UK helmet - Legal in NZ or not?

[Scruffygit]

I'm shipping out all my bike clothing as well as the bike - well will be as it's still sitting in a warehouse in the UK at the moment waiting for a suitable container heading this way :argh:

In it all are my two helmets - a Shoei X-Spirit and a Raid - both to EC22.05.

Anyone know if I'm going to have problems riding in NZ with them. I was stopped in Australia earlier this year because the X-Spirit did not have an Australian standards sticker :Oops:.

[PirateJafa]

Never seen a cop check the helmets of anyone I've been riding with yet.

[cs363]

ECE 22/05 is legal for NZ, in fact pretty well everything is except for DOT approval (unless helmet is US manufactured/purchased e.g. Simpson)

See here for the facts: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-safety/motorcyclists/gear-and-clothing.html

(Australia has its own standard (AS1698) and they are VERY anal about it, as you discovered!)

[Bikernereid]

We have high standards in the UK so don't see why it should be a problem. I am bringing mine over.

[Scruffygit]

(Australia has its own standard (AS1698) and they are VERY anal about it, as you discovered!)

Yeah, but I don't think the 120 in a 100 zone helped :doh:

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

[cs363]

Yeah, but I don't think the 120 in a 100 zone helped :doh:

Thanks to everyone for the replies.


:Oops: Lol, they're pretty anal about that too!! :lol:

[Scruffygit]

We have high standards in the UK


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That's why I'm here and not there.

[Bikernereid]

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That's why I'm here and not there.

But then again I guess we must be slipping if the antipodeans in my flat are anything to go by!!

[Pussy]

The Shoeis available new in NZ ARE European spec, same as what you've got

[awayatc]

Never seen a cop check the helmets of anyone I've been riding with yet.

+1.....
your head, don't worry a about inside labels.
Only thing legal is you have got to wear one

[portokiwi]

:woohoo: I checked before I left Portugal, mine are the same standards as yours. i was told that they would be ok....
My contaner arrives next week...:woohoo:.... But i dont think they will be in there. My brother inlaw might have got them.... YES the one here on kiwi biker :crybaby: still silver flip top helmets dont look as cool as black ones on a black bike.
Ohhh the excitement knowing my toys are comming:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

[Grahameeboy]

:woohoo: I checked before I left Portugal, mine are the same standards as yours. i was told that they would be ok....
My contaner arrives next week...:woohoo:.... But i dont think they will be in there. My brother inlaw might have got them.... YES the one here on kiwi biker :crybaby: still silver flip top helmets dont look as cool as black ones on a black bike.
Ohhh the excitement knowing my toys are comming:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

Small things please........

[portokiwi]

:woohoo: Mate all my bike kit is in there.... my close protection kit should be in there:wari: and my RC helo that i played with in Kabul lol gave me hours of stress relief.
Oh and all gabbies gear as well lol.
I am hoping that street fighter chucked in his RC yacht.
Boys will be boys:woohoo:

[portokiwi]

Worse case senario is ... None of my kit is in there... I will have to watch gaby trying on all her sexy gear that she had to leave behind:devil2::drool::devil2:

[cs363]

Never seen a cop check the helmets of anyone I've been riding with yet.

Yeah...one of my pet peeves this. The LTSA makes these rules, very specific as to what is allowed then it stops there.
This rule doesn't seem to applied at the border as Customs don't seem to worry about what standards private individuals import and as you pointed out cops never seem to check helmets for safety approval (or even overall safety from what I've seen).
As far as i can tell the only people to whom this rule is applied are commercial importers.
Seem crazy to me that there is not more emphasis placed on safety of helmets seeing as they are such a vital piece of safety equipment.
It would be good if it was done like race scrutineering so that part of the WOF requirement was a gear inspection, not only would that get some dodgy old helmets off the road but it might help reinforce the importance of protective gear.
makes sense to me, after all cages have to have the seat belts/air bags etc inspected/certified for WOF etc.
I know there would still be the dickheads that would borrow their mates helmet for a WOF, but really if you're that stupid you deserve what you get in my book.

[YellowDog]

My Helmet was bought in thre USA and has the DOT sticker:

Helmets complying with FMVSS 218 will be marked with the letters 'DOT'. This standard is only acceptable for motorcycle helmets that have been manufactured and purchased in the USA.

The helmet was manufactured in Italy and purchased in the USA, so I guess this means it is not legal :shit:

[cs363]

My Helmet was bought in thre USA and has the DOT sticker:

Helmets complying with FMVSS 218 will be marked with the letters 'DOT'. This standard is only acceptable for motorcycle helmets that have been manufactured and purchased in the USA.

The helmet was manufactured in Italy and purchased in the USA, so I guess this means it is not legal :shit:



Yep..you are quite correct! Not that I'd worry about it given the above, it's never going to be an issue until they actually start policing this.
If you were going to worry about anything it would be the fact that helmets manufactured to the DOT standard in some cases may not be as safe as those manufactured to the ECE/BS/AS etc standards. The other thing is if you ever sell the helmet, then technically you are breaking the law as you are knowingly selling an illegal helmet.....but, as I said earlier probably won't be an issue unless they start policing it. More of a conscience thing really I guess.

[FROSTY]

The way I see it if helmets that ar dot aproved are ok for racing they gota be ok for road use

[cs363]

The way I see it if helmets that ar dot aproved are ok for racing they gota be ok for road use

In theory you would be right, where it gets complicated is the way in which the standards are issued, you'll note the disclaimer on the LTSA site:

* Because of the lack of a formal certification system for the US FMVSS 218 standard, this standard only applies to motorcycle helmets that have been manufactured and purchased in the USA.

There is much debate as to which standards are better/worse at present and i really don't want to start yet another debate on that one...
Having been to numerous trade shows in the US and seeing some of the (mainly Chinese/Taiwanese) helmets on offer there that only come with DOT standard (and have not been able to attain ECE etc standards) I would be dubious as to the quality of some of the helmets that are only DOT rated.
Any helmet is better than none I guess, personally i would go for something that is known to perform well in real world crash incidents such as Arai, Shoei etc.

The other thing is when were the MNZ rules last updated regarding helmet standards? And are these rules in place for safety reasons or just to make it easier for overseas riders to compete here etc? You could start several debates out of this thread, lol

My main issue is why do LTSA make these rules regarding importation of helmets, and then fail miserably to enforce said rules except in the case of commercial importers?

Personally I think they should just allow all standards but have safety checks in place as I outlined earlier along with having a rule regarding age & condition of helmets for road use, or at least something along those lines. I just shudder when I see some of the beaten up and obviously unsafe helmets that some people wear. If a helmets is over a certain age and/or has any signs of accident damage it should be illegal - that's if the powers-that-be really care about safety....

[FROSTY]

dude plain and simple. not enough manpower or bikers to worry about it.
Its pretty low priority in the big picture.
MNZ update their rules regularly. so as a new standard is introduced you have (I think) 5 years on the old standard before the lid is too old to use.
Its definitely NOT about international riders its about the fact we are too small a country to have our own standards so we accept a range of overseas accepted standards -I ca dig the rule book out and quote ya the numbers -if I can find it

[cs363]

dude plain and simple. not enough manpower or bikers to worry about it.
Its pretty low priority in the big picture.
MNZ update their rules regularly. so as a new standard is introduced you have (I think) 5 years on the old standard before the lid is too old to use.
Its definitely NOT about international riders its about the fact we are too small a country to have our own standards so we accept a range of overseas accepted standards -I ca dig the rule book out and quote ya the numbers -if I can find it


Sorry, that was a bit tongue in cheek re: MNZ :)
I accept what you are saying about being a small country/using overseas standards - I just think it's weird that LTSA go to the trouble of making a rule and then not bothering to enforce it (except where it's easy - with importers0
I just can't see the point to it, better to accept all International standards and then have some sort of safety check come WOF time or something don't you think?

[YellowDog]

Yes I do agree with what you are saying however in my case it is a Nolan Helmet manufactured in Italy (from imported components) and badged according to the end user market. They only have the one production line (per helmet type) so it is the same helmet wherever it has been sold.

[cs363]

Yes I do agree with what you are saying however in my case it is a Nolan Helmet manufactured in Italy (from imported components) and badged according to the end user market. They only have the one production line so it is the same helmet wherever it has been sold.

Yeah, I was going to mention that in my earlier post as I was guessing that being an Italian helmet it would be up to spec as most of the Italian manufacturers only make one shell for each model as you have pointed out so in that instance it's just a different sticker.
Some manufacturers like Arai make specific helmet shells/liners for specific standards such as DOT or JIS.
It still comes back to that bloody stupid rule of LTSA's.....

[portokiwi]

And why dont the change the rules????

[cs363]

And why dont the change the rules????

Four letters... L T S A :wacko:

[Scruffygit]

My contaner arrives next week...:woohoo:....


Ohhh the excitement knowing my toys are comming:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

You lucky, lucky bast@rd.

I was quoted 6-12 weeks shipping. As I've just got a rental place and the6 weeks are up next Tuesday I thought I would let the shippers know the delivery address. Their reply:

"I will let the destination agent know and you effects are due to be loaded onto a shared container in the next couple of weeks."

:argh::argh::Pokey::argue::argue:

I'll be lucky to see them by the end of November.

[portokiwi]

:shit: We could be using the same container:rofl:

[FROSTY]

Sorry, that was a bit tongue in cheek re: MNZ :)
I accept what you are saying about being a small country/using overseas standards - I just think it's weird that LTSA go to the trouble of making a rule and then not bothering to enforce it (except where it's easy - with importers0
I just can't see the point to it, better to accept all International standards and then have some sort of safety check come WOF time or something don't you think?
Theres a heap of rules that have ben introduced.Lots of them are basicly unenforcable.
I've always thought ya should scrap most of the rules and just have one rule in NZ--use common sense --

[cs363]

Theres a heap of rules that have ben introduced.Lots of them are basicly unenforcable.
I've always thought ya should scrap most of the rules and just have one rule in NZ--use common sense --


Looks like we're back to post #25 then.... lol