So I got my R1 running, and I wanted a new helmet. But I am cheap. So, I look on Alliexpress, and see Shoei x15 helmet for 135 bucks, shipped. I see another review of a similar helmet, and they said it was a good imitation. And so, the fool sucker I am, I risked 135 bucks to get who knows. Scammers always say, we talk ourselves into the scam. Dreaming of getting more for your money, or to afford it at all.
And so, I was expecting to be ripped off, I just didnt know how. I bugged the guy on how original it all was, was it safe etc. He finally told me I had to be patient. Mind you, this is a 950 to a grand helmet. So I am hoping they get the pirated helmet at least close to Shoei quality.
Cut to the chase, it IS a SHOEI helmet. First line quality. I have not ordered many counterfeit products, just branded chinese products. I am blown.
I was a plastic injection moldmaker, it takes time.
The sticker on the imitation helmets have low quality, or blank stickers. EVERYTHING, from top to bottom is shoei quality. Also picked up the new fancy photochromic visor, a 200 plus option on another helmet, not even available on the x15. For 35. I got some 50mm high end headphone drivers, and hookup stuff. Got a ibasso dx160 new, from japan, ebay, for 190 shipped. 400 plus dap player. For cents on the dollar.
Isnt this just standard Alliexpress/amazon/wish scamming? Sell a few legit products at unreasonably low prices. Gain some good “verified reviews” then quietly swap them with garbage?
At best you got a real one and got lucky. At worst you’ve got some kind of knock off or defect batch? Why gamble on helemts?
I could NEVER afford a thou helmet. I am on disability. I live in the desert, so I NEED a top of the line helmet with great ventilation. I generally do well on alie. Most of the suppliers do OEM stuff. They just design their own model. But on alibaba, I see top of the line emountainbikes etc. For cheap. I dont have THAT kind of courage though.
I mean occam’s razor here my dude. What makes more sense? Someone took a 800-900$ loss on a Shoei or you got a really good fake? They are hand made and assembled in japan other than hardware they dont off shore them. So its not like some factory in china got some OEM work for shoei.
I totally get being on a budget and still needing to be safe but there are way better options then gambling on ali or whoever. If you won the gamble here congrats but i seriously dont recommend anyone else gambling on helemts like this.
That’s not how it works. The " fallen of the back of a truck" is what counterfitters want you to think. VERY VERY rarely do very expensive items like this disappear from trucks in the quantities being sold online.
They are simply fakes.
They are not produced by anyone other than Shoei in Japan at the Shoei manufacturering facility.
There is zero possibility someone is making real ones in china or using Shoei’s molds. They are clones or fakes.
There is so many easy ways to tell. Weigh your helmet. I bet it isnt correct.
Very likely, Shoei uses Chinese moldmakers, like everyone else does now. they were known to build an EXTRA mold, to the same specs. then a copy product would be sold. etc. This is also, why we would shop aroud the parts to be produced, so no one moldmaker could make your stuff.
On 3d products like this, getting all the parts to fit without puckers or gaps, is no small task. Anyone that expects to recoup the costs of DEVELOPMENT of a counterfeit, had better sell a shiton of them. This supplier was a small store. Even copying the parts with laser, still leaves you building top quality molds. That aint cheap.
The ACTUAL helmet, is an SPC designation, which is a different helmet from the west. It will weigh different, and some parts are different. Shoei says so.
Visor colors arent legitimate Shoei tints. Man i can keep going but im out. Enjoy your mental gymnastics. Ride safe hope you never need to rely on that helemt.
