Shoei

History

Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958. Its roots go back to 1954 with the founding of Kamata Polyester Co., whose first helmets were produced primarily for use in the construction industry.

Shoei's founder, Eitaro Kamata, began to produce helmets for the motorcycle racing sector and in 1960, the Tokyo factory began to produce the first motorcycle helmets to meet the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS).

In 1965, Honda Motor Co. adopted Shoei's helmets as their 'genuine' helmets, increasing their popularity and availability. The Shoei Safety Helmet Corp. was established in 1968, shortly after construction of the Ibaraki factory. The current Iwate factory was built in 1989.

Despite their success, Shoei remains a relatively small company, with a workforce of under 500 people worldwide.

Shoei provide helmets for numerous MotoGP riders. In the MotoGP class, Marc Márquez and Bradley Smith . In Moto2, Thomas Luthi and Mattia Pasini. In Moto3, Álex Márquez, the younger brother of Marc Márquez, and Arthur Sissis.

Helmets

Since the foundation of the company, all Shoei helmets have been designed and manufactured in Japan, although they are distributed and sold globally.

Shoei was one of the first helmet manufacturers to introduce lightweight carbon-fibre helmets in the mid 1970s.

Shoei's GRV helmet was the first helmet to use carbon fiber and Kevlar. Shoei also created the first coverless shield system and the Dual Liner Ventilation system. The flagship X-Spirit was introduced in 2003 and was promoted by Shoei as the most advanced helmet in the world, winning MCN's Product of the Year 2003 award in the clothing category. It was followed by further development and the introduction of the RF-1000 (sold as the XR-1000 in Europe) in 2004, and the later introduction of the X-Eleven. These helmets paved the way for the current RF-1100 and X-Twelve models. In September 2010 the QWEST was released, the successor of the RAID II, a top of the line sport touring helmet.

Financial effects of the Great East Japan earthquake

Shoei was a victim of the earthquake that struck Japan in 2011. Two factories named Iwate and Ibaraki were damaged and had to be (partially) restored. Its costs calculated on an accrual basis were estimated at around 63 million Yen.