[RANT] Arai Helmets: Fed Up

[joemorse]

I'm beginning to think that I'm a little rough on my helmets. For years I rode with less expensive models like Icon. The typical helmet would last me for a year or so, until everyday use (drops, clanking around, etc) would render it ugly and thrashed. A couple of years ago I began to think that it might be worth investing in a higher-end helmet. I started with a Shoei X-11. It was decent, but heavy and somewhat ill-fitting. And once my 110-hp tail-chopped Monster started flinging pebbles into the back of the helmet and chipped off a good portion of the paint on the back, I decided it was time to try another brand. Now that was an adventure.

KBC...too cheap. Bell...didn't fit well. Suomy...ditto. After a seemingly endless ordeal, I finally tried a black Arai Quantum-II. It was light, didn't fog much, and fitted my head better than anything I had tried before. I bought it on the spot...thinking the $500+ price tag was worth it. A year after the fact, I'm sure it wasn't. As much as I love the fit & feel, I'm convinced that the various bits on the helmet are, well, cheap and flimsy. This damn helmet has broken more times than I care to count. And I can't chalk that up to rough treatment, since I've made a concerted effort to baby this helmet, keeping it in a bag, making sure not to drop it, etc. I've had a hefty price tag for maintenance on this helmet:

• 6 face shields in a year. Mainly caused by scratching, but often caused by either the faceshield cracking near the vents, or the visor lock tab breaking off under mild pressure. Call this one $270
• Two sets of AdSis pods (the side covers that retain the face shield). The first one fell off for no apparent reason. The second one came off because one of the cheap plastic tabs that holds it to the helmet broke while fitting one of the many new faceshields. In fact, the second replacement pod wouldn't go on at first because the tolerance for the tab on the new pod was very tight compared to the original. The retailer had to bend the tab back a little and really work to make it fit and stay on. Top this off with the fact that you have to buy two pods at a time. Call this one $45 for the past year
• One cracked vent cover/plug on the top. I suppose this was due to "normal" wear and being exposed to the sun, but damn! $30 for this one.

So after a year, I've spent roughly $350 just repairing this premium-priced helmet. FOr that kind of money, I could have bought a nice Suomy. Or two Shoeis. Or a few hours of lap dances.

Some other specific complaints about the helmet:

• Replacement parts are ridiculously expensive. $45 for a replacement shield (on average) is a bit hard to stomach, especially when a Shoei replacement goes for $30 or so. Add to that the fact that the shields seem to scratch and break more easily.
• The AdSis system for retaining the face shield is terrible. You almost have to break the helmet to get a face shield on or off. That's a sketchy topic when deplacement parts are expensive.
• Replacement parts are very seldom in stock at retailers. So when the helmet breaks, you have to wait a week or two before you can repair it. Good thing I have a Shoei backup.
• No true matte colors. Sure, they have some quasi-matte colors, but no true flat finish that might resist scratching & chips.

So net-net, I won't be buying another Arai. Unless you're a sponsored racer who gets a free new helmet every few months, stay away from the Quantum-II.

[sqweak]

User Error. [cheeky]

Sorry dude, but it's just you. I've worn the Arai Quantum E/F/II since I started riding in 2000. I've never cracked, scratched, broken, etc a face shield (In fact, I'm on the *same* tinted face shield I bought in 2000 :, the side pods, levers, or any single thing you've had issues with. I read constantly about people complaining about the shield changing method yet It's never given me a problem. My total repair/maintainence bill is the purchase of a tinted shield and a replacement set of rear vents (~$10).

[joemorse]

Originally Posted by sqweak

User Error. [cheeky]

Sorry dude, but it's just you. I've worn the Arai Quantum E/F/II since I started riding in 2000. I've never cracked, scratched, broken, etc a face shield (In fact, I'm on the *same* tinted face shield I bought in 2000 :, the side pods, levers, or any single thing you've had issues with. I read constantly about people complaining about the shield changing method yet It's never given me a problem. My total repair/maintainence bill is the purchase of a tinted shield and a replacement set of rear vents (~$10).

Strange. I'm willing to entertain the idea of user-induced issues ;D, but I can't dismiss things like ill-fitting and breaking AdSis pods. I've pretty much babied this thing since I got it and have changed shields without incident several times. I've had cheaper helmets last years without incident, so I'm not convinced I'm that hard on helmets...tires, on the other hand >

And having shield lock tabs come off is simply inexcusable. I'm honestly hoping that Arai could chalk this kind of stuff up to manufacturing anomalies and not design flaws. Maybe a higher quality ABS in the parts?

[teddy037]

I've had 3 arai lids and the only issue was a broken side pod on my corsair, which was replaced for free under warranty.

yeah, it sucks that most shops don't stock parts, but the place I got my lid from, the mgr let me hijack a pod from another lid until mine came in [thumbsup]

[mmoore]

I have owned both an Arai Quantum/F and a Renegade, and agree that the fit and interior finish is probably the best out there, but like you I had a bunch of issues with the little plastic bits. I never really did get comfortable with the shield change technique either. I'm kind of surprised though you couldn't get them to fix any of this stuff under warranty. I lost a vent cover on my Renegade and they sent me a new one. (And when I got it I realized why I lost the first one - they're attached with double sided tape!)

The Shoei and Shark helmets I have now have idiot-proof shield changing mechanisms (good thing for me) and have held up well. (Although the Shark is too new to really have done any torture testing.)

[duc_fan]

While I haven't had it long (one season, ~3000 miles), my Arai Quantum II has been great.

The shield-change mechanism is hokie, yes. But mine hasn't broken, and I occasionally switch between clear and tinted shields.

I've only bought one shield (a tinted one to complement the clear stocker). Ntoehr is scratched. Then again, I baby the surfaces, and before storing a removed on I clean it inside and out, then put the protective film back on.

Exterior still looks excellent. Minor scuffing, but nothing that doesn't polish out.

No problems with any vents whatsoever.

Best head-fit of any helmet I tried.

If I crashed and ruined the helmet today, I'd have no problem buying another one. If anything, I'd simply be bummed that the Retro Corsa paint scheme is no longer offered.

[kc4ag]

For anything that seems like a defect in the helmet (the shields cracking near the hinge, the sidepods coming apart) you need to put in a warranty claim. Arai warranties their helmets for 5 years from date of manufacture (I believe if you buy new, but it may cover used helmets, too). You don't need a sales receipt. You just need to know where you bought it and how much you paid (I guessed at the amount I paid, and I don't think they actually use this information for the claim). You just register your lid on their website and they are VERY prompt about claims. When my right sidepod broke, they immediately sent a black set and said the color matching ones were out of stock. I inquired a few months later and they sent another set (still black, but they'll make good spares). I got my color matching ones in a few weeks.

Don't knock Arai if you don't make claims. They are quick about it.

[kc4ag]

Originally Posted by sqweak

I've worn the Arai Quantum E/F/II since I started riding in 2000.

I hope you're either on your second one or are planning to replace... 3 years ago. They only guarantee the highest level of protection for five years. After that, the materials can start to break down. There is no way to know. The most I'd use that lid for is knocking around on a pit bike in the back yard at low speeds.

[JJGeo]

I've had an Arai Astral-X for just over 3 years now:

1. Side pod busted when I lifted the shield at a stoplight. Kinda lame.
2. Chin vent cover busted, and one of the upper vent covers busted...both during relatively minor drops. Kinda lame as I think making them out of hard rubber instead of hard plastic would make them tougher, but ultimately my fault for dropping the helmet.

The shield is still pretty good, and I don't baby it by any means. I also think changing them is fairly easy. You just have to take some time looking at the mechanism to see how they work. Makes it easier to not break things.

I'd buy another Arai, but I'm also going to look at other brands first.

[ghostwho]

aria profile over a year no issues whatsoever you might have got a tuesday lunch special. Best helmet I have owned so far. Everyone's experience is different with all products If I had to do it all over again I would probably go for the shoei tz-r.

good luck

-Ghost