Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Rodia Helmets

  1. #1
    Contributing Member Offcamber1's Avatar
    Join Date
    11.09.10
    Location
    West Union, IL USA
    Posts
    891
    Liked: 318

    Default Rodia Helmets

    I was at the motorcycle accessory trade show last month and ran across a display for Rodia helmets. They are manufactured in China and they looked pretty nice. In addition to the motorcycle helmets they had a full face Snell SA2010 with HANS mounts that seemed like a decent helmet. I went on the internet and they had some Snell 2005 offerings so I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience or opinions on them?

  2. #2
    Contributing Member Steve Demeter's Avatar
    Join Date
    07.01.01
    Location
    Beavercreek, Ohio 45434
    Posts
    6,349
    Liked: 905

    Default

    IMHO, I owuld not trust a helmet made in China having much experience with manufacturing there both by a former employer and as a customer of Chinese manufacturers.

    Just my 2 cents.

  3. #3
    Contributing Member thomschoon's Avatar
    Join Date
    04.05.06
    Location
    Philly/QingPu CN
    Posts
    332
    Liked: 5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Demeter View Post
    IMHO, I owuld not trust a helmet made in China having much experience with manufacturing there both by a former employer and as a customer of Chinese manufacturers.

    Just my 2 cents.
    You might want to check inside your current helmet, if it is a Simpson it might have been made in China. Where things are made is not as critical as who runs the operations, just look at Bill Simpson and the Impact debacle.
    Thom
    Back to fenders=SRF

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    02.04.02
    Location
    California
    Posts
    6,399
    Liked: 1116

    Default

    They produce helmets that meet FIA, DOT, Snell and ECE standards. Their facility is ISO9001 certified and they claim to produce helmets for BELL and PYROTECT among others.

  5. #5
    Contributing Member
    Join Date
    09.06.08
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    2,035
    Liked: 282

    Default

    Questioning something made in China, normal US consumer ignorance or prejudice. This Chinese company jumps through the same hoops (requirements) as all the other the other helmet manufactures. I assume one of these labeling organizations must be doing quality checks, right???

    Are you scared that they are not as trustworthy as say a trusted old American manufacture such as Simpson?

    Don't kid yourselves, China can manufacture what ever quality level you ask (pay) for.

    Brian

  6. #6
    Senior Member Mark_Silverberg's Avatar
    Join Date
    09.09.02
    Location
    S. E. Michigan
    Posts
    627
    Liked: 111

    Default Helmets made in China.

    Like it or not most helmets are now made in China - even for Bell and Simpson. Don't know about Impact.

    Zamp is making a lot of the new Bell Helmets - although similar designes are also sold under the Zamp brand.

    The new 2.9 lb Simpson Devil Ray Carbon fiber helmet is made in China and it is a very nice helmet - just bought one last week.

    I bought one Vega and one Zamp helmet for other family members last year. They are both Snell certified and were very nicely made. Much better than My Simpson Model 30 (Darth Vader) I bought 31 years ago - and both cost less - even in 2010 dollars vs 1981 Dollars.

    I would have never believed I would ever wear a Made in China helmet 4 years ago - now every family member has one.
    Mark Silverberg - SE Michigan
    Lynx B FV & Royale RP3 FF
    240Z Vintage Production Car
    PCR, Kosmic CRG & Birel karts

  7. #7
    Contributing Member Offcamber1's Avatar
    Join Date
    11.09.10
    Location
    West Union, IL USA
    Posts
    891
    Liked: 318

    Default

    Thanks for the feedback. I've been wearing oriental lids on my motorcycle for years. My preference is for (Korean made) KBC's top line helmet; I had the misfortune of going deer hunting with my bike a few years back and landed on my head and shoulder on the pavement. I hobbled away and walked 3/4 mile to the nearest house. Shoulder has some high-tech titanium in it, but no head or face injuries as the helmet did its job quite well.

    I figured as long as you didn't eat the lead based paint, the Rodia helmet might be as good as anyone elses.

    I had difficulty understanding the tall, good looking Chinese gal that they had in the booth, but if I heard her correctly, dealer cost was under $160.00. So even with a 1.8 markup it would still be under three bills. And again, it looked really nice.

  8. #8
    Senior Member butch deer's Avatar
    Join Date
    04.06.06
    Location
    Belvidere,Il
    Posts
    479
    Liked: 76

    Default

    Having sold helmets since 1970 I can say there are many quality helmets made ofshore today. As a dealer I carried Aria many years ago. They were high quality products but they did not have there US distribution together in those days and when they canged distributor and cme out with new models the distributors did not support the old models and I had to tell customers with perfectly good 3 plus year old helmets that new shields and pivots were no longer available. If I were buying a helmet I would buy from a company that has established U.S. distribution that you can count on to support there product with consumables like shields etc. for the life of the helment which will be 10+ years if you buy a 2010 snell today.
    butch deer

  9. #9
    Contributing Member Steve Demeter's Avatar
    Join Date
    07.01.01
    Location
    Beavercreek, Ohio 45434
    Posts
    6,349
    Liked: 905

    Default

    Having spent 30+ years as a supplioer to the former big three, I can tell you that ISO certification does not mean a whole lot.

    You define what you are going to do and if you demonstrate that the controls you have in place meet ISO standards, and that you are following them you get the certificate.

    They could still use inferior materials as long as they said what they were using and used it. do not have to say it is inferior.

    The FIA, Snell do not to my knowledge predict how well a helmet will perform after 5 years or more. Just the one shot testing.

    And my M3 says made in the USA on it.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    09.28.02
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Posts
    181
    Liked: 0

    Default Helmet

    I just finished a custom paint job on a new Bell which was purported to be "made" in China. I did not wear and run into an I beam but on disassembly I found it to be very nice. The hardware on the visor mount is much improved... it may take a extra couple of minutes to change a sheild but if it takes extra to pull apart in a controlled enviorment I suspect it will take a little longer when all hell breaks loose. A very nice piece and I have seen prior Bell, Simson, Arari, OMP, Bieffe (boy they screw up distrabution for a nice helmet)

  11. #11
    Banned
    Join Date
    02.04.02
    Location
    California
    Posts
    6,399
    Liked: 1116

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Demeter View Post
    Having spent 30+ years as a supplioer to the former big three, I can tell you that ISO certification does not mean a whole lot.

    You define what you are going to do and if you demonstrate that the controls you have in place meet ISO standards, and that you are following them you get the certificate.
    Only slightly different than the SFI then. You (the SFI member manufacturers) get to decide upon the standard, the difference being you don't have to demonstrate that you are doing what you said you were going to do to get the patch/sticker/label to begin with. Honor system until proven otherwise.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 3 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 3 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  




About Us
Since 2000, ApexSpeed.com has been the go-to place for amateur road racing enthusiasts, bringing together a friendly community of racers, fans, and industry professionals. We're all about creating a space where people can connect, share knowledge, and exchange parts and vehicles, with a focus on specific race cars, classes, series, and events. Our community includes all major purpose-built road racing classes, like the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and various pro series across North America and beyond. At ApexSpeed, we're passionate about amateur motorsports and are dedicated to helping our community have fun and grow while creating lasting memories on and off the track.
Social