Jesse,
Excellent questions.
The Z-II was the first model that Shoei created with the 3-D liner system. At the time, Shoei’s top of the line helmet was the XSPII, which honestly wasn’t a very good helmet. The XSPII had a ton of cool features, but didn’t fit a wide range of head shapes. The Z-II was introduced mainly to test the market, and since, they have decided to keep it around. It’s smooth top, and middle of the road venting, has grown a base in the cruiser market. Many of the riders on cruiser motorcycles don’t care for the more “racer” looking venting systems on the other models.
After the X-11 came out, Shoei knew they had a winner. They took the innovations from the XSPII, but made the helmet from the inside out. They focused on fit, and designed the shell from the inside out. Because of this move, they have designed the best helmet on the market, period. When they saw the X-11’s success, Shoei was smart. They completely redesigned the RF-1000 around the X-11. Of course because of price point, they couldn’t copy all the X-11’s features, but they were able to incorporate a lot of the design features. The result was a completely new helmet, which is also affordable.
The main difference between the Z-II and the RF-1000 is the liner. The Z-II has a fully removable liner, while the RF-1000 has only removable cheek pads. Honestly, this isn’t a huge deal. Because of the RF-1000 shape and the improved venting, in our opinion, the RF-1000 is a better helmet. If you’re torn between the two, I would suggest saving your money, and buying the RF-1000. The helmet typically fits great, the venting is more effective, and it uses the latest visor system (larger eye port, which is used by the X-11). The Z-II uses the old visor system, shared by the old RF900 and TZ-1.
Wow, long answer to a short question, but I hope I covered everything. Unless you’re sold on the Z-II’s looks, my money would be on either the Rf-1000, or the new TZ-R.
Todd Mittness (Owner)
The Helmet Harbor
425 W. Guadalupe Rd. #108
Gilbert, AZ 85233
(480) 635-1005
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