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The Shoei GT Air 2, as the name suggests, is a sequel to the GT Air, a really popular helmet from Shoei. It offers many features; however, the helmet may not be the right choice for every rider.
This review will go over the top features of the GT Air helmet and why it might be the right helmet for you.
Shell Construction
The shell is made from Shoei’s advanced integrated matrix, a combination of lightweight fibers sandwiched between two external layers of fiberglass, which gives you a good combination of elasticity and strength.
Weight
This helmet is a size medium and weighs in on our scales at 1542 grams, which is average for this size and style.
Bluetooth
There are dedicated cutouts at the base of the shell, which are there to accommodate senna’s srl2 Bluetooth intercom, which is designed to work with this helmet.
The control unit sits in the cutout at the base on the left-hand side of the helmet. The battery for that intercom tucks into a pocket at the rear base of the helmet.
Remove the foam, giving you space for the battery to sit inside. There are recesses on the internal lining that accommodate the speakers.
Ventilation
Airflow for the GT Air 2 comes from a combination of a top vent located on the top front of the helmet, which is chunky and easy to operate two-stage sliding vent.
Then, a chin vent opens up and allows cooling air through to the rider’s mouth.
The customer reviews are all very positive about the amount of cooling air brought in through those vents, and some customers have said that it can get a little bit chilly inside the helmet if you ride with those vents fully open on a cold day.
Sun Visor
The GT Air was one of Shoei’s first helmets to feature an internal sun visor; you still get one of those in the GTA 2.
Unfortunately, Shoei was late introducing an internal sun visor because they didn’t want to reduce the protective polystyrene liner thickness to accommodate the visor sliding up and down inside the helmet.
They found their solution by adding a chamber you will find on the GT Air 2 on the outer shell.
There’s an extra chamber around the outside that the visor slides up and down into. This means you can get the full thickness of EPS, the polystyrene, and the internal sun visor. You don’t have to choose between the two.
Visor
The visor is the same CNS 1 model of the visor used on the original Shoei but has revised the mounting plates on which the visor sits. This has allowed a smaller initial opening of the visor.
One of the original GT Air complaints was that you had a bigger gap on the first stage of opening. This allowed too much air to be brought through, which allowed debris and bugs to come in.
With the GT Air 2, you can sit the visor open by a crack to get a cooling amount of air in.
It has a quick-release visor which is pretty simple to change. The visor also comes with Shoei’s pin lock protected, max vision with a pinlock EVO insert which is the most absorbent of all of their inserts.
The visor operates with a tab located on the visor on the bottom left. In addition, it has a hook that secures against the seal to give you a more secure closure at the bottom.
Let’s go back to that sun visor I told you about earlier. This is a big revision for the GTA Air 2 compared to the original GT Air.
It extends by five millimeters coming down further to give you greater coverage against glare from sunlight.
Again, this was something that many customers who’ve had the GT Air and the GT Air 2 say is a big upgrade over the two models.
There’s also been a change to the cut around the nose, which has been made bigger to create extra room.
This was done because having the visor extend further means it’s more likely to conflict with your nose, so they’ve increased the size of that cut to create extra space.
The sun visor now extends almost to the breath guard. One thing to note with this helmet is the breath guard is supplied in the accessories pack, which is inside the box, so don’t just chuck the box out.
The GT Air is anti-mist coated, so you’re always getting a good clear vision, even on the colder days. It operates on this side switch on the left-hand side of the helmet, so it’s quite discreet and simple to use.
Interior
The interior is made from Shoei’s 3D max material. The foam for this helmet is cut to suit the shape of a rider’s face rather than being flat foam that’s then bent into shape.
The fabric that covers that foam is moisture-wicking that will dry twice as quickly as a normal brushed nylon liner.
The cheek pads have emergency release tabs which make life easier at the scene of an accident, and there’s a removable chin curtain to reduce drafts and keep the ride a bit quieter.
You get a premium build quality with Japanese manufacturers like Shoei, and that comes through with the GT Air 2 interior, which is a step above the norm.
The last change that I’d say is noteworthy on the GT Air 2 compared to the original GT Air is that it now has a micrometric strap fastener.
On the old helmet it was D-rings, which were available in the UK only. The rest of Europe had the micrometric strap fastener.
Still, when it came to being updated, everybody gets the micrometric strap fastener regardless of whether they are in the UK or the rest of Europe.
Are Shoei Helmets Worth The Cost?
One of the most common questions around helmets is when people want to know whether paying extra for a helmet like a GT Air 2 is worth it. What does that extra money give you in terms of quality?
There’s something about the build quality when you come to a Japanese helmet a step above. The liners are always better, and the paint has a nice finish.
There are other details as well that make Shoei a better helmet. With any helmet, sometimes you need to adjust the tension of the pin lock, and that can mean delving inside the helmet with a pair of pliers to twist the pins to adjust the tension, you don’t have to do that with Showie.
Inside the helmet is a little tool that sits around the pin. You can spin it and adjust the tension, it’s a tiny thing, but it’s that sort of detail for me that makes a helmet manufacturer like Shoei stand out above most of the others.
In Conclusion
Shoei’s GT-Air is a premium motorcycle helmet designed to give you the ultimate protection from the elements. This helmet features a multi-layer EPS liner designed to absorb impacts and provide maximum comfort.
The visor is adjustable and can be moved to suit your style and preferences. This helmet also features the Shoei EQRS (Emergency Quick-Release System), making it easier for emergency medical personnel to remove the helmet.
