The main things I find with a more expensive helmet are mostly in the area of comfort and not protection (in general assuming SNELL/DOT ratings).

Wind drag is least on my SHOEI X-11. Cooling in the environmental heat is best in my SHOEI X-11 (though not on hardcore off road tracks when I'm the one heating/sweating in the helmet).

Comfort in my SHOEI RJ Platnum Air, X-11, and VFX-W is outstanding. The new VFX-W is extra nice. All 3 of these helmets are lighter then the competition I tried and were shaped and sized to fit my head.

A lot of the other helmets just did not fit the shape of my head. Several had funny sizing without adjustable pads to swap out. The ones that were made from heavier materials may have protected me well but, all that weight on my head would put additional stress on my neck in normal riding or a crash.

My Shoei helmets have stood the test of time. Foam, straps, finish, etc. are all basically as they were when they left the factory.

If you go down hard, are you going to feel better because you saved some money on your helmet, gloves, jacket, etc?

I'm going through the same thing with Jackets. I saw some nice Fieldsheer jackets for a good price. When I looked at the stitching and other features it was obvious why it was cheaper then some of the others I looked at. If an extra $100 in a jacket keeps road rash away, I'll gladly pay!

 

I have a large and also wear a Shoei large. Same fit IMO, but the cheeks are a little tighter on the AFX.

Hope that helps

 

Dangit, price just jumped back up: $103.46