largely to a minimum. It's a
very stable helmet, although
I'm unsure just how much of
a difference the aero on the
rear actually helps.
Although I have always
hated them, the drop-down
visor is probably the best I've
tried on any helmet to date
and those extra 5mm almost
fully cover my field of view, only let-
ting the slightest area of unshaded
sunlight in. However, I feel that for a
premium helmet being sold at such
a premium price, they could do away
with the drop-down system and the
extra weight it brings and just fit the
transition shield in its place. I can
always dream.
That brings me to weight. Fully
loaded with the Sena SLR3 Blue-
tooth system, my Neotec 3 weighed
a hefty 4.35 pounds. There's no
getting around this, and for me, the
Neotec 3 is just way too heavy. Hav-
ing any helmet weighs that much
these days, regardless of whether
it is modular or not, leaves me a bit
cold, and after an hour in the Neotec
3, my neck muscles were quite sore.
However, the Sena SLR3 integrat-
ed Bluetooth system is a very good
unit. It runs the premium Harman/
Kardon speaker and microphone set-
up, is capable of a four-way intercom,
noise canceling, voice command and
mesh with a five-mile range.
The Harman/Kardon speakers are
boomers and very close to the qual-
ity of the JBL speaker setup found
in archrival Cardo's recent systems.
The fact that the whole design is
integrated into the Neotec 3 makes
for a slim and neat design.
There'll be plenty of riders out
there who'll love the Neotec 3, but at
the end of the day, for me, the helmet
is too heavy. Like the Neotec II, it is a
very well-made helmet. Its luxurious
liner is a high point, but I'll be sticking
with my far lighter and, admittedly,
non-modular helmets in the future.
Rennie Scaysbrook
• LOVELY SOFT LINER
• RATCHET SECURE IS EASY AND
QUICK TO USE • DROP-DOWN VISOR
NOW COVERS NEARLY ALL OF
PERIPHERAL VISION
• LOVELY SOFT LINER
• TOO HEAVY FOR ME
• DOT-ONLY • AN INCREASE OF
$300 COMPARED TO THE OLD
NEOTEC II (NOT INCLUDING SENA
SLR3 BLUETOOTH SYSTEM).
List Price: Shoei Neotec 3 Helmet: $999
Sena SLR3 integrated Bluetooth unit: $359
Website: https://shoei-helmets.com/products/neotec-3-grasp.html
HELMET WITH
SENA SLR3
INTEGRATED
BLUETOOTH
UNIT
RIDER ANALYSIS
A few years ago, I went through a bit
of a modular-helmet phase. I wore
them constantly, but in recent times,
not at all. I got rid of all of them and
went back to my usual full-face
Shoeis and Arais.
The Neotec II was the last helmet
I had that flipped up, and it was by
far the most luxurious helmet I'd
ever worn, thanks to the inner lining
that felt more in place in a high-end car.
The Neotec 3 is not a massive
departure from the Neotec II. It's not
a game changer in terms of design or
looks or fitment, the latter of which I
have been having a few issues with.
I'm a more rounded oval head shape,
thus, an intermediate oval really
doesn't do it for me. I'll be going to a
Shoei dealer in the next few weeks to
get properly fitted and we'll see if that
makes a difference.
At speed, the Neotec flows a good
amount of air and wind noise is kept
Snapping the
helmet down is
easy with a
decent pull.
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P123
