SHOEI XR1000: Michael Rutter Replica
For the last three years I've been stropping around with a half-tonne monstrosity strapped to my head that I finally got around to replacing recently with a SHOEI XR1000 Michael Rutter replica.
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When I bought my first bike I checked out the range of helmets as it was, in Hamilton and settled on a reasonably priced HJC from Boyd Honda. The thing was a middle of the range jobbie, nothing flash, just a cheapish but safe helmet.
A couple of years on and some rough treatment later the old girl is looking rather tatty, feels too big (some padding compression maybe) and weighs a friggin tonne compared to everyone elses helmets I've checked out recently.
So it was that I took advantage of a recent day off and rocked up to Auckland to check out what all the manufacturers have to offer. After dismissing the seriously priced Arai's I settled on an XR/1000 SHOEI from Motormail for $800. Its a Michael Rutter replica jobbie but the same spec as a standard XR/1000.
Weighs 1350gm (+/-50), is a shit load quieter, fits way more snugly and comfortably and has heaps less drag when you turn your head at speed. I rode about 500km the day I bought it on a mostly sunny but also windy day and it was bloody great. Be interesting to see how it compares to the old HJC banger with winter coming up.
Michael Rutter the man is a British Superbike racer who's also done some 500cc GP racing and at one point had a wildcard entry in World Superbikes. In 2001 he won the BSB on a Red Bull Ducati, switched to Suzuki in 2002 and won the BSB again for them in 2004.
He doesnt make it onto my fabulous ZX7R Wiki site coz as far as I know he's never raced one, the fool :-)