The Shoei X-14 Is Coming To The U.S. And Here's Why Everyone Should Care

Shoei has finally confirmed that the Spirit III they announced several weeks ago is coming to the U.S. as the Shoei X-14. A little digging, and a tip from a super secret tipster, have revealed some interesting features that will make this helmet great for all riders.

That's right. Soon, you'll be able to wear the lid this little fella wears on race day. And, while it will likely be awesome for racing, the helmet buying audience is much larger than racers and a lot of people are wondering if they should consider it too.

Here are a few things my spies tell me about the helmet that make this helmet interesting for all riders:

• The X-14 comes with a modular pad system that should help make it fit a very large variety of oval shaped heads. The crown section itself is made of a four or five pieces of padding which can be swapped for thicker or thinner pieces to get the right fit.

• On top of pulling air directly into the face of the rider, the chin vent can also pull air in through the cheek pads to help cool the sides of the rider's face.

• The cheek pads are also perforated, so they will stay drier and evaporate sweat better, while also flowing more air.

• The X-14 will be able to take the CWR-1 visor (the same that fits on your RF-1200), which means you can also use a transitions shield on it.

  Finally, one for you racers:

  • Shoei brought in aerospace engineers to help during the wind tunnel testing, where they ensured the design was stable at speeds of over 200 miles per hour.

    We'll be sure to keep an eye out for this lid so we can try it as soon as it lands on our shores.