I picked up a Shoei X-11 about 2 months ago and really like it. It's farily quiet and the airflow is okay, but not great (compared to an Arai Corsair). Today I looked at a few Suomy Extreme helmets and I'm wondering how they compare with the Shoei X-11. Does anyone have experience with these two helmets?
The Shoei X-Eleven is far superior. I owned one for two years and just sold it and purchased a Suomy Spec 1R Toseland replica. The only possible advantage the Suomy may have is weight. It feels a little lighter, but it's the noisiest helmet I've ever worn, the optical quality of the shield is just OK, the strap buckle digs into my neck, and there's no airflow that I can detect. Also, on the first day the black locking tab at the bottom of the faceshield fell off and is gone. To Suomy's credit, they're sending me a replacement plastic thingy. The Shoei flows more air than any other helmet I've ever worn. I wish I hadn't sold it.
Thanks for the feedback!
I have a Spec 1R Bostrom replica. Best fitting helmet I've had. I've owned mostly cheapie's until now so it doesn't seem that noisy to me. It is light. I had 2 quality control issues that Suomy resolved with no problems. The plastic vent on top blew off the second or third time I wore it. The anti fog coating on the face shield bubbled up and started peeling off. They sent a new shield ($100) for free as well. The finish is fantastic. I think I just got a bum one in those two areas and would buy another as it fits great and is like I said very light.
www.webbikeworld.com would be a good resource to check out for info on this.
Here's the review of the Spec1R Extreme. They use the RF-1000 and X-11 for reference a couple of times.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/suomy-helmets/suomy-extreme.htm
If you're interested in what many consider to be the best helmet from an air flow standpoint read their OGK FF-5 review and ping simon-kobe over at speedzilla if interested.
Cheers
Based on my personal shopping experience, I'd be shocked if a Suomy fit the same person that a Shoei fit. Screw the reviews and shop with your head. Nothing is more important than a snug, COMFORTABLE fit.
I put one on shortly after reading some reviews. It was like putting my head in a vise and gave me an instant headache. Going to stick with my Shoei.