Shoei RF-1000 - Picotte 3 TC-5

Well after my spill over the weeknd, I needed a new helmet. I went to my local yamaha dealer on the way home and decided to stop and check out some new lids. It came down between a HJC, Arai, or the Shoei. All different helmets, and different prices. After a long dilberation annd meticoulous detail spec comparison, I decided to go with the Shoei RF-1000 - Picotte 3 TC-5.


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New Helmet


I wore it today....Wow...I had a scorpion ex-700 and being my first helmet...that helmet was great...but after with the Shoe, the helmet is quiet, really quiet and very light. Airflow is comfortable and just enough. Even when going 75/80 mph and looking back, my old helmet would cause my head to jerk with the wind, with the shoei, I am able to just easily look back and make no effort to prevent my head from doing all kinds of things. I didnt get the greatest deal....retail is $514.99, I paid $420 with tax. I could have gotten it cheaper on ebay....but didnt want the hassle of waiting on it. I think I made a good investment.....plus its really cool having ppl look at the lid like Whoaaa.

This sport is becoming expensive..... OUCH! ohmy.gif

Great choice of helmet. Looks good biggrin.gif

I have the RF-1000 Joust TC1 (red). It is an awesome helmet! Mind you, the last helmet I bought new was an RF-200(!). The 200 feels like a brick compared to the 1000. What a difference 15 years makes.

Very nice....can't go wrong there! beer.gif

fing02.gif fing02.gif Great choice

Very happy with mine its a Diabolic
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Nice lid.

I have the X-11 Vermuelen and it rocks, it replaced my beloved Monza Red X-11 that gave its life for my purty face. What I love is owning a traditional helmet that weighs less than the carbon fiber HJC.

It actually is shiny unlike the photo.

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One thing I noticed today after using my old scorpion helmet was the inside padding. The scorpion has much more heavier padding, plus its like a mesh material, where as the shoei is almost like a "cottonish", fuzzy material. I guess this is one of the reasons why the shoei is lighter. I do have to admit I like the padding better inside the scorpion. I might have to try to see if I can switch them out? If, of course everything lines up properly.

One other thing is the visor is very easy to lift up, where as the shoei you have to pull hard. Its a safety feature, I know, but its kinda annoying, cause you really have to tug at the helmet, and if you use headphones or plugs, it tends to move them around.

The Shoei is undoubtly quiter and lighter. Also it looks good. No real complaints except these two, I guess I just wanted to just input more of my 2 cent expertise. cool.gif

g_unit, Jun 16 2006, 03:03 AM
the helmet is quiet, really quiet

Quiet? unsure.gif You sure you are talking about a RF-1000? While it is a great helmet (I have two RF-1000's DuHamel replicas) it is anything but quiet. It is one of the loudest helmets I have ever worn.

Crash1973, Jul 19 2006, 10:18 AM
Quiet? unsure.gif You sure you are talking about a RF-1000? While it is a great helmet (I have two RF-1000's DuHamel replicas) it is anything but quiet. It is one of the loudest helmets I have ever worn.

Hmmmm.......its certainly quieter than the scorpion (the only other helmet I have owned and worn). I think its way quieter. I have noticed though at speeds after 70, it gets some wind noise, but no buffeting, or getting your head ripped off when looking to the side or to the back. I have yet to try the chinguard thing and have noticed that when I zip my jacket up all the way and kinda bring my neck down there isnt much noise. Weird.

g_unit, Jul 19 2006, 11:13 AM
Hmmmm.......its certainly quieter than the scorpion (the only other helmet I have owned and worn). I think its way quieter. I have noticed though at speeds after 70, it gets some wind noise, but no buffeting, or getting your head ripped off when looking to the side or to the back. I have yet to try the chinguard thing and have noticed that when I zip my jacket up all the way and kinda bring my neck down there isnt much noise. Weird.

Maybe it just fits better. Uncharacteristically loud noise is a symptom of a poor fit. It's so hard to tell in a shop if a helmet really fits. Yes, there are ways to test a helmet fit with pulls and wiggles, but you really need to wear it for at least 30 mins so the padding gets to compress. It's even different on a bike with all of the wind forces.
I bought a helmet a couple of weeks ago, and it fit great in the shop, meaning it felt even better that the one that I had, but I was able to wear it home, then test ride it for a couple of hours. I ended up returning it, because it actually didn't fit right. It was an Arai with a slightly different head shape. It's just odd how it felt so great at first, but sucked later on.

I was surprised to see that you were able to compare features between Arai, Shoei, HJC, etc, because the fit is different across every brand, and that's what matters the most. And it gets even more complex with Arai, who has at least three different melon shapes.

Unfortunately, I have a head that an Arai fits best, which means I could go broke on a helmet alone. It took me a few helmets to figure this out, but I got lucky the last time, because the shop accepted returns.

I have the RF1000 Nerve, very cool. I would agree that it's kind of a noisy helmet but I put the Windjammer II on the bottom of mine and that helped a ton, even the chin guard will take some noise away. I noticed after the Windjammer install that I don't have to turn my radio up as loud to hear it which is good.

Ah, I hate you. By hate I mean I am jealous. dry.gif I have the Pascal Picotte jacket, both leather and the Rocktex version along with the leather matching gloves. I tried to buy an RF-900 black Picotte helmet about 2 years ago after looking for a long time and got a great deal on one, but the retards at UPS "lost" it. I was so mad about it that I didn't even look any more to find another. Then I noticed recently that the RF-1000 helmet has the Picotte scheme as well which attracted my attention again. Nice helmet!

okiengr, Jul 19 2006, 12:39 PM
Ah, I hate you. By hate I mean I am jealous. dry.gif I have the Pascal Picotte jacket, both leather and the Rocktex version along with the leather matching gloves. I tried to buy an RF-900 black Picotte helmet about 2 years ago after looking for a long time and got a great deal on one, but the retards at UPS "lost" it. I was so mad about it that I didn't even look any more to find another. Then I noticed recently that the RF-1000 helmet has the Picotte scheme as well which attracted my attention again. Nice helmet!

Man that does suck, did UPS take care of it for you?? I have never seen the Picotte Jacket, and gloves...will have to check it out. Dont hate me that much......just kidding. I got a fairly decent price on it ~420. Considering it retails for 500, I just looked at like I was getting a good deal, and just sacrificed about 3 months worth of eating out, and a nice paycheck!!

$420 for an stylish RF-1000??? That's a great deal imo. I got a plain black one just cuz it was cheaper and I paid $370 for it! Good deal

btw, using the chin guard does help cut out some noise, but the most significant thing is that it keeps crap from blowing up into inside of the helmet. I've been through some 60mph winds in the valleys here in southern cali and I used to get leaves, bugs, dust flying all over -- after I put on the chin guard, it kept all that out!

Great choice. +1.gif Mine is just black. The aerodynamic is great compare with my old HJC CL-15

Just got a sweet deal on an x-11 for $350.00. I'm loving life. I think the stiff visor gets better as the helmet gets broken in. Same with the fit. It should be a little tight when you first get it and it conforms to your head. I think that may be the difference between those of you who think it noisy and those who think it quiet.

Just tried on my cl-14 after a couple of weeks with the shoei. I can't believe I wore it for so long. Now I know how much it doesnt fit my head...

Jon, Jul 19 2006, 03:37 PM
Just got a sweet deal on an x-11 for $350.00. I'm loving life. I think the stiff visor gets better as the helmet gets broken in. Same with the fit. It should be a little tight when you first get it and it conforms to your head. I think that may be the difference between those of you who think it noisy and those who think it quiet.

Just tried on my cl-14 after a couple of weeks with the shoei. I can't believe I wore it for so long. Now I know how much it doesnt fit my head...

Now thats a pretty sweet deal!! Did you buy off an online store?

Nope, new from a fellow member. Its a 2005, but who cares? a red Daijiro.

Crash1973, Jul 19 2006, 02:18 PM
Quiet? unsure.gif You sure you are talking about a RF-1000? While it is a great helmet (I have two RF-1000's DuHamel replicas) it is anything but quiet. It is one of the loudest helmets I have ever worn.

That's my experience.

I'm like... unsure.gif when someone calls the RF-1K "quiet".

vleigh, Jul 19 2006, 04:01 PM
That's my experience.

I'm like... unsure.gif when someone calls the RF-1K "quiet".

I call it quiet compared to my old helmet....remember I am a new boob....so this helmet feels like heaven for me (only my 2nd lid). But I cant wait to try some newer helmets eventually way down the road, hopefully the new ones that will feature:

A. Whisper Quiet
B. Rear View Mirror (I know there is that company that is trying to make one)
C. All integrated options - bluetooth, music, phone, night vision, autotinting visors, a/c cooled liners, tube to
for drinking fluids, voice reconigtion notepad, video camera, okay...........i am kidding

I cant wait though when all this becomes a reality.

I had the rf1000 until I went down. I replaced it with the ex700. I like them both about the same, however I could easily afford the ex700 and the color scheme matched my bike better.

Jon, Jul 19 2006, 01:37 PM
Just tried on my cl-14 after a couple of weeks with the shoei. I can't believe I wore it for so long. Now I know how much it doesnt fit my head...

Whew... it's not just me then. I recently picked up a plain ol' gray RF1000 and love it. Fits great, quiet (relatively), and looks neat too (the air foil thingy). Just for kicks, I tried on the AGV I had before, and it rattled all around on top of my head. Paying an extra couple of bucks for someone to assist with a "for real" fitting was big-time worth it.

DB

g_unit, Jul 19 2006, 12:03 PM
Man that does suck, did UPS take care of it for you?? I have never seen the Picotte Jacket, and gloves...will have to check it out. Dont hate me that much......just kidding. I got a fairly decent price on it ~420. Considering it retails for 500, I just looked at like I was getting a good deal, and just sacrificed about 3 months worth of eating out, and a nice paycheck!!

Yeah UPS paid for it, but it was the fact that I looked so long for a black medium and got a good deal on it. It took that long to find that one so I gave up. Here's my jacket. It has a huge joker on the back of it that's pretty sweet. That's my two brothers in the pic. Not me. I'm much better looking goofy.gif

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Some of you guys think you have old helmets. I have a hand-me-down HJC FG9 that I have to wear ear plugs with because the wind noise is so bad. To put it into perspective, my uncle had it when he had his bike about 12 years ago! ohmy.gif

A buddy of mine says that for the money and quality, Scorpion helmets can't be beat. He has the EXO-700. They have permanent anti-fog visors, removable liners so you can wash them and even different liner colors available, and retail is only $225. He said that the fit is excellent as well. Has anyone else bought one of these? www.scorpionusa.com

The orange looks good!! Nice!

vleigh, Jul 19 2006, 01:01 PM
That's my experience.

I'm like... unsure.gif when someone calls the RF-1K "quiet".

Stand up on the pegs and put your head in "clean air". The rf-1000 is whisper quiet. The noise you hear while seated is turbulence from the bike, not noise from the helmet. Maybe the rf-1000 doesn't block *external* noise, but the helmet itself is not noisy.

I'd be willing to bet my naked head in clean air is noisier than the rf-1000, if I was the type to ride helmet-less.

I went and purchased a "High Definition Orange colored visor" last week for the Shoei. All I can say is WOW. It cuts glares, brings out more depth and it seems like its almost like a polarized visor. I am glad I do not have to mess with putting on my glasses, taking them off, etc. Also night time driving isnt too bad, it does a great job of cutting glare, but the lights are a little weird looking, since everything seems to be sodium or orange bulbs. Just wanted to share my 2 cents.

After seeing those helmet graphics I kinda feel bland about mine. I have had helmets with graphics in the past but, these days I gravitate towards solid colors with dark smoke visors. My current helmet is a Shoei RF-1000 in black. Maybe I am just getting old, or cheap.... Possibly both biggrin.gif

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rjstaaf, Jul 31 2006, 03:57 PM
After seeing those helmet graphics I kinda feel bland about mine. I have had helmets with graphics in the past but, these days I gravitate towards solid colors with dark smoke visors. My current helmet is a Shoei RF-1000 in black.

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Rjstaaf, aint nothing wrong with the black. My "ex" helmet is a black colored one, so I opted for color this time. I think the next helmet will be a solid though, which I hope I wont be needing anytime soon!!

I have the same one, with "Voltage" print. I like very mucho.

I got mine without the cold weather inserts, shoei mailed them to me for free.

jstanwood, Jul 20 2006, 01:27 AM
Maybe it just fits better. Uncharacteristically loud noise is a symptom of a poor fit. It's so hard to tell in a shop if a helmet really fits.

Truth...I'm on to my second XR1000, the first was a Large size which fitted great in the shop but after a a few months got a little loose, didn't wobble or move around when shaking my side to side.

After a slide in Nov '04 have replaced with a XR1000 Medium size, initially was tight but has molded snuggly to my head and is much better fitting than the Large.

The Large was definatly the noisier of the two sizes although still use ear plugs when covering distance, what I like about this helmet design is the total lack of buffeting my previous AXO gave me.

The other good design feature is the little left lever which you can click up opening the visor a crack to help prevent fogging on cold mornings.

I have such a large melon I spent years in cheap helmets beause I couldn't find a better one that fit. I finally ran across a RF-1000 in XXXL that had been sitting on a BMW dealers shelf for over a year because he couldn't sell it. It's a great fit but Shoei doesn't offer it in anything but solid colors. :-(

Too bad I can't lose weight from my head.

sandman, Aug 5 2006, 12:54 PM
I have such a large melon I spent years in cheap helmets beause I couldn't find a better one that fit. I finally ran across a RF-1000 in XXXL that had been sitting on a BMW dealers shelf for over a year because he couldn't sell it. It's a great fit but Shoei doesn't offer it in anything but solid colors. :-(

Too bad I can't lose weight from my head.

It may just be a matter of getting the right shape. You can change your head shape to fit any helmet you like. idea3.gif Just wrap a tight turban around your head and don't take it off, like some of those primitive tribal folks. Periodically re-tighten the turban. Your skull will eventually take on the shape that you constrain it to.

Crash1973, Jul 19 2006, 10:18 AM
Quiet? unsure.gif You sure you are talking about a RF-1000? While it is a great helmet (I have two RF-1000's DuHamel replicas) it is anything but quiet. It is one of the loudest helmets I have ever worn.

After a recent spill in a RF-1000 Anthracite, I just ordered another one, Joust in blue.
Thought some graphics would spice things up a bit? (must be getting old)

One of the louder helmets I've worn. (I wear plugs as well)
A trade off for the great ventilation me thinks. wink.gif

I upgraded from a 8 year old Shoei RF800 just recently to a RF1000. It was posted on VFRD about a closeout at AcuraWorld.Com on RF1000s, only 199.00 delivered!

I also find the RF1000 to be louder than the older RF800, mostly when you turn you head from pointed straight ahead. This I see as a byproduct of the increased ventilation that the RF1000 provides, I find that my hair is more messed up when I get to work with the 1000, but my head is much cooler during the ride.

I also think the RF1000 is quite a bit lighter in weight when compared to the RF800, I have not had a chance to weigh them though.

I was hoping that the face shields would work on both the RF1000 and the RF800 since I already have several extra shields. Alas, they are not interchangable though.

Here is the new $200 Shoei RF1000

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