Motorcycle Helmets – Shoei Helmets Combine Style

by John Daniele

Motorcycle riders looking for a high-tech, high end helmet would do well to consider Shoei Helmets. Made and distributed by the Shoei Company, a Japanese firm, these helmets are both rugged and good-looking. Not only that, but newer models are usable in different settings. For instance, the Shoei Helmets line’s recent addition, the new Hornet-DS, can be configured by each rider, making it usable for both on-road riding and off-road riding depending on the owner’s needs and desires.

Shoei helmets are noteworthy as objects of industrial design, that is, these helmets not only perform the functions of providing protection for the rider’s head while providing adequate ventilation, they are also strikingly beautiful. Once again, the Shoei helmet, the Hornet-DS, is noteworthy. There is something rakishly elegant about the aerodynamic design of this helmet. When looking at this particular Shoei helmet, one is tempted to think that it has been purpose-built for looks rather than function. It projects forward from the cranium and terminates in a nose-piece in a way that would seem to make it suitable to be a Star Wars prop. However, this Shoei helmet looks the way it looks because it is scientifically designed to: 1] maximize protection of the head; and 2] provide optimal air flow in the service of the functional purposes of keeping the face and head cool and dry.

Regarding the toughness of the helmet, the earlier models of the modern Shoei helmets were introduced for use in the construction industry in Japan; the first motorcycle specific helmet being made in 1960. This helmet met the Japanese industrial criteria for robustness. The later versions of the Shoei helmets gave primary importance to the durability and crash resistance while designing the helmets. A sizeable majority of the company’s helmets met the standards of Snell Memorial Foundation’s M2005 rating. The Snell Memorial Foundation’s rating system has often been criticized for its strict rules regarding safety benchmarks. The models of the helmets that have received the Snell Memorial Foundation’s M2005 rating can be fairly judged to be the most reliable motorcycle helmets in the world. One key point to be mentioned is that the GRV helmet from Shoei was the helmet in which latest technologies such as carbon technology and Kevlar were first introduced.

Various versions of the Shoei helmet have won numerous industrial design awards as well as safety awards. The Honda Motor Company linked the Shoei helmet to its motorcycle product line in 1965 and this helped to stimulate sales.

Despite being a well-known and sought after brand internationally, Shoei Helmets are all still manufactured in Japan. The Shoei company takes great pride in keeping their entire manufacturing operation under close supervision in their Iwate, Japan plant, where all products are make. It is no wonder that Shoei Helmets are prized not only in Japan but in the United States and other countries as high quality and desirable helmets for all kinds of motorcycle riding.

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