When searching for new motorcycle helmet you can get pretty lucky, and by lucky I mean that you find ‘the one’ straight away – or at least within minutes. But for many riders, this couldn’t be further away from the truth.
Different head shapes
Everybody has a uniquely shaped noggin, and seen as nobody is producing 3D shaped helmets yet – the truth is that it can be a very frustrating task to find a well-fitting motorcycle helmet. There is a very big chance that you won’t fit the helmet you saw in that fancy magazine, or the one your experienced biker friend told you to check out. The reason is simple: your head is either too round, too oval – or simply too large or too small for a certain type of helmet. In most cases that’s the end of it, you will need to search for a different model – which could be your second or third choice. You can’t change the shape of your head, but what if you could change the shape of the helmet..?
Custom fitted motorcycle helmets
Thanks to Shoei it is now possible to alter the fit and shape of a motorcycle helmet, and thus improve the comfort of your skid lid. Shoei have developed a revolutionary concept called the Shoei Personal Fitting System (PFS), a system which allows personal fitting experts to take a rider’s measurements and generate adjustments with Shoei’s computer system.
The generated adjustments are then placed under the centre pad of the helmet, so that the wearer can try the helmet on with its altered fit. The personal fitting expert will then analyse the positioning of the helmet, which is very important. When the desired result is achieved, the personal fitting expert sticks the pads on the outside of the centre pad – making the new fit and shape of the helmet definite.
A custom fitted Shoei helmet provides the rider with much more comfort, and a much smaller chance of the helmet padding ‘sagging’. One of the most important adjustments of the PFS is the positioning. The helmet is not supposed to fall in front of your eyes, nor is it supposed to be 2 inches above your eyes. Getting the helmet to sit in the right place can improve the pleasure you get out of your helmet, and also significantly reduce hotspots and pressure points.
Currently only widely available in the Netherlands
The Shoei PFS system was developed a number of years ago in Japan, which is where Shoei are from. For some reason the Personal Fitting System has not taken off widely in many countries yet. One of the most active countries is the Netherlands, where dealers such as FortaMoto.com (located in Amsterdam) operate as officially licensed Shoei Personal Fitting dealers. They are currently working on booting up the PFS in Germany, Belgium and a number of other countries – but at the time of writing, the closest place to go to is the Netherlands. It is possible to apply this service to any Shoei helmet from recent years, and of course with newer models too such as the Shoei Neotec II and the Shoei GT-Air II.
Pricing is set at €60 for the service, but if you buy a new helmet from FortaMoto they will offer the Personal Fitting Service for half-price. Taking the measurements and adjusting the helmet usually takes between 30 to 60 minutes, everything is done in-store while you wait.
Find out more about the Shoei Personal Fitting Service at FortaMoto.
