Modular (Flip-up) motorcycle helmets like the Shoei Neotec 2 can sometimes get a bad rap. Generally speaking, they are heavier, louder and overall just less safe than their full face brethren. The Shoei Neotec 2 does a very good job of putting most of these concerns to bed with their new top of the line Neotec 2 modular helmet.
The Shoei Neotec 2 comes with a long list of improvements over it’s older brother, which make it a worthy step up from it’s older brother and have made it one of the absolute best modular helmets that money can buy.
Neotec 2 Upgrades
So what has changed on the ShoeiNeotec 2 to make it better than the old Neotec?
Comfort
The first thing you will notice when putting a Neotec 2 on your head, is just how plush the new comfort liner is.
This is perhaps one major benefit of a modular (flip-up) motorcycle helmet. This is because you open the chin bar up before putting the helmet on, which allows the Shoei Neotec 2 to have a tighter seal around your neck. It also means that you don’t rip your ears off just trying to get the damn thing on!.
Also new for this new Neotec, is the extra padding around the chin strap and along the bottom lining of the helmet. This not only makes the Shoei Neotec 2 more comfortable to wear but will remove helmet noise.
One thing we must mention on the comfort side though is that it weighs 1750 grams, which for a helmet is considered quite heavy. We guarantee though that unless you have a very weak neck, you won’t find the weight of the Shoei Neotec 2 an issue. This is due to the fantastic Aerodynamics that make the helmet incredibly balanced.
Helmet noise
Once I got out on the road with the Neotec 2 I immediately noticed just how quiet it was. I actually can’t imagine how a helmet could get any quieter than this. It was sublimely quiet!.
Now obviously all helmets make noise and I would still recommend wearing ear plugs. But you can tell that the aerodynamic changes and the changes to the liner have made a big impact on noise over the previous Neotec.
This has yet to be tested, but in my opinion, the Shoei Neotec 2 is now the quietest modular motorcycle helmet on the market. Even quieter than the previous king, the Schuberth C3 pro.
Ventilation
The previous Neotec had some class leading ventilation, but this new Shoei Neotec 2 takes ventilation to a whole new level.
When the vents are closed, you get next to no air through the vents. There is nothing worse when you are in freezing cold weather than having vents which basically make no difference when they are closed. This certainly is not an issue with the Neotec 2.
When the vents on the Shoei Neotec 2 are open though, they vent a silly amount of air. The chin vent sends a load of air flying up towards the visor and the head vent will evenly distribute air better across your head, instead of creating a cold spot like the old Neotec.
Then you have the venturi vent on the rear, which sucks out the warm moist air from the rear. The rear venturi on the Shoei Neotec 2 is however now static and cannot be closed. This isn’t really an issue though, because it will only flow air if the front vents are open anyway and won’t cause you to get cold in cold weather.
Visors
The main visor for the Shoei Neotec 2 has had an upgrade over the previous Neotec which was already a great visor. The new visor is more streamlined to prevent wind noise and has a new gasket for a better seal against the helmet.
Inside you have the same drop down sun visor mechanism as what was on the old Neotec, which was already a great system and had nothing we would say needed improved on.
Neotec 2 Sena SRL Bluetooth
The Shoei Neotec 2 comes with cutouts dedicated to the Sena SRL Bluetooth communicator system. The Sena SRL is essentially just a Sena 20s in disguise, which is great because the 20s is one of the leading Bluetooth communicators.
The previous Neotec had speaker cutouts and that was the end of it. The Shoei Neotec 2 has evolved on this and now has cutouts for the main module on the side, a cut out in the rear of the helmet for the battery and cutouts for the speakers and microphone.
The sound from the SRL speakers is more than loud/clear enough to hear over some ear plugs and because there is so little wind noise from the Shoei Neotec 2, the sound doesn’t get drowned out at speed like on some helmets.
Sena SRL Pros/Cons
Having a dedicated system has a host of benefits and drawbacks that you have to take into consideration.
The positives are that with a built-in system, you don’t have a large communicator hanging off the side of your helmet like a big sail.
Having a built-in system means it is streamlined, which reduces wind noise quite considerably. It is also better balanced and doesn’t catch the wind.
The one clear downside to the Sena SRL communication system though is that because the cutouts take up real estate on the side of the helmet, it makes mounting a different third-party unit a tad more difficult. But if you can afford to fork out the extra $, then the Shoei Neotec 2 and the Sena SRL make a fantastic match.
Warranty
Shoe give a 5 year warranty with all their helmets, which is also the recommended length of time to keep a helmet before looking for a replacement.
This means that in the unlikely event that something isn’t quite right with your Shoei Neotec 2 then Shoei will be happy to fix or even completely replace your helmet at no cost to you.
To top this off, if you have an accident then Shoei will give you a free impact inspection to assess if your helmet is still structurally safe to wear.
In order to make it easy to receive your warranty fixes though, it is advised to buy your helmet from a reputable source in the country you reside in.
Ratings
The Shoei Neotec 2 has a near perfect score of 24 out of 25 points. Only losing a point in the safety department because a modular helmet has more points of failure over a typical full face helmet.
| Build Quality | 5/5 |
| Comfort | 5/5 |
| Safety | 4/5 |
| Helmet Noise | 5/5 |
| Ventillation | 5/5 |
Shoei Neotec 2 Summary
So to summarize on this review. The Shoei Neotec 2 is one of the best modular helmets on the market. It is quiet, well balanced, well built and can be legally ridden with the chin bar up, which is something that very few modular motorcycle helmets can boast.
The Sena SRL makes for a perfect (yet expensive) match up. Especially if you ride with others who have Sena Bluetooth units.
The only real negatives would be the weight, which we only found to be an issue on paper. Due to the balance and aerodynamics, the weight never seemed to be noticeable. The other negative could be the price, but we feel that the price is justified, considering that this is one of the most premium helmets on the market.
Overall this Neotec 2 is a big step forward and is well worth the rather high asking price that it comes with.
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