Shoei X-SPR Pro helmet review

The Shoei X-SPR Pro is Shoei's race helmet. It's the Shoei helmet worn by their sponsored riders in series like Moto GP, WSB and BSB. It is designed specifically for racing, although Shoei always knew that it would also prove popular with deep-pocketed, sportsbike riders.

Frankly, it is not the kind of helmet that you would expect Motolegends to be ranging. And indeed, even though the helmet has been on sale for a few years now, we have not offered it before. And that's because we're not really a sportsbike kind of company. We don't sell race leathers, even two-piece race leathers. We don't sell race boots. And we don't sell racing gloves.

We take the view that you cannot be all things to all people, and so we have set out our stall to appeal to a few specific audiences.

We do some cool gear. We sell wax cotton jackets from the Belstaff Motorcycle Collection. We do the best motorcycle jeans from people like Rokker. And we do a lot of cool, retro-inspired leather jackets. We have all the best gear for commuting. So laminated suits from people like Rukka and Halvarssons. Boots from Daytona and Held. The most technical flip-lid helmets. And so on. We have also developed a bit of a specialism in adventure gear. Now everybody does adventure clothing these days. Some brands do laminated, adventure outfits. Others make adventure suits with drop-liner membranes. And some people manufacture outfits with removable membranes. We reckon we have a solution for you whatever kind of adventure rider you want to be; never forgetting, of course, that 'adventure riding' is in many cases just a fancy name for 'touring'.

This, we have long felt, is enough. We can't be experts in everything, and even though a number of us here ride sportsbikes or run track bikes, we just felt that that particular end of the market was well catered for by the chains.

And so we have never been minded to offer what one might term a serious, race helmet. And despite our relationship with Shoei, it never really even occurred to us to take on their X-SPR Pro race helmet.

What has turned our head a little is PFS, Shoei's revolutionary helmet fitting service, which we think is brilliant. Come into the shop these days looking for a helmet, and you'll find it difficult to leave without experiencing a PFS (Shoei Personal Fit system) fit. We want everyone to try it. The system pretty much guarantees a perfect fit, and if you're going to spend a lot of money on a Shoei helmet, you have a right to expect a pretty darned good fit.

But in talking with Shoei what became clear was that there was a demand from sportsbike riders, and trackday enthusiasts, to have an X-SPR Pro helmet custom fitted. If you're going to be racing around the track at high speed, it has to be hugely important to have a helmet that fits properly. You will never, on the road, subject a helmet to the kind of forces that you'll experience on the track. The speeds are higher. And so are the stakes. Your helmet has to fit right.

And nobody knows more about how to fit helmets using PFS than we do. We are Europe's leading PFS fitter. Nobody does as many fits as we do. Nobody knows more than we do about how to get a Shoei helmet to fit right.

Which is why we have been persuaded to take on the X-SPR Pro. Now that doesn't mean that we are changing direction. We still won't be offering leather suits, and I think it unlikely that the shop here will become over-run with bandy-legged, leather-clad bikers banging into the furniture with their knee sliders. But if you're prepared to spend upwards of £700 on a race helmet, it seems only right that the option should be there to have it professionally fitted. PFS is what Shoei uses to fit helmets for all their Moto GP, WSB, BSB and TT riders. Now you can get the same.

One of the issues is that the X-SPR Pro helmet is unlike any other Shoei helmet. The headliner is different. It is much more adjustable. We can do far more with the X-SPR Pro than we can with, say, a Shoei Neotec or a GT Air. But it is more complex. Sitting at home in front of the TV, your chances of getting the X-SPR Pro to fit properly are slim. And frankly most retailers won't have a clue. You need to have access to the sizing information provided by PFS. You need to have all the liners and inserts on hand. You need to know how to fit the various pads, liners and inserts. And you need to have access to the services of an experienced fitter.

Now we carry all the parts for the X-SPR Pro here in Guildford. We also have the knowledge and experience to ensure that they get fitted properly.

Anyway, what I am going to do now is briefly run through the features of the helmet. I am not going to do this in great detail because, in some ways, we are not trying to sell anybody on the merits of the helmet. In fact, for most of our customers it would simply be the wrong choice. But if you are going to buy one of these helmets, there are some things you should probably know.

Under the skin of the X-SPR Pro

The Shoei X-SPR Pro has been designed specifically for the track. And so it has an even stronger shell than you get on your average Shoei. Most Shoei helmets are constructed with what is known as an AIM shell. The X-SPR Pro has an AIM+ shell that is formed using a super-hard, sixth outer layer that serves to further protect against penetrations. (The standard AIM shell comprises just five layers).

Obviously, the helmet has been extensively wind-tunnel tested. The shape of the shell was very much formed in the wind tunnel, which also accounts for all the spoilers and aerofoils. Apparently, the helmet will still be stable at well over 200 mph, which is really good to know as you are barrelling down the A272 on your sportsbike on the way to Loomies for a bacon bap on a Sunday morning.

The helmet is ECE 22-06 accredited, but it is also FIM approved for international racing. It weighs just under 1500 grammes in size medium. That's pretty light, although there are probably lighter helmets out there. The helmet comes in four shell sizes, and that's important because the larger the number of shells, the better, in general, are the chances of getting a good fit.

Venting is always important when you're racing; and accordingly the X-SPR Pro is well equipped in this respect. But what has to be borne in mind is that the venting on this helmet is designed to work most effectively when you're leant forward over the bars. It won't work anywhere near as well if you're on an upright bike.

On the chin, the lower vent feeds air into the cheekpads. The cheekpads are aerated to allow the rider to feel the benefits of this. The upper vent is designed to demist the visor. There are three adjusters on the brow that feed air into four channels in the eps. You get lots of holes in the eps to maximise the cooling effect. There are two exhaust vents at the sides. Hot air can also escape through the rear spoiler.

The visor on the X-SPR Pro is interesting. It's basically the same visor as the Shoei NXR 2 helmet, except for the fact that it is equipped to take tear offs. This visor has as large a surface area as you'll get on pretty much any race helmet. It's also particularly tall, meaning that you will still get a good view down the track when you're tucked in behind the screen. On the edge of the visor there are what are known as Vortex Generators that help with the smooth flow of air around the helmet's shell.

Now because of the possibility of a visor opening, or becoming detached in an accident, the helmet has two separate safety devices. Little red switches in the visor mechanism itself prevent the visor release mechanism from operating. But you also get a locking slider at the front of the visor. This will prevent the visor from raising, even at 200 mph. But what we love is that when you push the slider into the 'lock' position when the visor is open it creates a brilliant 'crack' position. Hopefully, we'll get this on other Shoei helmets in the future. It's what everybody wants, and what everybody complains about on Shoei's other helmets. The helmet comes with a 120 Pinlock; and it's a particularly large one, meaning that when you're wearing the helmet, it's almost impossible to see the Pinlock's outer edge.

There's lots of other detail on the X-SPR Pro, but most of it is not of great significance, so let's run through it briefly.

The helmet fastens by means of a double-D ring. The cheekpads can be removed in an emergency by means of a set of EQRS pull straps. The chin bar has been designed to take a hydration system. And you get two different chin curtain systems. There are earwells to take speakers, although this might be considered a strange helmet for a comms. system, unless you need someone to tell you your lap times!

Obviously, there's no drop-down sun visor with the X-SPR Pro. You can get a whole range of tinted visors for it, but if you're going to miss a sun visor you might consider Shoei's photochromatic, Transitions visor that darkens in bright sunlight. But at over £200, it's not cheap.

If you're going to spend this much money on a helmet, you really owe it to yourself to get the fit right.

The only way to get a perfect fit is to go for a PFS fitting. Unlike many PFS dealers, we always hold stocks of all the PFS pads for the X-SPR Pro. Importantly, we always aim to hold all four thicknesses of cheekpad too. After all, there's no point in getting the X-SPR Pro to fit perfectly around the head, if it's then too loose, or too tight, around the cheeks.

Getting the fit right on the X-SPR Pro is much more complicated than it is with any other Shoei helmet. And that's because the head liner comprises six separate pads, each of which can be removed and repositioned. All of these pads can be made thicker, by adding specially shaped foam pads. Some of them can be made thinner by peeling off layers of the foam padding. The system offers an unparalleled level of customisation, but you need to know what you're doing.

Given the nature of the X-SPR Pro's headliner, you cannot simply buy different thicknesses of headliner in the way that you can with most other Shoei helmets. You can, though, still get different thicknesses of cheekpad for the helmet. The standard cheekpads come in a 35 mm thickness, but you can also get them in 31 mm, 39 mm and 43 mm sizes. There's no charge for these, by the way, when you buy a new helmet, although if you buy a set later the cost will be around £75.

Interestingly, the cheekpads on the X-SPR Pro can be adjusted in the helmet to raise the front of the helmet, for when you are tucked in behind the screen, but still need to be able to see down the track. This gives the helmet what is, in effect, a 'race' mode and a 'road, mode.

Obviously, the X-SPR Pro is not the only premium, race helmet on the market. In the past, an Arai helmet would probably have been the first choice for many, although that was back in the day when there were fewer choices. But these days you've also got Bell, AGV, Shark and others. But some of these helmets still only come in two shell sizes, and none of them offers the ability to create a bespoke fit in the way the X-SPR Pro does. In this particular respect, it's in a league of its own.

You can book a PFS appointment online by clicking here. It's pretty straightforward. Or you can phone for an appointment on 01483 407500.

This is probably the best way because you will get a specific time slot, and you won't have to wait.

We keep Fridays clear for PFS walk-ins. Just turn up, but if there are a few people in front of you, you might have to wait in our 'First Class' waiting room until there's a space. Up to you.

The appointment will last for up to 30 minutes; and of course we carry all the designs of the X-SPR Pro in stock. If we don't have your chosen design in your size, on the day, we may have to order your helmet in, but that's usually a next day affair. We'll fit the lining that was agreed upon, and send it out to you.

It goes without saying, I'm sure, that we can do a PFS fit on any helmet. But the good news is that, once a fitting has been completed, we'll have on record all your details for any Shoei helmet you might buy in the future.

Anyway, if the X-SPR-Pro, is your kind of thing, and if you want it to fit the way it's meant to, come and see us. We'll try and make sure you get the best out of it.

You can buy the Shoei X-SPR Pro motorcycle helmet with free next day UK delivery online, or visit our store in Guildford to try.