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[[{“value”:”In 2023, the European Union updated its motorcycle helmet standard to ECE 22.06, and that means new flagship models from the major manufacturers, like Shoei. Lo and behold, we have a new Neotec 3 modular touring lid for 2024, and they shipped me one for a test.
A half-summer later, the TL/DR is that this is a very good lid that so far has held up to all manner of foul weather and hard use. For the longer version, read on.
What’s new?
There are a few updates in the safety department, but the Neotec 2 was already a very well-built and safe helmet, so there wasn’t a whole lot of upgrading needed here—mostly token stuff to satisfy specific demands of EU regulators.
This much-better looking model is hiding behind the drop-down sun shield. This offers more coverage than previous models, and it does work well, even though I sometimes preferred polarized sunglasses to cut the glare. Photo: Shoei
The EU now wants flip-fronts to be safer, since more and more riders were tooling around with them open even though they weren’t really supposed to. To that end, Shoei now has two locking positions on the Neotec 3’s flip-front design; the second one really locks it into place, so you don’t have the flip-front falling down and obscuring your vision at a traffic stop or something like that. There’s also a 360-degree locking mechanism to keep that flip-front attached to your helmet safely. I’ve seen reports that the Neotec 2 flip-front could open in a crash, so I think they paid extra attention to improve in that area—but also, to be clear, I suspect that’s a danger with any flip-front.
The helmet shell itself is the standard mix of organic and composite fibers, with a multidensity EPS liner. This means your brains are better-cushioned in case of a crash, instead of a too-soft liner not delivering sufficient protection, or a too-hard liner rattling your head. Also note that the shell comes in three different sizes: XS-M, L/XL, XL-XXL.
I bolted a Cardo comm on to this helmet, but Sena actually makes a comm that integrates into the neck roll. Alas, I wasn’t sent one for testing, so I can’t tell you how well it works. I’ve had better luck with Cardo products in recent years anyway, though. Internal speaker pockets and wiring channels make installation easy in this helmet.
The drop-down sun shield is designed to block out more light, and the standard eye shield has been built to give minimal optical distortion. It locks in place with a centrally-placed mechanism that’s now easier to work with your winter gloves on. Same goes for the air vent atop the helmet—Shoei made it easier to use without having to take off your bulky cold-weather riding gloves. That’s a much-appreciated feature for guys like me, who travel in sub-zero temperatures at times.
The place where I noticed the most updating is Shoei’s careful improvements made to reduce wind noise. The sideplates are tighter, to reduce the windblast. There are new cheek pads with built-in noise isolators that wrap around the back of your head, adding comfort and reducing the opportunity for a draft to make noise. Neck gap has been minimized, the bottom of the helmet has deflectors to keep the wind out, and there are even removable earpads in the liner to reduce wind noise.
This also has the effect of making the helmet warmer in the winter, just as older Schuberth modulars were once known as excellent cold-weather rigs due to their airtightness.
Other updates are a new, smaller stainless steel micro-ratchet buckle; a CNS-3C Pinlock insert included, to fight fogging; and a redesigned shell shape with help from wind tunnel aerodynamics study.
How did I like it?
To those cynics who might suggest that any high-end, expensive helmet is likeable, let me say that this isn’t always the case. Sometimes your pricey lid falls apart sooner than expected, sometimes it doesn’t fit quite right. I’m happy to report I had no such problems with the Shoei Neotec 3, and frankly, based on its comfort, quietness and general usability, I expect to use this for street rides (and maybe some off-roading) for a long time to come, especially because its intermediate oval shape is exactly what I need.
I wore this helmet tooling around home on day-trips, on street tours and even on a week-long dual sport tour (where I was the lead rider, and therefore not worried about getting covered in roost and wrecking the helmet’s visor). I used it on my Super Tenere with its massive wind-blocking fairing, and no issues with buffeting. Same for the GasGas ES700 Enduro, where I found the Neotec 3 cut through the windblast (no fairing on this bike!) with no excessive noise or other unpleasantries.
While some three-quarters helmets might offer slightly more coverage to the side of your jaw when the flip-front is open, the Neotec 3 is pretty good. It appears that the closure mechanism on the flip-front is also upgraded for the new helmet. Photo: Shoei
You can’t expect any helmet to completely eliminate wind noise, but this is about as good as you can get, I think. I notice that all the manufacturers seem to have dropped their claims about specific decibel reduction, and for good reason, since that sort of thing is really impossible to quantify—wind noise is a very bike-by-bike specific thing, and a side-wind can also throw their calculations out the window. But even on the windiest days I rode, if I kept my earplugs in, there was no tinnitus at day’s end. That, alone, is enough to make me a very happy customer, since the ringing in my ears with other helmets has kept me from sleep at day’s end sometimes.
I did not crash in this helmet, so I can’t say how effective it is at protecting my head in a life-or-death situation. However, I did manage to hit a bird with it, one that darted out from the roadside bushes, flying between my fairing and my face while I was at high speed. Sadly, the bird died, leaving a nasty smear of goo all over the front of my helmet, but no damage. I’ve had other pricey helmets that would have sustained at least some damage in such an incident.
Conclusion
I had four complaints with the Neotec 3. First, there is no Mips liner or similar anti-rotational design; I’m not sure this is needed, though. Second. I found it easy to twist the micro-ratch closure buckle while trying to close it; a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nevertheless. Third, I would have liked to see a hi-viz solid paint option—another minor annoyance. And fourth, the price tag is around $900 in the US, almost $1,300 in Canada.
The Neotec 3 is probably the best street touring helmet I’ve ever used, and I’m happy to keep on running it now that the test is over. Photo: Shoei
Is any helmet worth that much? I think so, if you’re the type to do long days in the saddle, touring thousands of miles in a week. A casual rider who only puts a few hundred miles in a month will see less value for their money—but if you’ve got the money, then in the words of Ferris Bueller, “It is so choice—if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
Don’t fall into the tired old “pay as much as your head is worth” spiel. A higher price tag doesn’t automatically mean a helmet is safer, and besides, if that’s the gauge you’re going by, I’d want a helmet that was a lot more expensive than this! But with that price tag you’re getting refinement, and in 2024, I think this is one of the finest touring lids you can get your hands on.
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