A few weeks ago I had the opportunity, if that's the right word, to test my Arai RX-7XX in the only way that really counts. I used it to keep the contents of my skull where they belonged rather than liberally distributed over a Ford Fiesta whose driver decided to make a hostile takeover bid on the piece of road I was currently occupying. The Arai, I am delighted to report, did a sterling job but, in saving me, made the ultimate sacrifice itself.

So it was time for a new lid.

Three constraints came to mind when selecting a replacement. It had to be ACU gold approved. It had to have a quick release visor mechanism. And it had to be available Right Now because I had a test bike to collect the next day.

A perusal of my local helmet and clothing emporium showed me one very important thing. They didn't sell Arai. Hmm. Well, it was noisy and a little heavy, and perhaps the visor system was a little antiquated. Maybe it was time for a change...

The choice was very simple, at the end of the day. A cheap and rather nasty looking helmet from a nameless manufacturer or a Shoei. Hmm. Tricky one.

The XR1000 isn't the top banana Shoei helmet, sitting as it does one step down from that lofty perch. But it's pretty well specced, despite that. Buy a plain one and your £250 gets you a very neat QD visor, plenty of air vents, pinlock anti-fog as standard, a nice plush helmet bag and a build quality that's right up there with the best. You also get a proper Double-D fastener and not the Mickey Mouse seatbelt type thing. Colour, in my case Dull Grey (that's titanium silver), is uniform and looks deep. There are no side pods to get lost and you can see the visor mechanism through the clear visor ends. Lining is a nice rich velour and the side cushions come out for cleaning or to customise the fit with different pads. You need to go up a model to get a fully removable and washable lining, but we'll have to see whether that's an issue or not.

Let's look at the individual features before going on to living with the thing day to day.

Pinlock. I'm in two minds about this. It's certainly effective and it's easy to, for example, pop the clear insert out and put a dark one in. The plus is that you're completely legal doing that as well. As an antimist device it's 100% effective and, even though, like all it's comparable rivals, Pinlock isn't recommended for use at night, it causes virtually no vision problems in the dark. But despite all that I'm still not certain. The trouble is that Pinlock doesn't cover the whole visor. Now that isn't a problem in itself - the space that remains clear is plenty big enough and the misted up bit never gets in the way. No, the problem is that the clear rubber strip around the edge of the insert creeps into your field of view sometimes. Like, for example, when you're tucked in nice and comfy on a GSX-R... But the biggest concern is that I like to use a dark visor when it's sunny, feeling far better protected than trying to kepe a pair of sunglasses in place under my helmet. And, being a prudent sort of chap, I like to carry a clear visor with me. Now that's easy enough - I just use a Vi-Pro pouch and strap it around my waist. But just how am I supposed to carry a spare piece of delicate clear insert around with me without mullering it?

The visor mechanism is brilliant. It's easy, it works well and it's been reliable despite the visor being taken off for cleaning twice a day at the moment. The visor seals perfectly, every time, and is rain and draught proof. The little doobry to keep it open a crack works fine as well, but is utterly redundant with Pinlock. On the downside, you can't change the visor while you're on the bike, even using a mirror. And it definitely needs both hands to change. Changing is a doddle, though. Push the little catch down on each side (it's highlighted in this picture) and the visor just pops off. Certainly less stressful than the "Nuts, I've broken it" feeling you (incorrectly) get every time you change the visor on an Arai.

There's not much that can go wrong with a strap. Except for the way that the loose bit is kept out of the way. You know, when you've put the strap through the D-rings there's always a bit left over. Normally there's a bit of velcro to stop it from flapping. Arai use a plastic press stud that works OK. And the XR-1000 has a neat idea that clips te end of the strap onto the middle of the D-ring. Neat idea, yes, but maybe not in practice. Because even now I can't do it with one hand and sometimes can't actually get it to fasten at all. The result is a flapping strap and, worst case, a cut chin. Not such a great feature.

On to actually using it, then.

The first thing I noticed is that, as a more modern design, the Shoei is a lot shallower than the Arai it has replaced. That takes a bit of getting used to, as I felt almost as though my earlobes were hanging out the bottom of the helmet. It's a slightly exposed feeling...

Compounding the shallow shell is the feeling that Shoei helmets are still rather rounder than Arai. That translates to a helmet that fits perfectly front to back, and in reality probably fits perfectly everywhere, but feels a bit loose on the sides. So you geta draught round the ears, feeling even more exposed as a result. It also negates a lot of the real advantages of having a quieter, more modern shell design. Now a lot of that is down to my odd shaed head, I'm sure, but it bears consideration when you're getting a new helmet.

However. In it's favour, the Shoei XR-1000 is light, comfortable and rather quieter than I'm used to. Visibility through the large visor aperture is excellent and the vents seem to be effective. Shoei make something of a deal out of the aerodynamic lip at the back, which is claimed to reduce buffet and lift at speed. Me, I'm a sceptic about things like that so the fact that it actually seems to work was a pleasant surprise. You can see how much of a difference it makes to aiflow by looking at the back of the helmet after a wet ride. It's filthy in a way that I've never seen before, showing that there is certainly something going on back there. I just don't know what...

I've used the Shoei XR-1000 for getting on for three months now. It's a good helmet, for sure, and excellent value for money. The multi coloured and replica options are a little pricey at up to £350, but that's still reasonable for a helmet that gives this level of protection and has this many useful features. But I'm still struggling to get used to the different shape, the feeling of exposure, the infuriating strap retainer and Pinlock. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the helmet as such, and I'd recommend it unreservedly to anyone who, for example, liked Shoei shaped helmets. But for me, though it's fine for now, I can't see me still using this helmet come the summer.