Scooterotica

a.j wrote: And Arai & someone else 'big name, big price' do their own testing...

Arai are also the only manufacturer that supply exactly the same helmets to racers as the ones you buy in a shop.

Buying anything that scrapes through a minimum standard, on a tight budget, doesn't seem like a smart idea to me.

Saying that, my Shoei is considerably quieter than every Arai I've had.

£100 for a helmet? A visor is about that price, isn't it??

Muttley McLadd wrote:
Arai are also the only manufacturer that supply exactly the same helmets to racers as the ones you buy in a shop.

Maybe things have changed since I was an Arai retailer, but the race helmets I saw were not the same at all. And I recall one season when a rider switched from AGV sponsorship to Arai abs they didn't have a lid for the first meeting, so they stuck Arai stickers on the AGV!! Lol

Muttley McLadd wrote:
Buying anything that scrapes through a minimum standard, on a tight budget, doesn't seem like a smart idea to me.

I agree. But paying £500+ for something which doesn't offer any better protection than a £100 helmet ain't too smart either.

Gold ACU was a minimum standard....and a shite testing system. The sharp 5* system is a much broader and better system.

I'd rather have a 5* £100 helmet than a £500 3* helmet.

ditto

my helmet is purple and doesn't have any stickers, should I get it tested?

Micky Tapp wrote:my helmet is purple and doesn't have any stickers, should I get it tested?

No...pull it straight off, give it a polish, lube it up and it should be fine. Always wear protection when riding a new model though, until you feel safe.

Muttley McLadd wrote: Arai are also the only manufacturer that supply exactly the same helmets to racers as the ones you buy in a shop.

And Arai don't fit sun visors in any of their helmets because they feel it compromises the structure of the helmet.

Muttley McLadd wrote:

a.j wrote: And Arai & someone else 'big name, big price' do their own testing...

Arai are also the only manufacturer that supply exactly the same helmets to racers as the ones you buy in a shop.

Buying anything that scrapes through a minimum standard, on a tight budget, doesn't seem like a smart idea to me.

Saying that, my Shoei is considerably quieter than every Arai I've had.

£100 for a helmet? A visor is about that price, isn't it??

Poppycock. Nitro was the helmet of choice when I raced in the not too distant past.

There were lots of us using them and there still are.

Furthermore, i twatted my head on the track many times wearing one and my head is barely damaged at all.

How well it fits is a major factor in how well it will work when put to the test. I wanted a change from Shoei last time I bought one but after trying dozens on nothing fit me as well as the Shoei, so I bought another one. Even then I tried 3 versions of the same helmet in the same size before I bought one.
3 rules.
1, never buy 2nd hand.
2, never buy mail order as you're more likely to keep one that isn't a perfect fit rather than suffer the pain of sending it back.
3, never leave it on your scooter seat.

if you've got a ten bob head, buy a ten bob hat .