New(?) Arai

[RxCritical]

Well today I finally took a plunge and bought a Arai Signet GTR at my local dealer. It was just plain white but I kinda like white helmets. I got it at what I thought was a fair price ($350). Supposedly because the dealer had it a "little while". At the dealer I looked for a build date but did not see one in the shell like every other helmet I have owned. When I got it home I noticed the build date is embossed on strap. My "new" helmet was made in Jan 03! It seems like the helmet was not used, a little dust and some minor marks from sitting on the shelf sort of thing.

Do you guys think this a deal breaker? IE should I be returning it Monday or deal with the tradeoff (price vs age) It seems that the price was fair but not a great deal.

Thanks for any opinions.
Paul

[gstanfield]

I don't think helmets go sour with age, so you should be ok.

George

[number9]

For what its worth, I got a white Signet GTR late last year to use on my ST. I specifically wanted white and it took a while to see one come across ebay in my size. Build date is 01/03 and I got it off eBay - brand new for $260 shipped. I think you will be fine with the helmet age.

[Blue STreak]

First, unless the dealer stored the helmet next to his gasoline storage, it's not going to deteriorate in the box. Second, helmets last a lot longer than manufacturers would like you to believe. There are 20 + year old fiberglass boat hulls, that get pounded in the waves on a regular basis, that are still fine.

Wear it and enjoy it.

[BigBadblue]

Arai has no equal, simply the finest brain bucket made. I might scrimp on somethings, but I will not ride on the street without an Arai on my head. You will be spoiled for life and love it.

[Marshal_Mercer]

There are 20 + year old fiberglass boat hulls, that get pounded in the waves on a regular basis, that are still fine.
It's not the outer, glassfiber, shell that fails with age. It's the foam liner. The liner is what absorbs the impact in a crash. My info is a bit dated but I remember a life span of about five years; perhaps more now. Check with Arai. If the liner can be replaced, you should be good to go for years to come.

Marshal

[NCSam]

Marshal is right .... it is recommended that you discard a helmet after 5 years of use regardless of condition due to the deteriaton of the liner & foam. Also, every helmet manufacturer recommends discarding the helmet after it has served it's purpose as a result of a hard impact .... (accident), regardless of length of time its been used.

If you are sure it hasn't been used and/or suffered a hard impact (like falling off of the top shelf in the store), I think you got a good deal.

Sam

[MGRAFF128]

i just bought a signet also paid 349.00 you got a good deal
arai is the best you can buy i dont think it hurts them sitting on the shelf.enjoy :biker:

[DWJ Honda]

Paul,

I hate to be less optimistic than the others who have commented, but I would not want to purchase a helmet nearly 3 years old. I too am a big fan of Arai, have worn the Quantum for about 2 years. Check out the Arai web-site. It is correct that they suggest getting a new helmet every 5 years, and so strictly following that guideline you've only got about 2 years left. A helmet, similar to oil or tires, breaks down and ages over time even when not being used. I know this is a more conservative approach than what many others follow, but you have already paid a significant amount for the helmet, which is the single most significant piece of safety gear, and for a bit more $ you could have one that is much more "factory fresh."

whatever you decide to do, ride safe,
Dennis

[Carl_T]

As Marshal advised, I'd contact Arai ASAP over phone if possible and ask them.

[RxCritical]

Paul,

I hate to be less optimistic than the others who have commented, but I would not want to purchase a helmet nearly 3 years old. I too am a big fan of Arai, have worn the Quantum for about 2 years. Check out the Arai web-site. It is correct that they suggest getting a new helmet every 5 years, and so strictly following that guideline you've only got about 2 years left. A helmet, similar to oil or tires, breaks down and ages over time even when not being used. I know this is a more conservative approach than what many others follow, but you have already paid a significant amount for the helmet, which is the single most significant piece of safety gear, and for a bit more $ you could have one that is much more "factory fresh."

whatever you decide to do, ride safe,
Dennis

I think I will go this route. I do not want to spend that kind of money and get a 3 year old helmet. I think I will return it unless they drop a sizeable chunk of change off of it.

Paul