Helmet
 

Hey, does anyone know where i can get a good price on an arai rx-7 corsair online. I havent been able to find many places that carry arai's, and i need a new lid. Does anyone have one of the rx-7s and what do you think of it?

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Is $299 to $399 good to you? If so check out http://www.derbycycles.com/cgi-bin/e...=&name=&next=0 I only see one for 299, the Arai Hayden Wired Red-RX-7 Corsair Helmet. Most are $399, but it's hard to find them online. Arai policy for most shops are not to sell online.

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is that so, that must be why its damn near impossible to find one online. thanks for the link, they dont have the any in the size i need (medium) but you never until you check it out. i was just seeing if i can get them cheaper than i can at my shop anywhere but it looks like im sol.

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No problem. I looked on http://www.helmetshop.com a great place to buy from. The site listed the helmets, but you have to drive there (Daytona Beach Florida) to pick them up. I called and asked if someone could order one over the phone a have it shipped. The guy on the phone told me Aria has a "No internet or phone order" policy. You have walk out of the store with it. Oh-well, I don't know how the other site does it, but I thought I'd through up the link for you.

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thanks for the info. I pretty much figured i wouldnt be able to order one after about 2 hours looking online. I guess im stuck ordering it from work. when your looking at spending that kind of $ on something its always worth taking the time to try an same a little $. Thanks again for the line.

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Arai doesn't allow their retailers to sell their helmets online. That's why you can't find any. They are so concerned about quality that they aren't willing to let their customers take the risk of having their helmets dropped in shipping. Technically you are supposed to replace a helmet if dropped from any height, even if there are no obvious signs of damage. You'd never know if your helmet was dropped during shipping, that's why Arai doesn't do any online business.

My advice is to find a shop that sells them and work out a deal. It's well worth the purchase though. I have an Astral X that cost enough to justify its own insurance policy, but man does that helmet fit well. Looks sweet too. Spare no expense when it comes to protecting your mellon.:eek:

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Not true. Arai helmets can be found online @ http://www.motorcyclesuperstore.com
They are based in Oregon and I have personally purchased stuff from them. MotorcycleSuperstore is an excellent online retailer with great prices and lots of clearance sales. I tried on The Arai and the Shoei helmets. You could buy 3 HJC helmets for the price of 1 Arai. Of course with HJC you will have the "cheapie" tag placed upon you. I got a bunch of new HJC AC-11's for $100 each. Save your money for insurance. I'm still in shock of how many riders don't carry any Insurance.

"Arai doesn't allow their retailers to sell their helmets online. That's why you can't find any. They are so concerned about quality that they aren't willing to let their customers take the risk of having their helmets dropped in shipping." This statement is just not true. I assume most of you graduated high school. Arai has a similar business model to Shoei. They give higher commission and or profit margins to dealers who sell their helmets. The motorcycle shop guys start telling tall tales and smashing competition with rediculous stories. It should not be surprising that motorcycle shops are more dangerous than car dealerships. I'm not saying go to EBAY and buy a Chinese DOT approved helmet for $20. The Arai, Shoei helmet racket is just killing me. It's like saying that Super Unleaded will make your car run better. If you have a high compression ratio engine, super unleaded is necessary. So they say.
Anyway, good luck!

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http://www.araiamericas.com/Bash_helms.jpg


DO YOU NEED A
HELMET THIS GOOD?

HE DID!...A 140MPH GET-OFF & TAKING OUT
A SIGNPOST WITH HIS HEAD!

Dear Arai Helmets:

I want to express my gratitude for the fine product you make and the way one of your helmets served me in an accident.

I was riding westbound on 1-20 near Weatherford, TX at what eyewitnesses later said was about 140mph on my CBR600RR when the accident happened. I don't remember the accident or, in fact, most of that day. However, I know I took out a street sign with my Arai helmeted head and also took out a guard rail which indicates the force of the impact.

Most of my ribs on the left side were broken as was my sternum. My lungs were bruised. My leg was broken in eight places and my back was broken. There was no injury to my head or brain thanks to my Arai helmet. I was a paramedic for six years and attended too many crashed motorcyclists and had seen first hand the difference a quality helmet can make in the after accident outcome. That is why I bought the Arai just two weeks before my accident.

The responding trooper had taken the helmet to use in safety lectures. When I asked my mother to get the helmet for me she contacted him. He was amazed that I had survived and returned the helmet so that I could use it in my own lectures on safety. My body was so damaged that the hospital gave me only a ten percent chance of recovering. But I did and my head and brain are just fine and I've returned to full time work. I've sent a series of photos of the helmet so that you can see how good a job it did for me.


Thanks again Arai, Gary Blanton / Fort Worth TX

Arai website...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now if you want to protect your dome with a dot approved helmet, tell me a standard DOT will do this.. they DOT caps... wtf is that?

You want to protect your head like I did, dont ride with a ****ty cheap helmet. GOOD decision to get an arai man....

I got hit by a semi, when I get some pics ill show the destruction to my helmet... and mine was only 280$....

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I don't see any?

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you dont see any what?

If you dont see them, then click the link for arai website... its the full story.

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My reply was to the "Chips" fan Frank Poncherello. I don't see any Aria helmets at http://www.motorcyclesuperstore.com .

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I have a Colin Edwards 04 rep Arai RX-7 and it is absolutely superb helmet. Its comfy,its safe,you get good vision from the visor (unlike other manufacturers). quite frankly if youre going to buy a helmet,make sure its an Arai. Nothing even comes close. I dont like being stuck up but all other makes are...........rubbish compared to Arai,no matter what anyone says. Even if you dont buy the RX-7 just make sure you buy an Arai. But obviously the RX-7 is best,its top of the range after all.

RE: Helmet
 

Thanks for the support my fellow Arai-owning brothers. My bike came with a brand new HJC when I bought it. Everyone told me "dude you should never wear a used helmet if you don't know what's happened to it." I thought they were full of crap. Then I actually tried one on. It's softer inside, better material, better vision, lighter, and better ventilated. I used to sweat inside my HJC. it's never happened in the Arai. If there's anything I could spend to make me a little safer I would spend it. By the way, I buy premium gas for my bike too.

I called a local shop that also has retail web site (www.ironpony.com) to see why they don't sell their Arai helmets online. He said "It's Arai's policy to not allow their retailers to sell their helmets online or through mail order. Arai will only guarantee their helmets if you've purchased the helmet in a retail store and if you have the warranty card signed by the dealer you purchased it from."

Didn't the CHiPs guys wear open-faced helmets? What would they know about it anyway.

By the way, there are no Arai helmets sold at http://www.motorcyclesuperstore.com.

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You do right about buying an Arai..............definetly.

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sorry mr frank. but i am a firm believer in getting what you pay for, and whatever the differences might be between my new 750$ arai and a 110$, hjc they are differences that will most likely keep me from breathing out of a tube for the rest of my life, so that to me is the best money i have ever spent. And inscurance doesnt do you any good when your dead. Spend money, stay alive.

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Ill give you a quote on what our shop sells arais for... and see if we can cut ya a deal bro.. the thing is arai is somewhat like SIDI.

Sidi wont let you discount their boots, and if they get wind of it, they will pull all Sidi products off the floor for good from y our shop.

there is more horror stories on arai's website, you should check it out.... browse around.

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thanks for the offer onewheelin, but the lids already on its way. not to worry though, i work at a dealer so i get it for a slightly better price then what i mentioned before. cant wait for my ui panther.

RE: Helmet
 

Sorry guys,
MotorcycleSuperstore.com did have the entire lineup of Arai helmets about within 2 weeks. I checked last night after my post and they were gone. Not sure what happened to them. When they had them, they were an authorized reseller. Maybe Arai didn't like online vendors selling their helemts, as was suggested before. I will contact Motorcycle Superstore and ask them what happened to Arai helmets on their site.

My earlier comments were not meant to imply that Arai makes bad helmets, they make very good helmets. I was suggesting that Arai and Shoei but especially Arai have created a false sense of superior quality in their helmets. I've tried on their helmets, they are nice but I can't justify spending $500 bucks for a helmet. I live in Kirkland, WA and almost every guy or gal on a bike has an Arai or Shoei helmet on Lake Washington BLVD. You will see every exotic car and or/bike on the road on Lake Washington Blvd. It is intimidating to see so many expensive helmets and at times some old junky bikes.

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Chips was my favorite show as a kid. I certainly would not dream of wearing an open faced helmet. As far as the HJC helmets are concerned. I only endorse the AC-11's as they are very similar to the Arai and Shoei offerings. They were good enough to be featured in the movie Torque. The professional bikers will wear whatever their sponsors pay them to wear. They would probably tell you a helmet is a helmet.

In response to the gentleman's comment about crashing at 140MPH in Texas and being a paramedic. That story sounds like it's made up. Just like the Airborne medicine available that was supposed to prevent illness and made by a teacher. What paramedic in their right mind would travel 140MPH on a public highway after picking up dead motorcyclist off the pavement. If you are in Germany on the Autobahn which is designed and maintained for extreme speeds, 140MPH should be no problem. On a race course, have at it. Who really trusts the integrity of highways in America without first testing for potholes before a high speed run? And if the guy took out a street sign with his (Arai) head, he would be a quadrapalegic. The story also said the guy didn't remember crashing.

I'm just saying that Arai helmets are way overpriced. Owners justify their purchases by complimenting the features the helmet has. Instead why not take the approach Canon did 10 years ago with Andre Aggasi. He endorsed the Canon Eos Camera by stating "Image is Everything." I would say that Arai helmets are perceived as a luxury item. Like a fancy leather racing suit or a nice pair of Oakley's. They have a great image. Kudos to all Arai owners, and make sure you are fully insured in case you have an accident.

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For the record. I'm speaking only about the HJC AC-11 series helmets which retail for between $199-$249. These helmets are known as cheapies. HJC in my opinion is the #3 player behind Arai and Shoei. Motorcycle shops in Seattle usually carry all 3 brands or just Arai and Shoei. My statement reflects my belief that no helmet is worth $750 unless it's got some gold, platinum or titanium built in.

I wish Consumer reports would test motorcycle helmets. Street, dirt and cruiser helmets. They do not advertise at all in their publication and give unbiased views.

I will find out why MotorcycleSuperstore.com stopped selling Arai helmets for all of you. If somebody gave me a $700 helmet, I would definately wear it. I just can't justify spending that much for a helmet.

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I'd be interested in seeing a consumer reports comparison as well. Although I have to tell you, if you've worn one you can tell a difference. Might not be worth it for some, but it is to others. You see a lot of people that go out and spend thousands on ultimately valueless parts like exhausts, power commanders, paint jobs, etc. But when it comes to buying quality protective gear a lot of people aren't willing to spend.

Let me put it this way... when was the last time you saw a pro rider wearing an HJC?

Don't get me wrong, I have two of them. They are definitely affordable. But if I guy that rides his motor gp bike at 180 mph won't wear one it's got to make you wonder.

RE: Helmet
 

Kiggy,
Good points as far as paint jobs and exhausts, if you have a 600RR and it's a racing bike why would one need to be modified? The pro riders are equiped with whatever their sponsors pay them to wear. We are talking about either heavy duty plastic or fiberglass/plastic composite. Things like road noise, ventilation and padding play a huge part in making a helmet. One of my favorite comments regarding Arai helmets came from some guy saying that "Arai helmets are great for abnormally shaped heads." Phrenoloigists interpret the shape and sizes of heads. Phrenology is considered in many circles to be a psuedo science. I can assure you that most every head is normally shaped unless an indiviudal has a birth defect. Until Arai or some other helmet manufacturer starts making cast molds of each riders head, you will have to make due with S,M,L & XL. I'm sure the pros helmets are custom fit to exactly fit the shapes of their heads, the luxury for being a pro.

One of the biggest racket business is the watch industry. Every watch that is not digital uses a quartz movement. Why spend $20,000 for a Rolex when you can buy a very nice Citizen for $250?? Citizen is the official watch of the NBA and Rolex is the official watch of the PGA golf tour. Each markets to a different audience. I can assure you NBA players do not wear Citizen watches, they all wear Rolex watches or something comparable because of the image.

Too many people assume price is a symbol of quality. You could spend $2,000 on an Armani suit and $500 on a Nordstrom suit. Nordstrom is known for quality. Armani is known for perceived quality and prestige. Both suits are made in sweat shops by underpaid workers. The only difference may just be in the label.

Helmet manufacturers suggest replacing your helmet every 2-4 years. This means $500-700 every 2-4 years. The money saved buying a less expensive helmet could pay for an upgrade to a 1000RR from a 600RR.

RE: Helmet
 

i dont see how what you do for a living affects how you ride. i work at a dealer and see guys comeing in everyday who looped wheelies on there new bikes and have to practicaly new bikes, this doesnt keep me from doing that stuff on my bike. in the case of the hemets, which is what this thread was about, money buys you a name that is know for superior quality and products. and i personaly will not risk my saftey by buying lesser products. while i agree that a consumer report would be good, until then i will put my money on the product i know will work.

RE: Helmet
 

If I remember correctly, Arai stopped all internet sales of their helmets as a result of the frauds that were happening. People were selling fakes like crazy on the internet and a lot of riders got ripped off, so Arai pulled out...

An expensive helmet isn't any better than a cheap helmet when it comes to DOT/Snell approval, as long as it's approved it's as good as the most expensive helmet on the market. What you do get for all your money from an expensive helmet is strong, but light weight materials, better ventilation, removable liners, cool graphics and smaller size.

I personally have a Shoei head , but I bought a cheap HJC for my passengers and the frigging helmet is huge and weighs a ton compared to my Shoei X-ll and the ventilation sucks compared to my X-11 which is like a wind tunnel when you have the vents open.

I bought the X-11 for two reasons...it was the best feeling helmet I've ever put on my head and I've always wanted the Daijiro Kato replica graphics.

RE: Helmet
 

On that last line fretless33 i agree with you, i bought the arai becase it is the best fitting helmet i have ever tried on and i love my ui panther graphics. I also agree that the price does buy you better matirials and size. However i am still not convinced that i would have gotten the same protection from a lowerpriced helmet. snell/dot aproval is a neccesity on helmets but just because a helmet passes the snell/dot tests doesnt mean it performs the same on the street as other helmets tthat pass the tests. As far as i know, the "Yugo" passed saftey tests just fine. in reality though, rear end collision=kaboom. Quite different than the other cars that got an "OK" sticker in safety test

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icon is 3rd behind Arai and Shoei

Ive seen an Arai rep at my old shop, take a arai helmet and HUCK THE MOTHERF*CKER across the street, pick it up. and ride off with it... Right before then, he threw a kbc across the street, and the kbc was mashed... kbc hjc, thh, are junk, scorpion is better than them cause breathability, and style? and the way it fits? ive had more complaints with HJC than I have with any other helmet....
But the AC-11 is a good helmet... I have the Ac-x2 on sale for 149.99 here...

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What about Suomy?

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^Ok you got me... forgot about suomy *****

I was tryin on my friends last night in fact and didnt remember that lol...

arai, shoei, suomy are basically the same, i think suomy is 2nd actually that I think of it, they make HELLA better looking helmets, and fit better for me than my rf-1000...

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Poncherello man, you're too smart for your own good. But I like your moxy. Interesting reference in bringing up a phrenologist, although I don't know what it has to do with finding a helmet that fits right. A phrenologist might feel your head and tell you that based on the shape of your head you have a knack for basket weaving, but they probably wouldn't know squat about helmet fitting.

But this point reminds me of another issue why I preferred the Arai over everything else I had tried on. I'm not the elephant man or anything, but I would describe my face and head as "more narrow" than most. With the Shoei and HJC helmets I can't get them to sit on my head quite right. I either have to tilt the helmet way back so that I'm looing out the bottom of the face shield or I have to lean it way forward so that the the chin piece is hitting me in the chest. I might be exagerating slightly, but you get my point.

Each Arai helmet is designed a little differently to fit certain skull shapes. Not all heads are shaped the same. The helmet I ended up going with (Astral X) was designed to fit my skull. The helmet sits squarely on my head and won't rotate from front to back or side to side. This is something I couldn't accomplish with my HJC, or any of the Shoei's I tried on. Don't get me wrong, there was no part of me that was looking forward to spending $500 for a helmet. But I knew I needed to get something better than what I had. I figured I'd get a Shoei for a couple hundred and be done with it. But the difference between the Shoei and Arai was undeniable (for me anyway). If I had passed on buying a helmet that I knew was going to fit better, be more comfortable, and offer better protection due to a couple of hundred bucks I would have felt pretty guilty. Even though I didn't want to spend it, I could afford the Arai at the time so I bought it. I'm still glad I did. If, as an Arai helmet wearer, that makes me "snobby" then I guess I'm snobby. I prefer to call it safety conscious.

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I don't know if you're aware of this kiggy, but the Shoei X-11 has changeable cheek pads so you can custom fit the helmet to your face, so if you really like the X-11, but it doesn't fit perfectly out of the box, you can insert larger or smaller cheek pads! :)

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the word cheek pads cracks me up.. I dont know why.

*****...:D

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LOL!!! Don't you think "custom fit the helmet to your face" is funnier? :D

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*****...

Took me a second.. but f*ckin-A... HAHHA..... no offense

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Arai (by a mile)
Shoei
Suomy
AGV
Nolan
HJC
KBC
Dainese


I think they are the best helmets in order,in my opinion,im sorry guys but i just dont rate the HJC or KBC,i just think they are not too good quality,im sure they will do a job,but not as good a job as Arai,they are the best by a mile,its the safest by far,and the comfiest too.

RE: Helmet
 

ARAI
AGV, SHOEI, SUOMY
ICON, Some of nolans.
SCORPION
KBC
BELL
HJC
THH

Bell actually has some dope helmets lol.... old skool!!!

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I knew about the changeable cheek pads, which definitely help prevent the helmet from twisting. But the problem I had was trying to get the helmet to sit squarely on the crown of my head. My head is oblong (again, I'm not the elephant man or anything) where most helmets are designed for a more round head.

Anyway, the Arai fit better. I put my HJC's on now and I feel unprotected in comparison.

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You use big words lol...

We get arai's in this wk at my shop.... We'll do a customer based comparison towards KBC, HJC, SHOEI, THH, SCORPION, AND ANY OTHER JUNK KNOCK OFFS WE HAVE IN THE SHOP...

ill keep you posted.

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Just curious what makes you guys pick Arai over Shoei...why it's #1 in your list.

AGV, better than Shoei LMAO...yea right!

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Thanks OneWheelin, I'd be interested to hear more feedback.

In regards to what separates Arai from Shoei:

1. A little bit lighter
2. Much better ventilation. I have friends that wear Shoei that will be sweating like crazy in their Shoeis. I've never cracked a sweat in the Arai.
3. Much thicker, softer, material inside that covers far more interior surface area of the helmet.
4. I'm not sure about Shoei, but Arai's have a 5 yr warranty.
5. Overall comfort. I could sleep in that helmet, it's great.

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Which Shoei are you talking about...the X-11?