Yesterday I spent some time goofing off and researching helmets and reading all your comments. The Qwest is certainly a nicely regarded helmet, although not without it's detractors. It is still hard to find opinions on the RS-1.
I was actually thinking "get both, sell one" but figured I would try one, and if happy, keep it and be done. I was still on the fence until I found an RS-1 for $199, compared to the $349 Shoei (plus $25 for chin curtain and breath guard). Thus I will try the RS-1 first - it is supposed to be quieter than the Shoei, and if it is quiet enough to replace my Vortex I'll see what I can do about the ear pockets and shield sealing.
I know a guy with the Shoei Quest here in MN and he said it fogs up like crazy in cooler weather, even when up to speed. I think he had to quit wearing it.
I think this will work in the Bell's favor. I've used the Bell Vortex and it's nutrafog and works fine at speed, but I have to crack it open when stopped. The various venting choices on the Vortex (and more on the RS-1) help managing it at speed.
I'm suprised the Shoei doesn't do well in this regard - it has the "city position" which opens the top and bottom a couple mm's. I had a Shuberth C1 years ago which did something similar and it was effective.
Check out an HJC FS-15.... if it fits, seriously consider it. Quiet smooth and light.
With all due respect, I am done with HJC's. I've had several, and in the past they were affordable alternatives to the "big boys". But now there are several more competitors at that price point which eclipse HJC's features, quality and comfort. Besides the retractable sun shield, the Bell's are more quiet, ventilate better, have better faceshields and mechanism, softer liners, and better customer service than HJC's - at similar prices.
The Shoei fogging issue is easily fixed with the Pinlock shield. Yes, Shoei should come with this out of the box. The Qwest will be my next helmet.
I have the HJC and the Qwest, the HJC is now my in-town short trip helmet. The Qwest is more quiet and hands down more stabile on the highway, my neck no longer gets tired from the helmet motion. It will fog a little in colder temps, which is a credit to the seal of the face shield. I just crack the visor about an 1/8 inch which takes care of the fog issue. If you ride in the cold a lot just get the pin lock shield.
https://www.revzilla.com/product/shoei-shields-cw1-pinlock-shield
(not associated w/revzilla, just used as an example for the pin lock shield)
The shield seal is definitely a selling point the Qwest has over the RS-1. The Vortex shield is near perfect and seals great, so I am surprised the RS-1 reputedly does not seal as well.
I've used various dual-layer anti-fogging shields in the past and didn't like the second layer, but I will agree that they are effective. Usually the issue for me is that my glasses fog up before the sheild, so ventilation is more important than shield-based solutions (at least in my opinion).
So now I wait for the RS-1 to arrive.