No more Arai & SHOEI helmet from oversea vendors (to US)

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S21FOLGORE

Well-known member
Everything has a beginning and an end.
Life is just a cycle of them.
There are endings that we don't desire but are inevitable.

There was no official announcement.
They (Arai and SHOEi) just started, sometime in this spring, enforcing "buy / sell officially imported helmet only" rule.
(it took me a while to figure it out.)

Now, the online motorcycle retailers who sell Arai & SHOEI helmets to oversea customers, DON'T sell the (Arai / SHOEI) helmets AND genuine Arai / SHOEI parts & accessories to the US customers.

What it means is ...

No more JDM helmet from Japan. (Sad news for those who have high CI head.)

(Also no more JDM only cool accessories such as tinted (genuine SHOEI) face shield for GT-Air.)

No more EU spec helmet (less $$$ than North American market version) from Netherlands (Chromeburner / Champion helmet).




The world is certainly changing.
For many, many years, we could buy helmets from oversea vendors easily.
(Some did it for saving money. Some did it for the proper fitment.)
Those days are over.
 
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S21FOLGORE

Well-known member
As far as I know, it has nothing to do with counterfeit helmet.

It's just for maintain / ensure the level field for the retailers, and keeping their products value.

Rev'it, for example, does this too.
If you try to buy their product from online oversea retailers, your cart turns red, saying " we cannot ship to your location."

Also, some things go the other way round.
People try to buy something from US online retailers, the cart turns red as soon as they enter the location.
 
E

ejv

Untitled work in progress
Won't it just create a secondary market for middlemen to buy local and ship overseas?
 
squidworth

squidworth

Well-known member
Yeah, this is combating the grey market and control country based pricing. This is common practice across many industries. Reminds me of a story of guys smuggling the original Playstation from various Euro countries into Germany since they were like 25-30% cheaper elsewhere
 
Whammy

Whammy

Veteran of Road Racing
Arai Americas has said for a long time helmets bought overseas do not get warranty or support from Arai Americas.
This just solidifies what they have been saying for so long.
Buy a helmet in the region you live in is what they have always said.
Its unfortunate that some heads actually fit in those where the brand is from, but they have their reasons.
With such a large variety of lids something is bound to fit.

Directly from Arai's website

Important Warning concerning buying helmets from other countries.

Each world market requires different helmet standards. Never purchase helmets from outside your market as they may not comply with legally required standards for your country, not to mention their interior fit may not have been designed for your market and as a result may be very uncomfortable.

Helmets purchased from outside a given market are not eligible for after-sales service or warranty claims. Arai and its authorized agents cannot endorse the continued use of a noncertified helmet.
 
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Hank Wong

Well-known member
Making you buy local is just their way of charging Americans more money, kinda like California gasoline costs more than Nevada gasoline.
 
FXCLM5

FXCLM5

bombaclaud
Hank Wong said:
Making you buy local is just their way of charging Americans more money, kinda like California gasoline costs more than Nevada gasoline.
Click to expand...

this, you gotta be :rofl if you think the rf1200 shell composite is different from 1 country to the next
 
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S21FOLGORE

Well-known member
Guoseph said:
This sucks, my one reliable source of round helmets is now gone.
Click to expand...

Not everything is lost.

If you have higher CI head like myself, and are in the market for a new helmet right now, you can still buy JDM helmet such as OGK from Japanese vendor.

For example, if I were in the spot that I need to get one now, I'd consider
OGK RT-33.
1419170941113L.jpg


In fact, I was thinking to buy this when I bought X-14.
IF X-14 hadn't been available at that time, I would have bought this one.

Not as nice as X-14, but RT-33 has nce option parts for rounder head.

https://japan.webike.net/products/21693331.html

The liner comes in three types, standard, narrow (for long oval head), and wide (for round head).

Don't expect the same level of finish as top end SHOEI, but they are far more affordable, and, still available to us.
 
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S21FOLGORE

Well-known member
FXCLM5 said:
this, you gotta be :rofl if you think the rf1200 shell composite is different from 1 country to the next
Click to expand...

It IS different, from market to market.

RF-1200 for US market
RF-1200-solids-2.jpg


Z-7, for JDM
z-7-_1.jpg


RF-1200

Shoei-RF-1200-Design.jpg


Z-7
shoei_z-7_1.jpg


They look exactly the same from the outside.

Internally, they are totally different helmet, NOT just the shape.
Z-7 is lighter, much lighter than RF-1200. Because Z series are meant to be the "small, light weight street / around the town helmet". The shell is small so that they can fit in the scooter's under seat storage. Z-7 is not MFJ homologated, (and not Snell certified) so can't be used for racing, track days.

The shell, although they appear to be the same, have totally different construction.

SHOEI does this a lot.
Arai helmets are more consistent all across the market.
 
E

ejv

Untitled work in progress
Different weights are at least partially due to different standards the helmets have to meet.
 
wakked1

wakked1

Wookie
If anyone wants a very lightly used JDM Shoei Hornet X2 medium, LMK. Its been sitting in my closet for like a year.
 
FXCLM5

FXCLM5

bombaclaud
S21FOLGORE said:
It IS different, from market to market.

RF-1200 for US market
RF-1200-solids-2.jpg


Z-7, for JDM
z-7-_1.jpg


RF-1200

Shoei-RF-1200-Design.jpg


Z-7
shoei_z-7_1.jpg


They look exactly the same from the outside.

Internally, they are totally different helmet, NOT just the shape.
Z-7 is lighter, much lighter than RF-1200. Because Z series are meant to be the "small, light weight street / around the town helmet". The shell is small so that they can fit in the scooter's under seat storage. Z-7 is not MFJ homologated, (and not Snell certified) so can't be used for racing, track days.

The shell, although they appear to be the same, have totally different construction.

SHOEI does this a lot.
Arai helmets are more consistent all across the market.
Click to expand...
I mean the same Rf1200 not 2 different helmets that share the same external shell.

Case in point, no way would Shoei sell that version as a RF1200 now would they?
 
B

bradlys

Well-known member
Whammy said:
Arai Americas has said for a long time helmets bought overseas do not get warranty or support from Arai Americas.
This just solidifies what they have been saying for so long.
Buy a helmet in the region you live in is what they have always said.
Its unfortunate that some heads actually fit in those where the brand is from, but they have their reasons.
With such a large variety of lids something is bound to fit.
Click to expand...

There isn't that large of a variety for round heads in America. I'm not even Asian - man. I just have a round head and there's only one or two helmets that I've ever had fit me decently. The HJC CL-17 that I've had for a couple years now and then an Arai Quantum-X.

Just because Arai offers a round helmet in North America doesn't mean it's the round helmet I want.

Before COVID happened, I wanted to fly to Japan and get a helmet while on a vacation there. (And get it custom fitted) Gotta stick with this loud ass bucket as my only option for now...
 
musiclucho

musiclucho

Well-known member
Does it mean the new shoei/arai Helmer’s sold in the US won’t be hand made in Japan? Or they will be made in Japan but just for US market?
 
S

S21FOLGORE

Well-known member
There won't be any changes in the helmets / parts officially imported and sold here in US, by SHOEI helmets North America, Arai Helmet Americas.

What it means is, that

Online retailers overseas (namely, in Japan and Netherlands) WILL NOT sell
Arai and SHOEI helmets , parts and accessories to US customers.



This also means,

No more saving $$$ by purchasing EU spec Arai / SHOEI helmets from Netherlands.

No more round head friendly Arai / SHOEI JDM models from Japan.

No more some desirable JDM parts such as tinted face shield for GT-Air.
(In Japan, SHOEI sells light smoke, mellow smoke, mirror smoke GT-Air face shield (outer one, not the flip down sun visor). But SHOEI NA don't import them due to DOT regulations.)

Pretty simple, right?

If you have friend / family members living in Japan or Netherlands (or Korea, Hong Kong, where ever) you can still ask them to buy helmet over there and ship it to you.
That's perfectly legal and it is tariff free.

However, using non DOT approved helmet on the public road is ... well, that means, technically you are not wearing the helmet.

(However, DOT standard is one of the worst example of the motorcycle helmet safety standards, in terms of both the standard itself and its "self-certification" system.)
 
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Whammy

Whammy

Veteran of Road Racing
bradlys said:
There isn't that large of a variety for round heads in America. I'm not even Asian - man. I just have a round head and there's only one or two helmets that I've ever had fit me decently. The HJC CL-17 that I've had for a couple years now and then an Arai Quantum-X.

Just because Arai offers a round helmet in North America doesn't mean it's the round helmet I want.

Before COVID happened, I wanted to fly to Japan and get a helmet while on a vacation there. (And get it custom fitted) Gotta stick with this loud ass bucket as my only option for now...
Click to expand...

It is what it is now.
You can still go and get one in japan when the madness is over.
That would be your best bet or like the post before mine.
See S21FOLGORE's post.
 
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