Shoei Qwest review

I have had several flip face helmets but get annoyed with the noise. I have recently bought a Sena SMH10 bluetooth and struggled to hear the music at 100k in my LS2 helmet (you get what you pay for).

I tried several helmets and, and settled on the Shoei Qwest "Overt" (TC3). Light, around 1450g, but very quiet. The Sena is clear as a bell at 100k at half the volume. It comes standard with a pinlock insert, a skirt to stop wind, and is well made and very comfortable. Stands out nicely without looking like a complete lemon on my head. All in all a nice helmet with good ventilation too.
I got it for NZD$650.

kewwig wrote: without looking like a complete lemon

I resemble that remark thank you

Nice little write up.

I resemble that remark thank you

Very closely indeed LOL.

Hey Kewwig, when you said "you get what you pay for" where you referring to your old helmet or to the Sena SNH10. After today's great ride with a friend through some really interesting countryside I was deciding it might be worth saving up for a rider to rider communication system. Your Sena does this doesn't it? If so, how successfully? (And what did you pay?)

1952 wrote:Hey Kewwig, when you said "you get what you pay for" where you referring to your old helmet or to the Sena SNH10. After today's great ride with a friend through some really interesting countryside I was deciding it might be worth saving up for a rider to rider communication system. Your Sena does this doesn't it? If so, how successfully? (And what did you pay?)

Sorry, meant the LS2. The Sena is outstanding in the right helmet. I have mine connected via bluetooth to an Iphone 4s. Music in full stereo and good quality. My Iphone GPS (Copilot) talks to me so I don't need to see the screen. Siri works well so I can tell it to call numbers, play music or even specific songs or artists. The phone calls work perfectly and my wife reckons it's clear. Battery life is huge. I have only got the one, but the range set to set is 900m and it has had good reviews. I really like it. NZD $360 for one, but if I buy another, EBay has some great deals.

You can buy different mounts and I have both the boom mike and a small stick on one for full face helmets.

Thumbs up from me.

kewwig wrote:I have had several flip face helmets but get annoyed with the noise. I have recently bought a Sena SMH10 bluetooth and struggled to hear the music at 100k in my LS2 helmet (you get what you pay for).

I tried several helmets and, and settled on the Shoei Qwest "Overt" (TC3). Light, around 1450g, but very quiet. The Sena is clear as a bell at 100k at half the volume. It comes standard with a pinlock insert, a skirt to stop wind, and is well made and very comfortable. Stands out nicely without looking like a complete lemon on my head. All in all a nice helmet with good ventilation too.
I got it for NZD$650.

Certainly looks the part Kewwig. We didn't have any of them local to look at locally, only the XR1100. Just picked up a Shoei XR1100 for the wife for $389 from the states. They seem to be a quality helmet, visors are also much cheaper (just over $50) than my Shark which cost $100 a visor. I might end up buying a XR1100 as well as both the visors on my Shark are nearly buggered.

I think the Qwest uses the same visor as the XR1100

Thanks Kewwig.

The "Overt" looks like my TZX, from the outside at least. However I would happily buy one if quiet, but a its a bit risky without a try.

Do you know if the Overt has different internals to the TZX (a big ask, I know).



That raises a more general question for me ie, do helmuts become quieter with increasing cost??

No idea on the first question, sorry. I have found more expensive helmets quieter, but it's very subjective.

1952 wrote:Hey Kewwig, when you said "you get what you pay for" where you referring to your old helmet or to the Sena SNH10. After today's great ride with a friend through some really interesting countryside I was deciding it might be worth saving up for a rider to rider communication system. Your Sena does this doesn't it? If so, how successfully? (And what did you pay?)

My wife and I have the sena set up and its great. The units seem to work seamlessly without connection issues. I run mine with GPS iPhone and rider to rider. Highly recommended system. If you are in Sydney then try Mr Mobile he has fantastic customer service and gives great advice

My wife and I have the sena set up and its great. The units seem to work seamlessly without connection issues. I run mine with GPS iPhone and rider to rider. Highly recommended system. If you are in Sydney then try Mr Mobile he has fantastic customer service and gives great advice

Thanks for feed-back - need to settle down on the spending front and add to the piggy- bank. I'm in Adelaide, so would be happy to hear any recommendations for a local retail source.

GGiant wrote:
That raises a more general question for me ie, do helmuts become quieter with increasing cost??

when looking for my and my daughters new helmets all of our research showed that the more pricey the Shoei helmets were, the noisier they also became.

I have ordered the Shoei Whisper Kit for my TZX and I will let you know in the next week or so whether it has the desired quietening effect.

I also have an MRA touring screen on my Bandit, but I can't make up my mind just how effective it is in deflecting wind over my head (??). Certainly not as I expected.

Hey gg check the location of the speakers in the helmut. the sena write ups never complain volume. slip your helmet on then slide a finger and touch where your ear hole is in the helmut.

Hold your fingers where they are slide your helmet off and and you see where to mount your speakers you be surprised how low you need to mount them..

My daughter has the worlds noisiest helmut a Rjays and she has no problems listening to music once i placed the speakers in the right spot . I use a scala g4 and Q2

I hope this helps

1952 wrote:....or to the Sena SNH10. After today's great ride with a friend through some really interesting countryside I was deciding it might be worth saving up for a rider to rider communication system. Your Sena does this doesn't it? If so, how successfully? (And what did you pay?)

I have found for mobile calls the Sena awesome in my Shoei, but atrocious in my Arai.

I have just fitted the whisper kit to my XR1100 just need to test it out now. The XR has very limited spare space for the speakers but they seem to be in the right place anyway. I am however thinking of getting a replacement mounting bracket for my Sena which has an internal mounted boom mic rather then the original on as I am now finding with the mic no longer sits in quite the right spot.

The XR and the Quest do use the same CW-1 visors by the way.

1952 wrote:

My wife and I have the sena set up and its great. The units seem to work seamlessly without connection issues. I run mine with GPS iPhone and rider to rider. Highly recommended system. If you are in Sydney then try Mr Mobile he has fantastic customer service and gives great advice

Thanks for feed-back - need to settle down on the spending front and add to the piggy- bank. I'm in Adelaide, so would be happy to hear any recommendations for a local retail source.

I would still go with Mr mobile he is online and very easy to contact. Fortunately for me he also has a shop 10 minutes walk from the wife's work.