SHOEI ACTIVE SAFETY

The material and shape of the comfort liner are critical factors for the overall wearing comfort and proper fit of the helmet. The wearing comfort covers the effect of the material properties on the skin of the rider. The fit defines how well the helmet sits on the head and stays in place, which is especially noticeable at high speeds. In the past, these two criteria often worked against one another. Very thick, soft padding provided good wearing comfort, but it did not hold well at high speeds, leading to helmet buffeting and instability.

The development of new high-performance fabrics allows for greater sweat absorption and dissipation, yielding a proprietary sweat absorbing material that greatly improves rider comfort. These materials (first researched and developed in motocross and road racing where the amount of physical exertion and hence the production of sweat is extremely high) are now production features in several of SHOEI’s helmet models.

The heaviest part of a helmet is the helmet shell, which is of special importance when making a light helmet. Since the shell is also the part of the helmet that is the most stressed in the event of an impact, the requirements concerning the manufacturing of a light helmet shell are correspondingly high. Through its extensive experience in the processing of fiber compound materials, SHOEI has succeeded in developing the extremely resistant and lightweight AIM and AIM+ helmet shells.

1. Fiber-Reinforced Matrix: An outer shell that is made primarily of fiberglass (FRP) is given its shape by a heat-setting plastic resin. The SHOEI helmet shell owes its ideal function to the integration of organic fibers, as well as a three-dimensional shaping process in a layered structure. The result is an outer shell with high strength, but very low weight as compared to shells that are produced in a conventional way.

2. The Compound Structure: The AIM shell consists of various layers of reinforcing organic fibers and glass fibers. Compared to an outer
shell that is made only of glass fibers, the AIM outer shell is both lighter and more elastic, yet has the same strength and is more resistant to penetration due to the additional use of special fibers.

3. The Synthetic Resin: A specially modified, unsaturated polyester resin (a so-called heat-setting plastic) is used for the AIM outer shell. This resin acquires the desired strength and elasticity during the heat hardening process. This synthetic resin is also extremely resistant to corrosion. With these constituent parts, we produce outer shells that convincingly produce ideal dampening of impacts, good elasticity, light weight, and enormously high strength and resistance to penetration.

In addition to its enormous weight advantages, the AIM outer shell from SHOEI offers the best possible impact protection, as well. Through the interaction of the strength and the elasticity of the various materials, the AIM shell has been designed in such a way that the effect of an impact is absorbed and distributed over the largest possible area so that it may be more easily absorbed by the EPS liner. Thus, the shell and the EPS liner may show damage from deformation after an impact, but the head of the rider is given the maximum amount of protection as a result. Heavy, hard helmet shells do not have this ability and direct the energy from an impact without any reduction into the inside of the helmet. In many cases, the shell may be undamaged, but head injuries are much more likely.

The stress applied to the neck muscles when riding a motorcycle comes not only from the weight of the helmet itself, but also from wind resistance. For that reason, improving the aerodynamics is an important factor in preventing the onset of fatigue. The SHOEI product development team regularly performs tests in its own wind tunnel to improve shell design and optimize aerodynamic properties.

Back in the early 1980s, SHOEI developed a ventilation system that passed air through holes in the helmet shell without affecting stability. The idea that good ventilation is crucial for the safety of a helmet caused a fundamental change in the design of motorcycle helmets. Once again, this makes it clear how important the safety concepts and the spirit of innovation are at SHOEI. The investment in a wind tunnel of our own allows us to carry out intensive studies in the development of effective, high-performance ventilation systems. SHOEI has developed a dual EPS liner whose air system allows an optimum exchange of warm, humid air with incoming cold, fresh air.

The shield protects the rider against wind, dirt and insects. In addition to full-face helmets, many ¾ shell helmets and half helmets are equipped with shields. All SHOEI shields are made of polycarbonate, and the majority of our shields are produced by an injection molding process, which guarantees clear and distortion-free vision. Furthermore, the shield protects against small stones and absorbs 99% of the UV radiation, and its coating prevents scratches and lets water bead off more easily. Except for the Hornet-DS model, all of our shields are equipped with SHOEI’s own Q.R.B.P. system that allows the shield to be changed quickly and easily without needing any tools. The smooth surface of a SHOEI shield base plate system eliminates the irritating shield cover that some of our competitors utilize, which helps prevent unnecessary wind noise.

Noise imposes unnecessary stress on the rider and can disturb his or her concentration. There are two ways to reduce noise in the helmet. Wind noise can be reduced by optimizing the aerodynamics. Additionally, the acoustic damping properties of the helmet can be optimized through careful design of the helmet shell and the padding. The decisive factor for a comfortable and quiet helmet is the balanced utilization of these two approaches. Utilizing a thicker helmet shell, eliminating ventilation, or using padding that is too tight may reduce the amount of noise experienced, but this is achieved at the expense of safety and comfort. This is not an option for SHOEI.