Shoei Raid 2 v Shoei XR1000

by Bruce
(Auckland, New Zealand)

I ride a GT250R with a Screemin Demon muffler. Initially I was using the Raid 2 which seemed ok but had I had a few niggles with it.

The first was the visor/chin venting system which did not keep the visor clear at all. The second was the general venting system which did not feel very effective.

Finally, on long rides I found the built-in spoiler to be pretty ineffective. I have a fused neck between C5 and C7 and the Raid 2 left me with a very sore neck.

Recently I changed to a Shoei XR1000 and whilst it is a little noiser than the Raid 2 (lets face it, I can use ear plugs if I want though!), there are huge differences between the two helments and I wont go back to a Raid 2 again.

First, whilst the weight difference may only seem small at 70g (+/-40g), it is noticeably lighter and so more wearable.

Secondly, the visor/chin ventilation keeps the visor clear (no need for a anti-fog attachment) and also ventilates your face well without blasting it.

The whole ventilation system keeps you head cool and is far better than the Raid system. Finally, the XR1000 spoiler does a much better job than the built-in Raid 2 unit, and so neck pressures (combined with a lighter weight) are far less.

In short... if you are down to the Raid 2 or XR1000 as you choice, I recommend XR1000.

More info about the Shoei XR1000 (now updated to the XR1100)