Please note: sale to France is prohibited.

The plain gloss black Neotec 3, and the version most riders end up with. There is no graphic to date, nothing to clash with a bike you might change next year, and — on a helmet this quiet and this well rated — nothing to distract from what it actually is.

Five stars from SHARP — and the number behind them

SHARP awarded the Neotec 3 five stars out of five — the top rating, in a February 2024 test to ECE 22.06. That is the British Department for Transport's independent programme, which buys helmets at retail and strikes them at three speeds across five sites rather than relying on anything a manufacturer supplies.

Five stars is not common. Across the roughly two thousand helmets SHARP has rated since 2007 it remains a minority result, and among modular helmets it is rarer still.

About the gloss black finish

Gloss black is the finish that shows the shape of this shell best, and on the Neotec 3 that matters more than usual. Shoei has spent the aerodynamic development on smooth surfaces and transitions, an eccentric chin-bar path that closes panel gaps, and a clean chin-to-shell junction — all of it in the service of quietness. Under a gloss clear coat those transitions read as continuous highlights running front to back, and you can see the shape the wind tunnel produced. The trade is upkeep: black under gloss is the most demanding surface a helmet can have, because grey road film on a dark mirror is maximum contrast and every dry-wipe swirl catches light permanently. Wash it wet, dry it with clean microfibre, and it will still look expensive in three years. Treat it like a matt helmet and it will not.

P and J, and what ECE 22.06 actually tests

The strap carries ECE 22.06 with both a P and a J. P certifies the helmet as a protective full-face with the chin bar closed, chin impact included; J certifies it as a jet with the bar locked open. Two homologations, one shell — so riding with the bar raised is approved rather than merely tolerated.

A P-only modular is certified in one configuration. Opening it on the move leaves that certification behind.

AIM, three shells, and the steel that holds the chin bar

The outer shell is AIM — Advanced Integrated Matrix, Shoei's laminate of fibreglass and organic fibres in resin. Underneath it sits a multi-density EPS liner assembled from elements with differing absorption characteristics, so impact energy is spread through the structure rather than concentrated where it lands. SHARP records the shell simply as fibreglass at 1.7 kg.

Six sizes, XS to XXL, are carried on three separate shells (XS–M | L | XL–XXL).

CNS-3C and QSV-2 — and the Neotec II trap

The CNS-3C visor opens an almost unrestricted field of view horizontally and vertically. Its upper edge is angled towards the shell, which keeps draught and rain from creeping in at the top, and a central locking mechanism opens and closes it without twisting the screen. A detent holds it at a gap-width opening for extra air on the move, and visor changes are tool-free.

🔵 The Neotec II's CNS-3 does not fit. The generations are not interchangeable and this is a common, expensive mis-purchase.

Quiet by design, and what that costs in airflow

Shoei has tuned the Neotec 3 for quietness rather than maximum airflow, and it is worth stating that as a trade rather than a feature list. Smooth surfaces and transitions, an eccentric chin-bar path that closes panel gaps as the bar shuts, and a clean chin-to-shell junction all serve the same goal: less turbulence around the ears.

🔵 The honest corollary is that ventilation is adequate rather than abundant. Testers consistently call it one of the quietest helmets they have worn — and consistently note that it is not the airiest.

Noise Isolator, glasses, and talking to the helmet

The three-dimensionally shaped centre pad, the pre-formed cheek pads with Noise Isolator and the chin strap cover are fully removable and washable. Centre and cheek pads come in several thicknesses, and an insertable pad allows the vertical fit to be adjusted — so the helmet can be tuned rather than simply accepted.

The SHOEI COMLINK interface takes the SENA SRL3 Mesh system, with pre-routed cabling and recesses moulded into the EPS.

Where it sits in Shoei's range

Where the Neotec 3 sits in Shoei's own range is worth setting out, because the brand offers three helmets that a touring rider could reasonably be choosing between. The GT-Air3 is the full-face answer to the same question — same sun visor concept, same acoustic priorities, seventy euros less and around two hundred grams lighter.

What the Neotec 3 adds is the chin bar, and everything that follows from it.

1750 grams, and the rest of the honest list

The honest list. Weight: 1750 g in size M — heavy in absolute terms, normal for a fully equipped modular, and the price of a hinge, a steel latch and an integrated sun visor. Ventilation: adequate rather than abundant, traded away for quiet. The chin bar open: noticeable drag above roughly 30 km/h, so it is for stops and traffic rather than sustained riding.

None of that is hidden elsewhere on this page, and none of it is unusual in this class.

When something wears out

Nothing that wears out on this helmet is the shell. The centre pad, cheek pads, ear pads and chin strap cover are all separate parts, available in several thicknesses; the CNS-3C visor and the QSV-2 sun visor are both replaceable; and the Pinlock EVO DKS301 lens is stocked on its own.

🔵 Order visors as CNS-3C. The Neotec II's CNS-3 does not fit.

In the box

• Shoei Neotec 3 helmet — Black
• Pinlock® EVO DKS301 anti-fog lens
• Helmet bag
• Instruction manual and ECE approval documentation

Size guide

Specification

• Model — Shoei Neotec 3
• Part number — 12.07.000.2
• Colour — Black — Gloss black
• Homologation — ECE 22.06, dual P/J (protective and jet)
• Safety rating — SHARP 5 of 5 stars (tested February 2024, ECE 22.06); chin bar fully locked in 93 % of impacts
• Helmet type — Flip-up / modular
• Shell — AIM (Advanced Integrated Matrix) — fibreglass and organic fibres in resin; three shell sizes (XS–M / L / XL–XXL)
• Weight — 1750 g (size M)
• Sizes — XS to XXL (six sizes)
• Visor — CNS-3C, tool-free quick-change, central lock, gap-width detent, angled upper edge
• Anti-fog — Pinlock® EVO DKS301 supplied
• Sun visor — QSV-2, integrated, stepless, covers below the eyeline; optional yellow contrast version
• Impact liner — multi-density EPS assembled from elements of differing absorption
• Retention — micro-ratchet chin strap; stainless steel chin bar locking mechanism
• Ventilation — intakes into the airstream, branched internal network, removable insect filter in the lower front vent
• Interior — 3D centre pad, Noise Isolator cheek pads, removable ear pads, chin strap cover — removable and washable, several thicknesses
• Head shape — intermediate oval
• Communication — SHOEI COMLINK with pre-routed cabling and EPS recesses for the SENA SRL3 Mesh system
• Serviceability — visor, sun visor, all pads and the Pinlock lens available as separate parts

• 1x helmet
• 1x clear CNS-3C visor (pre-fitted)
• 1x Pinlock EVO anti-fog lens
• 1x set of spare pins
• 1x maintenance tool
• 1x breath guard