Tried & Tested
“Overall, the Neotec II is a great improvement on an already impressive helmet.”
Shoei Neotec II flip-front helmet
From £519.99 | Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | www.shoeiassured.co.uk
I like a good flip-front helmet. They might not be for everyone, but I love the ease and flexibility that they bring to riding. Especially ones like the Shoei Neotec II, which is legal for riding with the chin piece up or down. I used the old Neotec quite a bit, so I was excited to see what the difference is.
The shell (which comes in three sizes) is made from organic and multi-composite fibres in various layers for a shock-absorbent shell with optimum rigidity, and although – luckily – I haven’t crash tested the helmet, it feels nice and firm when you try to force the sides to move.
The lining is all removable and washable as you’d expect. Venting is provided by the chin and top vents, and an extractor at the back as with the old helmet, but the shaping of the vents is all new, with the chin vent in particular much easier to open and close than before.
The weight of the Neotec II is indicated as 1682g on my kitchen scales, while the old Neotec returns a 1709g with the Sena headphones, microphone and mount-plate attached, so the weight difference isn’t huge. What is clear though, when you examine the two helmets, is how much smoother the design of the new one is. The ridges between the chin piece
