Shoei Qwest Review

Originally Posted by Bibio

i have been looking at the GT air and i must say i do like the idea of the drop down sun visor.

Yeah, it's a really useful feature.

Both the Qwest and the GT Air are great helmets. Personally I ride with a flip up and shades on - best of all worlds - but then after a ride on a Harley in California this year wearing a **** pot, I am enjoying the freedom having the chin guard up allows. Not that safe tho . Review of both the Shoei GT Air and the Qwest here you might find useful. There's also a list of the safest helmet brands which makes some very interesting reading.

Originally Posted by richbilt

Both the Qwest and the GT Air are great helmets. Personally I ride with a flip up and shades on - best of all worlds - but then after a ride on a Harley in California this year wearing a **** pot, I am enjoying the freedom having the chin guard up allows. Not that safe tho . Review of both the Shoei GT Air and the Qwest here you might find useful. There's also a list of the safest helmet brands which makes some very interesting reading.

Interesting read. I'm surprised Arai are so low on the list.

[Bibio]

another update, it's definitely the whisper strip causing a slight whistle and i'm not entirely convinced it cuts the noise down. fitting the chin curtain under or over makes no difference to sound but increases wind in my eyes, fitting the chin curtain how Shoei recommends (which is over the whisper strip) is worse.

i think if Shoei were to increase the shell slightly further down the neck it would solve all the issues.

another thing i would like to see is the gaps at the top of the lining for air flow bridged with some netting as it makes my hair look like some sort of punk rocker from the 70's.

[Bibio]

thats the Qwest retired.

closing thoughts are that it has been a great lid, ok so it has it faults but so does everything. in the time i have had it the lining has compressed to fit my head perfect and it was a joy to wear and has been one of if not the best lid i have ever worn. i have had to buy a breath guard and the ear cushions which i think should come as standard in the box. the fit and finish has been pretty much great and is still pretty much like new after a good clean. just a pity that the lining is not removable.

what would have i liked to see to make it a better lid:
drop down visor
mesh spanning the gaps on the lining
removable lining for washing
thicker and lower padding around the bottom of the ears
quieter
better chin curtain

taking all the above into consideration i have now purchased a GT Air. i wasn't needing a new lid but the GT Air came up at a too good to miss price.

if your reading this and thinking of buying one then go for it if it fits right, at the moment the GT Air is i think around £50ish to buy over the Qwest but for me the drop down visor is worth this just to save the hassle of carrying another visor around. if you only ride during the day then no need for another visor and a tinted one will do. a spare visor is around £35+ pinlock so you might want to consider the GT Air.

are there better cheaper lids out there, very more than likely and a lid is only as good as it fits no matter what the price.