New lid for medium narrow to long oval head

[samw5]

So I'm in for a new lid to replace my crashed Shark RSR2 duhamel replica (white).

I absolutely loved this lid.
Here is what I'm looking for.
1) weight: needs to be light and aerodynamic. Ride a Streetfighter so triple digits would get annoying to painful with a heavy crappy lid.
2) finish clear: needs to withstand the normal day to day w/o getting chipped like cheaper lids. My RSR2 fell from the seat on concrete w/o leaving a scratch... Clear was a mile thick.
3) good visor seal. Can't stand water coming in if stuck in the rain.
4) last but not least is design which is going to be subjective so I won't ask.
5) most important is a tight fit... Used to the Shark pressing on my checks so hard when I first got it, my teeth would bit the inside of my cheeks if I opened my mouth... It did wear in perfectly.


The contenders:
1) Shark Racer-R Pro (seems crazy hard to get especially here in the US).
2) Bell Star 2010 carbon (looks perfect but I'm worried about weight and it's loose fit... Only tried the older version in my size)
3) Suomy Excel (can't find much on sizing and headshape just that it's light and loud)
4) Bell RS1 (worried about weight and potential poor shield seal).
5) Arai Signet-Q (limited choice of ugly designs)

I'm pretty open to other brand/models but based on the reviews I read these might be the best fit.

Thanks for any input that may help.

[Chuckracer]

Signet Q in white and an appointment with your favorite helmet painter.

I don't have anything concrete to go by other than a lot of years in Arais...I still think they're the best, by a slim margin.

Hmm...Shoei X12? I'm wearing an X11 right now (well, not right this instant but you get my drift) and I really like it. The fit is great and I'm an old Arai Signet guy from way back. The helmet feels small on my head, like a Signet.

[samw5]

Originally Posted by Chuckracer

Signet Q in white and an appointment with your favorite helmet painter.

I don't have anything concrete to go by other than a lot of years in Arais...I still think they're the best, by a slim margin.

Hmm...Shoei X12? I'm wearing an X11 right now (well, not right this instant but you get my drift) and I really like it. The fit is great and I'm an old Arai Signet guy from way back. The helmet feels small on my head, like a Signet.

I've looked at Shoei's but their clearcoat quality doesn't seem to be as good as other brands (especially considering the price point)

[DuckMan]

Why not just get another RSR2?

[samw5]

Originally Posted by DuckMan

Why not just get another RSR2?

They're getting hard to come by and I can't seem to find a design that I like... My white Duhamel replica was just bitchin!

[Boomslang]

Take a look at the Shark RSI. It has the same fit as the RSR. The Shark helmets should be come more readily available in the US in the next few months as they have a new distributor.

[samw5]

Ya I did looks at the RSI, just can't get to the idea of getting a lower version model

I'm actually starting to lean towards the X-12/X-Spirit II. Besides the fact that it's a pretty porky lid, the internal shape is probably a little more oval than the Corsair V/RX7-GP, it's supposed to also be a bit more snug and the graphics look pretty cool.
Venting is probably close to on par with my RSR2 which was good enough and the liner probably just as comfortable.

Price does suck especially when you compare it to some other good lids like the Bell RS-1 or even the Shoei RF/XR 1100.

[KC-Dan]

You might be interested in the NEXX brand carbon or non-carbon full face model (X1R1??). It is supposed to be one very lite lid. It is not SNELL certified which likely contributes to its lite wt; it is reported to have an extremely large "viewport", but with 3 screws securing the visor (non quick release). It also comes with inserts to allow one to adjust it's internal volume to better fit one's noggin. I pesonally use an older Vemar RSVR (ECE cert) which I am looking to replace...which is why I've been tempted by the NEXX brand. Hope this helps your search.

[samw5]

Ya it's just hard to come up with a lid that's gonna be as light as my RSR2, one of the lightest on the market for sure!
Been looking at X-lite X802 since they are used by lots of racers in MotoGP and WSB but they are hard to source and not DOT approved (not a deal breaker since I ride in PA where there is no helmet law).
That said it would probably be a better idea to get something approved just in case.

I've narrowed down my options to these:
- Shoei X-12 (graphics are just the best and fit is probably what I need) $720
- Shoei X-11 (which I could get a killer deal on but likely old and will be out of warranty well before I've used it for 5 years... color isn't what I wanted) $420
- X-lite X802 (comes from Germany and isn't DOT) $580

That's definitely some dough that I'm dropping so I don't wanna get something that I won't be happy with.