Had the noise issue with mine and ordered a different size set of internal pads. I experimented until I got the optimal fit which improved the wind noise significantly.

Great review. Have same helmet & built-in Sena. Excellent quality helmet but agree on the bad wind noise - deafening. Have to use Happy Ears ear plugs to manage it. Still able to hear music, phone calls etc okay.

Awesome review. I have one too and agree with everything you said. If it was a little quieter it would be perfect. I was about to get the SRL, I think I will save my money now. Great review.

Good honest info. I was wondering how quiet they were, because they aint cheap!

Hi, wind noise can be down to a number of things not just the helmet. The bike you ride, it’s screen how it deflects wind and also the rider how tall or how wide

I can cure that noise- easy fix, it’s not the visor- it’s the sena srl seams. Look where they fit on the helmet- tape over the front seam and the lip at the bottom on both sides- and just like that- the noise is gone

Huge thanks for your candour, it really is appreciated even though you've inadvertently thrown a huge spanner in the works. I had earmarked the Air (ii) as my new lid based on safety comfort & according to a number/most of the air(ii) reviews it was constantly at the top when it came to quietest quality helmet under $700 USD. I guess its back to the drawing board as my ears react badly to earplugs. I'm guessing you have to slow down or play music at max volume to drown out the wind noise? any thoughts very much appreciated. Thanks again for posting your review, wishing you health & happiness. Mike S

if anyone else is interested, you can change the cheek and head liners to looser/tighter fit, this may resolve any point of discomfort or help with windnoise. also theres a bit of a trick to get the visor to seal a bit better as well. however too tight and eventually the seal on the helmet will break after many use

Bugger...I'm expecting delivery of my new Sena SRL2 today. I'm getting the J-Cruise2 helmet as I've had a few and I love 'em.

Like Mark said: A fleece neck warmer makes a humongous difference although I have the NXR so don't have the air brakes on the top.

You should've followed the Forcite helmet developed here in Sydney - I visited their startup labs in early 2018 in Chinatown

My wife and I both have Shoei Neotec 2 helmets which is pretty much the flip front modular version of the GT Air. The built in SRL is really neat and tidy in the side. Due to the modular design is has a boom mike that comes off the right hand side. I like the helmet but use an NXR for my sports bike when not on the ST4 with the boss. We don’t use the SRL for anything but comms between us. It drops out a lot with the need to call out CANCEL in order to make a reconnection. It’s frustrating but still good for rider / pillion comms. No peace now from the boss on the back typically calling GO FASTER.

Hi Andy, thanks for the great review. Could you’ll please advise if this helmet has any Approval certification stickers or label anywhere as I couldn’t see one on the outside? I thought they had to have one, or has that changed? Cheers

Hey Andy. Ive had a GT Air II for a while now and I agree with the noise issue. I find it particularly bad with the chin vent open but maybe you haven't noticed this as you run a camera in front of the chin vent.

i find if my 20s or SRL2 connects to a 30k we all year pops and crackles constantly. otherwise by myself or connected to just the 20s its beautiful. amazing helmet and integrated headset

I've got the same set up, riding a Blackbird with double bubble screen and the wind noise i get cancels out any usable comms, even at max volume.

I have a GT Air 2, I also have a GT Air, the GT Air 2 is quieter than the 1. You will find the wind noise is caused by the turbulent air coming from the motorcycle, you can confirm this by either standing up while riding or ride a naked bike.

I note than several of the commenters are riding Ducati ST series machines. I have helmets (other brands) that are pretty damn noisy on my ST4s that are not nearly so much on other machines. Suppose the stock screen design on the Duc could contribute to the noise problem?

Onya Andy! Looking at a SENA for my Neotec 2

I love my GT Air 2 but at night I get a lot of glare from the pin lock. I just wear ear plugs for the wind noise.

SRL 2 came with boom mic as well u can just cut those cables and connect a 3.5 mm jack on it place the boom mic on any one side of helmet , u will have the best audio for vlogging , make sure to use SRL 2 original muffler that came with boom mic 👍😀❤️

I have exactly the same issue with the Arai I bought some months ago. Fantastic fit & build quality,but it’s so noisy! I believe it’s being caused by the scoops on the outer shell. Your helmet has almost identical scoops to mine. When you said there were a couple of negatives, I said out loud to myself, l bet it’s noisy. I agree with you view that you have no idea on what you are getting till after you have paid out. It’s annoying to say the least.

Thanks for your review ...and I do agree, its very noisy and despite me wearing a correctly sized M, i can at certain angles feel the rush of air going in around my ears, so the neck roll design is possibly the weak point. For now, I wear ear plugs if I need any extended high speed riding duty with it..... The other comment i can make is, at high speed (>110kph) its good when your helmet is direct perfect into the flow of the airstream but as soon as you turned an inch left or right, the helmet yanks the head to the side. My previous lid was Schuberth C3 Pro and thats not much better - sound-wise, despite being rated as one of the quietest helmet available. Upside is no stability issues here.....so the aerodynamics is perfect here. Ta..

Thank you for your review! I have just got a Shoei Neotec 2 helmet, and looked into if I can get a different, cheaper com system for it. Unfortunetely it does not seem possible. So I have no mor options than the SENA SRL2. But it is quite a prica one. So I appreciate your review!

Great review. Agreed. GT Air is comfortable but noisy. And despite its name, not well ventilated at all. I stepped up and bit the bullet with a new X-Spirit 3. Incredible helmet. Venting is perfect. Noise is lower and field of vision larger than the GT Air. Highly recommend giving one a shot.

I think most of the wind noise is coming from your windscreen.

I have the same lid and Sena set up. The wind noise is horrific. If I knew how bad I wouldn’t have bought it. I’ve figured out the wind noise is coming from the bottom of the visor. If I cover that area with my hand the noise level drops. Regarding mics. Purple panda with dead cat inside the cheek pad works good enough under 100 KPH,

The Shoei GT Air 2 was specifically designed for naked bikes.

I have an Shoei NXR which I also find pretty noisy, but I've found using a thick fleece neck warmer hugely reduces the wind noise.

Noisy..that shit is subjective. So many laud how quiet it is.

I have the same helmet (previously had the GT Air). I find mine to be very quiet. Strange.

Glad i settled for my Scorpion Exo, better price also.

I use a GTAir II with the SRL2 and 100% agree with your review. I have a 3/4 helmet that's quieter than the Shoei 😐 As for SRL2 its far to clumsy and quirky, if I did more road riding I'd get rid of it for a universal side mount unit. The helmet does look good and is super comfy with good airflow so I'll keep the setup for a few more years before I replace it.

you can use voice command to skip the buttons

mr! Good evening, very professional -😇

On a 1290 Super Adventure I find the noise level remarkably less then the carbon Shark Spartan. I also wear ear plugs and a neck gator.

Thank you for giving this review as it is exactly what I needed to know. The only thing now is to get your same take on the Neotec version as I'd be curious if the same wind noise would be experienced there? I hope Shoei find your feedback and correct this in their products. Until then, I'm not interested and the fact of a micro-ratchet strap being used is just poor design. I rely on the DD-ring for securing the helmet to the bike when I walk away.

My last Bluetooth unit was on it's second helmet and was still going strong until the helmet fell off the top shelf of my closet and landed on the hardwood floor right on the communicator itself. It was totally my fault, and I am forced to wonder if it might have even gone on to live on yet another helmet had it not happened. For that reason, I'm not sold on the idea of buying a helmet with an integrated communicator. BT units are expensive, and if cared for properly, should last a long time and go from helmet to helmet until it dies a natural death.

Totally agree! Driveing a FTR1200 wich is a naked style. And can't use the helmet without earpluggs. Everything else is just nice but it's loud as fuck. Can't really figure out how Shoei could relase it.

I have JT AIR2 integrale wth SENA SRL 2. Love it. Tight fit. Noisie??? Would say: too silent. Shuts out some of the true bikers noices. JT AIR2 and SENA SRL2 doing great for me.

hi , i am in for a new helmet . what you recommend ?

I bought a medium hoping it would give a bit but it didn’t, bought a large and now it’s given a bit it’s a bit slack , not the hats fault I got an in between head !

Nice helmet I do like the quality of Shoeis what is that horizontal fin like thing on the back of it is that some sort of sacrificial crumple fin to soften impact I have hear it mentioned that manufacturers were looking into crumple type areas on helmets but would imagine there r large obstacles in the way ie size for one

I'm not sure you can have great ventilation without wind noise.

I have a ST3 and GT Air2. And I also find it very noisey. On cold days you can feel cold air blowing directly into your ears. I was thinking to get a double bubble windscreen to make it a bit better. Have you tried your old windscreen with GT Air2 ?

I love my gt air2 but I wish I hadn't bothered with the SRL2, its too quiet and the controls are fiddly. Much prefer my old interfone system

I have one, nice quality but yes noisey, hard to close the visor, internal padding has gone baggy too quickly (12 month wait for a new liner!!!!!) and when on my sports bike the battery hump hits my jacket and pushes the helmet forward over my eyes. That bit is a deal breaker so I don't use it on a sports bike, but its fine on the touring bike. For the money the down sides are too many for me to buy another Shoei.

Hello Andy, thanks for the review. I have got the same and I totally agree. This is a very loud helmet. I thougt : "let's buy a good helmet", but the noise is indeed a big downfall. All reviews in Dutch prize this helmet, especially for being so quiet, I wonder if they ever have worn this helmet.

My HJC is unbearable to wear without earplugs. I’d be a bit disappointed to fork out serious dosh to have a noisy helmet I thought it was a case of more sheets less noise!

I have the GT Air not the 2 and find it very noisy. My modular AGV is slightly worse. I have a big Guzzi Custom 1400 with a sport screen and a Duc ST4S with a taller aftermarket screen. I can’t tell any difference in wind noise with either bike. I use ear plugs and a balaclava. My cheap Chinese AGV full face is quieter if I don’t turn my head. My wife thinks her Schuberth C3 Women’s pro is noisy and prefers her Bell Bullit.

The neotech 2 is far less noisy and the sena srl mesh Betters the srl2, using practically the same chipset and specs as the excellent interphone Ucom16. Better audio thanks to hd speakers and no issues with the mic. I don’t bother with the fm radio. It’s crap on all of them.

aint gonna lie, i expect it to be a bit quieter but my scorpion exo r1 carbon is way quiter and way comfier due to the fact that it is lighter plus you dont need a proprietary intercom system which we all know cardo is superior

I ride with ear plugs so that fixed the only downside

i know, its pretty noisy, have you tried driving with earplugs?

i tried it, had a test ride week ago, but my head shape is not compatible with that helmet :D

They need to do something about recycling helmet, big environmental problem.

I have the Shoei GT Air 2 with the Sena set for quite some time now. This sound suits only for those that wear airplugs all the time. Without earplugs, it gives you way to much high tones, fully out of balance. The voice control..... , better just forget it. Worthless. It has been long ago that I used the Sena on that helmet. A waste of money. The more because you cannot upgrade the speakers with a better set, unless you start cutting and soldering, since all the wiring is fixed, cannot be unplugged. Never again

How much $$$$ ?

The most expensive helmet I ever had, the noisiest, too.

GT air 2 is one step forward 2 steps back over the GT Air. GT Air 2 comes in smaller than The GT Air. Buy online with caution. Having a 'crack open' position on the visor is awesome. I also can't stand the buckle fastener. Double D for the win! I use a pair of IEMs for riding as I don't want to talk to peoe when riding. A snood makes a massive difference to the amount of noise. My ears are bad enough so I don't want helmet speakers blasting away to be heard over the helmet noise.

Oh fuck - I hate noisey helmets. I "had" long been a fan of Bell (for fitment) but foubnd these too noisey. Quite liked AGV but never quite fitted my skull.

I've got a helmet that makes no noise, when whare on the!!!!!!!!!!!!😁

Having had a SENA 10U i will say i was bitterly dissapointed with the SRL2 - the range is awful, way worse then thje old 10U, the speaker quality is awful and it also kept playing up, ive just upgraded to the SRL mesh after a warranty return iand im hoping for better SENA with the Mesh, i wouldnt want another SRL2. I cannot fault the GT Air 2 but the intercom is poor

Wind noise? Quit complaining. What do you expect for a measly $750 US (🤯sarcasm🤯) Shoei is a little too proud of their products. Reminds me of Nike.

I stopped buying shoei helmets decades ago, far to much noise. For my money, Arai wins.