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where to buy helmet
- Thread starter bigsur52
- Start date
T
tcreimers
Guest
+ 1 on The Helmet Shop (http://www.helmetshop.com). I ordered a Nolan N103 online with the BasicKit2 and BluetoothKit2 and I received notice that it shipped within 2 hours of the purchase. I received it two days later with the comm kits already installed at no charge! Great customer service and the prices are hard to beat!
roborider
God? What god?
I tend to be a dealer supporter as well. I find it very disingenuous to shop around for fit then buy online. I buy a lot of stuff online, but not if I need to try it on, etc. And my dealer, although he can't match online, comes close enough for me to support him.
One important thing to consider. I ride track and many (all?) track days do a helmet inspection and check the manufacturing date of the helmet. If it is more than 5 years old, you can't use it. Often, when you buy a helmet 'brand new', you'll see that it is already 2 or 3 years old, having been sitting on a shelf. With my brick and mortar dealer, I can stipulate that the helmet better be no more than 6 months old or I won't buy it.
Look for the dates on any "new" helmet you are planning to purchase. On Arai, it is on the strap by the D Ring. Others vary, but they all have a date.
Robo
One important thing to consider. I ride track and many (all?) track days do a helmet inspection and check the manufacturing date of the helmet. If it is more than 5 years old, you can't use it. Often, when you buy a helmet 'brand new', you'll see that it is already 2 or 3 years old, having been sitting on a shelf. With my brick and mortar dealer, I can stipulate that the helmet better be no more than 6 months old or I won't buy it.
Look for the dates on any "new" helmet you are planning to purchase. On Arai, it is on the strap by the D Ring. Others vary, but they all have a date.
Robo
bigsur52
04 1150RS
Since posting this simple question a few weeks ago, I am quite taken aback by the number of angry replies it generated. Well, I guess some of those folks either have too much disposable income, or not enough common sense to realize that internet commerce is a very very good thing for the consumer.
Considering how much money I have spent over the years at BMW dealers purchasing motorcycles, having them serviced, and having them upgraded, and buying things like helmets, rainsuites, and riding gear, why are some of you begrudgeing me (and others) from also buying needed accessories elsewhere at an affordable price, and with a decent selection. Yes, my local dealers have a great selection of helmets, if you don't mind paying $600-$800 dollars for an overpriced Arai helmet, or a Nolan 103 with intercom and bluetooth and all that other crap, or $450 -$600 for top of the line Shoei, when what I really wanted was a Shoei TZ-R. And why don't BMW dealers sell high quality aftermarket motorcycle covers like the Guardian Weatherall Plus, instead of that stupid BMW cover with the clear plastic window for viewing the license plate? and p.s.- the BMW brand cover didn't even fit that well. And as for clothing, well. all i can say is if I really wanted to spend $800 or more for a jacket and $400 for pants, I'd go to Nordstroms and buy a Hickey Freedman suit!
I'm old school when it comes to riding apparrel. I like thick leather jackets, deerskin riding gloves, maybe a pair of leather chaps, real leather boots. The small selection of leather riding apparrel available at most motorcycle dealers (except Harley, of course...but then who wants to wear a low quality jacket that also says Harley Davidson all over it!!) almost requires that one use internet sites to find these products (Vansen, Fox Creek Leather, etc).
So to those of you who think they must always buy everything from their local dealers, well, all I can say is goodby and good luck.
Considering how much money I have spent over the years at BMW dealers purchasing motorcycles, having them serviced, and having them upgraded, and buying things like helmets, rainsuites, and riding gear, why are some of you begrudgeing me (and others) from also buying needed accessories elsewhere at an affordable price, and with a decent selection. Yes, my local dealers have a great selection of helmets, if you don't mind paying $600-$800 dollars for an overpriced Arai helmet, or a Nolan 103 with intercom and bluetooth and all that other crap, or $450 -$600 for top of the line Shoei, when what I really wanted was a Shoei TZ-R. And why don't BMW dealers sell high quality aftermarket motorcycle covers like the Guardian Weatherall Plus, instead of that stupid BMW cover with the clear plastic window for viewing the license plate? and p.s.- the BMW brand cover didn't even fit that well. And as for clothing, well. all i can say is if I really wanted to spend $800 or more for a jacket and $400 for pants, I'd go to Nordstroms and buy a Hickey Freedman suit!
I'm old school when it comes to riding apparrel. I like thick leather jackets, deerskin riding gloves, maybe a pair of leather chaps, real leather boots. The small selection of leather riding apparrel available at most motorcycle dealers (except Harley, of course...but then who wants to wear a low quality jacket that also says Harley Davidson all over it!!) almost requires that one use internet sites to find these products (Vansen, Fox Creek Leather, etc).
So to those of you who think they must always buy everything from their local dealers, well, all I can say is goodby and good luck.
FredRydr
Danger: Keep Back 500 Ft
For Arai: http://www.theservicepavilion.com/
I'm lucky, because the B&M store is local to me, but they attend many many events, races and shows, too.
Fred
I'm lucky, because the B&M store is local to me, but they attend many many events, races and shows, too.
Fred
+3 This pertains to cigars as well. If you are an active member of a cigar shop, buy from your dealer as well. Once they go away, I mean either the helmet dealer or cigar dealer, we are all left with "on-line" shops. Ouch
tommcgee
Unfunded content provider
It's never been a question of money because I can't find ANY riding gear I want at local dealers and that's why I buy online. Hell, I even had to special order a clear Scorpion face shield from the dealer that does the repairs I don't do myself. I bought that helmet online (direct from Scorpion) because there were no local Scorpion dealers at the time.
New Enough gets most of my business because they know what they're selling, go to extremes to describe the items and fit, show accurate availability, and have a superb return policy.
New Enough gets most of my business because they know what they're selling, go to extremes to describe the items and fit, show accurate availability, and have a superb return policy.
roborider
God? What god?
It is true that selection of kit at ANY dealer I've visited is poor. Some dealers carry a few lines well, but most don't. They have few lines, few selections stocked in a brand, and then no selection of sizes.
It would be nice to have a "Home Depot" of kit. All the brands, styles, sizes, etc. But then, unless maybe they were in a huge metropolitan area, they'd go out of business.
I've been to a couple of "Cycle Gear" stores and it is the same thing. They don't carry samples of all the styles within a brand, and then of course, only a few sizes. You really have to go online anymore to get a good idea what's out there.
Robo
It would be nice to have a "Home Depot" of kit. All the brands, styles, sizes, etc. But then, unless maybe they were in a huge metropolitan area, they'd go out of business.
I've been to a couple of "Cycle Gear" stores and it is the same thing. They don't carry samples of all the styles within a brand, and then of course, only a few sizes. You really have to go online anymore to get a good idea what's out there.
Robo
hardbargin
New member
i for sure know where not to ever buy from again. helmet city.com bought a helmet and extra face shield. sent the helmet and stiffed me for the gold tinted face shield. will not respond to my refund request or send me what i payed for.
stay away from them. should have known better. based in oakland california.
stay away from them. should have known better. based in oakland california.
redclfco
New member
I got an idea!
The perfect place. Go to the dealer where you service your bike. Try on a dozen or so helmets, ask a bunch of questions. Then go home, go on line, and get it from the motorcycle superstore. Your dealer won't mind!
NOT
Go to your dealer, get the sizing correct, and get the customer service you expect from somebody you can trust. Build some good will; every dollar extra you spend at the dealers will come back to you through KARMA.
Buying a helmet is such a fickle thing because heads are so different; I can't imagine buying one on line without first sticking it on my head!
If Karma doesn’t happen, or your dealer doesn't have the selection you should expect, man you got the wrong dealer!
The perfect place. Go to the dealer where you service your bike. Try on a dozen or so helmets, ask a bunch of questions. Then go home, go on line, and get it from the motorcycle superstore. Your dealer won't mind!
NOT
Go to your dealer, get the sizing correct, and get the customer service you expect from somebody you can trust. Build some good will; every dollar extra you spend at the dealers will come back to you through KARMA.
Buying a helmet is such a fickle thing because heads are so different; I can't imagine buying one on line without first sticking it on my head!
If Karma doesn’t happen, or your dealer doesn't have the selection you should expect, man you got the wrong dealer!
mistercindy
New member
Well, I'll respond to this since it seems I pointed the discussion this direction. I'll do it line by line, if you don't mind.
Interestingly, the other day I was in MotoLiberty, a fabulous motorcycle retail store here in Dallas (check them out at their online store). There was some high school aged kid in the store with his parents and they were looking at all sorts of stuff. The sales staff were spending a lot of time with them. As the kid was trying on boots I overheard his mom tell him to remember the right size so they could look for it online. Gee Mom, great lesson in dishonesty and self-centeredness.
Back to the topic at hand!
Kind of off topic again, but okay... While I'm not a Harley guy, and I don't own Harley gear, I've found a lot of their leather gear to be pretty high quality and long lasting stuff. I have a friend who has really abused a pair of leather Harley boots, which can be resoled. Expensive, to be sure, but it seems to last.
But I can find Vanson at a lot of retail places. Here in Dallas I can find Vanson at the north Dallas BMW dealership and at MotoLiberty.
I've read and re-read my response and can't find a whiff of anger.
Two things here:
- Since when did anybody's income level become part of this discussion?
- I don't see where I knocked internet commerce. I've bought lots of things on-line. Books, DVDs, etc... A few weeks ago I bought a briefcase online (WAY cool - saddlebackleather.com in San Antonio - check it out). Heck, I've even bought two motorcycles online (a '94 Honda CB1000 from cycletrader.com, and an '03 R1150R from the San Antonio Express-News online classifieds). But I didn't go to a dealer and test ride them first, only to buy elsewhere. That would be dishonest.
Nobody said you had to buy from a dealer. My points were 1) its helpful to support him when you can, and 2) its fundamentally dishonest to use your dealer's or any retail outlet's inventory, staff, and time to determine what you like only to turn around and buy elsewhere. Its disingenuous.
Interestingly, the other day I was in MotoLiberty, a fabulous motorcycle retail store here in Dallas (check them out at their online store). There was some high school aged kid in the store with his parents and they were looking at all sorts of stuff. The sales staff were spending a lot of time with them. As the kid was trying on boots I overheard his mom tell him to remember the right size so they could look for it online. Gee Mom, great lesson in dishonesty and self-centeredness.
I said that "I go online when my dealer doesn't carry what I'm buying." I bought my first pair of Held gloves from newenough.com because I couldn't find them locally (that's not true anymore). I'll probably buy my next pair of boots online because nobody local carries Frey Daytona, so I'll get them from helimot.com. But if I buy a pair of TCX, Sidi, or BMW boots I'll go local.
Kind of off topic, but okay.... I love Hickey Freeman. I have a stunning dark blue pinstripe Hickey Freeman suit that I found on sale at a fine men's store in South Bend, Indiana. That was 17 years and 50 pounds ago. I hope to continue wearing it after I've dropped some more weight. Usually I'm a Men's Warehouse or Brooks Brothers Outlet-Mall (we have one locally) kind of guy, but it was a great sale! I have a buddy whose Mom is an exec of sorts for Nieman Marcus, and she gets him Hickey Freeman and Armani suits at great prices! I'm jealous...
Back to the topic at hand!
Online is a great resource if your dealer doesn't carry what you want. I do like the Fox Creek site, and I almost bought their basic vented racing jacket (with snap sides - don't care for the laces). But I wound up buying a leather jacket from the Fort Worth BMW dealership. It was on a great sale ($300 off from $500, if memory serves) because it was a discontinued item. Quality is top-notch and its got great styling, too. I don't wear it a lot because, for me, textiles are more versatile.
Kind of off topic again, but okay... While I'm not a Harley guy, and I don't own Harley gear, I've found a lot of their leather gear to be pretty high quality and long lasting stuff. I have a friend who has really abused a pair of leather Harley boots, which can be resoled. Expensive, to be sure, but it seems to last.
But I can find Vanson at a lot of retail places. Here in Dallas I can find Vanson at the north Dallas BMW dealership and at MotoLiberty.
Two things:
- Again, nobody said you must buy from a local dealer. We've gone over this.
- Okay. Goodbye. But please, don't go away mad...
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scqtt
Guest
Yep, what Grant said.
redclfco
New member
I buy books over the internet, cause one size fits all.
But we won't go into that, because what this thread is( strike that) was about helmets.
Not about who's a loyalist to the internet and the purchasing power of the net.
It's about helmets.
I spent a good two weeks researching ON THE WEB helmets, both here, and every review I could find.
More often than not, for every good review of a helmet, a guy could find three who hated the exact same helmet, and not afraid to say so. not much help.
From there, I located the local dealers that sold the helmet ON THE NET
and visited the one that offered the selection, met the distance I wanted to go, and tried on a zillion helmets, cause I have a weird head.
My point is twofold:
I use both the dealer and the net to find the best deal for me.
Some things like books or parts or many things are just fine internet fodder, but discussing buying a helmet sight unseen?
Respectfully if I did that, you could accuse me of being out of my head!
But we won't go into that, because what this thread is( strike that) was about helmets.
Not about who's a loyalist to the internet and the purchasing power of the net.
It's about helmets.
I spent a good two weeks researching ON THE WEB helmets, both here, and every review I could find.
More often than not, for every good review of a helmet, a guy could find three who hated the exact same helmet, and not afraid to say so. not much help.
From there, I located the local dealers that sold the helmet ON THE NET
and visited the one that offered the selection, met the distance I wanted to go, and tried on a zillion helmets, cause I have a weird head.
My point is twofold:
I use both the dealer and the net to find the best deal for me.
Some things like books or parts or many things are just fine internet fodder, but discussing buying a helmet sight unseen?
Respectfully if I did that, you could accuse me of being out of my head!
Where buy helmets
I would certainly like to help my "local" dealer, and recomend that to others. BUT my closest dealer is 120 miles away, does not work on airheads or anything over 10 years old and does not carry any brand of helmet I am interested in buying, I tried. I have been told that the dealer sold out to the Harley dealer and if he did maybe things will be better, perhaps good?
As for mail order helmets try Competition Accessories in Springfield. Have purchase tires, helmets and years ago BMW parts. Quick, fair service from a store that has large stock.
I would certainly like to help my "local" dealer, and recomend that to others. BUT my closest dealer is 120 miles away, does not work on airheads or anything over 10 years old and does not carry any brand of helmet I am interested in buying, I tried. I have been told that the dealer sold out to the Harley dealer and if he did maybe things will be better, perhaps good?
As for mail order helmets try Competition Accessories in Springfield. Have purchase tires, helmets and years ago BMW parts. Quick, fair service from a store that has large stock.
cookie
Jeff
Exactly right, ditto...
J
jgwest2
Guest
Like others, I attempt to buy my gear locally. This maybe small stuff but when I try on helmets I bring a head sock/balaclava. It's a courtesy to the next person who will wear the helmet.
T
tcreimers
Guest
Well, I think the point of this thread was to provide information on reliable "online" vendors for helmets since everyone is in different parts of the country and no one on here is interested in going to "your dealer".
Speaking of dealers... if you bought a helmet from one, I hope you enjoy the fact that it was most likely tried on for 15 - 20 minutes by hundreds of people before you bought it! Those people got smart and ordered "online" and got new helmets!
Once again... +1 for the Helmet Shop in Daytona Beach... www.helmetshop.com
My dealer was flat out honest and told me he couldn't match ANY internet price! I spend enough on service and if you think that the dealer is going to cut you big breaks on service prices because you overspent $100 on a helmet from the dealer than you are freakin' crazy!
Speaking of dealers... if you bought a helmet from one, I hope you enjoy the fact that it was most likely tried on for 15 - 20 minutes by hundreds of people before you bought it! Those people got smart and ordered "online" and got new helmets!
Once again... +1 for the Helmet Shop in Daytona Beach... www.helmetshop.com
My dealer was flat out honest and told me he couldn't match ANY internet price! I spend enough on service and if you think that the dealer is going to cut you big breaks on service prices because you overspent $100 on a helmet from the dealer than you are freakin' crazy!
S
scqtt
Guest
God, how I hate people. It is embarrassing to be a member of the MOA.
The sad part it is I like the motorcycles themselves and I have a really great dealer. It would be so easy to walk away just based on the general attitude of your average beemer geek.
The sad part it is I like the motorcycles themselves and I have a really great dealer. It would be so easy to walk away just based on the general attitude of your average beemer geek.
