Shoei Gt Air vs Scorpion exo t1200

[justin]

Hello, I am contemplating purchasing a new helmet next summer. After doing a bit of research It came down to two helmets.Shoei Gt Air & Scorpion exo t1200. I saw a thread on this website about the scorpion, but none for the Shoei. My questions are as followed. 1.From current & previous helmet owners, any suggestion on what helmet I should buy?2. To the best of your knowledge, is the Shoei with his 729.00 (cad) price worth the cost premium vs the Scorpion with his 349.00 (cad) price tag?
Thank you much appreciated

[darkstar77]

Have you tried either of them on? Walked around the store for a bit while wearing them? If you haven't, do that first. Shoei and Scorpion have a different fit, and you might find one isn't comfortable. Personally, I like Scorpion helmets, but they fit terrible for me. I like the look, and the features. The shape is wrong however, and the shell runs on the small side. The Shoei helmets I've tried have all fit nicely. They do make a nice lid, but I feel like you're paying a little for the name too.
 
I will say that I see conflicting ratings on that shoei helmet; some say DOT, some say ECE... I personally would never buy a DOT only helmet. I prefer snell and ECE rated lids.
 
Scorpion is only DOT, which is disappointing. Check out Fortnine's video on DOT if you're not sure why DOT sort of sucks.

[roadrash83]

I have a Scorpion EXO-1100 helmet That I really like but it is a little louder than some of the helmets I have had in the past. The EXO that I have is DOT and ECE compliant.

[betoney]

Have you tried either of them on? Walked around the store for a bit while wearing them? If you haven't, do that first. Shoei and Scorpion have a different fit, and you might find one isn't comfortable. Personally, I like Scorpion helmets, but they fit terrible for me. I like the look, and the features. The shape is wrong however, and the shell runs on the small side.

I agree completely, don’t buy a helmet based on brand name or price, buy it based on your head shape. 
I bought a Scorpion and it fit fine for about 2 hours then put agonizing pressure on my forehead, and it was LOUD. I then bought the Shoei GT -Air and it fit like a glove as well as being much quieter.  I have used it on many road trips where daily ride time was over 10 hours, without issues. 

[bugie]

I own the GT-air and previously had the xr1000. I found that helmet a much better build quality to the other Caberg and Shark i have owned. Pros are it is well built, light, very comfortable, comes with a double d clip and has an inbuilt sun visor. It also comes with an emergency release system which allows the helmet to be easily removed by medics. The cons are it is a little louder than other helmets and I don't rate the ventilation as great. Overall I love the helmet and have used it for touring where i am easily in the helmet for 8 hrs or more.
 
As said above though, buy a helmet primarily for it's fit as opposed to cost
 
P.s. My Shoei is ECE rated and comes with a double D clip. I believe thar depending on the country they can either come with a double d or a buckle

[bugie]

P.s. The GT-air is at end of life as the GT-air 2 has been launched so there should be large discounts available. If they haven't yet hit shops near you then waiting a little while should help you make a saving. In Europe there is already close to discounts of about 50% on certain models. Also, be careful not to mix colour schemes like the GT-Air wanderer 2 with the GT-air 2.

[justin]

Thank you fellows for the quick reply. I will make sure to go try them both before purchase & not base my decision on cost/brand name. I am curious, do we know when the gt-air 2 is officially coming out? So I have an idea when to price hunt for a discounted gt-air

[justin]

Almost forgot, my current helmet is a bell arrow. I am sure either one will be a big improvement over the one I currently have.

[DavidS]

helmets fit differently, so trying it on is a must. If you are lucky enough to have a head shape similar to most of the population, you should be fine from a fit perspective. If you have a narrow or wide head, your choices (and brands) will be more limited. I have a long narrow head, and it's always a struggle to find helmets that fit well.

[bugie]

Thank you fellows for the quick reply. I will make sure to go try them both before purchase & not base my decision on cost/brand name. I am curious, do we know when the gt-air 2 is officially coming out? So I have an idea when to price hunt for a discounted gt-air

www.helmetcity.co.uk list as early 2019 and already have heavily discounted helmets.

[justin]

Thank you fellows for the quick reply. I will make sure to go try them both before purchase & not base my decision on cost/brand name. I am curious, do we know when the gt-air 2 is officially coming out? So I have an idea when to price hunt for a discounted gt-air

www.helmetcity.co.uk list as early 2019 and already have heavily discounted helmets.

Oh wow, that is awesome. I hope they will be on my side of the world by spring as they advertise so I can start looking for my new helmet at a discounted rate if I chose the shoei.  

[darkstar77]

Almost forgot, my current helmet is a bell arrow. I am sure either one will be a big improvement over the one I currently have.

I think the Bell fit is much closer to the Shoei fit. As mentioned above, the Scorpion fit pinches my forehead as well, while my current lid fits lovely (Bell Star in 3XL).

[keithu]

Also, don't make assumptions about fit based on past experience. I always used to wear Shoei RF-series full face helmets, but their modulars don't fit me at all. I can't wear Shuberth, either.
 
I currently have a Scorpion Exo GT3000. It fits very well and has excellent airflow. But it is a tad loud.

[maximo]

Yes to all the above. I used the Scorpion EXO 900 for a few years, it fit me well and was very balanced, despite its heavy weight. I just replaced it with the EXO AT950 and the fit is not nearly as comfortable, and the balance is too far tilted to the front for my riding style. I probably should have walked around the store longer wearing it. 

[rlambke19]

On 10/16/2018 at 12:45 PM, justin said:

Oh wow, that is awesome. I hope they will be on my side of the world by spring as they advertise so I can start looking for my new helmet at a discounted rate if I chose the shoei.  

Justin - are you located anywhere near Toronto? If so, GP Bikes always has great deals on helmets at the Bike Show in January. I plan on picking up a Shoei GT-Air or RF-1200 at the show next month. You can try on helmets to your hearts' desire and choose then. Just a suggestion.