Price: $699-$799

Sizes: XS-XXL

Info: www.shoei-helmets.com

Replacing a helmet that you may be wearing past its safely usable life can be difficult. Getting new gear is always great, but there is something to be said for the familiarity you have with a well-worn helmet. It’s comfortable and fits just the way you like. With a modular helmet, working its latching mechanism has likely become second nature, making it even harder to move on.

None of that has been a concern with the latest modular offering from Shoei. The Neotec II has helped to ease the transition to a new helmet and allowed me to forget all about my old lid. My helmet size is 7 1/8 and the Shoei medium initially fit pretty snugly but has worn in to fit perfectly. Although modulars tend to be on the heavier side, the Neotec II feels relatively lightweight.

The helmet provides a very wide viewable area with great peripheral vision. It has an incorporated sun visor, which is particularly handy for wearers of prescription glasses. This makes the transition to dusk and darkness possible without a stop to change eyewear. The sun visor mechanism works smoothly and doesn’t get hung up like my previous helmet of another brand.

I initially had some difficulty putting the helmet on without removing my glasses, which was a feature of my previous helmet that I enjoyed, but I quickly discovered the right technique. The face-shield came off easily when I removed it to install the included pinlock anti-fog device, which also works quite well.

The helmet was very comfortable throughout a recent 1,500-plus mile trip. After several hours wearing just about every other helmet I have owned, I usually experienced some discomfort caused by the helmet pressing the temple arm of my eyewear against my head. I am extremely happy to report that I have experienced no such discomfort with the Shoei.

The Neotec II uses a ratchet clasp rather than the traditional D-ring found on most helmets. On my previous helmet, which also had the ratchet clasp, a T-extender could be slipped through the fitting enabling it to be locked to the bike, however, one minor drawback of the Shoei is that the T-extender can’t be employed with its ratchet mechanism and the helmet can, therefore, not be locked to the bike without the use of a cable.

For fans of modular helmets, there may not be a better option on the market today than Shoei’s Neotec II. For those who have been curious about a modular design but have steered clear due to reputations for weight, wind noise or bulkiness, the Neotec II not only avoids those shortcomings, it outperforms many non-modulars in every way.—AMA Staff