P80
PRODUCT REVIEW I
T
he modular helmet game has been hot-
ting up over the last few years. What's
that you say? Hotting up? Yes, like the
weekly game of backgammon at the old folks'
home, the modular helmet genre is now ultra-
competitive, and no longer seen as the style
of helmet for, well, old folks.
Shoei has been a leader in the modular
market for longer than most, with its Neotec
and now Neotec II dominating sales for the
past decade. It's a luxurious helmet, if ever a
helmet could be considered as such.
The Neotec uses a Shoei-exclusive five-ply
matrix AIM shell and multi-piece EPS liner
and ratchet closure strap, with multi-layer
SHOEI NEOTEC II ROAD HELMET
cheek pads with inbuilt
noise isolators to reduce
wind and ambient noise.
The shell uses a three-po-
sition upper air intake with
new exhaust extractors for
better cooling than on the
old Neotec, with the shape
clearly following the aero-
dynamic lines of touring-
focused RF1200.
The Neotec II runs a drop-
down tinted inner shield but
is not yet equipped to run
the Shoei CNS-2 transition
lens. It is, however, able to
run the Sena SEL Bluetooth
communications system,
Shoei calls SRL (Shoei
Rider Link). This particular
Bluetooth system has been
The Shoei Neotec II
helmet features a number
of improvements over the
original Neotec, including
improved aerodynamics
and sportier looks.
(Below) A new dual locking
system improves holding power
when fully opened.
