Dropped Shoei helmet 8-(

[750Y]

Bugger! I had my helmet hanging on my mirror when I moved the bike & it fell off onto the concrete.
It’s not the first time that it’s hit the concrete but this particular time it made a different noise & I knew straight away that it wasn’t good. I picked it up & inspected it & there was no real visible damage but just the sound that it made was like when you drop a boiled egg. The other times it had made a sort of hollow sturdy sound & I wasn’t too concerned. Suffice to say, a new helmet is definitely on the cards.
Pity they don’t make the same model anymore. I’m thinking of importing a new one from the states but does anyone know if the states versions have ‘nz valid’ safety ratings? What are the pitfalls of importing a lid?

[Biff]

Shit. Sorry to hear that mate. It sounds like you're using your grey matter here and looking for a replacement. A dropped lid can obviously do some serious unseen damage.

Re' importing - It depends where you import it from. I've friends and colleagues who've imported lids (to the UK) from all over the world. General rules of thumb:

- Are they legal here? Do they meet the same legal standard? Or even an equivilant standard (albeit technicaly illegal to use here).
- Size. If you import one from Asia they are generally shorter in height, but slightly wider.
- Do you really want to buy a lid without trying it for size first?

I've a couple of mates that bought lids from Hong Kong and one from Japan. In general they didn’t have any problems with regards to size. But all of them went to a bike shop in their own country first and tried on the same model before ordering from overseas. While all those that bought them from Asia commented that the fit was "different", even though they'd bought the same size (as marked) lid as the one they'd tried out in the UK, none of them said that the lid was uncomfortable, and particularly not uncomfortable enough not to have benefited from the cost savings.

[NC]

Don't hang it on your mirror...

Or put it on car bonnets

Or ask a friend to carry it...

[sparrow_34]

I had an Arai sent over from the States, and I don't know if I got lucky but I only paid GST when it arrived. I was sure there was going to be duty to pay as well. Worked out cheaper than buying here and that was when the exchange rate was not as good. Haven't thought about it passing NZ requirements or not

[vifferman]

If it passes overseas regulations, surely it's OK for here?

It's so easy to drop your helmet. I put my last one on my packrack while I unlocked the seat, even though I had a feeling it was going to fall off there. Luckily, it landed on the visor or vent or summat, so it didn't damage the helmet.
On the pamphlet that came with my helmet, it said a whole bunch of "never do this" and "never dot hat", including sticking it on the mirror, riding with it on the helmet lock, etc. and it said "when you take the helmet off, if you must put it down, place it on the ground on top of your gloves". I guess it can't fall far from there.

[Biff]

If it passes overseas regulations, surely it's OK for here?

:spudwhat:

I can only comment on the UK. In the UK you can't legally wear a helmet bought from anywhere else in the European Union as their standards are considered lower than UK ones! But nobody worries too much about that, and many Brit's now buy their biking gear from Andorra, a tax free haven between France and Spain.

[flyin]

Gutted m8!
its crazy where you see people leave their heads! -i usually put mine on th ground, on the gloves, and far enough from th bike that if th bike falls it can't land on my lid!

it always makes me wonder when you see these flash as bikes, with helmets sitting on the SEAT??? crazy...... and expensive....

[2_SL0]

BUGGER, Im sure you could squeeze into your kids helmet.

[betti]

the latest ec standards are tougher than the old uk B.S. kitemark ones, so as europe is (coff!)"a single market" all european helmets are legal in the Uk.
The only ones that arent are snell rated U.S. ones, I would reckon its gonna be a really harsh cop who prosecutes anyone for having the wrong safety standard lid on, never heard of it many years of bike instructing in blighty, though I guess there's always one in the world somewhere!

[Silage]

I’m thinking of importing a new one from the states but does anyone know if the states versions have ‘nz valid’ safety ratings? What are the pitfalls of importing a lid?

Bad bounce man.

Apart from the issues of overseas qual. stds., the message around the shops is that the NZ Govt. has just dropped all import duty on helmets, so once that works thru the shops (or just push the price any how), you may not save much importing one yourself. One shop said a hypothetical $400 helmet will now be $250.

[Lou Girardin]

If you insist on supporting overseas economies at least make sure you buy a model currently available in NZ. Otherwise it's a long and/or expensive wait for parts.

[Biff]

the latest ec standards are tougher than the old uk B.S. kitemark ones, so as europe is (coff!)"a single market" all european helmets are legal in the Uk.

Really? According to my bike mag (just checked again for reference, dated Oct '04), helmets must be comply with and be marked with the standard 2.5 in order to be legally sold and used in the UK. However helmets sold throughout Europe carry the 2.4 mark and are therefore illegal for use in the UK. :spudwhat:

[750Y]

thanks for all the replies, I'll be aiming for a Shoei again as they fit my egg shaped head good. maybe i can go all out & get a x-11. i see them on ebay for $450USD($625NZD+shipping) & they're over a grand here...

[ALTRON]

I always put my helmet on the ground beside my bike. Hanging it on the mirror or resting it on the seat it seems like it could side off easily

[Timber020]

youd think they could put a thin layer of foam to protect a helmet from little drops which happen all to often. I guess it would ruin their good looks and make it differcult to see more serious damage.