Shoei X-Eleven Helmet Review

This is a review that has been a long time coming. I finally got the opportunity to test out Shoei's top of the line helmet: The X-Eleven. Are all the features worth the sticker price? Read on to find out!

Fit and Feel

I'm going to start off this review with how the helmet fits my head. I have often proclaimed on this website that I have a very 'shoei-shaped' head and any helmet of theirs that I have tried on has fit me so well it almost seems custom made. I expected the X-eleven to be more of the same and I was a little surprised. The head shape of this helmet is slightly different than either the TZ-R or the RF-1000 that I have also reviewed. It seems a little tighter all around and you can really feel this extra pressure in the cheek pad area. It was never painful or uncomfortable even when using it for a couple hours at a time, but it is something to be noted. If you try on an RF-1000 and it just doesn't fit quite right then you may want to take a stab at the X-eleven.

One of the first things I noticed about this helmet after taking it out of the box is how lightweight it is! It is definitely the lightest helmet I have ever had the chance to wear and that translates directly to less neck fatigue when you are on long rides. The lack of weight alone is one thing that would help me justify the high cost of this helmet. Another thing that helps with strained muscles is the way the whole helmet is designed in a very aerodynamic way. There is a little rear spoiler on the top-back of the helmet that helps redirect the wind when you are on the bike at high speed. You can definitely notice the difference when you are at 60mph or higher.

Features

One thing that attracted me to this helmet is the look. Shoei helmets always have great paint jobs and my X-eleven was no exception. I chose the Kagayama 2 color scheme and I couldn't be happier. The pictures on the Internet really don't do all of the details of this helmet justice, it seems like a work of art. The paint is very durable, I've been testing this helmet for a little over a month now and I can't find any chips or crack even though I've put it through the ringer. My old TZ-R that was plain black held up nicely too and I had that one for over 4 years.

The X-elevens most prominent feature is the number of vents included in the helmet. There is one in the chin, one right above the visor, another set about 3 inches above that, and 2 more on the rear of the helmet. Those are the ones with covers that you can flick open and closed, there are other vents throughout the helmet that remain open all of the time. Having this many vents and 'switches' is a little overwhelming at first, I still haven't gotten down the muscle memory to be able to flick them all off or on while I'm on the bike. This is also the first helmet I have had where I chose to close the majority of the vents because I was just getting too much airflow! I bet this will be a godsend in the summer, but in these cold winter months I am thankful for the ability to keep most of them closed.

Like other shoe helmets the visor is easy to switch out depending on the lighting condition. They offer a ton of aftermarket visors in various shades that help cut the glare of the sun. I personally have a dark smoke visor that I use a lot of the time and it helps when I am riding into the sun. The extra visors are relatively inexpensive compared to some other helmet manufacturers which means you won't be crying if you scratch one on accident.

More Features

The helmet came with a chin curtain and a breath shield which can both be added or removed from the helmet depending on your preference. With the chin curtain installed the helmet really feels like its own little world since the only air that gets through is what you choose to let in via the multiple vents. Definitely a blessing in this cold weather but in the end I've chosen to remove it just because I always carry my helmet by the bottom of the chin guard and the curtain gets in the way when installed. I have kept the breath shield attached which does an adequate job of keeping the fog at bay. This helmet is definitely better than the TZ-R or the RF-1000 when it comes to fog, but in general I've found Shoei helmets not to be that great in this area. I have an HJC helmet that NEVER fogs and it is about 400 dollars less than this X-eleven. I hope that some day Shoei will really improve this feature with either a better breath guard or perhaps a shield built with an anti-fog component.

The last thing that I will mention which stands out on this helmet is the field of view. The way the visor area of this helmet is designed really leaves your view completely unobstructed. Only the very tips of my peripheral vision on the right and left are cut off when I am wearing the X-eleven. When I first tried it on it felt like I was going from a standard view from my normal helmet to widescreen in HD! Shoei definitely gets an A+ in this department.

Conclusion

The defining feature of this helmet for me is the cost. Depending on where you buy it and what color scheme you get you could be paying upwards of $623.69 dollars. This is just under 200 dollars more than the RF-1000 which comes in at $427.49.

Is the extra cost worth it?

It kills me to say this but in my situation the extra cost is NOT worth it. The X-eleven is only slightly better at fog reduction than the RF-1000, and it is only a little bit lighter than the RF-1000 as well. It is definitely aerodynamically superior to any helmet I have ridden with but all of those features don't justify a 200 dollar jump in cost for me. Maybe someone who spends a lot of money on track days and improving their racing times will be able to get more out of this helmet than I can. I think for the daily commuter the RF-1000 is a slightly less refined helmet for a LOT less money.

Do I still love my X-eleven? Absolutely! It is no doubt the best helmet I've ever worn. I use it every day and I've received multiple compliments on how nice it looks. One of the benefits of owning such an expensive helmet is people take notice because they haven't seen one like it before. I compare it to driving an exotic car which will turn a lot more heads than a Toyota Corolla. Sure its expensive but sometimes its nice to be noticed! In the end you will have to decide if the extra features in addition to the 'cool' factor are enough to justify the increased cost.

Pros

• Incredibly Aerodynamic
• More vents than you can shake a stick at
• Exquisit paintjob

Cons

• A very expensive helmet

Specs

The X-ELEVEN has been the helmet of choice for professional riders since it’s introduction. Built to race specifications, the X-Eleven was designed and developed in collaboration with professional riders, like Jake Zemke, Eric Bostrom, and Chris Vermeulen to name a few. Numerous hours in our wind tunnel and on racetracks around the world has produced an aerodynamically superior helmet with minimal lift and drag, plus incomparable fit and ventilation. The world’s most demanding riders demand nothing but the best. The X-ELEVEN only from Shoei.

• Quick Release Base Plate System
• Dual Liner Ventilation System
• 3D Comfort Liner System
• Upper Air Intake
• Lower Air Intake
• Dual Air Charge System
• Face Shield Defogging Vent
• Chin Curtain
• Rear Air Exhaust
• Neck Outlet Vent
• Exhaust Breath Chamber
• Breath Guard
• Aero Edge Spoiler With Exhaust Vent
• Preset Shield Opening Lever With Locking Mechanism
• CX-1V Shield
• AIM+Shell Construction
• Snell M2005
• 5 Year Warranty From Purchase Date. 7 Year Warranty From Helmet Manufacture Date. Whichever comes first.

Buy it at Riders Discount!