Arai Helmets on Wish.com under $100

[LowRyter]

Arai has a poor safety rating?  Tell that to MotoGP, Indy and F1 racers.

[Moparnut72]

I just quit the whole APBA thing or I intend to.
**************

Back in the stone age when I was racing and foolish enough to allow myself to be "volunteered" to help with testing & organizing and developing classification rules along with my late friend Gene Whipp the volunteerer) - we didn't have canopies! Therefore our helmets were so important. The canopy rules, which has saved many lives, was enacted after my friend Dick Fullom was killed in Key West along with Mike Poppa- who took my place in that ill fated Cougar cat after I refused to throttle that death trap flowing a very dicey test off Ft. Lauderdale. NO Canopy, rolled over- necks snapped. Helmet would not prevent that! Dick was the best and a good Pal. I still have 1 of my old signal orange Bell lids along with the old Bell black helmet bag and with my blood type on the helmet. Memories...

I wasn't running in the league you were. I ran C Stock runabout. A 60+mph  13'sheet of plywood somewhat under control. I started  running at 62 years old, guess my common sense was out to lunch. And they say motorcycles are dangerous. Go figure.
kk

[wolfeguitars]

Arai has a poor safety rating?  Tell that to MotoGP, Indy and F1 racers.

pretty sure they know it, as just about everyone does. As I recall from my research Arai refused to comply with some sort of criteria, resulting in the very low ratings. Not "my" rating......I don't buy them cuz they're wildly expensive. Doesn't mean they're not a good lid- just not in compliance with the folks that do the ratings.

[Rusnak_322]

pretty sure they know it, as just about everyone does. As I recall from my research Arai refused to comply with some sort of criteria, resulting in the very low ratings. Not "my" rating......I don't buy them cuz they're wildly expensive. Doesn't mean they're not a good lid- just not in compliance with the folks that do the ratings.

it isn't that they refused to comply, it is just that their design philosophy was for a different standard, which they excelled at. then, they were measured against another standard (Sharp 5) and didn't fair as well in one area - the lower side of the helmet. that is an area that almost never sees impacts with motorcycle crashes (thanks shoulders) 

yet somehow, people make it out that they are now bad helmets.

[wirespokes]

From my research recently Arai has poor safety ratings.

You know, that was an alarming statement, and even though possibly true, gives an untrue view of Arai. It's a statement a journalist would have made. The actual truth is that they're very safe helmets, but because of the testing facilities they don't rank that well. Those are two very different things. How difficult would it have been to add that to your statement so we'd understand the full meaning of what you said?

I'm curious if your Arai copy passes any of the tests, or if the certificates are counterfeit as well?

[Lannis]

I'm curious if your Arai copy passes any of the tests, or if the certificates are counterfeit as well?

I suspect that that doesn't matter - the position appears to be that the Arai is wildly expensive and so it doesn't matter what the safety rating is, and the Chinese "copy" is extremely cheap so it doesn't matter what the safety rating on THAT is either.

Now that we've "done our research", we find that the statement:

"Fit and comfort are subjective. Safety rating is performed in a lab and the results are objective and compared to other tested helmets.

..... isn't really true.   It depends on whose doing the testing and what they are testing for.   A helmet might be a very safe one, but if it doesn't get subjected to a particular standard, it can "be said to be" unsafe .. It's a subjective assessment after all.

Also, the statement "Arai has poor safety ratings" (partly as a result of this subjectivity) is a meaningless statement in the real world.   Yes, you might get an "A" on your debate team, or try to convince a brain-dead jury to award someone a billion dollars for breaking his neck jumping off a cliff, but otherwise it's just a collection of words.   I think that the whole powersports world knows that you are not risking your life by using an Arai rather than a Shoei or a Bell.

Well, that's enough of that.   

Lannis

[wirespokes]

So very true.

My X used to do that - win a debate, truth be damned. I think most of us here are more concerned about the truth and dealing with that than being right.

[wolfeguitars]

Oh Boy. This is worse than an oil thread! BTW- My I am finding it SO MUCH easier to hit neutral with my Cali. since I put some Marvel Mystery Oil in the Trans. It's "now" as easy as my Triumph! Amazing stuff.

[LowRyter]

pretty sure they know it, as just about everyone does. As I recall from my research Arai refused to comply with some sort of criteria, resulting in the very low ratings. Not "my" rating......I don't buy them cuz they're wildly expensive. Doesn't mean they're not a good lid- just not in compliance with the folks that do the ratings.

Besides being certified for Indycar, F1, MotoGP, Arai carries many Snell foundation certified helmets.   I suppose the rest are all DOT certified.  I found the one Arai helmet I was loaned as superior to my Shoei.

I think most consider Arai to be the best helmets on the market.

[Rusnak_322]

I suspect that that doesn't matter - the position appears to be that the Arai is wildly expensive and so it doesn't matter what the safety rating is, and the Chinese "copy" is extremely cheap so it doesn't matter what the safety rating on THAT is either.

Now that we've "done our research", we find that the statement:

"Fit and comfort are subjective. Safety rating is performed in a lab and the results are objective and compared to other tested helmets.

..... isn't really true.   It depends on whose doing the testing and what they are testing for.   A helmet might be a very safe one, but if it doesn't get subjected to a particular standard, it can "be said to be" unsafe .. It's a subjective assessment after all.

Also, the statement "Arai has poor safety ratings" (partly as a result of this subjectivity) is a meaningless statement in the real world.   Yes, you might get an "A" on your debate team, or try to convince a brain-dead jury to award someone a billion dollars for breaking his neck jumping off a cliff, but otherwise it's just a collection of words.   I think that the whole powersports world knows that you are not risking your life by using an Arai rather than a Shoei or a Bell.

Well, that's enough of that.   

Lannis

Lab tasting is not subjective. Science is not open to interpretation. A testing body sets up the testing criteria and the helmets are tested against it. You may say one particular testing body is less "safe" than another, but passing a highly respected safety certification process and failing a completely different procedure does not make the helmet less safe.

It would be like saying that Shoei helmets are death traps because they can catch fire and burn when subjected to an open flame for extended periods or that Bell helmets will kill you because they don't float when full of rocks.

From what i can tell, the Arai safety issue is the result of some EU governmental group developing a Sharp standard and testing helmets based on those standards. Arai did not go after Sharp certification. They failed because they didn't pass one test that Arai didn't plan for as they don't consider it a real risk.

This is the equivalent of Consumer Reports failing the Porsche 911 because of the lack of ground clearance and rear seat entertainment options. The Porsche 911 sucks at both of those, and Porsche could improve both of those if they wanted but it wasn't part of their design plan. Holding them to that and parroting the poor review is just not fair.

[wolfeguitars]

This is the equivalent of Consumer Reports failing the Porsche 911 because of the lack of ground clearance and rear seat entertainment options. The Porsche 911 sucks at both of those, and Porsche could improve both of those if they wanted but it wasn't part of their design plan. Holding them to that and parroting the poor review is just not fair.

************ Yes. Interesting analysis. Sorta like some declaring my beautiful, well built $70 Arai copy to be a horrid death trap, without even seeing nor examining it. Just not fair, but interesting discussion nonetheless.

[oldbike54]

 Hmm , so I delved into this "Arai helmets are unsafe" thing , turns out it is mostly internet chatter . Look , we need to be careful here casting aspersions based on , well , aforementioned internet chatter . Here is what we do know , Arai is the choice of a large percentage of top level racers, both in cars and on motorbikes . Shayna Texter wears Arai , that much I know for certain .

 Dusty

[wolfeguitars]

Hmm , so I delved into this "Arai helmets are unsafe" thing ,

Did anyone say they are "unsafe?" I know I didn't.

[oldbike54]

Guess I wasn't clear. I "knew" this was a cheap copy. Rather obvious. An Asian builder knocking off another Asian company that has a poor safety rating worldwide actually doesn't bother me a bit. These lids are quite nice for the price, and I intend to enjoy mine for a few years.

In the 70's & 80's I was an APBA board member & active offshore powerboat competitor. Our helmet choices were somewhat limited back then, and there was an ongoing bruhaha regarding open face vs full face lids. Many old timers felt the full face would hinder life saving efforts and promote "drowning" when tossed into the raging ocean at speed. There was much, WAY much discussion and the controversary raged for a decade or more. I was part of a team tasked with investigation & wet testing and almost "drowned" myself a few time while doing rough water testing. Fun, but dangerous. Many soggy helmets were created. I actually cracked 2 Bell full faces while crashing in races. still have 1 of 'em in my shop. Scary stuff. I did learn tons about helmets & how they were made way back then. They are so much better now thankfully. I enjoy all the comments- good, bad & ugly.....but I am aware of risks and know something of which I do.

From my research recently Arai has poor safety ratings. Sorry you'll have to do the research yourself this time, as I've already done it. As I recall they were rated in the 20's in a 1-10 listing, pretty far down there. I realize this is because they refuse to comply with some rating criteria or another, but they do enjoy a very poor rating out there. Of course I realize they are nice helmets BUT WAY overpriced. My customer who is a helmet expert confirms that Arai & many others have many/most of their parts made in China. I do not have his current knowledge, so please refrain from the hateful remarks. Just the messenger here guys.

BTW- I recently bought 2 new LS2 lids from Motorcycle Closeouts for under $100. They are $300msrp and very well made.

 Actually you did say they are unsafe bud .

 Dusty

[kingoffleece]

Well, anybody that knows anything about safety equipment, in this case helmets, knows what every manufacture knows: tell the manufacture what type of impact you'll have and they can provide the perfect helmet.  The design challenge is that no single solution will be best for ALL impacts.  So, as in most things in engineering, the manufacture has to decide what to emphasis and what not to.   Different testing agencies place emphasis on different criteria.  If this was not uncovered in the OP's research then maybe more research is required.  ALL helmet manufactures need to decide at the design level where their highest values lie.  Is it penetration, compression, torsional forces, repeated impact in the same area, and so forth.
Nobody gets their product in F1 if it's "poor quality'.  Nobody.

[wirespokes]

************ Yes. Interesting analysis. Sorta like some declaring my beautiful, well built $70 Arai copy to be a horrid death trap, without even seeing nor examining it. Just not fair, but interesting discussion nonetheless.

Listen, wolf - instead of changing the focus, just admit it was a mistake dissing Arai. Take responsibility and be cool about it.

And changing the focus to "You're calling my $70 helmet junk" isn't true either. If you want the truth on that front, it's that you dissed one of the best helmets on the market and compared your $70 copy on a par with it. And we've got no mention of the testing your counterfeit passed. Perhaps it's a perfectly good helmet, but who's to know until you crash test it?

You're digging the hole deeper rather than fighting your way out of it. Sometimes PR and rhetoric are inferior to going with the truth. I kind of think truth is the best course all the time. If I'd said something like "Arais don't have the best safety stats" and it was pointed out to be not true, I'd apologize for passing on untrue data. Easy enough - there's enough BS on the net, we don't always catch it before passing it along.

[oldbike54]

 Let's chill fellas .

 Dusty

[wolfeguitars]

Let's chill fellas .

 Dusty

I'm with Dusty, and I remind myself why many of my riding buds choose not to post on forums, which is sad because those guys can impart so much helpful knowledge. We can all learn from each other, and what I'm learning from this forum is, well, I'll not elaborate.

 I "did not" say Arai were "unsafe". Never even thought it. I said the "truth" that they have a very poor rating, which is a proven fact. I never "dissed" Arai. I feel some posters have explained quite well why their rating is so poor.  I personally don't care what lid you prefer. I have a shelf full of 'em, even an older Arai I rarely wore cuz it didn't fit well. Let my Grandson wear it when in my sidecar. I like 'em all. Here in FL where I live I see scads of HD riders out & about with either NO helmet or a silly beanie (to comply with a weak helmet law). Safelt rating??  Those folks are nuts! We often see riders wearing "flip flops." Wonder how they shift.