I need one of these! The real thing.... The replica...... http://www.araiamericas.com/#/helmets/moto/vx-pro3/graphic/salminen-star
I liked mine but it was to $$$ and the vents ejected ASAP. As i go through 2-3 helmets a year (Winter / rain kills helmets) i will not be paying top dollar for a fancy one anymore.
Worn Arai Helmets for years... on and off road. Worth every penny in my opinion... hand built in Japan, by a family owned business. Not in a big Factory in China, Tawain or Korea, that makes all the helmets for all the other brands. Arai supports the sport in many ways... one is supporting the USA ISDE team members with free Team helmets, whether they are Arai sponsored riders or not. You'll see club team guys wearing them with the Arai logos covered over, because their helmet sponsor wouldn't or couldn't provide them with a team helmet. When Flat Track Pro Kevin Atherton was badly injured and layed up for an extended period of recovery. Arai gave all the profit from sales of his replica helmet to his medical expenses. When the longest serving rider to Arai.... Joey Dunlop perished in a road racing accident, Arai produced a Limited Edition Memorial Replica of his iconic yellow and black helmet (I own one). All proceeds from the sales went to Joey's Memorial Fund, to continue his charitible works in the Balkans. Another little point.. Riders sponserd by Arai, only receive helmets and support package, not a contact payment. I'm not sure, but riders who have a Replica, may receive royalties on sales.
I've had a few vents pop off, not the end of the world. I ride in the rain all the time and Arai holds up pretty well. If they too get bad, you buy a new liner and cheek pads. To me Troy Lee Designs are more questionble.... you pay the big price for the name, styling and graphic designs, but it's built in a big any helmet factory.
Buy your Fox or whatever helmets then. I'll listen to Hendrix and you listen to.... what was that guy's name?
Where do you guys find all this hidden stuff out there? Norm, Kelly, Joe and Robert, do you guys have an automatic search engine on your comp you taters? You guys always find the good stuff!
I like my arai, I know a little about composites and oak trees, and I like what they say they put in them versus something produced in China. GP
After the carnage I brought upon myself ,deflecting not only my shoulder but my head as well off of 2 trees...my *10 YEAR OLD Arai saved my head/brain ...suffered only a little disorientation for several seconds...helmet looked ok until closer examination found a slight crack. I am currently looking for a new lid and I'll stick with Arai..thank you very much!! The bills from this little"accident" are high enough,hate to think if I had brain damage or worse *NOTE: I was told several years ago that a helmets integrity diminishes over the years and should be replaced every 5 years(even though you haven't crashed or dropped it umpteen times on cement)...maybe a sales pitch or only based on materials at the time,don't know,just like guessing at when to change your oil. ..To be old and wise you must first be young and stupid...."learn from this grasshopper "(thanx to David Carradine in Kung Fu tv series) Guscycle
I am guessing that all the moisture rots out the interior padding? Had a similar problem racing boats, even in enclosed cockpits could get a lot of spray inside and some of that river water combined with sweat is pretty skanky. Learned a trick that helps, lightly wad up dry newspaper and place inside as soon as you are done and it wicks the moisture out. I still do this after a ride to pull out the perspiration. GP
You'll never think about what a helmet cost when it saved your noggin and you'll likely buy that same brand again. SOME testing shows the cheap ones to actually be better but I thinke our decisions are based on comfort and/or looks or else we wouldn't buy so many bad ass, black helmets.
Super nice helmet. Opinion and fit is one thing and very personally important, plus supporting artisan manufacturing and fair labor is a great thing. Off topic, we just bought a set of lifetime warranted knives (read expensive for what you see-quantity) quality 100%, cost effective (thats subject to question). What's the hook, made in upstate NY, made in USA, fair employment practice(I hope), by the same co. that has been making USMC slicers for years. My kitchen is a sharp and happy place and we feel good to support Olean NY employment. As Norm stated, Ive seen a very nice HD-TV piece on Arai Japan, its basically an artisan shop, definitly not a sweat shop. That said my Artisan Italian Airoh Stelt just met its lifecycle end and I am wearing a Thor (made in ???) which is heavier (most all helmets are) but comfortable, snell-safe and alot cheaper.......... I am in the market for a top level lid, and this VX Arai is on the radar screen along with the Airoh Aviator. Thanks for posting this "Arai Advert" Norm.
Bingo. Not only are Shoei helmets more reasonably priced (although still high compared to most others)... they fit. Of all the helmets I've owned in the past 10 years (including 2 Arai), my Shoei's have by FAR, held up the best. "Hand made" ain't all it's cracked up to be, especially when the "hand fit" pieces fall off after a few rides... never to be found. I think the word Arai must be Japanese for over-rated.
Airoh Aviator was on top of my list, another nice Artisan Company, as you said. I'd been watching prices from the U.K. online dealers. I ordered the "Salminen Star" from Bottone's today. It will be a month, before they are released. Bottone's is just down the road from Olean, NY in Bradford, PA. Fran's wife works at another American product plant... Case Pocket Knives/Zippo Lighters. Still have my Case "Sodbuster Junior" pocket knife!
I priced a Shoei last month and price was about the same I'll pay for the Arai. I think Shoei is right up there in care of construction. You don't like Arai's and I do, so we'll leave it at that........
Norman. Tisk tisk. I think you may be taking my posts a bit too personally. This ain't Norman versus Krieg. It's Arai versus other helmet makers.
