Shoei GT-Air II Full-Face Helmet | Photo credits: Rider Magazine
When giant motorcycle helmet manufacturer Shoei decided to bring to the market the GT-Air, in 2013, the Japanese brand positioned itself at the top of the touring premium segment. The GT-Air did well, riders enjoyed what it had to offer, but this year Shoei has gone a step further and the GT-Air II is about to be released on the market, so it’s time to have a look at its features.
The outer shell has been completely redesigned, with Shoei giving a new, sportier and lighter appearance to the GT-Air II. This external shell is made with AIM (Advanced Integrated Matrix) technology, exclusive to Shoei, using organic fibers to achieve an excellent balance in terms of rigidity and elasticity necessary to absorb the impacts.
The EPS inner shell is made in two sections, central and side sections, both sections fabricated with different densities to guarantee the best shock absorbance possible, in a progressive way.
As always on a sport-touring helmet, the GT-Air II features a completely redesigned ventilation system. To start with, the front ventilation ports are repositioned for optimum air penetration when they’re open, and they are also bigger to let more air enter the helmet. The two front air intakes are complemented at the back by two adjustable air vents, or extractors. This system, according to Shoei, will allow the rider to feel less heat on the head, with the hot air being expelled faster while riding at cruising speeds.
Also very important on a sport-touring helmet, the GT-Air II gets a new inner lining made with different materials. Shoei knows that the forehead and back of the head it’s where the heat is more intense, so the material of the lining is specifically designed on those to absorb humidity on those areas. On the cheeks, the GT-Air II gets soft touch material, so the rider feels more comfortable while wearing this helmet on long journeys.
The exterior visor, available in different colours and opacity, is still the same as the one used on the previous GT-Air. But this time Shoei added a new mechanism that allows the rider to open the visor just a little, enough to get fresh air into the helmet, but with Shoei saying it won’t blast the rider face with too much air.
The sun visor is also included, with an easy to use with just one hand mechanism. The sun visor is 5 mm larger than the one used on the GT-Air, so the rider will benefit of better protection when riding on sunny days.
Last, but not least, the new Shoei GT-Air II also benefits with the pre-installation to use the upgraded Sena SRL 2 communication system. Being integrated with the outer shell, this communication system offers to the rider the possibility to always stay connected to the world, linking with the smartphone via Bluetooth technology, allowing to answer phone calls, listen to music, or connect to other riders and talk to them without any problem.
Available starting from March on sizes ranging from XS to XXL, the GT-Air II also adds new colours and bold new graphics to what was available on the previous generation GT-Air. There’s seven plain colours, and another eight options that add some graphics for a sportier appearance.
Here’s the presentation video of the new 2019 Shoei GT-Air II sport-touring helmet