Product Review: Shoei RYD Helmet Update

The Shoei RYD Helmet offers a great value, competitively featured helmet and after six months of use I'm still loving it! Review by Kris Hodgson

It’s been six months since I first reviewed the Shoei RYD, and this has given me a good chance to discover any quirks or problems from long term ownership, with daily commutes, suburban slogging through traffic and some longer days on the open road. So what do I have to report?

The Shoei RYD is a great all-rounder and sports-touring option

Nothing new if I’m honest. There’s nothing I’m missing from longer term use, nothing that jumps out at me as needing improvement. The RYD remains a great value, basic – for Shoei – helmet, with everything you need and a nice light overall weight.

There’s been no noticeable compression or change of fit after the total of six months of reasonably heavy use, and the liners are still firm, clean and fresh. The RYD is comfortable, from the interior fit, with no pressure across the forehead, to the strap and padding, with easily flicked venting with a gloved hand.

Airflow is good, if not as extreme as my NXR, and with a Transitions Visor fitted it does the everyday rider job with ease. It’s easy to leave the visor slightly open too, but like the NXR I can almost forget I’m wearing the helmet, it’s that comfortable, and the field of vision that good.

Shoei RYD helmet and KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT

Switching visors is also super easy, although I normally don’t bother with the Transition jobbie, it handles the all-round duties with ease.

Being in that $600-650 price range also keeps the RYD competitive and means for an everyday helmet you don’t need to be quite so worried about it. The matte finish has been washed twice in the four months and still looks nice and new, it just needs a light wash with a microfiber cloth to remove the buildup of grease from your fingers and from the usual road debris.

Overall I’m still stoked to be wearing the RYD, even if I do occasionally break out my NXR just to show off the Marquez graphic.

You can check out the full original review here: Product Review: Shoei RYD Helmet, where it received a great score of 9.5/10!