Shoei Qwest Review

[Bibio]

decided i needed a new lid so splashed some cash. i got the lid from these people http://www.helmetsuperstore.co.uk/Sh...ck_A11OIR.aspx was expecting the freebies to be cheep copy ones but i got a genuine black tint visor, oxford visor bag, and muc-off cleaning kit as advertised and i also got a genuine clear pinlock thrown in all for £270 delivered.

fit: the best helemt i have ever put on my head for fit. its perfect with no pressure points anywhere and hugs every part of my noggin its that good a fit for me its like someone has taken my head and custom fit the internals. the lining is very plush but its a bit warm.

vision: has to be said that the field of view on these is wide and tall, great stuff.

visor: this is where it is let down. without the pinlock insert (more on that in a bit) its useless even the slightest bit of breath causes the inside to steam up it realy is dreadful and has to be the worst i have ever come across but the good news (sortof) is that once the pinlock insert is put in place its great with no hint of steamy windows. downside to this is that the pinlock insert catches the top gasket when you are lifting the visor and you need to give it a bloody good push to get it to move. i like the little leaver lock on the side and works great, push up to lock the visor, click down to open visor to let a little fresh air in when in towns or in the middle for closed and normal use. i have noticed that if the visor is not shut properly you get a little whistle. has to be said this is one of the quickets visors to change i have had the pleasure of doing, simple.

ventilation. mouth vet is not bad but could be better. very easy to operate with a nice reassuring click. i noticed that if i put my hand in front of it like a blade just below the opening it makes it far more efficient but otherwise i would say adequate. top vent is fantastic and very easy to operate with a nice reassuring click just like the mouth one and flows a fair amount of air in. rear exhaust vents are a pain in the bum to operate but again have a little click to say you have done it but not as reassuring as the top and mouth ones. i noticed one strange thing in that if i left the rear vents closed i got more are on the top of my head.

noise: don't believe the hype its not as quiet as they are advertising and you still get buffeting sounds but wind rush is reduced. i have the chin guard/flap fitted.

in use: this helmet is just a different league. no buffeting and keeps your head stable in the right position which it was designed for which is a sit up one its sublime. no buffeting and just cuts threw the air. it's fantastic.

finish: fantastic and can't fault it one bit there are no blemishes anywhere and its well put together. the chin strap is a double D type but unlike my previous Bell M1/M2 the clip for the tail is to the left so a bit of getting used to for me.

weight: very very light indeed.

one of the reasons i got this lid was the fact my Bell was letting water in down the top of the visor when it rained and the advertising for the visor mechanism on the Qwest said that it forms a tight seal to stop this. i'm glad to say that one part of the marketing blurb is true and its fantastic. the other was that the Bell had a gap that used to push air straight into my eyes causing them to water and again the Qwest has addressed that issue with the tight seal around the visor.

i'm more that delighted with this helmet even though there is a few faults but they are minor and nothing is perfect.

a fairly pricey lid but its worth it.

[DJ123]

My Dad has this lid as does my brother. Both rate it and have had other makes like Arai, Shark, BMW etc

my dad just bought this as a replacement for his old shoei has'nt ridden in it yet as he has a multitec for work but got some ride outs soon so i'll ask and give a small review of what he said.

[Bibio]

update:

well i have had the qwest for 2 years and i must say its good but like everything it has its flaws.

i sussed out the visor sticking when opening, you have to push the leaver lock on the side all the way down to the 3rd position this opens the visor more and allows you to open it without it catching on the seal.

if you dont get the chin guard just right you get wind in your eyes and personally i cant ride without it being attached. i have had to install a piece of stretchy cord on the edge of the curtain to make it a better fit as it was all baggy and flapped about, now its perfect.

i fitted the breath guard and i must say its fantastic, takes a lot of the potential steaming away from the visor.

if you turn your head you get wind up the side of the helmet at the ear position which can sometimes be annoying but the good news is a 'whisper strip' solves this, the bad news about the whisper strip is that it makes the helmet very very tight for getting on and off. i found the fitting instructions wrong for the whisper strip in that i find it best if you put the chin curtain on first as i have found that i get a slight whistle the other way round. the whisper strip makes the qwest a better fit at the expense of being tight to get on and off, in fact it rips your lugs so ear piercings would be a no no.

i would like to see an actual 'breath vent' for flow of fresh air into the mouth rather than up against the visor which pushed air into your eyes.

overall i love the lid as its light, aerodynamic and comfy.

[NTECUK]

Thanks. Good to hear that on balance it works. Informative review might tip us away from the Aria when the time comes...

I'm a Shoei convert. Recently bought my first one (GT Air rather than Qwest) and I love it. The difference between the Shoei and my old AGV Stealth is night and day.

[Bibio]

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

[Ch00]

The Neotec is very good too.

[Littlepeahead]

My XR1000 is due to be replaced at the end of this summer and I've suffered all the same problems listed above but it's light and comfortable so will look at the GT Air if it fits me. They changed the shape between the XR1000 and XR1100 to be more rounded and when I tried one on it pressed hard against my forehead while leaving space at the sides so just going this won't be an issue with the Air.

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by Littlepeahead

XR1100 to be more rounded and when I tried one on it pressed hard against my forehead while leaving space at the sides so just going this won't be an issue with the Air.

this seems to be a common complaint about the XR1100.