View Full Version : £16 Helmet on Ebay
Saw this on the Ebay daily deals. Might be of interest for someone looking for a cheap spare lid.
Don't think I'd want to wear a £16 helmet though.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=Motorbike+crash+helmet+EEC2205&LH_BIN=1&LH_SpecificSeller=1..minihahaspares&_in_kw=1&_sop=1
kellyjo
11-09-09, 07:19 AM
I think i value my head (and life) at more that £16!!
Including postage too! :shock:
The listing states it has been tested to ACU GOLD APPROVAL and EEC 22.05 SAFETY STANDARD so it should protect your head okay, it probably just weighs a ton.
Only £10 extra for a tinted visor as well, my visor was £45!!
Personally I wouldn't buy a helmet without trying it on, but if you've had that brand before...
yorkie_chris
11-09-09, 02:26 PM
If you're skint, far better than wearing some multiple-crashed secondhand POS.
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 03:40 PM
one of the salesmen up here in an Aberdeen bike shop told me something when i was loking for my new helmet.
There is no such thing as an unsafe Helmet. all helmets meet road safety standards & to pick the best fit even if its the cheapest one in the shop.
£16 bargin if it fits your head.
one of the salesmen up here in an Aberdeen bike shop told me something when i was loking for my new helmet.
There is no such thing as an unsafe Helmet. all helmets meet road safety standards & to pick the best fit even if its the cheapest one in the shop.
£16 bargin if it fits your head.
+1. They all have to meet the safety standards but some meet and exceed the safety standards.
metalangel
11-09-09, 04:31 PM
Yeah, we're talking about these in work... there's gotta be something up with them as it's likely a tenner if the P&P is free (which it is).
Mr Speirs
11-09-09, 04:47 PM
If your stupid enough to buy a £16 helmet then a £16 helmet is fine.
christopher
11-09-09, 04:47 PM
Well it appears that the ones are eBay are these: Red Zed RZ-401 (http://www.redzedhelmets.com/rz-401.php)
A quick Google Product Search of RZ-401 (http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=Red%20Zed%20RZ-401) shows M&P Direct Ltd sold them for £17.99 (they're no longer listed on their website, though various other models are).
Looks like it's just left over stock from a discontinued (no idea if it or not) model.
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 08:05 PM
what would be a good way to sort this out is buy one & film you launching it off a wall & see how it fairs.
only an idea.
Saw this on the Ebay daily deals. Might be of interest for someone looking for a cheap spare lid.
Don't think I'd want to wear a £16 helmet though.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=Motorbike+crash+helmet+EEC2205&LH_BIN=1&LH_SpecificSeller=1..minihahaspares&_in_kw=1&_sop=1
That particular helmet is a rebranded Nitro N750VX. Take it from me, I should know these things as I was Nitro's sales rep for the eastern region for a few years.
That helmet - same design and same method of construction - was retailing at over 80 quid 4 years ago.
It's not a 16 quid helmet, it's an 80 quid helmet being sold much cheaper.
Duckboy1989
11-09-09, 08:41 PM
value my head and life more than £80! let alone £16.
For a decent helmet in general you looking at £200, then the price spirals for not much improvement. look at shoei and arai, thay have there own tests....... a flower pot will pass the EU tests!
this is one thing you do not want to save money on!
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 08:46 PM
I have 1 but problem with helmets.
My head wont fit AGV ARAI or SHOEI just wont sit right.
i have a CABERG that fits perfect & only cost me £120.
if you have a head like mine you cant buy the £200 to £500 helmets & why should you if you can get one for less.
value my head and life more than £80! let alone £16.
For a decent helmet in general you looking at £200, then the price spirals for not much improvement. look at shoei and arai, thay have there own tests....... a flower pot will pass the EU tests!
this is one thing you do not want to save money on!
You know alot about helmets, their construction and design and the testing proceedures then, do you? Obviously not!
Posting from a position of ignorance does you no favours.
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 09:36 PM
Will a £500 ARAI & SHOEI fight off a stone chip any better than a £80 helmet?
id say no. i had to change my helmet last week due to a stone chip from a car & im glad it was a £85 one not a £500 one.
why claim its cos you value ur head & not that you just want that badge on you helmet?
they all smash much the same anyway
i went into my local bike shop and tried on about 12 different helmets ranging from £80-£400 I was looking to spend about £300 on one, in the end i left with a Caberg V2R for £120 because it fitted the best. Even the salesman said that it was the one he'd buy if he was me as its all about the fit.
Will a £500 ARAI & SHOEI fight off a stone chip any better than a £80 helmet?
id say no. i had to change my helmet last week due to a stone chip from a car & im glad it was a £85 one not a £500 one.
That must have been one big stone chip to warrant writing the helmet off like that. You sure it wasn't a half-brick?
why claim its cos you value ur head & not that you just want that badge on you helmet?
I wear Arais because value for money wise they are the best on the market, as well as being one of the safest helmets available. I'll get 5 years use from an Arai costing 200 quid. I'll spend 300 quid on cheaper helmets over the same period of time. I can afford to blow 200 or even 400 quid a time on a lid, but there are a huge number of people who can't, and for them an 80 quid helmet makes sound economic sense.
Having said that, I recently bought a 100 quid Nitro flip-front to wear when I'm doing long distances as it's quieter than my Arais and the earpieces from my bluetooth headset fit it better. I trust Nitro lids because I've been involved in the design, and have seen the methods of construction and testing they go through.
they all smash much the same anyway
Very very wrong. You need to research this subject very thoroughly before making claims like that.
Duckboy1989
11-09-09, 09:55 PM
You know alot about helmets, their construction and design and the testing proceedures then, do you? Obviously not!
Posting from a position of ignorance does you no favours.
I looked into testing and the difference between the old BSI and new EU helmet tests. Whilst not an "expert" in helmets i am a full time engineer and do actually know a fair amount about materials.
Brand name doesn't matter, (well, maybe not some!) but people have heard of shoei/arai.
If you must know the helmet i want is a schuberth, has no "name" on it, but it's a bit expensive.
so do some research, and actually look at the figures for helmet impact test, in particularly look at the different areas of the helmet they test, and the tooling they use to test them...... then maybe you might have a different opinion.
i have a CABERG that fits perfect & only cost me £120.maybe you got a good deal.... they do do nice helmets.
£200 is a rough guide. there are things called sales... i like them :)
lukemillar
11-09-09, 09:55 PM
value my head and life more than £80! let alone £16
This is the stupidest helmet argument, but it comes up everytime.
So go out and buy a top of the line Arai - by your own rational, you're only valuing your head/life at 500 quid?
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 09:55 PM
took a chip just above the visor & split the shell. so said bye bye to it.
lukemillar
11-09-09, 09:59 PM
If you must know the helmet i want is a schuberth, has no "name" on it, but it's a bit expensive.
But if it fits you like crap - would you still buy it?
I looked into testing and the difference
so do some research, and actually look at the figures for helmet impact test, in particularly look at the different areas of the helmet they test, and the tooling they use to test them...... then maybe you might have a different opinion.
Did you miss the part of my post where I explained my involvement with Nitro helmets design and construction? Of all the people posting to this forum I think you'll find I'm more than likely the only one qualified to make professional calls on stuff like this. You may well be a full time engineer who knows his materials, but in the real world you know c0ck all about helmets, their construction and test proceedures.
took a chip just above the visor & split the shell. so said bye bye to it.
If the stone was big enough to do that sort of damage, I'd say the hemet did its job as designed. It saved your head from getting mullered, that's all anyone can ultimately ask of any helmet.
What make of lid was it?
This is the stupidest helmet argument, but it comes up everytime.
So go out and buy a top of the line Arai - by your own rational, you're only valuing your head/life at 500 quid?
Easy Tiger, he's a full time engineer and stuff.
And people wonder why Britain doesn't have a manufacturing industry any longer.
Did you miss the part of my post where I explained my involvement with Nitro helmets design and construction? Of all the people posting to this forum I think you'll find I'm more than likely the only one qualified to make professional calls on stuff like this. You may well be a full time engineer who knows his materials, but in the real world you know c0ck all about helmets, their construction and test proceedures.
Design and construction? don't know that many sales reps that have an input into them. I'll have to ask the car saleman tomorrow how he influenced the new model.:D
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 10:12 PM
it was a HJC CS-R1 samurai.
yes it did its job & as i say im glad it didnt cost me £500 all cos of a stone.
as long as it fits & you are happy wearing it what does it really matter.
I may well have been employed as an area sales manager, but at Nitro you get involved in all manner of stuff during your time with them. It's a really interesting firm to work for.
We'd be shown prototype helmets and asked our opinions, then as a sales force we'd suggest modifications. That's where we'd be told why they could or couldn't go ahead with the mods, and why they may fail testing if we were to incorporate our mods. I have seen helmets tested at an independent test facility, and they really are quite rigorously gone over.
Nitro are a very open minded and young thinking firm, the 3 joint MDs are all under 30 years old and have been running the firm for the past 7 years at least, with guidance from their father. While I was with them the youngest MD was still studying for his degree.
Duckboy1989
11-09-09, 10:15 PM
But if it fits you like crap - would you still buy it? Thats why i didn't get arai either. the was like a glove :) but was near 400 :(
Easy Tiger, he's a full time engineer and stuff.
you be warned........ that "stuff" is amazing :)
Design and construction? don't know that many sales reps that have an input into them. I'll have to ask the car saleman tomorrow how he influenced the new model.:grin:
they will know the construction and tests, and the features of it, as a car salesman knows about the airbags in a car. but its all public......
Off to bed :)
[QUOTE=
they will know the construction and tests, and the features of it, as a car salesman knows about the airbags in a car. but its all public......
Off to bed :)[/QUOTE]
At the end of the day Nitro are considered a budget helmet search ebay for nitro helmet and the most expensive one is £165
Stewart.C
11-09-09, 10:22 PM
MY chipped helmet had this clain from HJC & it cost me £85
These helmets are to the same GOLD ACU standard as a £400+ Arai or Shoei
mkz9876
11-09-09, 10:24 PM
i love the helmet arguement, recently looked at the test ratings of my caberg vs the missus shoei costing over double the price guess which came out on top,
lozzo i must say im not in the least bit surprised you have a wealth of knowladge on helmets if you were a sales rep but im very surprised and somewhat frightend that they invited a sales reps input on design and construction, surely things like this are down to designers and engineers?
please dont take this as another bit of keyboard heroism but with over 2.5k members from all walks of life i find it somewhat big headed to assume your the only one quallified to make professional calls on these matters, and weather your qualified is irrelevent if that was the case none of us would take advice on how to repair our bikes from anybody but suzuki trained technicians?
edit: people thinking along the same lines as me in the time it took me to post, and it seems youve aalready replied
At the end of the day Nitro are considered a budget helmet search ebay for nitro helmet and the most expensive one is £165
Does that make it a bad helmet?
CheGuevara
11-09-09, 11:33 PM
im very surprised and somewhat frightend that they invited a sales reps input on design and construction, surely things like this are down to designers and engineers?
+1, although I understood it to mean they were invited to make suggestions on design features and aesthetics that might sell a helmet, and then constrained by the engineers who knew what would and wouldn't work.
In any case, I don't doubt that I could eventually whack together a helemt in my garage that would meet the standards, but it'd still be crap, heavy, poor fitting, inadequate venting, noisy, and made from budget materials. I do believe that a light, comfortable, quiet helmet goes a long ways towards safety in terms of minimising fatigue and enabling maximum concentration.
I buy name brand helmets in solid colours, becuase that's where I think I get the best bang for my buck. I do believe that spending a bit more, while being critical about what you're buying, provides you the benefit of a bit more research into safety, more comfort, and better materials.
What's the cost to Nitro of designing and manufacturing and tooling for a lid that has a full retail price of £80? £20 out the factory door? Less? Have they stumbled upon some miracle of cost control, or are we to believe that the major brands are in a price-fixing scam? Maybe Nitro is spending a little less in these areas. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle, but I'd personally rather gamble on spending a bit more.
Is it somewhat telling that the Nitro sales-rep wears Arais, except where convenience is concerned, and then chooses a Nitro because it has a flip front and fits a headset -both safety compromises?
Is it somewhat telling that the Nitro sales-rep wears Arais, except where convenience is concerned, and then chooses a Nitro because it has a flip front and fits a headset -both safety compromises?
Three years ago I highsided a Bandit 600 and did some aerial acrobatics at a height of 10 to 12 feet above ground - at some point as I headed back to planet earth my head struck something solid. My helmet was written off but I hobbled away with a broken ankle (surprisingly, I was wearing Alpinestars MX boots, which I thought would have saved my ankle). The helmet I was wearing was a Nitro N1400. I trust Nitros.
There was once a bike racer called Joey Dunlop, he wore an Arai RX-7 Corsair - he's now dead after hitting a tree. That doesn't mean to say I distrust Arais, it simply goes to show that no matter what helmet you wear, the worst can still happen.
Three years ago I highsided a Bandit 600 and did some aerial acrobatics at a height of 10 to 12 feet above ground - at some point as I headed back to planet earth my head struck something solid. My helmet was written off but I hobbled away with a broken ankle (surprisingly, I was wearing Alpinestars MX boots, which I thought would have saved my ankle). The helmet I was wearing was a Nitro N1400. I trust Nitros.
There was once a bike racer called Joey Dunlop, he wore an Arai RX-7 Corsair - he's now dead after hitting a tree. That doesn't mean to say I distrust Arais, it simply goes to show that no matter what helmet you wear, the worst can still happen.
So why do you now wear Arai
merlin427
12-09-09, 11:40 AM
There was once a bike racer called Joey Dunlop, he wore an Arai RX-7 Corsair - he's now dead after hitting a tree.
Was that due to a head injury?
I work for a parcel delivery company who drive red vans and might be connected to the Post Office/Royal Mail. Personally I wouldn't wear a £1000 helmet that had been sent through the post. However if you buy one from a shop you still don't know what has happened to it before purchase so there is always some risk involved. Additionally you can't sue a lid shop for a defective helmet when you're dead. Maybe the only sure way is to always have it tested after purchase for another 60 or 70 quid or whatever it costs.
I bought an AGV GP Tech(reduced to £440) at the same time I got my bike (what's good enough for a pro racer is good enough for an inexperienced road rider like me). Although I could only afford it because of the loan I got for the bike. Previously I had a noisy £60 Takai helmet - no not Takachi and no not Arai. Never seen that brand name before and never seen it since. I wonder if it was bits of Takachi and Arai helmets that had been prit-sticked together and resprayed. If I had to get a new now I would struggle to pay more than a couple of hundred quid tops.
Interesting point made earlier in this thread about about what value we put on our heads: Even £500 isn't alot when you consider what's at stake.
A mate of mine came off with a £160 lid and when his head bounced off the curb it split in 2 along the glue line of the 2 hemispheres. He's still alive so it did its job but who knows what might have been if he was going a bit faster or landed at a different angle or this or that or the other or...
£16 does seem ridiculously cheap but the daft thing is they might sell more if they charged alot more for exactly the same helmet based on our fears about price and quality.
I think the way forward (right on my soap-box now) is to specifically state how much impact force a lid will take rather than a simple yes or no to whether it's up to the EU gold standard.
merlin427
12-09-09, 02:52 PM
(what's good enough for a pro racer is good enough for an inexperienced road rider like me).
Why is that? Apart from the fact that Rossi's is almost certainly not an off the shelf model built the same as yours his does not have the prospect of the same number of hazards as a road helmet does - There is not as many things to hit on a race track.
I'm surprised about the 'splitting down the glue line' incident, I though the shells of most helmets were molded in one piece and the 'glue line' was infact the joint of the mold, not like a cream egg. Perhaps not all helmets are created equal, maybe I'd like to know more about how my helmet was made before I make a purchase.
I'd not worry too much about impacts in transit, it will have protection presumably. What damages a helmet is impact while carrying a load inside such as a heavy skull and it's contents after this the all important shock absorbing foam will be useless even if the shell is perfectly serviceable.
Having paid top dollar for your helmet how long will you be tempted to keep it? Perhaps it would be better to pay half as much and replace twice as often.
It doesn't matter anymore cause the deal has now finished so there is no point bickering about it.
Just thought I'd point out a good deal I saw, didn't want to start a pi$$ing contest.:roll:
Why is that? Apart from the fact that Rossi's is almost certainly not an off the shelf model built the same as yours his does not have the prospect of the same number of hazards as a road helmet does - There is not as many things to hit on a race track.
I'm surprised about the 'splitting down the glue line' incident, I though the shells of most helmets were molded in one piece and the 'glue line' was infact the joint of the mold, not like a cream egg. Perhaps not all helmets are created equal, maybe I'd like to know more about how my helmet was made before I make a purchase.
I'd not worry too much about impacts in transit, it will have protection presumably. What damages a helmet is impact while carrying a load inside such as a heavy skull and it's contents after this the all important shock absorbing foam will be useless even if the shell is perfectly serviceable.
Having paid top dollar for your helmet how long will you be tempted to keep it? Perhaps it would be better to pay half as much and replace twice as often.
Fair point about the comparison between Rossi's helmet and the off the shelf helmet and the difference between race tracks and roads: more sliding along surfaces than hitting solid objects like curbs and walls.
But I would still be wary of anything sent in transit though. I've seen boxes bounced off conveyer belts, trailer floors etc by people who do not appreciate whats inside them. I would expect a transited helmet to be encased with a mould of polystyrene filling the rest of the box. Maybe I'm a little too cynical about my industry but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to ask the vendor for at least one immediate replacement due to packaging damage.
As for the glue-line incident it was just the outer-shell that split but surely that does increase the vulnerability of the important bit ie the skull compared to a helmet that's outer shell is moulded into 1 piece.
I'm not sure that half-price/twice as often is the way forward. I would have thought that some kind of impact is needed to knacker a helmet either a crash or it being dropped. Does the protective material expire after a certain amount of time?
svdemon
12-09-09, 10:38 PM
I'm selling Arai helmets for £2000 for those who equate head value to helmet cost!
I'm selling Arai helmets for £2000 for those who equate head value to helmet cost!
Will you accept £5000. I'd feel so much better
LUKE LOVES RED
13-09-09, 12:35 AM
Not to start the whole thing off again but Ive got a Duchinni d701 it cost me £60 allthough they can be found for £40 I did some research and on sharps testing - the uk government helmet testing thingy http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ and it rates 4 out of 5 stars.
this is better than most arai's including the £500 rx7.
it is equal too or better than all shoei's.
check out your lid, they do lots of serious testing.
... I would never wear a cheap jock strap - well if you got 99p nuts then wear a 99p......................
yorkie_chris
13-09-09, 09:45 AM
We've been here before...
The SHARP testing is a load of b0llocks. Buy the lid which fits you best and is the best quality you can afford.
With lids safety is guaranteed by the legal testing, the rest you are paying for quality, service, lifespan of it. Etc. Etc.
So why do you now wear Arai
Because I had my Condor discounted because I work part-time for a guy who sells them, which made it cheaper than the top of the range Nitro, and my Chaser was acquired from my ex-girlfriend as a barely used example in a straight swop for a Scorpion race can (the Chaser didn't fit her properly, so was worn twice then put aside). I wear the Condor on the road, and the Chaser on track.
The fit and finish of any Arai is leagues ahead of a Nitro, but the Condor doesn't have the ventilation offered by top of the range Nitros. It's a trade off but I went for the helmet that will last me 5 years, as opposed to the one that will last me 2.
Why is that? Apart from the fact that Rossi's is almost certainly not an off the shelf model built the same as yours his does not have the prospect of the same number of hazards as a road helmet does - There is not as many things to hit on a race track.
You are actually wrong about Mr Rossi not having an off the shelf helmet. After failed attempts to fit a lid to suit Vale's head, AGV found that a standard off the shelf model was perfect for him, and that's all he uses now.
I'm surprised about the 'splitting down the glue line' incident, I though the shells of most helmets were molded in one piece and the 'glue line' was infact the joint of the mold, not like a cream egg. Perhaps not all helmets are created equal, maybe I'd like to know more about how my helmet was made before I make a purchase.
You are correct, the line seen down the middle of some helmets is a moulding flashing line, where the two halves of the mould are joined during the injection process, not a physical join between two halves of the shell that have been glued or welded together. Anyone claiming a helmet split perfectly down this line is talking out of their 4rse
merlin427
13-09-09, 07:43 PM
Fair point about the comparison between Rossi's helmet and the off the shelf helmet and the difference between race tracks and roads: more sliding along surfaces than hitting solid objects like curbs and walls.
But I would still be wary of anything sent in transit though. I've seen boxes bounced off conveyer belts, trailer floors etc by people who do not appreciate whats inside them. I would expect a transited helmet to be encased with a mould of polystyrene filling the rest of the box. Maybe I'm a little too cynical about my industry but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to ask the vendor for at least one immediate replacement due to packaging damage.
As for the glue-line incident it was just the outer-shell that split but surely that does increase the vulnerability of the important bit ie the skull compared to a helmet that's outer shell is moulded into 1 piece.
I'm not sure that half-price/twice as often is the way forward. I would have thought that some kind of impact is needed to knacker a helmet either a crash or it being dropped. Does the protective material expire after a certain amount of time?
Re-Shell splitting
I guess it could be argued that in splitting the shell, impact was absorbed, which is fine if it happens at the point when you come to a stop but if it's halfway between the 'off' and the 'stop' then ability of the inner lining to do its job and withstand further impact will be reduced as without the protective cover it can now fall apart. I have always gone for helmets with composite shells as I think they are less likely to suffer 'catastrophic' failure and so maintain some degree of protection (to both wearer and lining) for longer and successive impacts, this kind of construction implies a higher price tag as its less easy to automate manufacture - or so I'm led to believe, seems to make sense.
I think with most things there is a price below which it is not possible to make an item of an adequate standard (in an ethical way), in my eyes £16 is too low a price, someone must be suffering! And I'd be too worried I may be the one. Mind you it's horses for courses, if I were riding a scooter I guess it would be adequate protection wise. There's still the worry about whether it was made in a sweat shop in China though if that worries you.
Being a cheapskate I like to save money so I tend to look for good quality items which are sold at a discount due to being unacceptable due to colour or design. I'm not and never have been very fashion conscious so I'm just as happy to have a helmet (or other product) in last years colourway and save a bit of cash and the quality is intact.
On the damage during transit issue, I would have thought if the packaging were not damaged the helmet should be OK? Even buying from a shop the helmet has been delivered at some point. I guess you have to trust someone.
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