Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Phantom wrote:Also a five year old helmet is not necessarily defective.|

No Joke...... I have learnt a few thing in 26 years or road riding:
Lifted for else wear & I wasn't talking about off the shelf new helmets in this instance, assuming you already own the helmet before the big trip, sorry for the confusion or misleading statement.
"The inner foam lining of the helmet compresses, and that is what provides the majority of the protection. The inner foam lining is also what causes a helmet to 'age'. The foam itself dries out over time, and a good rule of thumb is to replace your motorcycle helmet every 5 to 7 years. Storing a helmet in an area free of significant temperature changes, excess humidity, and petrochemical fumes will help extend the life of the helmet"

For racing I have also seen scrutineers knock back helmets at various race meets due to age. With my sidecar helmets they were replaced ever season due to the amount of stone chips, the scrutes would take one look & ask to see our spare..... yes we always carry spares just for this reason.
As for the road helmets its a new one every 5 years regardless, I would rather update than run the risk of a loose fitting helmet & yes over time you don't notice just how loose your helmet can become, Occasionally I replace the cheek pads when I can notice looseness.

With the Arai What is state of the art ? is this a new marketing tool or has the helmet been reinvented?
Oh & I am not trying to be a smart arse, just interested in what you have said Phantom.

"The inner foam lining of the helmet compresses, and that is what provides the majority of the protection."

When you say "inner foam" if you mean the EPS (expanded polystyrene) it is dry brand new so it does not dry out. Also it does not compress unless it recieves an impact. It's purpose is to reduce deceleration rate. If your head/helmet collides with a sharp or pointed object the majority of the protection could be be coming from the shell, not the EPS. A peice of string Bud, does not have a specific length.

When you say "inner foam" if you mean the poly...probably urethane foam between your head and the EPS, it provides little to no protection at all. Its purpose is to stop the helmet moving around on your head and to provide comfort.

"State of the art" Robracer, means as far as technology has progressed. The term is not marketing. If it is used as a sales pitch and technology has progressed further at that time then it is false marketing, not a false term.

You understand of course the difference between a state of the art Arai motorcycle helmet and, state of the art motorcycle helmet.

State of the art Arai is the best helmet that Arai produce. State of the art motorcycle helmet is the helmet using the most recent and hopefully best technology; and that could come from one or more manufactures at a given point of time.

I say hopefully, as Thalidamide was probably considered state of the art at one time.

I wonder which manufacturer will be the first to use polyoxymethylene in helmet construction. Don't laugh it may be a good idea.

Whickle wrote:More of a case that the manufacturing process is now cheaper. Not to mention there are a few more certified testing companies to bring the price down.

I have an $80 helmet that feels better than my $400 helmet. I dont wear the cheap one out on my spirited rides, but I commute wearing the cheap one, and it feels much better that the good one. I have no doubt that the Cheap one would hold up in a crash.

I dont want to test either of them! I would like to see how they all compare tho....

My old man who races cars has always said "if you got a $100 head put it in a $100 helmet " , as much as they have the 1698 sticker on them, i believe that theres a benchmark and just pass and others smash it yet both get the same rating.
Interesting that you wear the "cheapy" on the commute and not the "better" hat on your spirited rides, my experiences with my daily commute is of more likely to have a stack due to more cars and peak hour times. Touch Wood.

Ride safe, within your abilities,

Wow, considering my current predicament, Ive found this thread very interesting ... thanX Pat for the heads up!!

I have to say, there are many comments and arguments (used loosely) made herein that I agree wholeheartedly with, but the more I read the more confused I become. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction OR offer feedback or comments based on your personal experience.

Firstly I tested my Shoei helmet in 08 and can say it was worth it weight in gold - obviously cos I'm here to type this. Since then I purchased a $450 Shark helmet say late 08, early 09. I have been using this helmet since, and just travelled 18,000kms around Oz with it. I got pulled over by police the other night, and my helmet wasnt even looked at.
I went to WSID to drag race last week and was told that my helmet was as good as a stack hat, and was illegal, cos it didnt have the AS.... (australian standards sticker), it does however have a compliance sticker, blue and white. I have spoken to Action who I must say were useless, but have to admit they did give me a contact at Shark who has since sent me some literature, which imo appears to be waffle. I will post up whem I'm at work for those that may be interested in what they sent me.
I went to Rose Bay police station the other morning and they couldnt help me. I took my helmet with me. I was told to see 'highway' as they are more knowledgable on the subject. Due to work committments I havent been able to get to another police station as yet.
My plan is to find a policeman that knows his/her shit and to confirm whether my helmet is legit or not.
Dependant upon their response, I will then approach Action to pursue a refund. I'm not happy!!
Any advice or point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

hey were wrong Rob. The standards have changed in Australia now. No Longer it SAI the only company allowed to certify helmets here in Australia. I suggest you to WSID to get with the times and check their facts

Read this, I still go through pain when scruitneering every round but it is all there.

The HWP should know there shit, I would hope

http://www.ksrc-au.com/phpBB3/search.ph ... mit=Search

ThanX Russ, I wondered if that would be the case tbh . . .

ZX Robyn -- as a helmet manufacturer I can help you with your issues with police or any scrutineers


I have not seen your helmet but you have one that has been certified by TUV Rheinland Australia - the sticker is white and looks a little like the one I have posted here as an attachment

These helmets are 100% legal as my own helmets are also certified by TUV

I would go tell the scrutineer to go XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX edited because i shouldnt be so harshon a scrutineer just because i have had a bad day
the changes are not know by everyone - education will be much better than agression

my contact number is 0403538447 if you need assistance

I can even get the people from TUV to help you with official paperwork

Also please refer to the following RTA web page

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/mo ... lmets.html

MotoLegion wrote:ZX Robyn -- as a helmet manufacturer I can help you with your issues with police or any scrutineers

Do you mean Importer?....

Cheers MotoLegion!!
. . . . printed, and I shall be taking it to my next drags meet on 13th. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and yes you were correct, my helmet is legal and certified, as noted above.

I looked into this for work purposes several months ago. I could have sworn I'd posted about it here somewhere, but can't seem to find it.

Basically, I contacted Brett Abraham, the manager of domestic business development and accreditation services of the Joint Accreditation System of Aust. and NZ (JAS-ANZ). JAS-ANZ is the government-appointed accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand responsible for providing accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (CABs) in the fields of certification and inspection.

He informed me the product standard for motorcycle helmets is AS/NZS 1698:2006, as most of you would know. This standard was most recently amended in 2009.

JAS-ANZ has accredited the following bodies to certify suppliers of protective helmets that satisfy this standard:
Global Mark Pty Ltd
SAI Global
TUV Rheinland Aust

What does this mean for us?

As long as the following certification marks include the appropriate standard (1698), then helmets carrying these logos are now legal. (Keep in mind they must also comply with the requirements re: internal tags etc aswell).

Disco wrote:

MotoLegion wrote:ZX Robyn -- as a helmet manufacturer I can help you with your issues with police or any scrutineers

Do you mean Importer?....

Not necessarily. There is still one or two helmet manufacturers here in Oz somewhere.

FWIW Just remember that motor sport organisations do not *have* to use same standard as that applicable to road use. They are free to stipulate what standard is required for competitions they control (if not on public roads).

Best to read their regulations to see what they require.

I think its generally accepted that the standard is 1698. The problem is that SAI used to be the only company doing AUS certification - and now they're not, so organisations just have to recognise that the four stickers above are effectively the same.