Hey everyone, I have been shopping for a new helmet and have narrowed it down to these two. Normally the Arai Corsair V is a few hundred dollars more than the Bell Star BUT I found a shop willing to sell the Arai for the same price as a Bell Star....What is everyone's opinion on this? Its the Bell Star in Matte Carbon or an Arai Corsair V in a replica paint finish. Both of these fit me well so it makes this an even harder decision.:dunno

BUT I found a shop willing to sell the Arai for the same price as a Bell Star....

:blink

Have you talked to STG about a price on one of their Bell's?
Just saying, if you are getting an Arai for what I paid for my Bell Star...........




In any case, I'm rating the Star as better. Just as good ventilation and liner fabric, very very stable, visor comes with a fog free and anti scratch coating as standard, and you can get a photochromic shield (Best part about it IMO). The shield mechanism just shits on the Arai completly too.
Plus a mint helmet bag, and a much cheaper price...

Cool, thanks for your opinion. I guess it really comes down to the fact of do I want a matte plain color or a bright a colorful helmet. I've had Arai's in the past and I honestly have no problems with the shield mech...I can swap em out with the helmet still on and while I'm on the bike.

Well if it is all about your personal preference as you state in the second reply... why ask us?

I would go with Bell Star as well. Not that it matters.

I'd go with the Arai. Depending on fit of course. Bells are Made in China.

If the arai fits the same as the bell get the arai.

Well if it is all about your personal preference as you state in the second reply... why ask us?

I would go with Bell Star as well. Not that it matters.

Well to start I would say I am curious of other opinions on this...is that good enough for you? Second, I would also say that anyone with personal experience on these 2 types could chime in with an intelligent response. Why is it that you can't use a forum like it's meant to be used without getting some type of attitude from someone?:nono

And yes, your opinion does matter because I went through the effort to post this and ask for opinions, so thank you.:cheers

I'd go with the Arai. Depending on fit of course. Bells are Made in China.

if that's a matter of contention for you, you should re-evaluate 80% of the things you own.

if that's a matter of contention for you, you should re-evaluate 80% of the things you own.

It is and I do try to watch where things are made. Made in USA is very important contrary to what alot of people think. If I cant find something I want made here first then either Europe, Japan Etc will suffice.

It is and I do try to watch where things are made. Made in USA is very important contrary to what alot of people think. If I cant find something I want made here first then either Europe, Japan Etc will suffice.

<- made in china :dunno

<- made in china :dunnoYes, and you are a piece of shit sometimes.

They are both great helmets. you HAVE to buy the one that FITS you the best. I'm talking literally fitting here; the physical fitment on your head.

Yes, and you are a piece of shit sometimes.

only when i pee on the wounded:cheers

If they both fit the same I would go with the Arai. If a Shoei fits though I would personally go with that over both of the two you're looking at. Most important thing is going with what fits your head properly though.

I'd go with the Arai. Depending on fit of course. Bells are Made in China.

Really? Wow man...so uh, you know that big companies make stuff there so they can run at a cheaper price right? The quality control is run by the main company, they set their standards for the product. If the factory fails to meet them, they dont get money.
Do you own any apple gear? What about just general computing equipment? :wait You would love to see how Foxconn run their factories...and they make a ton of bits for big OEM's...

Also, Bell is still a company run in the USA...so technically you are supporting them in buying a Bell helmet...and you would rather send the money to the Japs...:scratch

Also, something may be "assembled/made" in the USA, just means the have shipped all the bits that were made in China over to the USA to be put together. Course, you pay more for that...muurika...




In terms of the helmets. It always seems to me like the people who buy an Arai try to justify the huge price by saying that no other helmet is close to the same, in terms of protection, quality, etc.
Honestly, I think that is BS. Any of the top tier helmets are going to be brilliant, its the sizing and fitting your head that matters. Then it is down to personal preference.
For me, the Bell offered far more than the other big name helmets, at a much better price. That transitions shield is the bee's knees man, love it. And same goes for all the other features stated above. I dont see how paying a few extra hundred dollars for an Arai will get me anything noticably better, bar the replica paint schemes and a warm fuzzy feeling that I am superior...:bitchslap

It is and I do try to watch where things are made. Made in USA is very important contrary to what alot of people think. If I cant find something I want made here first then either Europe, Japan Etc will suffice.+1000, I haven't seen anyone who was specifically looking for chinese crap and buying chinese crap instead of something made in EU/USA/etc.

only when i pee on the wounded:cheersI was joking and didn't want to pass up the opening you gave with that comment.

BUT you can be annoying sometimes.

If they both fit the same I would go with the Arai.I'd do the same thing.

+1000, I haven't seen anyone who was specifically looking for chinese crap and buying chinese crap instead of something made in EU/USA/etc.

Yeh...bloody commie bastards ai...:biggrin

I was joking and didn't want to pass up the opening you gave with that comment.

BUT you can be annoying sometimes.

lol u don't need to explain urself. we all take our jabs when we can (most of us i think) so no need to be so srs :cheers

but this is getting off-topic.

btw op, would you really rather switch out visors (and thus have to carry an extra tinted one) when facing the sun with your arai VS just watching your bell's photochromatic do it for you? :dunno

Riding 24/7 with the tinted visor makes you more badass though.

Well to start I would say I am curious of other opinions on this...is that good enough for you? Second, I would also say that anyone with personal experience on these 2 types could chime in with an intelligent response. Why is it that you can't use a forum like it's meant to be used without getting some type of attitude from someone?:nono

And yes, your opinion does matter because I went through the effort to post this and ask for opinions, so thank you.:cheers

Yeah, you'll last long around here :wait

Good luck Skippy

When it comes to picking out a helmet the shape of your head determines which one to buy for the best fit. I know that Arai has the info on what shape head each of their helmet lines fits. Do yourself a favor and get the correct fitting helmet, not buy a helmet just because.

If both fit and the price are the same, the Arai hands down. Bell isn't bad but they've been out of the serious helmet market for a long time and just don't have the years and years of race data and R&D that Arai (or Shoei, for that matter) does.

Arai and Shoei have sponsored world class racers for a long time - they crash a lot and at high speed and every one of those crashes is used to develop safety on the next generation of their helmets. Bell isn't up to that level yet.

Here's an example, Shinya Nakano at Mugello during the 2004 GP. He crashed at 200 miles per hour, as far as I know the highest confirmed speed anyone has crashed a motorcycle at. As you'll see in the video, his Arai (an Arai that's a couple of generations old now) impacted the ground several times.

Two days later he was in the gym. He raced again the following weekend and finished 6th...

There's more to making a helmet than fancy paint, a visor that changes tint and getting a DOT sticker...

http://www.streetfire.net/video/bike-crash-nakano-crashes-skids-at-200-mph_190180.htm

SVS you selling me that duke or what lol

Ahhh yes, that vid eh SVS ;)

It's something that seems so hard to judge, how well it would protect. The crash dynamic is so random...granted we have seen Icon helmets that have split under minor impacts, which is obviously terrible.
Seeing GP riders with Scorpion helmets now, surely they could get whatever they wanted...gets hella confusing

I also like that vid in that it shows the multiple impacts that you may go through in a crash, all on very similar areas on the helmet. Dont want to bring helmet standards up, but to me that is a good reason for having multiple impact tests.

SVS you selling me that duke or what lol

Yeah yeah, I'll catch the guy tomorrow :thumbup



:giggity

Yeah yeah, I'll catch the guy tomorrow :thumbup



:giggityPartay!

I have owned an rx-q for two years and just bought the Bell Star carbon.

Both helmets are great. The Bell has superior airflow which is a big plus here in summer and it you can also get the tinted shield for it. I have yet to get the shield but that was another reason for getting this helmet because I go to work in the dark and come home in daylight so I wouldn't have to keep switching shields.

Comfort wise for me the Arai feels just perfect whereas the Bell feels a tad uncomfortable where the recesses are for your ears but I haven't worn it that many times so may change with use.

I prefer the vents on the Bell. Flow a lot more air and feel more solid when opening and closing them.

Perfect helmet for me would be the fit and comfort of the Arai with the venting and shield of the Bell.


Sent from The Nastrond phone

Thanks for all the opinions everyone, it's appreciated! I decided on the Arai (Scott Russell). It looks insanely better in person than any pics I've seen on the net. My good friend actually picked up the Bell Star Carbon a few days ago so that helped my decision to sway towards the Arai since we ride together a lot and I didn't want to look like twins lol. Again, thanks for the opinions!