Scorpion EXO-T1200 helmet review

[1moreroad]

A couple of us ride in this helmet, and it has received mixed reviews on this website.  It was almost impossible to find any other reviews of this helmet online before I purchased it last month.  I've ridden with the helmet for about 1300 miles with a mix of city, backroads, and highway. 
 
TLDR: it's a good helmet, I recommend it, for the price anyone should seriously consider it if it fits them.
 

 
I'm going to try to review this in the same manner as http://www.webbikeworld.com/ since I think they do very good helmet reviews, although I won't be as thorough.  For your information, my previous helmet experience includes an HJC CL and two Shoei X-11s.  I've never hit my helmet/head in a crash.  I replace helmets about every 5 years.
 
The EXO-T1200 is Scorpion's top of the line non-racing non-modular helmet introduced in late 2014 as a 2015 model.  Graphics are mostly low key, but I bought silver anyway.  Pricing seems to be $300-$320 almost anywhere (online and brick and mortar).
 
Scorpion uses a lot of fancy marketing, but in short, it has adjustable venting, a sun visor (shield? shade?), and some interesting cheek pads.  The cheek pads have air bladders like the old Reebok pumps to get a tighter fit around your jaw.  They have a vent for the air and they have two pull tabs for 1st Responders to get the helmet off quickly.
 
It is DOT certified only, because Snell won't certify a helmet with a sun shield.
 
Paint, Graphics, Quality - Where the Shoeis were excellent, this is good.  Nothing feels quite as solid or as stiff as my X-11s.  My decision came down to a Shoei Qwest and this helmet.  The Qwest cost the same, but the fit and finish were better.  The Scorpion plastics feel flimsier.  One edge of one rear vent is a little rough. There are tiny gaps on the Scorpion where there weren't on the Qwest.  It's not bad - more expensive Icon helmets were much worse - but it's not as good as Shoei or Arai.  The paint is even.
 
Fit, Shape, and Liner - This helmet fits, plain and simple.  Better than my last X-11 and I thought that fit well.  It is more on the long, narrow end of the spectrum and less round.  It is more long, narrow than the X-11s.  The padding is very comfortable.  It has a smooth face to your head which is better than the Shoei's textured padding.  The air pump works well giving a tighter fit around the cheeks without any pain or hot spots.  The technology seems to work.  The helmet fits with no air but better with air.
 
Face Shield, Eye Port, Visibility - Average.  I don't have any problems, but I have read that there are helmet companies that are trying to make very large face shields with no safety compromise.  No distortion from the shield or sun visor, but I did need to clean a film off with Windex right after I bought it (I had halos around lights).  The shield locking mechanism is easy to use as is the sun shield lever.  The shield has 6 positions, plus the ability to crack it open with the lever.  I've ridden in moderate rain for a few minutes with no leaks.  Can't comment on long term leakage.  The X-11 would leak in frog chokers or sustained many-hours-long rain.
 
Now one area where the T1200 is MUCH better than my old Shoeis - fogging.  My last X-11 would fog EVERY morning for at least a few minutes when I left for work.  My first X-11 could even fog a pinlock insert eventually (damp and cold conditions).  Now if all vents are closed and I breathe heavily and I have the sun shield down, the T1200 fogs slightly.  But even that is immediately cleared up by cracking the shield.  Two big thumbs up for the lack of fogging.
 
I liked the sun shade.  It is so convenient to ride with it down until mid-morning, then flip it up all day, then down again at dusk for an hour or so.  I rarely wear sunglasses while driving, so I don't want or need the tinting all day long.  It's so much better than trying to time a stop at dusk between the sun blinding you just above the horizon with a clear shield and too dark to see with a tinted face shield.  It has good coverage, stopping just above but not touching my nose.  Again, two thumbs up.
 
Ventilation - Very good.  The chin ventilation is excellent.  The head ventilation is noticeable.  Not quite as good as the X-11 (which when it came out was considered one of the best venting helmets ever), but still very good.
 
Sound levels - Quieter than the X-11.  I'll call it average since the X-11 is considered a noisy helmet.
 
Weight - 3lbs 9oz for my size medium.  That's right about average according to Webbikeworld's helmet weight page and about the same weight as the Qwest at the same price point (Qwest doesn't have a sun shade).
 
Overall I'm happy with my purchase.  Weight is reasonable.  Ventilation is good up top and excellent at the chin.  The sun shade works.  And it addresses the two shortcomings of my previous helmet - it's quieter and it doesn't fog.  My one area of concern is durability.  The plastics seem thinner and more flexible than Shoeis even at the same price point (the Qwest).
 
 
 

[echonc]

I ride in the EXO-T1200, have had mine for a little over two years and honestly dont have any complaints. I installed a Sena 10s communicator with no difficulty and replaced the clear face shield with a tinted one.  To be fair ive never owned a Shoei or Icon, so I dont have much to say about the quality or fit of them.

[wessie]

For UK readers, Scorpion helmets came out very well in a recent Ride magazine test. EXO 1200 Air are from £228 in older colours, plain black £250 in Helmet City.
 
what seems a bargain are the earlier model EXO1000 Air for £120
http://www.helmetcity.co.uk/scorpion-exo-1000-air/
 
both 1200 & 1000 are ECE 22-05 Certified & Gold ACU Approved.
 
The Air models in the UK have inflatable cheek pads which might be a good idea
 
SHARP testing results not so good http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/scorpion-exo-1200-air - 3* from 5, due to poor side impact test
 
Compare to Shoei Qwest: http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/shoei-qwest which gets full 5 stars. In the UK the Qwest is the same price as the EXO1200.
 
Ultimately, head shape will dictate a helmet purchase but I will certainly add Scorpion to the list of helmets to try and the old model at £120 seems a bargain if you can live with knowing it is not so good as a Shoei in extreme testing conditions.
 
 

[suncoaster]

Thanks Wessie
That's an excellent price, and they ship to Australia too.

[1moreroad]

Note that sometimes the same basic helmet - even with the same name - may be slightly different in the EU/UK and the US. One helmet may not be DOT/ECE/Snell certified. There may be small differences. IIRC, in the mid-2000s, the Shoei X-11/X-Spirit were basically the same helmet BUT the EU version was slightly softer than the US version so that the US version could pass the Snell standard of the time.
 
Other helmets sold in the US are labeled as DOT/ECE certified.  Those are probably the same in both countries, er, continents.
 

[suncoaster]

Note that sometimes the same basic helmet - even with the same name - may be slightly different in the EU/UK and the US. One helmet may not be DOT/ECE/Snell certified. There may be small differences. IIRC, in the mid-2000s, the Shoei X-11/X-Spirit were basically the same helmet BUT the EU version was slightly softer than the US version so that the US version could pass the Snell standard of the time. 
Other helmets sold in the US are labeled as DOT/ECE certified.  Those are probably the same in both countries, er, continents.

True. Here on Australia we have an old standard (AS1698), which was heavily enforced in some states.
ECE22-05 has just been accepted in most states, so manufacturers no longer have to make an homologation special for us.
 
I think AS1698 and Snell are similar and that compliant helmets are heavier and thicker than DOT and ECE22-05.
 
A lot of us are waiting for a wider (Schuberth) and cheaper (Caberg) range of ECE22-05 helmets in the shops.
DOT and SNELL are not acceptable alone.
 
 

[n5odj]

How is it with eyeglasses?
 
Robert in Tennessee
 
 

[1moreroad]

I don't wear glasses when riding, but I can slide my reading glasses in with the helmet on no problem and no discomfort. Can't say what it's like to ride with them.
 

[1moreroad]

With 3000+ miles on it, a few criticisms. At certain sun angles (sun just above my line of sight) there is terrible glare across the visor. The inner sun visor has a scratch. Not sure how.
 
Still happy with the fit, ventilation, and lack of fogging.

[1moreroad]

Another update.
The inner sun visor is completely scratched up. Any low sun angle makes the visor useless. I'm wondering if the visor is rattling around when it's stowed. The scratches are only in the lower half of the visor. The inner visor does not appear to be replaceable or come out of the helmet.
 
It fogs terribly now. It must have been a coating. Part of this is the Givi touring screen - less airflow. I have some anti-fog coating I must reapply. Between fogging, rain, standing water and beat up roads that still had a fair amount of traffic including 18 wheelers, I felt unsafe.
 
 
Fit still feels good, but the forehead pads has compressed, and I'm slowly rubbing into the styofoam.  The black foam coating is gone.
 
 
EDITED TO ADD: After posting this I read through online comments.  Apparently the sun visor is easily scratched even when cleaning with a microfiber towel.  There IS a coating that is easily removed with what I consider "normal" cleaning (microfiber towel and Windex).
 
 

[CJ3cyl]

I've had this helmet for less than a year.  I was happy with it until the sun visor lever broke. I'm going to attempt to make one.

 

[CJ3cyl]

Contact Scorpion they'll send you a new lever. 😁