I'm not sure how much or if it's any better than my old RF1000. They look exactly the same to me. Same weight, profile , amount of air flow etc. I only had a chance try to it once on the highway so far and it does seem to be a little quieter. But it's strange I'm hearing more noise from the top of the helmet than the old one. But it's quieter overall. It is a lot more difficult to take off and put on though. Not sure if it's because it's still new and the padding has yet to conform to my head shape. Or due to the fact the bottom opening is smaller. Air flow doesn't seem any better or worse. I know all the reviews said it was a huge improvement from the previous model (RF1100) but maybe they went back to what was working and just slightly improved the RF1000. I think for $400 to $450 it a good helmet if it fits your head shape.