Shoei PFS in NZ: Why a Bespoke Helmet Fit Changes Everything

• Shoei’s Personal Fitting System now available in New Zealand
• Custom-measured fit transforms comfort, safety and helmet position
• Affordable $120 service can make older helmets feel like new and new helmets fit like a glove, well, a helmet…

You only get one head — so getting your helmet to fit properly isn’t optional. It’s critical. BRM headed along to Boyd Motorcycles in Hamilton for the first-ever Shoei Personal Fitting System event and came away with a perfect fit.

There are lots of variables with helmets. Different shaped shells, different shaped heads, new padding versus old padding or even a change of hairstyle. And with having a proper fit such an important factor in keeping you safe should your helmet come into contact with the ground, this new service from Shoei is seriously good. Essentially, a helmet that doesn’t fit properly won’t protect you properly — and that’s where Shoei’s Personal Fitting System comes in.

I say new, but technicians have been doing this in Shoei’s two biggest markets – Japan and China – for quite some time before eventually expanding it to the rest of the world. It was NZ’s turn recently, before the man from Shoei jetted across the ditch to put some more people through the training to measure and fit Shoei lids in Australia.

Unique Service

As far as we’re aware, there isn’t another helmet manufacturer in NZ that offers this service, so while Shoei are premium helmets, the fact you can have the fitting made bespoke for your head is pretty cool. Other reasons to get it done could be, like us, that your helmet is a couple of years old, still in good condition, but the interior may have softened slightly. Taking your Shoei helmet to a store that offers the PFS service lets you get it tweaked so it feels like new once more.

Paul arrived at Boyds with two helmets, a Neotec 2 flip from and a GT Air 2. He takes pretty good care of his helmets, even cleaning them before handing them to Hayden, from the Shoei importer Whites Powersports, for him to check over. With both a couple of years old, the visit was just to get the fit sorted as both were feeling a little loose.

Measure not Massage

Hayden first used a Perspex measuring device to check the dimensions of Paul’s head, starting at the lump at the back of his skull and moving up to just above his eyebrows, then positioning the tool sideways to measure the width and height. Plumbing the measurements into a laptop, the clever Shoei software not only advised which helmet size would be correct for Paul but also gave Hayden the necessary pads to get the fit just right. This isn’t guesswork — it’s measured.

Surprisingly, the software said that Paul’s best option would be a size large Shoei, but it came with a caveat that his chin would protrude by 5 mm from the bottom (yep, the software is that exact). So the next option was an XL, but with some added pads behind the helmet’s interior to get the fit just right. And with both of Paul’s helmets being a size XL, that was good news to hear.

Padding Plan

The software specifies which pads go where, with a few assorted packs of different-shaped pads assembled before Hayden removed the interior helmet lining and cheek pads from the helmets and added the requisite inserts. Think of thin pieces of foam with varying density, and you get the idea, although the first lot to go in was a dummy set just to actually check that the fit was right. Once settled on the pads required, they are removed and then replaced with proper sticky pads that adhere to the backs of the cheek pads and liner.

Speaking to Hayden, he explained that, with no such thing as a ‘standard’ head shape, the measuring and fitting system often reveals factors like the helmet padding only gripping, say, at the front and back, not at the sides. For Paul’s lids, the helmet was actually good on the cheeks but sitting too low which made it challenging for him when riding sportier bikes where he’s leant forward and having to look up. With pads added to the interior of the liner, both helmets were not only sitting higher, giving Paul more vision, but were also gripping his head evenly, making them much more comfortable.

Hayden mentioned the old comment that riders either used to have a Shoei or Arai head. Well, with this personal fitting system, that’s no longer a thing, as they can pretty much fit a Shoei to whatever shaped head you have.

Affordable Tune Up

A number of riders turned up to Boyds for their personal fitting, with each helmet taking around 20 minutes to fit and adjust. The standard price for a fitting is $120, which includes the pads you have stuck in your helmet as well as the time with the technician, so it’s pretty affordable.

So, if your Shoei is feeling a little wonky, or you’re in the market for a new lid and would really like it bespoke-fitted for you, check out the 12 dealers in NZ now offering the service. As they say, you only get one head, so you had better make sure it’s protected in the best way possible. And when it comes to helmets, ‘close enough’ isn’t good enough.

For further details or to find a PFS dealer near you, head to www.shoei.co.nz and click on the P.F.S tab.

And if you’re looking for a deal on a Shoei, head to the Boyd Motorcycles website, where they’ve got some pretty good specials. www.boydmotorcycles.co.nz

SUMMARY

BRM tested Shoei’s Personal Fitting System at Boyd Motorcycles in Hamilton, discovering how precise measurements and custom padding can transform helmet fit, comfort and safety. The service is now available at selected dealers across New Zealand.