it in pain and going over bumps and such, the EPS would be pushed in ANYWAY by your head, all you did was accelerate the process" so I didn't feel so bad.

[elp_jc]

I was a bit worried, but my friend said "well, after a year of wearing it in pain and going over bumps and such, the EPS would be pushed in ANYWAY by your head, all you did was accelerate the process" so I didn't feel so bad.

That's precisely the right way to fix a pressure point IMO. MUCH better than a next larger size, which would be much looser everywhere, and protect you less in an accident. But next time do it little by little, to end up with the perfect fit. And hate to break it to you, but the 'bump' is in your head buddy . I have one of those too. I'm ordering a thinner center pad, since I have a bit more pressure everywhere than I like. Could take it for 2 hours at my house, but will eventually bother me in a long trip. Surprisingly, haven't had to touch the EPS yet, and hope not having to do that. The 5 (vs 9mm) center pad should make it just about perfect. This is with a headliner I always wear, so I know L is the right size. I'd also like my head a smidgen more into the helmet, and the thinner center pad should achieve that as well. The main reason for that is a more effective sun shield, and most importantly, that my left ear is not bothered by the cheekpad foam below it anymore. We'll see. So far this is the best fitting helmet I've ever owned. And it's probably going to get a lot better with the new center pad. Will keep you folks posted.

[Rhino]

I just saw this thread. I've had my GT Air for almost a year now. Most comfy helmet I've ever had. I guess I have a Shoei head. Only took about a week before all the pressure points were gone. I love how easy it is with gloves to open and close the top vents.

[PH14]

I was a bit worried, but my friend said "well, after a year of wearing it in pain and going over bumps and such, the EPS would be pushed in ANYWAY by your head, all you did was accelerate the process" so I didn't feel so bad.

Yeah, as long as you aren't going too far it is fine. As you said, it will happen naturally anyway.

[maxtog]

Still frustrated with the pinlock.  I tried the helmet without it- no question the pinlock works.  Even though it was in the mid 50's, whenever I was going slowly or stopped, I had to open the shield to prevent fogging.  But with the pinlock in, I have to deal with all the annoying glare and reflections.  I want my cake and eat it too, but it seems that is just not going to be possible.

I am continuing to be amazed at how "light" the helmet feels compared to the EXO-1000.... not because it is lighter weight-wise, but because the air flows around it so perfectly, there is no "push."  I didn't have much problems before with buffeting, but now I realize I had SOME and it is all gone now, too.  Doesn't seem to matter how I adjust the bike's windscreen nor my body position, the air still flows around it perfectly.  I don't know how they did it.  I should have switched years ago.  I still finding taking the shield on/off is much harder than on the Scorpion, but with practice it might get easier.  The seals are just very good on this Air.

[elp_jc]

I guess I have a Shoei head.

You have a Shoei GT Air head, not Shoei head . Don't assume all are the same, because they're not. Not that radically different, but different enough not to fit well. By the way, webbikeworld ranks each helmet by shape, although not terribly accurate. But at least it gives you an idea which helmets to consider, and which ones not to even try. Anyway, I can also say the GT Air is the best fitting helmet I've ever owned. It's slightly tight with a headliner, but uniformly tight; no pressure points. But will order the thinner center pad to avoid any pain in a long ride, which would probably happen the way it is now. It should be perfect after that. Heck, looks like I won't even need to adjust the EPS for my 2 forehead typical pressure points. Awesome.

[maxtog]

You have a Shoei GT Air head, not Shoei head . Don't assume all are the same, because they're not.

According to the people at Cycle Gear, you are correct.  They were telling me, recently, that the Air and the RF were quite different.  I wrote off Shoei a year ago because I tried the RF and there was no way it would fit my head.  So I never even tried the Air.   We now know that was a mistake.