Simpson bandit fighter helmet

**chef** · 2nd August 2009, 23:40

i just bought one of these i was told they arnt street legal is this true not sure what to think?

**p.dath** · 2nd August 2009, 23:46

Does it have any standards stickers on them? Are required to have them on by law.

**chef** · 2nd August 2009, 23:47

nah just plain black. any reason why it needs stickers?

**p.dath** · 2nd August 2009, 23:47

ps. When buying a helmet for on-road use check out its SHARP rating. Try to only buy a 4 or 5 star rated helmet.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

**p.dath** · 2nd August 2009, 23:50

Originally Posted by chef

nah just plain black. any reason why it needs stickers?

The stickers prove the Helmet has been manufactured to a minimum standard that is acceptable to NZ. And to prove this, the law requires that the Helmet have a standards sticker on it.

You can also get a ticket for having a helmet that does not have a standards marking on it (never heard of this actually happening mind you).

**chef** · 2nd August 2009, 23:53

yeah my boss had it no problems used it for 1 week so far so hopefully it will be ok. thanks man

**James Deuce** · 3rd August 2009, 08:30

Originally Posted by p.dath

ps. When buying a helmet for on-road use check out its SHARP rating. Try to only buy a 4 or 5 star rated helmet.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

The Sharp ratings are NOT legal standards.

For Street Use the helmet needs to meet the following standards:

UN/ECE Regulation No. 22: Protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motor cycles and mopeds (Europe)
Australian Standard AS 1698: Protective helmets for vehicle users
New Zealand Standard NZ 5430: Protective helmets for vehicle users
Snell Memorial Foundation: Helmet Standard for use in motorcycling
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218: Motor-cycle helmets*
British Standard BS 6658: Specification for protective helmets for vehicle users (for type A helmets only)
Japan Industrial Standard T8133.

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-sa...g-helmets.html

**cs363** · 3rd August 2009, 09:54

Originally Posted by James Deuce

The Sharp ratings are NOT legal standards.

For Street Use the helmet needs to meet the following standards:

UN/ECE Regulation No. 22: Protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motor cycles and mopeds (Europe)
Australian Standard AS 1698: Protective helmets for vehicle users
New Zealand Standard NZ 5430: Protective helmets for vehicle users
Snell Memorial Foundation: Helmet Standard for use in motorcycling
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218: Motor-cycle helmets*
British Standard BS 6658: Specification for protective helmets for vehicle users (for type A helmets only)
Japan Industrial Standard T8133.

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-sa...g-helmets.html

Correctamundo....and not all standards have stickers applied to the helmet, in many cases the standard is printed directly onto the helmet exterior and in the case of the ECE standard it will always have the E mark (an E with an number (denoting country of homologation) on the strap.

And without wanting to start a whole new thread on the subject, I wouldn't buy a helmet based solely on the SHARP ratings either (there is ongoing international debate as to their relevance) use them along with reviews/tests and recommendations from friends etc as a guideline to what to buy. Above all else make sure your helmet fits your head perfectly: (http://www.bellracing.com/public/med...it_Helmets.pdf)
The Simpson Bandit is approved to Snell SA2005 so it should have a Snell sticker inside the helmet, probably on the EPS liner in the crown area.
It's not an ideal helmet for a bike as it's more intended as a motorsport helmet, although Simpson do make a Street Bandit & Outlaw Bandit which are both motorcycle helmets - these are Snell & DOT approved.
Simpson is one of the few helmets that can legally be imported & used in NZ with a DOT standard (FMVSS 218) as the legal proviso on that is the helmet be manufactured and purchased in the USA.

**firefighter** · 29th August 2009, 12:50

Originally Posted by p.dath

ps. When buying a helmet for on-road use check out its SHARP rating. Try to only buy a 4 or 5 star rated helmet.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Bullshit.

My Suomy Vandal is'nt even on the list, and it did so good a job of saving my ass, I did'nt even know my head hit the ground until months afterwards, when I noticed a small dent on the steel visor clip thing, and a few stress cracks which I had'nt noticed on both sides where the impact must have spread through.

I seriously did'nt even know that my head had touched down. That's performance. An 80km/h crash which wrote off my old bike, and my head did'nt feel a thing.

So much for the sharp rating.

**Jonno.** · 29th August 2009, 16:58

If it's not on the list it means they haven't tested it, not that it's shit.

**tzrmike** · 29th August 2009, 20:37

There's a bit of a stink going on in the UK over the SHARP tests.

There is no penetration test.
There is no chinbar strength test.
There is no strap strength test.
The test points are fixed, rather that randomly selected.
The side impacts are controversial.

Basically, SHARP tells the manufacturers of helmets the specific points on a helmet they are going to do the impact test (basically, a swinging hammer) on. A couple of mainstream manufacturers argued that an unscruplous manufacturer could reinforce the impact points, to score a 5 star rating, and scrimp on the rest of the helmet construction to recoup costs. Previous certification was done by a random "icepick" swing, so you couldn't "stack the deck" by re-inforcing specific areas, the whole helmet had to be good.

In regard to the side impact tests, one position was under the ear. It was argued that research by helmet manufacturers showed almost zero chance of being struck in that position by a pointed or blunt object, as the shoulder and body of the rider would rise up to shield that part of the head. Reseachers position was that helmet construction material that would be "wasted" by strengthening that area to past the SHARP test, adding weight, and therefore strain to the neck and head.

SHARP has been approved by the UK govt, and so naturally enough, protests from people who have been making helmets, and saving lives for a number of years, has been ignored.

There was an article about the SHARP test in Sept 2008 Superbike magazine.

**pritch** · 31st August 2009, 16:12

Originally Posted by buzzinowt

If it's not on the list it means they haven't tested it, not that it's shit.

Exactly! The SHARP list may be really relevant one day, but that day is yet to come.

**Moki** · 12th September 2009, 07:33

The relevent recognised standards that helmets must comply with are (pick one):

The U.S. DOT FMVSS 218
BSI 6658-85 Type A
EN (European Norm) Reg.22
Snell M2005
Sharp

This means that when you buy a helmet, always ensure that it states at least one of these standards have been met or exceeded (can be multiple).
Generally, the more expensive brands like Arai, Shoei, Shark and Soumy have the higher safety standard ratings (e.g. 5 4-5 star). Cheap hlemets are cheap because they are crap - not safety devices- and that's dangerous.