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Scorpion Exo-ST1400 sports touring motorcycle helmet review.
The Scorpion Exo-ST1400 is Scorpion’s top flight sports touring full face helmet. It comes in a couple of variants; one in carbon fiber and the other in what Scorpion calls TCT (see safety section below for more info) though only the carbon version is available in the US at the time of writing.
Either way, they both have the same features and they’re both designed to work on a wide variety of more ‘lean forward’ bikes.
Which means Scorpion says they’ve incorporated a big hole for the shield (horizontally and vertically) to give you good all round visibility, plus they’ve thrown in a Pinlock Max Vision anti-fog face shield and insert to keep your vision free whatever the weather.
And there’s also drop down sun visor (what Scorpion calls SpeedView) and both Scorpion’s AirPump cheek pads as well as EQRS.
Not only that but it’s available at a decent price point too.
All in all, it sounds like it should be a great package. But read on to find out if it’s any good and whether you should splash – or save – your cash.
- Sports touring full face helmet
- Carbon and composite shells
- SHARP 4 star safety rated (EU version)
- EQRS
- Drop down sun visor
- Light weight
- Scorpion Airfit pump
- Double-d ring fastener
- Pinlock Max Vision antifog included
- 5 year warranty
- Expect to pay: $390-$450 (carbon version)
Looking to buy a Scorpion Exo ST1400?
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo ST1400 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Safety
(more about helmet safety)
The Scopion Exo-ST1400 is available with either a carbon fiber or what Scorpion calls a TCT shell.
At the time of writing only the carbon version seems to be available in the states, but we’ll talk about both helmets here because it’s quite likely that both will become available eventually and they’re functionally the same helmet and share similar constructions.
In fact, reading between the lines, it seems the carbon fiber version of the ST1400 is actually a TCT shell with a top coating of 3K carbon fiber rather than a full carbon fiber helmet.
TCT stands for Thermodynamical Composite Technology which is a fancy word for a composite shelled helmet. And looking at one of Scorpion’s websites, it seems TCT is essentially a fiberglass shell (fiberglass is a composite material, right?).
Of course, a fiberglass shell is no bad thing if it’s built right. And Scorpion has a long record of producing fiberglass helmets. Just don’t expect to be getting a full-on carbon fiber helmet, that’s all.
Scorpion produces the ST1400 in three shell sizes which is great for safety and for optimizing fit/looks.
If we look at the available safety testing data, a few Scorpions have been certified by Snell including the R2000, the R410 and the R420. But at the time of writing, not the ST1400.
In Europe, of the most recent four fiberglass ECE certified Scorpions tested by SHARP – including the R710, T1200, GT3000 and 700 – they scored an average of 3.25 stars out of five.
Which made us think the 1400 Air would score something similar.
Well, in 2019 SHARP tested the Scorpion Exo 1400 Air (the Eu equivalent of the ST1400) where it scored a very solid 4 stars out of a maximum 5, meaning it should give a decent level of impact protection if the worst happens.
As you can see from the 8.5m/s test graphic, it seems to be dropping a few points from side impact tests, which is reasonably common when a helmet scores less than 5 stars.
We’re not entirely sure whether the two helmets are 100% comparable, but we include it as it might give you some food for thought if you’re wondering about the safety of the ST1400.
But there’s more to the Scorpion Exo-ST1400 safety than just facts and figures.
It comes with EQRS or emergency quick removal system on the cheek pads so if you do take a dive, paramedics can more safely remove your helmet.
And it’s got a tall/wide face shield to give good all round vision. Couple that with the fact that you get a Pinlock antifog ready shield in the box toether with a Max Vision Pinlock and you shouldn’t ever have your vision obscured by condensation, like ever.
There’s also a shield lock on there in case you’re worried it might pop open and the whole thing is kept on your head by a good ole, reliable, double d ring fastener.
Of course, all helmets for sale in the US have to come up to DOT standards so it should offer at least a decent minimum level of protection (you can read more about what tests its had to pass here).
So it’s great to see Scorpion has made some good efforts to add extra safety features into the ST1400.
Helmet Noise
(more about helmet noise)
Onto noise. Most of us would probably like a quiet helmet, right? It’ll protect your hearing and mean that you could probably get away with the odd low speed short trip without having to reach for the ear plugs.
Unfortunately, looking at folks’ thoughts and comments around the web, it seems the Scorpion Exo ST1400 is a bit of a noisy helmet.
A few owners commented that there’s quite a bit of wind rush and that it becomes noisy anywhere above 50mph. And while a couple of people said they found it OK, most said it’s a noisy helmet.
Using the air pump to press the lining in a bit can help but we wouldn’t recommend buying an ST1400 if you’re after a really quiet helmet.
Ventilation
(more about helmet ventilation)
The ventilation config on the ST1400 is pretty conventional. There’s a single central chin bar vent with two positions – and up top, a twin crown vent operated by a single slider, again with two positions.
Air enters the crown of the helmet via these top vents and enters channels cut front-to-rear in the internal polystyrene lining. Out the back, there’s a single exhaust vent to create flow-through and let all that stinky warm air exit the lid.
So far, so average.
The good stuff is that those venting controls seem to be really easy to use, with nice positive action and large grippy pads so you can find and operate them even in winter gloves.
And opinions seem to be that overall venting is somewhere between OK to very good, so unless you live in the more Southern states and do a ton of hot weather riding, you should be fine with an ST.
A couple of links you might find useful…
– Click to see all our Sports Touring Helmet reviews –
– Here you’ll find our Top 10 Full Face Helmets –
Shield
(more about shields)
Scorpion say they’ve made the shield both extra wide and tall to give better peripheral vision as well as make the helmet work in a more ‘lean forward’ sportier position.
It also uses Scorpion’s Ellip-tech shield system which is designed to pull the helmet towards the shield seal when you close it to make a tighter seal to keep air and water out.
There’s a central lock/opening tab on the shield, which a couple of owners reckoned was a bit stiff to use, although most said it’s fine for opening and locking the visor.
That said, a couple of other owners said that central lock can be a bit annoying because if you open the shield just a bit, the lock sits right in your field of vision.
Out of the box, the ST1400 comes with a clear shield with an Everclear no fog coating to reduce fogging.
But what’s great is that Scorpion includes another Pinlock ready shield too, together with a Max Vision antifog insert in the box. So if you’re troubled with a fogging face shield, worry no more because if the Everclear shield isn’t quite up to the job, then the Pinlock will sort you out in all but the most extreme conditions.
Sun Visor
(more about sun visors)
There’s also a drop down sun visor incorporated into the Scorpion Exo-ST1400 which in our book is a great feature if you’re the sort of person who really doesn’t want to be swapping shields from tint to clear all the time.
There’s a slider behind the left hand shield pivot to drop the sun visor down and owners say the controls are easy to reach and work just fine in gloves.
Most people reckon the sun visor works well though one or two say it doesn’t drop down quite far enough.
That’s a common enough complaint with a few sun visors across helmet manufacturers, most likely because they’re designed to work with lots of different face shapes and not to drop onto your nose/cheeks where they’d make things really uncomfortable.
Meaning what works great for one person, isn’t necessarily that great for another. So if it’s the kind of thing that bugs you, then just make sure you try before you buy or buy from a store that’ll happily give a refund if it’s not right (like our recommended stores).
Comfort and Sizing
(more about comfort and sizing)
Inside the Scorpion Exo-ST1400 you’ll their Kwikwick3 lining which is a removable and washable hypoallergenic liner that’s designed using materials that’ll wick sweat away from your head.
Like all the Scorpion helmets we’ve come across, it’s made to fit medium oval headshapes which is right for the vast majority of Americans.
But should you find the helmet doesn’t fit quite right or starts to move around over time, worry not. The ST1400 uses Scorpion’s Airfit system where there’s a small inflatable bladder behind each cheek pad that you can inflate by pressing a rubber bulb behind the chin bar.
Doing that pushes the cheekpads in a bit, tightening things up more. Those riders that use it say it’s great to firm up the fit and can reduce noise levels a bit, though it seems like most folks don’t really bother with it too much – not regularly anyway.
Which shouldn’t be a massive problem because it sounds like the lining on the ST1400 is mega comfy with loads of people saying it’s soft and cosseting and great for all day rides.
And if you wear glasses, the good news is there’s glasses grooves inside so no more pressing of stems into the sides of your head.
Looks & Graphics
OK if you’re going for the carbon version, in the US (at the time of writing) there’s the plain gloss or matt carbons. Or if you want a bit of paint too, there’s the Antrim colorways in either hi viz yellow or grey.
There’s a few others available in ECE countries including the Carbon Pure red or yellow, the Esprit blue or grey as well as the Grands which come with either blue, white or orange highlights.
If you’re after a plain ole composite TCT fiberglass version, there’s a matt black, the Torque range (red or blue) and the weirdly wonderful Blackspell.
For the latest colorways, please check out our recommended stores below.
Best places to buy a Scorpion Exo ST1400?
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo ST1400 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Scorpion Exo-ST1400 Video
If you want to get a good look around the ST1400, then here’s a 12m video from Chapparal that shows you around the plain carbon black version.
Other stuff – fasteners, audio, weight, aero, buffeting, warranty
All ST1400s come with a double d-ring fastener. Old school but effective.
It should work well with quite a few bluetooth kits. Several owners said it works great with a Sena although some owners with Cardo’s struggled to fit the speakers into the pockets. There are deep speaker pockets inside the helmet and plenty of surface to either clip or stick your comms unit onto the outside, it just depends on the diameter of your speakers (sorry, we don’t have size info).
Most owners of Scorpion ST1400 Airs say it feels somewhere between light and crazy light! It weighs in somewhere between around 2.7lbs (1.2Kg) and 3.1lbs (1.4Kg) depending on size and helmet shell – but either way both helmets fall into our lightest helmets categories and owners say they feel light weight when you’re wearing them.
That sculpted shell seems to do a great aero job too because lots of riders say there’s very little buffeting from the ST1400 and it feels super aerodynamic, even at high speeds.
The Scorpion Exo-ST1400 comes with a class leading 5 year warranty.
Overall/Summary
There’s no doubt about it; the Scorpion Exo-ST1400 is a class act.
According to owners, all the basics work well with great aero, quality, comfort and face shield system (including sun visor) doing a good job. Plus there’s some useful extras such as that Pinlock antifog and EQRS all for a very very reasonable price for a carbon-finish helmet.
It’s light weight too and should give all-day levels of comfort for medium oval heads. And Scorpion has a decent reputation for making helmets that score pretty well when safety tested too. In Europe the 1400 Air (as it’s called over there) scored a very solid SHARP 4 star safety rating (maximum of 5).
It’s not the quietest helmet but if you’re looking for a sports touring full face and like to get value for money – as well as a sweet looking helmet – then the Scorpion ST1400 is well worth checking out.
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Good Alternatives to the Scorpion Exo-ST1400?
If you’re looking for a highly rated sports touring full face helmet, then there’s lots of choice out there. Here’s some we recommend you take a look at…
First up and a bit more money than the Scorpion is the Arai Signet-X. It’s a Snell fiberglass helmet that’s rated for comfort and ventilation and comes with a Pinlock. It’s best suited to longer oval head shapes though.
For around the same money as the ST1400 is the Shoei RF-SR: a Snell certified full face with excellent build quality, comfort and aero that makes for a fantastic all-rounder helmet.
Or for something a bit more edgy, how about the Simpson Ghost Bandit – cool looking, sun visor, Pinlock shield, and comes in both full carbon or composite shells.
Finally, if you decide you don’t want to spend as much as these, Scorpion’s polycarbonate R420 full face is superb value. It’s Snell certified too, comes with an antifog shield, EQRS and is comfortable and reasonably quiet.
Looking to buy a Scorpion Exo ST1400?
Please click below to visit the Scorpion Exo ST1400 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
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