Introducing: Shoei's Personal Fit System
The Shoei Personal Fitting System is a new in-person service that utilizes a multipoint 3-axis measurement procedure that, when fed through Shoei's database, and then translated into a custom pad assortment, delivers the most comprehensive custom-fit helmet experience available to date.
How Shoei PFS Works
The fitting service starts by taking a range of measurements with a proprietary cranium caliper. We still take into account the circumferential measurement around the wearer's head, as a familiar benchmark, but the Shoei PFS database relies exclusively on the 3-point measurement from the caliper: the distance in millimeters measured from front-to-back, side-to-side, and the relative depth of the wearer's head in relation to their ears.
We plug these values into the proprietary Shoei PFS dealer portal, along with the exact Shoei helmet model being fit, and then the system suggests a custom pad supplement.
First we'll run a test-fit with temporary pads installed the specified shell size. Then we add a healthy dose of helmet-fitting experience to help interpret the results, and make further adjustments as needed. Once all parties are satisfied, we apply permanent model specific die-cut foam pads inside the helmet to lock in the custom fit.
Pads are applied in combination, with hard and soft pads stacked in series around various places in the helmet to achieve an optimal fit.
Left: An array of test-pads set up in varying thickness, from 2-ply to 5-ply, used to test-fit. Right: A Shoei GT-Air 3 custom head liner, set up with extra side, fore, and aft pads, ready to be installed in a new helmet.
There are four different zones that can be adjusted within a helmet— front, back, sides (both upper and lower) and top/crown.
Supplemental PFS pads can range from as thin as just "1 soft,": to multiple layers of both densities. Regardless of the number of pads ultimately used, we maintain a flat fee for the service.
A full PFS fitting takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, or more if we're working on a busy weekend afternoon. We offer helmet fitting appointments on some days the showroom is closed. Click here to book.
Seen here: a time-lapse of a recent PFS installation following a fitting appointment. We test fit a series of temporary pads, made some slight modifications based on our personal experience and the customer's feedback, and then installed the final pad selection—along with the helmet's pinlock insert and an SRL 3 communications system.
New Tool Day!
Becoming a Shoei PFS dealer meant investing in both the time and training to get up to speed on the new system, but also stocking up on a LOT of different pads to cover all the current helmets in the Shoei catalog.
To see some of the guts behind the program, see this PDF for the breakdown of the available pads we have in stock to cover every current Shoei helmet.
There are so many pads to store and organize we brough in a dedicated rolling tool chest to house them, along with the "Cranium Caliper," the crown jewel of the PFS program.
Also part of the PFS program, a Shoei branded director's chair for you to sit it while fitting, to make it official.
The lynchpin and crown jewel, literally and figuratively, of the Shoei PFS system: the "Cranium Caliper" (our term, not what Shoei calls it)... This device is used to get a 3-axis measurement which we feed into the Shoei database to product a suggested custom pad setup.
The Cranium Caliper is essential to the PFS system, and represents a real paradigm shift when it comes to fitting helmets, in that it measures riders along three different dimensions, and then crunches the data to give a reccomended application of pads to deliver an optimal fit per a specific helmet model.
Honestly we probably won't recoup the cost of the initial outlay for brining in the PFS system for a season or two, but we think it's worth it to be able to offer a higher-level helmet fitting experience.
Plus, we've been trying to get signed up for this program for years—since it was a pilot program for shops in Japan only.
Plan on 30 minutes to an hour to get through a PFS session. You can make an appointment Tuesdays and Weds, when the showroom is otherwise closed to the public, or walk-in during regular showroom opening hours.
Who is Shoei PFS for?
The short answer is that PFS is for anyone looking to optimize the fit of a Shoei helmet.
We've found that even people who have never reported problems fitting into, say, a stock Shoei helmet size off the shelf, can still benefit from a custom fit. Something as subtle as adding a few millimeters of top padding can help raise the helmet up just slightly, raise the eye port of the helmet relative to the wearer, and even bring the bluetooth speaker pockets better in-line with the user's ears.
It's an iterative series of improvements that's available to anyone. Anyone with a Shoei helmet. And some time to invest in the process.
The longer answer is that this service helps open up the Shoei catalog to those whose head shapes might have previously precluded them from fitting an intermediate-oval Shoei shell. A little more on the Long-Oval/Round-Oval discussion below.
So for some, it's necessary; and for all, PFS offers the benefit of a comprehensively customized fit.
How much does it cost?
Shoei's suggested retail price for this process is $60 when purchased with a new Shoei helmet, and $80 for a re-fit of an older helmet.
We have decided to charge the same flat $60 whether you're buying a new Shoei, or already own one And just want to customize the fit.
While Shoei supports pads going back to the RF-1100 model, our own in-store policy is that we will only work on a helmet that's less than 5 years old. After that, it becomes a liability and should be replaced.
The Shoei Personal Fit System is, of course, an in-store only service.
And no, sorry but we can't apply it to other brands of helmets.
Is this AI helmet fitting? Not so fast...
It didn't take long for us to learn that PFS is more than just plugging numbers into a program, letting the algorithm do the work, fitting the resulting pad recommendation, and sending folks on their way.
Instead, the PFS software will suggest a starting point, but there's still a human touch required as we temporarily place test pads inside a wearer's helmet, and have them try it on to assess the fit before moving to the next step.
As with any helmet try-on session, we're assessing the overall fit, getting qualified feedback from the person getting fit, and making adjustments as needed. We've found that the system usually gets us pretty close right off the bat, but it still requires a human hand.
As with any system, PFS is not perfect. But in the hands of an experienced helmet fitter, it adds a whole new dimension of adjustability that we are happy to add to our repertoire
Eat Your Peas
"New Helmet Day" can be an exciting moment for any motorcyclist. It can be semi ceremonial, getting just the right fit, picking up some new features, picking out the colors. Not to mention, getting that retail therapy dopamine hit, AND getting a nice new lid you'll use for years of making motorcycle memories.
But here's a dirty little secret - getting fit for a helmet can be a pain in the ass, too.
We try to "burn our matches" judiciously when leading folks through the helmet fitting process. Try on too many options in too short a span, and your ears might heat up, and you can go "size blind."
Part of the job of properly fitting folks to helmets is, unfortunately, to make them (you!) uncomfortable. We might need to put you in a helmet that's slightly too small, or the wrong shape, to rule it out of contention. Basically, by using your head as a Go/No-Go Gauge.
And we're going to challenge your assumptions along the way. We'll be as gentle as possible, promise. But we ask you trust in our process.
A properly fitting helmet should be borderline too tight when new, and only after 20+ hours of use should it break in and maintain a comfortably snug fit. Even once broken in, you still shouldn't be able to chew gum w/out being careful. Over the years we've become accustomed to "leading the target" and assessing fit, managing expectations, and using all available tools at our disposal—be it optional pads, or different models from different brands—to dial in a safe and comfortable fit.
Stage I: Conventional Custom Helmet Fitting
We routinely see folks come in with helmets that are at least ones size too big for them.
Often, this is become of a they were never properly sized in the first place, and because "too big is always comfortable," they go with the path of least resistance, and end up with an ill-fitting helmet. And if it's too big on Day One, it's just going to get worse bobbling around over time.
For years we've taken to stocking the most common variations in optional cheek pads and center comfort liners for the major helmet models we support—letting us "custom fit" new helmets to a degree. Because even if the head shape is right, one guy might have a full face, while the next rider is relatively thinner. Or someone might need a slight crown adjustment up or down, thickening or thinning out the crown liner by a few millimeters.
These stock replacement pads are a great way to fine-tune the fit of a helmet that otherwise generally lines up with your head shape.
With Shoei in particular, we can include standard replacement pads options at no extra charge at the time of purchase. Most folks do fine with the standard pads, but if you need thinner or thicker cheekpads, or a center pad, for your RF-1400, for example, we've got you.
Note: we stock pads for, and offer the same fitting service for Arai models, but if you need custom pads on a new Arai helmet, you'll need to pay for them.
Stage II: Custom Helmet Fitting: "Square Peg / Round Hole" Edition
Often, but not always, we can fine tune a helmet to fit better than it would have out of the box using a combination of variable thickness replacement pads.
Sometimes folks come in with a helmet that's too big because in order to get their particular head shape to feel comfortable along one axis, they'll have to go up in size, and create an unwanted gap in another axis.
It's like a square peg/round hole conundrum, but instead think: Long Oval peg, or Round Oval Peg, in an intermediate-oval hole.
For those riders who fall outside the bell curve the "intermediate oval" head shape— the most common we see in North America—we have always turned to Arai's variable shape models—the Arai Quantum-X, and the Arai Signet-X to help fit riders who have round-oval, or long-oval head shapes, respectively.
As shown in this exaggerated diagram:
We certainly still will offer and present Arai as a premium helmet option worth considering, but now we can also use the Shoei PFS system to get what once might be a "Quantum head" or a "Signet head" into any Shoei helmet, too.
And so besides just fine-tuning an already OK fit, the other very real benefit of PFS Helmet Fitting is opening up the entire Shoei helmet catalog, which we believe to be about the best in the business, to folks who would otherwise run into a mismatch.
Curious? You should be. We're excited to offer this premium fitting service and encourage you to make an appointment for a custom fit.
Mention you made it to the very bottom of this blog post, and for an introductory time we'll throw in a free PFS fitting *with the purchase* of any new Shoei full-face helmet.
Make an appointment or come by the showroom during regular hours and we'll be happy to get you set up.