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Shoei’s top of the range composite helmet designed for racers and track-use
The Shoei X-Twelve (X-Spirit II outside the US) is Shoei’s top of the range racing helmet – as worn by Marc Marquez. It features a shell of what Shoei call AIM or Advanced Integrated Matrix which is a composite material of fiberglass and ‘organic fibers’ which produce a particularly hard shell. Being Shoei’s top of the range helmet, it commands a hefty price tag, and because the X-Twelve is designed for racing, it could be a difficult helmet to live with on the road? Let’s have a look…
- Now Replaced by the Shoei X-Fourteen
- Shoei’s top of the range racing helmet
- Composite fiberglass shell
- Snell Certified
- SHARP 5 star safety rated
- 3.3lbs/1.5Kg weight in size large (about average)
- Wide shield aperture
- 4 shell sizes
- 5 Year Shoei warranty
- Available in XS-XL
- Typical price range: $400-$500
Safety and helmet size
Like all motorcycle crash helmets legally on sale in the US, the Shoei X-Twelve is DOT certified (also ECE 22.05 approved in Europe). But, unlike most, it has also been tested/certified by the Snell Foundation and the SHARP crash helmet safety testing scheme where it scored a maximum 5 star rating. There’s only a few helmets which have scored that maximum mark (many are viewable here) so you can buy an X-Twelve and ride in the knowledge you’re wearing one of the most protective helmets around.
Shoei do say that the shell is so hard it can only be cut with lazers. That’s not necessarily a good thing with a motorcycle helmet as there’s an argument that the shell should flex slightly to allow the EPS liner to do its job; but since it’s been tested by SHARP and given top marks too, it obviously does its job well.
The X-Twelve is produced in four helmet shell sizes for the US market, meaning the shell size will more closely marry to the fitment size, overall meaning that the correct thickness of EPS liner (the shock-absorbing polystyrene part that lines the helmet shell) will be used, which is good for safety. It also means the helmet will look more in proportion to your head and body size (not too large or too small); again, a good thing.
Other safety related features include the wider/taller shield for improved peripheral vision. The X-Twelve also has a couple of quick-release red tabs at the bottom of the liner which can be pulled to remove the cheek pads and allow easier/quicker removal of the helmet by emergency services. We’ve not had any reports of how effective these are – or indeed if the emergency services know to use them – but it could well be a very important feature to prevent further aggravation of any injuries.
Helmet Noise
The Shoei has been designed to be as slippery as possible and has been sculpted to reduce drag and lift at speed. And while owners widely report that it does indeed feel slippy and there’s not much buffeting, the design arguably doesn’t do much to help reduce helmet noise.
Of course, it’s quite probable that making the quietest helmet isn’t one of the main priorities for a racing lid and that everyone who races will wear ear plugs as a matter of course. The same may go for road riders too. However, the X-Twelve is not a quiet helmet, with pretty well all owners reporting that it’s noisier than their previous helmet, particularly at speed. Shoei do include a chin curtain with the helmet, and while that does reduce the amount of wind and noise coming up into the helmet around the neck, overall the Shoei X-Twelve is a pretty noisy helmet.
Ventilation
Ventilation on the X-Twelve is average at best. It has a pretty narrow top vent that’s designed to suck air over the top of the head and exit at the exhaust vent at the rear and side of the helmet. But it seems it’s just too small with lots of owners saying they can’t really feel much air getting in. Also, while the vents can be opened/closed, the switch is very small and, because it moves left/right, most owners find it tricky to remember which way’s open and which way’s closed – not good.
The front chin vent is easier to use because it’s much chunkier and easier to find with gloves on, but it directs all its air up over the back of the shield. That’s good if you’re wanting to keep your shield fog-free, but not so good if you’re after lots of ventilation when the weather’s mild/hot and you’re wanting a bit of cooling, including when you’re on a track day.
Overall, ventilation on the X-Twelve isn’t up to the levels of many of its competitors.
Shield
The shield on the X-Twelve is one of its strong points. Shoei have always had a good, positive opening and ratcheting mechanism, and the same goes here. There’s a nice positive movement to the shield and it seats firmly at its different opening settings. The shield base plate has been redesigned to automatically adjust the shield, pulling it to a tight seal when closed and moving the shield away from the seal when it’s being opened. Users say it works well too. It also features an easy to use quick-release system – just pull a tab and the shield lifts away. That’s great for changing shields according to different weather or track conditions or just removing it to clean crud off after your ride.
Shoei have also increased the width and height of the shield for improved peripheral vision and to give the tucked-in racer better vision of the road ahead – another good feature that owners like (click to see other crash helmets with wide face shields).
Being a racing helmet, the X-Twelve has a wide number of replacement shields available for it too – from amber high-vis and tinted shields to tear-offs for the serious racer.
Comfort
The inside of the Shoei X-Twelve is a very nice place to be. While many lower-priced helmets have made big inroads into the quality levels of some of the top brands, one of the benefits of still buying a more expensive helmet is that the linings often use slightly better quality materials, meaning comfort levels edge above some of the cheaper competition. Once you get the right fitting, the X-Twelve is very comfortable. On that note, some owners say that because the X-Twelve uses four shell sizes, you might find the sizes to be slightly different from previous Shoei’s, so it might be worth trying in a shop before you buy.
The lining is fully removable and washable and features their Max-Dry anti-wicking material that Shoei says removes sweat twice as quickly as ‘traditional’ nylon based liners. Most sports helmets these days have anti-wicking liners of course so it’s nothing new, but owners rate the internals of the Shoei highly and find it very comfortable.
Looks & Graphics
The X-Twelve is a very handsome helmet with a sleek, racy look. The build quality is regarded as exemplary by owners with a great paint finish and quality stitching.
At the time of writing, there’s currently six color schemes available (all shown on this page); three Marc Marquez paints (Motegi, Montmelo, and the Marquez 2 TC1) as well as the usual gloss white, gloss black and Matt black solids.
Video
Here’s Shoei’s sleek, pacey sales video showing you how cool you’ll look wearing an X-Twelve (note it says X Spirit II in the video but it’s the same helmet, just what they call outside of the US!) It’s worth a watch to see the helmet’s features too tho…
Other stuff – fasteners, glasses, warranty
The X-Twelve comes with the obligatory double d-ring fastener (so it can be used on the track). They’re basic fasteners but work well.
Glasses owners are well catered for with the X-Twelve with owners reporting that the slots for the stem of your glasses are an improvement from the last model, with the grooves positioning your glasses better and with lots of space to slot them in yet holding them firmly in place while riding.
Finally, the Shoei X-Twelve comes with Shoei’s 5 year warranty – covering the materials and workmanship of the helmet under ‘normal’ use. All Shoeis purchased since 2013 come with this warranty which is a great comfort if you’ve had bad experience with other manufacturers. Note, the warranty only covers the original buyer and word is that it’s only valid if you buy through an authorised dealer – so beware if buying through Ebay or Amazon.
Link to guides page
For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various guides – or have a look at our top helmet lists where we’ve got the top 10 rated helmets overall and best budget/safest/full face/flip-up helmets.
Overall
The Shoei X-Twelve is a competent helmet in lots of ways. It’s very safe, has a great shield mechanism and is all-day comfortable. However, it’s let down by it’s noise levels, ventilation and its price tag.
If you’re after a helmet for race days and track days, you might well find the X-Twelve to be a great helmet because it’s been designed to work for racers – as long as you don’t find it too stuffy due to the poor ventilation. Lots of owners like the helmet, but we feel that for most who aren’t on the track all day and who probably want a helmet to work on the road too, there are better alternatives around for less money.
Alternatives
Which brings us on to alternatives. If you’re after a great racing helmet for use on your sports bike, the Shark Race-R is another SHARP 5 star rated helmet for use on the track. Owners love it both on and off the track and it’s a touch cheaper than the X-Twelve. If you’re wanting to stick with a Shoei, you might consider the Shoei NXR, a helmet that performs well across the board and is designed for sports bike riders too.
