Motorcycle Helmets - Function and Design at the Same Time

by John Daniele

Motorcycle riders looking for a high-tech, high end helmet would do well to consider Shoei Helmets. Made and distributed by the Shoei Company, a Japanese firm, these helmets are both rugged and good-looking. Not only that, but newer models are usable in different settings. For instance, the Shoei Helmets line’s recent addition, the new Hornet-DS, can be configured by each rider, making it usable for both on-road riding and off-road riding depending on the owner’s needs and desires.

Shoei helmets are noteworthy as objects of industrial design, that is, these helmets not only perform the functions of providing protection for the rider’s head while providing adequate ventilation, they are also strikingly beautiful. Once again, the Shoei helmet, the Hornet-DS, is noteworthy. There is something rakishly elegant about the aerodynamic design of this helmet. When looking at this particular Shoei helmet, one is tempted to think that it has been purpose-built for looks rather than function. It projects forward from the cranium and terminates in a nose-piece in a way that would seem to make it suitable to be a Star Wars prop. However, this Shoei helmet looks the way it looks because it is scientifically designed to: 1] maximize protection of the head; and 2] provide optimal air flow in the service of the functional purposes of keeping the face and head cool and dry.

Regarding the toughness of the helmet, the earlier models of the modern Shoei helmets were introduced for use in the construction industry in Japan; the first motorcycle specific helmet being made in 1960. This helmet met the Japanese industrial criteria for robustness. The later versions of the Shoei helmets gave primary importance to the durability and crash resistance while designing the helmets. A sizeable majority of the company’s helmets met the standards of Snell Memorial Foundation’s M2005 rating. The Snell Memorial Foundation’s rating system has often been criticized for its strict rules regarding safety benchmarks. The models of the helmets that have received the Snell Memorial Foundation’s M2005 rating can be fairly judged to be the most reliable motorcycle helmets in the world. One key point to be mentioned is that the GRV helmet from Shoei was the helmet in which latest technologies such as carbon technology and Kevlar were first introduced.

In 1965 sales were boosted by the decision of the Honda Motor Company to endorse the Shoei Helmets in conjunction with Honda motorcycles. Since that time Shoei has remained at the forefront of their field. Many Shoei Helmets have won both safety and industrial design awards over the decades.

An astonishing fact regarding this company is that even with such a strong support and the popularity of its Shoei helmets in the United States, it has a worldwide workforce of only 500 people. The company highlights the fact that even though the world famous Shoei helmets could be manufactured in places at a lesser cost than in Japan, all the helmets are made in the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Iwate, Japan. A small firm-Shoei Company has been able to manufacture such a top-quality product that has thrilled the motorcycle riders all over the world.

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