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Bad experience with Arai helmet warranty

1842 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  WERA689
I would like to share a little story with you regarding an experience I have just had. *I purchased an Arai helmet back in march/April.*At some point in June, *I adjusted the air wing and found a crack in the diffuser. I did some research and tried to order the part. Unfortunately I was told this is a factory replaced part. *I would have to send my helmet in for repair. After a couple of discussions with Arai America I was told it must go through the Canadian distributor "Fullbore Marketing". I should contact my dealer to arrange the repair. *Arai America and I also thought about how to speed up the process so I wouldn't be with out my helmet for more time then needed for the repair.*I contacted my dealer "GP Bikes" with their help I was able to send Fullbore marketing photos of the broken diffuser, *in turn they would order the parts. Once the parts arrived, *I would send it in for repair. *The order process would take approx 3 weeks. *The repair would take a few days, *at most a week.*Basically I was hoping that with the parts ordered, *I would be able to send my helmet in for repair during my vacation in July when I wouldn't need it. Unfortunately the parts didn't come in until I was already away.*So, *upon my arrival from vacation, I dropped off my helmet Aug 8th. Expecting to get it back the following Friday.When I didn't get a call telling me to pick up my helmet, *I called. GP Bikes made phone calls and sent emails to Fullbore. Which were not returned. GP followed up many times with Fullbore until they finally recieved an answer 3+ weeks later. Fullbore needed an additional part. They are ordering the part and they don't know when it will be in due to customs and shipping.*I wasn't very happy by this point. Seeing that a repair that should have taken 7 days at the max has now been more then 4 weeks. So I contacted Arai America again. After a few emails and a couple of long distance calls, *I was able to get in touch with someone that could help and follow up with this. I was told that they would send an email to Fullbore. 24 hrs later I called Arai america. They had not recieved a reply. So they called and eventually got someone on the phone from Fullbore. After searching their office, they found my helmet sitting on someone's desk. However no one knew what was going on with it other then they needed a part. Arai America looked up orders pending and sent, *nothing. Fullbore admittedly had not even ordered the part as yet. So Arai mailed them the parts and arranged for the repair . this was last week.*During this, *actually at the 4 week point, GP Bikes said they would go pick up my helmet and I could use until the part comes in. I said no because I would have to drive over an hour to pick it up, *then an hour to drop it off again for repair and then again to get it back.*During this whole fiasco I have ridden VERY limited times. This is due to the fact that my spare helmet is a little tight on me and uncomfortable.*I recieved my helmet yesterday with a "something special" *for me in the box. Oh You ask, *what was the something special? They decided to give me 1 tee shirt and 3 baseball caps. I assume that this was all for their mess up and lack of communication and screwing up the end of my summer riding season.*I think I would have preferred nothing instead of that. *I just got slapped in the face. *I actually have been given more items and better items just walking through a bike show and I haven't even purchased anything, *let alone an $800 helmet.*Truthfully, all I wanted was an apology letter. Saying sorry that we took away 5 weeks of your riding season.*Here in Canada we are limited to the supplier for motorcycle accessories, *parts and apparel. This is a shame because there are companies like this distributing such a fine product as Arai.*I personally will be making sure that I am not purchasing anything that Fullbore Marketing is distributing. What they have done is not right and I cannot support it or them.*I do ask a few things from everyone here on the forum and social media...*-Please pass my story along-Please look at the items you purchase and support the companies that support you.
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Arai helmet quality isn't what it once was. The helmet overall is safe and has high standards, but the spoilers, pods and visors have become flimsy and cheap especially on corsair models.

Thats the main reason I stopped wearing Arai, and moved on to better lids like X-lite, AGV, and Shark.
To be fair I think Arai still makes the best quality helmets on the market. I had an issue with my first rx7 spoke to Arai America in PA and they were great sent me the parts below cost. I did the install myself and had no issues. I feel for you dealing with not having a helmet and this full bore company really dropped the ball. I think when it comes to helmets I would not write them off for one experience.
I had the chin vent crack and pin-lock fall out of my Signet Q. That kind of thing annoys me on a $700 helmet that's otherwise top notch.
Man that sucks! GP bikes is a great bike store! i have never had any problems with any of my arai helmets. Fullbore is horrible and that is were the problem is! I have had problems with fullbore but they one of canada's largest supplier and thats were most orders come from!
Tha*t s*uck*s abo*ut yo*ur e*xperi*ence* but* what*'s w*ith a*ll t*he da*mn *'s??
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To be fair I think Arai still makes the best quality helmets on the market. I had an issue with my first rx7 spoke to Arai America in PA and they were great sent me the parts below cost. I did the install myself and had no issues. I feel for you dealing with not having a helmet and this full bore company really dropped the ball. I think when it comes to helmets I would not write them off for one experience.
I don't know what makes them "best" when it won't fit my head.

Shoei while expensive fits my mug. I've tried several brands.

But I agree I usually give companies at least 1 second chance.
I don't know what makes them "best" when it won't fit my head.

Shoei while expensive fits my mug. I've tried several brands.

But I agree I usually give companies at least 1 second chance.
Have you tried all the 3 or 4 different shell shapes? There's always one that will work well for everyone, and the others usually won't. They have the round, oval, and long oval (maybe others by now). The Corsairs which are the most expensive ones are long oval, and they don't fit me at all...but the round ones fit me great, so I went with a model that had the round shell type.
I WISH the Corsair was a long oval. It's now an "Intermediate Oval", but still rounder than my head gets along with. IIRC, as recently as the previous generation of Corsair was a fully round head shape.
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