SHOEI X-SPR PRO

I'll cut to it... when it comes to my kit, I don't mess around - especially when it comes to helmets.

TESTED BY: Bruce
TIME: Ten months
PRICE: From £699.00
WEB: www.shoeiassured.co.uk

In my younger years, I'd have worn a saucepan on my head, but getting older, gaining responsibilities, and realising that shit happens has focused my mind on wearing only the best kit on the market. Now, I'm not here to say that one brand of helmet is better than another, but what I am assured of is that Shoei is one of the best helmet manufacturers in existence and that I have full faith in its products, principles, and technologies.

For the past seven years, both on road and off, Shoei has been my staple choice of helmet supplier, with six years clocked up in several different X-Spirit IIIs. For me, that was a cracking lid, offering great protection, features, and a stylish look. But nothing ever stays the same, and when Marquez popped up at MotoGP wearing a slightly different style of helmet to ones he'd been wearing previously, the writing was on the wall that there'd be a new model hitting the showrooms pretty soon afterwards... which is exactly what happened. The X-SPR Pro was a nice surprise and brought about a slightly new look, boasting improved aerodynamics and better ventilation.