FAQ – all questions in, out and around a Shoei helmet.

SHOEI sells its helmets, accessories and spare parts in Europe through a network of authorized dealers. You can find your nearest SHOEI specialist in our dealer directory on this web-site. Use their expertise to find the SHOEI helmet model that best meets your requirements and find out more about how our helmets can be adapted to your individual needs.
A list of the sales organisations responsible for countries within and outside Europe can be found under ‘Contact’.

Up-to-date and detailed information on our products, including information on sales prices or the availability of helmet models, can be obtained from your nearest SHOEI dealer.

You can find the date of manufacture of your helmet and its serial number on a small white sticker inside the helmet, under the center pad. You will need this information if you wish to submit a warranty claim.

SHOEI adjusts the fit of its helmet models to the prevailing head shapes in the global target markets. In addition, SHOEI also monitors changes in such typical head shapes and develops the fit of new helmet models accordingly. We therefore recommend that you try on the helmet extensively with expert advice or take it for a test ride before purchasing.

The helmets in our GT-AIR, NEOTEC and J-CRUISE model ranges are originally equipped with a chin strap with a micro-ratchet fastener.
If you prefer a chin strap with a double-D fastener, you can have your helmet modified in our service department for a fee of EUR 80 incl. VAT.
In case of interest, please contact the SHOEI dealer where you purchased the helmet and present your proof of purchase.
The helmet models J-CRUISE I and J-CRUISE II are excluded from this option.
This modification does not result in an extension of the chin strap. If necessary, please use the maximum adjustment option of the chin strap, see manual.
It is not possible to convert a helmet from a chin strap with a double-D fastener to one with a micro-ratchet fastener.

SHOEI goes to great lengths to optimize and reduce noise when developing new helmet models. At the same time, in the interests of active safety, we attach great importance to the perceptibility of ambient and traffic noise as well as effective ventilation.
Turbulence on the helmet and disturbing noises often result from a large number of individual parameters that are difficult to reproduce in a test procedure: the airflow situation around the motorcycle, the body size, sitting posture, rider clothing or even the mounting angle of any windshields fitted.
If possible, changing individual parameters can help. You should also check that the center and cheek pads are sufficiently tight and that the visor is closed properly.
Ultimately, noise is subjectively perceived very differently.

If your helmet creates a pressure point after some time of wearing or is a little too loose in the upper head or cheek area, you can adapt it to your individual needs with alternative pads or insertable pads from our range of accessories. You can purchase these pads from your nearest SHOEI specialist dealer or directly from our spare parts store.
If you would like to have the inner padding of your SHOEI helmet professionally fitted to your individual head shape, you can have this done by one of our “SHOEI Personal Fitting System” dealers. You can find your nearest SHOEI PFS dealer in the address list on our website.

Fogging on the visor occurs when warm, moist air inside the helmet meets cool, dry air outside the helmet on the visor lens. Such fogging can be largely prevented by opening the ventilation and venting channels and/or by using a PINLOCK antifog lens.
However, the high moisture-absorbing capacity of the PINLOCK lens is limited. In rainy and cold weather, the ventilation in the chin area should therefore at least remain slightly open.
If the PINLOCK lens becomes loose and fogging occurs between it and the visor, the fastening pins can be readjusted in accordance with the user instructions supplied.

Matt painted surfaces are more sensitive to dirt, insect residue or fingerprints. This can lead to discoloration that is difficult or impossible to remove, especially on light-colored, matt surfaces.
Such discolorations are not covered by our guarantee.
We therefore advise you to clean the helmet shell carefully and regularly.

We recommend cleaning the outer shell of the helmet and the visor regularly, ideally after every ride.
Only use lukewarm water with a little liquid neutral soap and a clean, soft cloth. Insect residue on the visor can be softened beforehand with a well-moistened kitchen towel and carefully removed to avoid scratches caused by sharp-edged insect shells.
The inner padding of the helmet should also be removed regularly and washed by hand or in the washing machine at lukewarm temperatures in a laundry bag. Then dry the padding carefully and leave it to dry. Do not use a hair dryer or tumble dryer.
Never use hot water, salt water, petrol, glass cleaner or other solvents to clean the helmet or its components. This can seriously damage your helmet and cause it to lose its protective function.
Further care instructions can be found in the manual supplied with your SHOEI helmet.

Clean the outer shell of your helmet regularly with lukewarm water to which a little liquid neutral soap has been added. This will protect the glossy or matt finish of its surface.
Do not use polishes or waxes. Colorants contained in such agents can discolor the surface of the helmet or its add-on parts, especially on helmets with a matt painted surface or matt decorative elements.

SHOEI recommends replacing the helmet after about 5 years of normal use, care and storage.
While an undamaged helmet outer shell made of AIM or AIM+ is very resistant to ageing, the protective effect of the shock-absorbing EPS inner shell decreases over the years. Age-related changes in the EPS material reduce its deformability. This reduces its ability and ca-pacity to absorb impact energy in the event of an accident or fall. The helmet can then no longer provide the level of protection required by ECE homologation standards.
After a fall or accident, a motorcycle helmet must always be replaced, even if only slight or no external traces are visible.

Polycarbonate, the material from which our visors are injection-molded, is sensitive to the UV radiation contained in sunlight. The UV filters contained in the visor reduce their harmful effects, but cannot completely prevent them. As a result, the visor becomes brittle over the years and can break or shatter in the event of an accident or fall, leading to dangerous injuries to the face. Scratches or damage to the visor accelerate this ageing process. In the interests of your safety, therefore, always ensure that your visor is clean and scratch-free and replace it with a new one after 5 years at the latest.
Dirt or scratches in the central field of vision can significantly impair your vision and lead to dangerous situations for you and other road users, including serious or fatal accidents.
Scratched or irreversibly soiled visors should therefore no longer be used, but replaced immediately.

In the interests of sustainability and preserving the value of our helmet models, we ensure the best possible long-term supply of spare parts. You can purchase spare parts and accessories from our specialist dealers or directly from our online spare parts store, even several years after the end of production of a helmet model.

The effects of dropping a helmet are difficult to assess with the help of a description or a picture. We would not be able to guarantee the stability of the helmet even if we were to in-spect it directly.
However, if the helmet falls to the ground from a low height, nothing will usually happen to it apart from damage to the paintwork or attachments. As long as there is no head in the helmet, the shock-absorbing inner shell will not be significantly compressed in the event of an impact from a low height.
If the material of the outer shell of the helmet is visibly damaged, the helmet should be replaced im-mediately.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to check the helmet after an accident or fall or to issue a kind of declaration of no objection.
Fine hairline cracks in the outer shell or deformations of the shock-absorbing inner shell cannot be made visible without destroying the helmet in our manufacturing plant. A motorcycle helmet is constructed to absorb a single impact, as can be read in our brochure “How to use your helmet properly” included with the helmet.
A helmet worn in the event of an accident or fall should therefore no longer be used, but replaced immediately with a new one.

According to the requirements of the current test standard for motorcycle helmets ECE-R 22.06, a helmet visor must have a light transmission of at least 80% in order to be permitted for unrestricted use. An E-mark on the visor provides information on this.
Under certain circumstances, the use of a PINLOCK antifog visor may result in limited light transmission that is below the required minimum value. If applicable, we will point this out in our usage lists.

According to the current test standard for motorcycle helmets ECE-R 22.06, a helmet visor must have a light transmission of at least 80% in order to be permitted for unrestricted use. An E-mark on the visor provides information about this.
Visors with a light transmission of between at least 35% and 80% may be used in daylight in accordance with the requirements of the ECE-R 22.06 test standard. For this purpose, they must bear the marking “Daytime use only” and the E-mark.
Visors with a light transmission of less than 35% are not permitted on public roads within the scope of ECE-R 22.06.
When using a tinted or mirrored visor, a clear visor should therefore be carried for changing when light conditions deteriorate or dusk begins to fall.

If the homologation label sewn onto the chin strap, which proves the conformity of the helmet in question with the ECE-R 22.05 or 22.06 test standard, is still in place but is no longer legible, we can issue a replacement certificate for a limited period of up to 7 years after the date of manufacture of the helmet.
Please tell us the model name, the color or the decor name, the helmet size, the production date and serial number (readable on a small white sticker inside the helmet, under the center pad). Please also send us a copy of the proof of purchase and a few photos of the helmet including the chin strap with the faded ECE label.
An essential prerequisite is, of course, that the helmet has not been involved in a fall or accident.

The road traffic authorities of the European member states provide more or less precise information on the required test standard for approved motorcycle helmets. Only motorcycle helmets that comply with these test standards or other specifications are permitted for use on public roads. In addition to some national test standards, these are generally the ECE-R 22.06, 22.05 or 22.04 standards. The use of helmets with deviating test standards such as “DOT” or “SNELL” may not be permitted and can be punished with a fine.
SHOEI helmets that are produced and homologated for other continents sometimes have a significantly higher weight or a noticeably different fit.

The road traffic authorities of the European member states sometimes stipulate precise requirements for the necessary certification or test standards for motorcycle protective clothing and motorcycle helmets.
Failure to comply with these regulations is sometimes punished with heavy fines and even the seizure of the motorcycle.
Attachments to the helmet, such as action cams or intercom systems, which are equivalent to structural modifications, can also be punished.
You should therefore always find out about the regulations and road traffic rules that apply in your destination country before setting off.

According to current French law, safety helmets for users of motorized two-wheelers must be homologated in accordance with the current ECE standard and fitted with retro-reflective stickers. These must be affixed to all four sides of the helmet (front/rear/left/right) and each must have a surface area of at least 18 cm². Either a circle of 4cm diameter or a rectangle of 12.5cm² with a width of at least 2cm must fit into the area. They must not be split or folded and must not affect the mechanical behavior of the helmet.
This regulation also applies to foreign road users.

There are few limits to creativity here. However, damaged helmets may not be covered with stickers or foils, especially not after a fall or accident.
Only stickers or films with solvent-free adhesive may be used, and the helmet shell and its shock-absorbing EPS inner shell must not be heated before applying the stickers. The helmet shell must not be additionally coated with clear lacquer.

In principle, it is possible to paint our helmets, but please only use water-based paints.
We cannot make any statements about the protective effect of the helmet after repainting, nor can we guarantee this.
Please note that painting the helmet voids its warranty.

Please only use water-based paints or acrylic paints. Water-based touch-up pens from automotive accessories can also be used.
Make sure that no spray mist gets into the inside of the helmet. When painting, vents and visor openings should be masked off. If possible, polycarbonate attachments should be temporarily removed so as not to impair their material resistance.

If you would like to have your SHOEI helmet professionally painted, you can have all the attached and fitted parts dismantled by the technicians in our service department first.
Permanently bonded parts such as the visor seal, the facial field beading and the lower edge beading of the helmet are not removed. They would have to be covered before painting.
After painting, the removed parts are professionally refitted by our service technicians.
The full functionality of the helmet in terms of ventilation or tightness cannot be guaranteed after painting.

Please contact the specialist dealer from whom you purchased the helmet. They can send it to our service department for you. Unfortunately, it is not possible to send and return the helmet directly.
We charge a fee of EUR 100 plus VAT for the complete fitting service.
Please only make use of this time-consuming service during the winter months. In the high season, between March and October, there may be longer waiting times.

Subsequently applied paints can damage the materials of the helmet shell or the add-on parts. The original protective effect of the helmet may no longer be guaranteed.
According to our warranty conditions, all warranty claims are void after such a modification.