Is it still 5 years or now extended to 10 years from helmet, racing suit, balaclava, gloves, and shoes? For rib and neck protection there is no expiration date right? Or there is? CMIIW. Need some explanation here.
Much appreciate.
i think there is on the Fia rib protectos you use on big events like this ons:
Mine is like super old but still does the job. Like 20 years back. 
Anyone wanna chime in about homologation ? Much appreciate.
I believe suits and helmets are 5 years from their FIA start date or whatever. I’ve never heard of anything else being homologated for karting
1 Like
Yeah thats what i believe too helmet like snell2020 it expires in 2025 and so on. Racing suit it attached on the back of the collar.
Curious about the other stuffs from head to toe.
I thought SNELL was good 10 years after the ratings release? So 2010 helmets are no longer valid while 2015 helmets will not be valid after 2025 and so on. At least that is how my local / regional clubs do it here in the PNW.
I was also under assumption snell rating was 10 years.
1 Like
Wait…why does the FIA require karting gloves and shoes to meet FIA-8856? Isnt that for fireproof race clothing?
It totally depends on the competition you’re entering and the regulations they follow.
Most series allow helmets for 10 years after the homologation, so an SA2020 will run out in 2030 for example.
For suits most series in the US don’t even request an homologation and I’ve never seen anyone reprimanded for using the wrong suit (a nomex car suit in karting for example). But suits are 10 years and can be extended.
I noticed recently there’s a boot and gloves homologation but I haven’t looked into it.
In the US? Homologation? I think I won a 206 race once in a nylon windbreaker and jeans when I forgot my kart suit.
2 Likes
This is all relatively new as is the rib protection homologation. There’s also now two standards for suits. One for shorts and one for long circuits, though no one is building for long circuits yet.
Long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and some kind of full face helmet. That’s about all most require at the club level in the US. And honestly, it’s a lot more comfortable on hot summer days.
I believe that our club specifies in the absence of a race suit: jeans or pants made of “abrasion resistant material” as the minimum. As for the top, a jacket made of “abrasion resistant material” is required.
There are a couple jeans and motorcycle jacket drivers at our club. But the vast majority of drivers wear a karting suit. People way overestimate the abrasion resistance of normal blue jeans. They are just cotton pants! 
Yeah im kinda confused with the how long can a race suit last for homologation matters. Here in southeast asia series they do check homologation but certaint till yesterday that now everyrhing according to FIA is homologated and mandatory. Like rib protector.
During a race, I worked a corner and there was a race incident and one driver came flying out of the kart like a horizontal pancake. Totally convinced me to get a homologated suit - this one had three layers. Yes it can be a little warm but safety…
They aren’t cheap either!
They’re about $240 but its worth it to me.
I’d actually consider the full on chest/rib combo. You take some hits in rentals, in ways you don’t see with competent drivers. Tbones etc. chest might be a good idea.