Shoei Hornet ADV 06 helmet in matt black
(SHE429)
£529.99
Finance available with Omni Capital Retail Finance from £ per month
More Info
Alternative Views
Shoei Hornet ADV 06 helmet in matt black
x
If any UK retailer is selling anything at a price that is lower than ours, we will beat that price by a full 10%.For terms and conditions, click here.
(SHE429)
£529.99
Finance available with Omni Capital Retail Finance from £ per month
More Info
Shoei Hornet ADV 06 helmet in matt black Product Information
The Shoei Hornet ADV 06 is basically the old Hornet ADV, but updated to meet the new, higher 22-06 safety standard.
The first thing to note, and we don't know why this is the case, is that the Hornet has a stronger shell than every other Shoei helmet with the exception of the X-SPR Pro race helmet.
Most Shoeis have what is known as an AIM shell. That stands for Advanced Integrated Matrix; and it's Shoei's name for their composite shell; a composite shell being one where glass fibres are combined with strands of Kevlar or carbon fibre. Composite shells are generally considered to be the best, representing the optimum blend of strength to prevent cracking of the shell in heavy and repeated impacts, and 'softness' to absorb the energy of such impacts. But the Hornet's shell is an AIM+ one; and that means that there's an added sixth layer to the composition of the shell.
Presumably, Shoei has done this because they believe that when riding off road the dangers of your head hitting a sharp object are greater. But anyway, the Hornet has a shell that is shared only by their top-of-the-range, FIM-approved Moto GP helmet. And I suppose that's reassuring.
As with the old helmet, the EPS liner, which bears the brunt of absorbing energy in an impact, is what is known as multi-density. And what that means is that the density of the EPS will be different in different areas of the helmet. So the EPS might be softer closer to the outer shell to better absorb the lower impact of a fall in the car park. But it might be denser closer to the skull to better protect against harder impacts. None of this, by the way, forms part of 22-06. A multi-density EPS is just something you tend to find on higher-end brands like Shoei and Arai helmets.
Now airflow is important on an adventure helmet because it's the kind of helmet you might find yourself wearing if you're working hard off road or if you're riding somewhere exotically hot. So you get a two-position vent on the chin and a slide adjuster to allow you to regulate the volume of incoming air on the brow. There's also a vent on the top of the shell beneath the peak mechanism. This one too operates on the basis of a slider. You also get permanently open outlets at the back of the helmet to allow warm air to escape.
Many of our customers will know that, whilst considered somewhat 'de rigeur' for an adventure bike rider, a peak can be more of a distraction than a benefit. And that's because a peak can cause buffeting. It can increase wind noise, and in a side wind a peak can put a lot of strain on your neck.
People talk about how a peak gives you the ability to block out the glare of the low-lying sun with just a nod of the head. But in truth you can achieve exactly the same affect with a piece of PVC tape measuring about three inches by one inch positioned top dead centre of the visor.
But hey, what's the fun in that? You've got an adventure bike. You've bought yourself a jacket with lots of pockets, and a pair of boots with buckles. You want a helmet with a peak. And of course we understand that.
Well the good news is that the peak on the Hornet is a somewhat superior one. It's more substantial than the peak on many adventure helmets, so it won't move about as much. But the peak is also well ducted so air can move through it more easily to reduce buffeting. The peak, of course, is removable. And it's a job easily done without the need for tools.
There's not that much more to say about the Hornet 06.
You get a Class 1 optical quality outer visor. You can, obviously, take the visor off, and ride with goggles. The helmet comes supplied with a Pinlock 120 anti-fogging insert. The chin strap fastens by means of D-rings, which some people still prefer. The cheekpads are equipped with what are known as EQRS straps that allow the emergency services to remove them more easily.
Shoei is so far ahead of the other helmet manufacturers when it comes to custom fitting that it almost beggars belief. If I was Arai, Schuberth, Shark, Nexx or HJC I would feel embarrassed about how great the gulf was.
The first thing to be said is that the Hornet comes in four different shell sizes. Now most Shoei helmets only come in three, but in essence the greater the number of shells the better the fit will tend to be. Bear in mind that the likes of Schuberth, Shark and many other mid-market brands only offer two shell sizes. And that's certainly sub optimal.
In terms of adjusting the fit, every shell size will come with three different headliners of varying thicknesses to enable the fit around the crown to be relaxed or tightened. There will also be three different thicknesses of cheekpad that that can be brought to bear to improve the fit around the face.
And what this gives an experienced helmet fitter is a range of off-the-shelf tools that can be easily employed to improve the fit.
The only helmet maker that comes close to offering anything similar is Schuberth. But their system only works on three out of the six helmet sizes and, in truth, their pads have nowhere near the impact in terms of adjusting the fit that Shoei's do.
But, of course, despite the fact that Shoei was already ahead of the market they have now introduced their computerised Shoei 'Personal Fitting System'.
In essence, we measure your head. We input the measurements into the Shoei App.. This then creates a 3D digital image of your head. The system then marries this to the internal architecture of the Shoei helmet in question. Where there are voids between the liner and the skull it stipulates what pads to fit where in the crown liner to get a perfect fit.
PFS, as it is known, is simply brilliant. It works incredibly well, as it can see what's going on inside the helmet in the way that no person ever could. The result is often that elusive 'perfect' fit. But there are some things you should know. First, it only works on Shoei helmets. Second, only a handful of Shoei dealers offer the service. And thirdly, Motolegends is by far the most experienced PFS retailer in the world. In recent years our man Joe has done more fits than anybody in the world. There's just one guy in Japan who has done more; but he's been doing PFS fits for ten years more than Joe!
A couple of other pointers.
The new Hornet doesn't come with a drop-down sun visor, but then again neither did the old one. But the good news is that Shoei will be offering a Transitions visor that automatically darkens in bright sunlight, although it's not inexpensive and does potentially take the helmet into another price bracket
It is disappointing that the 06 helmet has no facility for integrated comms., and that's kind of surprising because recently this has become a bit of a Shoei trademark. Obviously, the helmet will take a comms. unit, and we can offer Mesh systems that employ both Cardo and Sena software; but they will be ones that stick on or fix to side of the helmet by means of a clamp.
Finally, just one point. To comply with 22-06 the new Hornet ADV required a new larger shell for the XL and XXL sizes. At the time of writing (May 2026), that larger shell was not available.
Specification
- AIM + composite shell
- Shell comes in four sizes
- EPS liner in multiple densities
- Three different thicknesses of head liner for every helmet size
- Four different cheekpad thicknesses for every helmet size
- Helmet fastens by means of Double-D rings
- Vents on chin, brow and on top of head
- Permanently open exhaust vents at back of helmet
- Removable peak. Does not require tools
- Class 1 optical quality outer visor
- Comes supplied with Pinlock 120 anti-fog visor
- Transitions self-darkening visor available
- Free personalised PFS custom fit on any new Shoei helmet. See Shoei PFS for details
Warranty
Shoei helmets have a five year warranty
Product Reviews
Leave us your review
Finance Options
Deposit Amount: £
Monthly Payments: £
Loan Amount: £
Payment Term: months
Total Amount Payable: £
