Lifting the lid on helmet deals
Implementation of updated helmet standard leads to massive discounts as dealers clear ECE 22.05 stock
Now is the perfect time to bag a huge saving on your next crash helmet, with retailers selling off the last of their ECE 22.05 stock, following a change in regulations.
Back in 2020, a new ECE safety testing standard for helmets was announced to replace the 20-year-old ECE 22.05 regulation. The new test (ECE 22.06) not only assesses helmets for impact resistance but adds a rotational test to gauge potential damage to the brain from shear forces, estimated as the cause of 60% of brain injuries.
Production under 22.05 certification ceased in July 2023 and manufacturers were given until January 4 this year to clear remaining stock. Retailers, however, are free to sell 22.05 helmets until their own stock is exhausted, and with that in mind there are bargains to be had.
“There's still quite a lot of 22.05 stock in the market, but there's not an abundance of it,” Chris Winters, Managing Director of riding kit giants Sportsbikeshop told MCN. “Most manufacturers have already moved their core models to 22.06.
“The Arai Tour-X 4 is a great example. We did have some clearance, as did a lot of our competitors, because we knew it was going to be discontinued. But you look at what's in the warehouse now, bearing in mind that we're the biggest retailer of helmets and all our stock has come in, and there's not a lot left – we don't have more than three or four in any particular size or colour.”
He continued: “So, although there is some stock in the market, consumers shouldn't hang around if they want to grab a bargain. No-one's going to be picking up a cheap medium Tour-X 4 in September this year, as everything will be gone by March/April.
“I can't speak for any of the other big retailers, but I can guess that they won't have the stock either. We expect almost all 22.05 helmets to be cleared out by summer.”
The rest of the updates to
ECE 22.06 are specific to the style of helmet and items fitted to them. Flip-up lids, for example, are now tested with the chin bars in different positions as well as accessories such sun visors deployed. If there's an intercom system available for the helmet which could add extra weight, that will be tested, too.
The new regulations don't mean that older helmets have become unsafe overnight though, and the angled abrasion drop test has actually been part of both the Department for Transport SHARP helmet rating test since 2008, and FIM approval testing since 2017.
Manufacturers have been working hard to replace their ranges with ECE 22.06 compliant helmets since the new regulation was announced, with Arai's Quantic the first meeting the new standard to hit UK shelves.
‘Consumers shouldn’t hang around for deals’
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