Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127176
HONDA and YAMAHA PRODUCT EVALUATION Motorcycles present the 1989 DUNLOP U.S. INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX \A PRIL 74th, 75th and, 76th LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA AGV vs. Shoei: A tale of two Roberts Replicas T he visio n of Kenn y Rob ert s o n a Grand P rix Yam aha , knee-skim m ing th e tarm ac, rear wheel slid ing, is as vivid SOOcc to G P fans tod a y as it was whe n it was new s. But th at p icture is inc ompl ete without o ne mi nute detail the eagle a do rn ing KR' s helm et. When the three-time Wor ld champ competed in the 500cc GPs he wore AGV helm ets, a nd the Ita lia n manufacturer ca p ita lized o n hi s ac heivemerus by o fferi ng a repl ica helmet complete with th e trad emark eag le. Yea rs la ter, wit h " T he Kin g " man ag in g racing teams in the U.S. a nd a broad . a lon g co mes S hoei wa ving big bu cks. So now there's a Shoei replica hel met, Sa me bird . too. AG V represen tati ves jo ke th a t now tha t Ro berts is a tea m man ager he has a fat Shoei co n tract. (In a ll fairness, it must be sa id tha t Ro ber ts has wor n a Shoei hel m et ' whi le testing h is Team Lu ck y Stri ke Yarn ahas.) And w hi le that ma y be true; the bo ttom line is that bo th AGV an d Shoei ma ke qua li ty hel mets. T he Kevla rg lass AGV Mo nza 2002 a nd fiberglass Shoei G RV .Roberts d iffer in con structio n, bu t bo th have ma ny sim ila r fea tu res - ven ts in the for eh ead for coo ling a nd in th e chi nba r to pr event foggi ng; detach a ble breath deflector: in terc ha ng eable chi n gua rds; recessed face sh ield; and a cloth calTviug bag. T he Shoei sn;res' h ig lwr marks for its comforta ble fit. better venti ng and ease o f operation o f ' bo th the ven ts a nd the face shi eld. T he AG V weigh s less a nd is the q ui eter of th e two . T he AGV 's rose-co lored Iaresh ield is effect ive both for red uc ing th e su n 's g lare and b r ight en in g u p clou dy days - it's a lso eas ier to see thro ugh tha n th e Shoeis dark shield (clea r shields a I" availab le fro m both com pan ies) sho u ld the su n go dow n. Of th e two , th e S ho ei is 'th e seemi ng ly hi gher-qua lity helme t the AGV 's Iares hield wea thers tr ip ping a nd in sid e chi n bar padding came loose af ter a few mo nt hs. AGV is no lo nger p rod uc ing a Robert s rep lica. but there is adeq ua te stock rem a in in g to war rant including it here (no t to ment ion the o the r paint sche mes offered o n the sa me mod el helmet ). Shoe i a lso o ffers add itio na l pain t sche mes (incl ud ing the popular Edd ie Lawson replica ). Wh ich one's bett er? It dep ends O il you r requi rem ents. T he y're both fin e helmets. But with th e.AGV retai lin g for $2 19 and the Sho ei G R V $4 17.95, you co uld a lm ost bu y two AGV s for the p rice o f o ne Shoei . . . For m or e informati on co n tact AG V- U SA Cor p .. 5702 In du str y La ne. U n it 81, Freder ick. MD 71701. 30 1/663·4550 or Shoei Sa fet y Helm et Corp., 2228 Co tner Ave.. L.A.. CA 90064, 2 13/ 0177·605 1. Brian Catterson 2S0cc ) ~~ ~ --=::-00_ 7!S # ~i~~t RACEWAY Am • . .. CT IO .. I O ~ "_ J 5 "' ''fCT l()I\lfD K.", ln Schwont.. SI DEC A RS HONDA YAMAHA ~DUN.£OP For more information, call (408) 373-1811 Hilian I, the officia l car a nd tryck 0' I'JJ Iarlboro Lagu na Seea Roc. w ay The latest on two wheels! ' C y c l e News every week! Sell your old m o tor cycl e with a Cycle News Wa nt Ad . GOOD/i'EAR EACLE RACINC TIRES DRAG-Wider for Increased Traction EAGLE OT II-NEWShort and Long Track Compounds CDMPETITIDN TIRE 19" to 18" Rim Conversion .' ~ -, h ~ '" '<, (714) 530-6681 1278 7 PlIutw o o d St C .. den ~:~,~~ ~,~, ~2~~ ' UST P.O Box 301 . Readi ng . PA196113 12151 375-6191 WEST P.O. Box 666 8rOokI';n , MI49230 1 517l 592-6681 CANADA P.O Box 279 . 5t. Davtcls, ontario l.05-1PO 14 16l684·7418 Sen d For Catalog · Sh ipped Dailv Authorized Dislributm For 29