Has Arai jumped the shark ? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Has Arai jumped the shark ?

TK4

TK4

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Just looking at the corporate website, nothing much new there except Bold New Graphics in a very long time.
They're got away with selling on premium quality, but there are lots of other companies out there producing good stuff too, often at much better pricing.
I doubt I'd ever buy another one, sad really...

Home | Arai

www.araiamericas.com www.araiamericas.com
 
TK4 said:
Just looking at the corporate website, nothing much new there except Bold New Graphics in a very long time.
They're got away with selling on premium quality, but there are lots of other companies out there producing good stuff too, often at much better pricing.
I doubt I'd ever buy another one, sad really...

Home | Arai

www.araiamericas.com www.araiamericas.com
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I lost respect for them long ago when they were selling helmets that failed performance tests. If you want to sell a premium product and declare that it meets certain standards, it damn well better meet the standards. Failure is completely unacceptable at that price point.
 
They haven't fit me particularly well since the late 80's. I find there are other choices nowadays that offer better fit and comparable quality and finish.

I'm not a flashy paint job fan either. My helmets have been solid colors, aside from an early 90's Bell in the red/white Eddie Lawson style. It seems most of the Aria helmets I've seen on the shelf have graphics that add significantly to the price so it's an easy pass for me.
 
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GreyGhost said:
I lost respect for them long ago when they were selling helmets that failed performance tests. If you want to sell a premium product and declare that it meets certain standards, it damn well better meet the standards. Failure is completely unacceptable at that price point.
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I heard that too in 2006 that they failed a DOT test. I never really believed it, a DOT test is so basic compared to Snell and ECE. I never stopped wearing Arai. I had a bad crash 6 years ago and the helmet hit the pavement and held up really well. I look at the Sharp ratings and some of the helmets that they say are 5 out of 5 I really question. I think something like 80% of the helmets out there are made in China. I'll stick to my Arai.
 
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Klaatu said:
I heard that too in 2006 that they failed a DOT test. I never really believed it, a DOT test is so basic compared to Snell and ECE. I never stopped wearing Arai. I had a bad crash 6 years ago and the helmet hit the pavement and held up really well. I look at the Sharp ratings and some of the helmets that they say are 5 out of 5 I really question. I think something like 80% of the helmets out there are made in China. I'll stick my Arai.
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Part of it is conflicting standards (eg Snell designs for a bigger hit so the foam is harder to allow a pass but that means you get higher acceleration and can fail the DOT test). I agree with you, I don't care about DOT but it is concerning that Arai puts DOT stickers on and fails those tests reasonably often. If you can't pass the tests leave the compliance claim off (to do otherwise shows money trumps safety).
 
GreyGhost said:
Part of it is conflicting standards (eg Snell designs for a bigger hit so the foam is harder to allow a pass but that means you get higher acceleration and can fail the DOT test). I agree with you, I don't care about DOT but it is concerning that Arai puts DOT stickers on and fails those tests reasonably often. If you can't pass the tests leave the compliance claim off (to do otherwise shows money trumps safety).
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No DOT means no sales in the U.S. Kinda like dieselgate...
 
I was quite surprised, out lid shopping and some smaller dealers had a much better range of selection than the usual suspects at imo , better pricing


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