New helmet w/o certification sticker - gray market? | GTAMotorcycle.com

New helmet w/o certification sticker - gray market?

Matt Rain

Matt Rain

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I bought an AGV GP-Tech on eBay after falling in love with one at Riders Choice. Fits my long oval head so well that I have to go down one size, from my regular XL to L.

Anyhoo, the helmet is technically ECE certified but it came without any kind of sticker on the back. What gives? Are stickers normally applied by the distributor/retailer? Did I buy a gray market helmet?

It did have the peel-off, 5-star SHARP rating vinyl thingie over the shield, and it came with all the papers and goodies, stickers, etc.

I'm not returning it since I got such a great deal ($399US with free shipping from the Netherlands - the package was actually delivered on Saturday and I didn't even have to pay sales tax on it!), I'm just wondering why the helmet came with no certification sticker at all.
 
Well could be several things:

Sticker wasn't placed on helmet in error at manufacturer, (I believe manufacturers apply the stickers, otherwise you would get some people selling non certified helmets but putting stickers on to say they were)

Given it was bought off EBay it "could" be a Chinese knock off.

Of course another thing to consider, if you get stopped by the Police how do you PROVE it is indeed a certified helmet, without the certification sticker? Given that the police have issued tickets for helmets being "non certified" because of a go Pro being mounted this is a possibility IF you get the wrong copper. "Great deals" aren't always a "great deal" especially seeing you can't 100% say this is a Certified helmet, is it worth risking your brain in the event of a crash, (by then it is too late to find out it was a knock off).

Your lucky you didn't get dinged by CBSA for taxes and duties.


Matt Rain said:
I bought an AGV GP-Tech on eBay after falling in love with one at Riders Choice. Fits my long oval head so well that I have to go down one size, from my regular XL to L.

Anyhoo, the helmet is technically ECE certified but it came without any kind of sticker on the back. What gives? Are stickers normally applied by the distributor/retailer? Did I buy a gray market helmet?

It did have the peel-off, 5-star SHARP rating vinyl thingie over the shield, and it came with all the papers and goodies, stickers, etc.

I'm not returning it since I got such a great deal ($399US with free shipping from the Netherlands - the package was actually delivered on Saturday and I didn't even have to pay sales tax on it!), I'm just wondering why the helmet came with no certification sticker at all.
Click to expand...
 
I just did some googling and it appears that many European countries don't require a sticker on the back of the helmet - there should be an "E2" mark on the chinstrap, which "proves" compliance to the standard. I'll check for that tonight.

Also, it looks like Ontario doesn't require a sticker either, just proof of compliance somewhere on the helmet.

Looks like I may be in the clear.

If this is a Chinese knockoff, it's the most luxurious-feeling Chinese helmet I've ever worn. What a comfy lid.
 
FWIW the helmet does have the ECE logo (E3) on a label that's on the chin strap.

dunno.gif
 
I had an FM by Fimez helmet back in 1998 with no DOT sticker. I got it from Jordan Szoke who got it from his then, helmet sponsor. They were popular in Europe, and I suppose the one I had was a European model.
 
You are OK in Ontario although you might have to explain the compliance label to a cop if it ever comes into question - but now that you've identified the compliance marking, you know what to explain.

You are not OK in the USA, because they recognize only their own standard (DOT) and they don't recognize anyone else's.

I do not know about other provinces.

It is highly unlikely that it will ever come into question. If the cops see a full face helmet, they normally don't give it any further attention.
 
Dont wear it in Australia LOL Not having the Aus standards Snell sticker is the same fine as not wearing a seat belt if you car.
 
I thought Snell was 'murkan.

Either way, looks like a $5 investment in a simple DOT sticker might be in order if I intend to cross the border. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
Brian P said:
You are OK in Ontario although you might have to explain the compliance label to a cop if it ever comes into question - but now that you've identified the compliance marking, you know what to explain.

You are not OK in the USA, because they recognize only their own standard (DOT) and they don't recognize anyone else's.

I do not know about other provinces.

It is highly unlikely that it will ever come into question. If the cops see a full face helmet, they normally don't give it any further attention.
Click to expand...

In 2012 Ontario amended the helmet regulation 610 with 102/12 to read:
Highway Traffic Act
R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 610
SAFETY HELMETS
Consolidation Period: From July 1, 2012 to the e-Laws currency date.
Last amendment: O. Reg. 102/12.
This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.
1. A helmet worn by a person,
(a) riding on or operating a motorcycle; or
(b) operating a motor assisted bicycle,
on a highway shall,
(c) have a hard, smooth outer shell lined with protective padding material or fitted with other energy absorbing material and shall be strongly attached to a strap designed to be fastened under the chin of the wearer; and
(d) be undamaged from use or misuse. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 610, s. 1.
2. The helmet referred to in section 1 shall conform to the requirements of the,
(a) Canadian Standards Association Standard D230 Safety Helmets for Motorcycle Riders and shall bear the monogram of the Canadian Standards Association Testing Laboratories;
(b) Snell Memorial Foundation and shall have affixed thereto the certificate of the Snell Memorial Foundation;
(c) British Standards Institute and shall have affixed thereto the certificate of the British Standards Institute;
(d) United States of America Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 and shall bear the symbol DOT constituting the manufacturer’s certification of compliance with the standard; or
(e) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No. 22, “Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Protective Helmets and of Their Visors for Drivers and Passengers of Motor Cycles and Mopeds”, and shall have affixed thereto the required international approval mark. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 610, s. 2; O. Reg. 102/12, s. 1.

So just copy the revised regulation off and carry it with you if you are worried. Show it to the cop if you are stopped. All provinces - and most states - (as I understand things) have "swap" agreements that say that vehicle equipment which meets the regulations in the province (or state) of registration are accepted in the other jurisdictions.
AFJ
 
Just for what is worth, the knock offs I've seen have something in common: they have the stickers... it costs 10 cents and makes the helmet look official...
 
AFJ said:
All provinces - and most states - (as I understand things) have "swap" agreements that say that vehicle equipment which meets the regulations in the province (or state) of registration are accepted in the other jurisdictions.
AFJ
Click to expand...

Problem 1 is that the helmet isn't part of the vehicle, problem 2 is that neither the US nor Canada are contracting parties to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and so, are not obligated to follow its every provision - they can (and do) pick and choose, and if they don't follow something that is in that convention, there's nothing you can do about it.

If we were contracting parties, all our road signs would look like they do everywhere else in the world (e.g. a speed limit sign is circular with a red circle around a white field with the speed limit number centered in it), and our traffic laws would have to be changed to be consistent with everywhere else in the world (good luck with that).
 
MarcosSantiago said:
Just for what is worth, the knock offs I've seen have something in common: they have the stickers... it costs 10 cents and makes the helmet look official...
Click to expand...

Yeah. I've willingly bought counterfeit items on eBay before. The counterfeiters go to great lengths to replicate everything - I bought a battery grip for a Nikon DSLR that was identical in every way, including every last bit of documentation and warranty papers. Only visible difference is that the knockoff is made of plastic while the real thing has a metal shell.

That said, I'm 100% convinced that the helmet is genuine.
 
FYI should anyone be interested, the guy accepted my first and only offer of $399. You might wanna try going even lower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom