bell helmet opinions

[astpierre]

Newbie buying a helmet. i was wondering about the bell vortex and arrow. Any of you with good or bad experiences with these and wouldn't mind sharing would be great. I read a few reviews online but they are conflicting. I was going with the vortex but after reading about these the arrow might be the way to go. I am looking for good comfort, venting and low noise. Thanks...

 

[616ah]

The vortex is on my short list too, when the time comes. I like the concept behind the wind collar, might greatly reduce the ever present fz6 fluttering wind blast to a more reasonable level than my current HJC cs-r1. Tried one on and it fit great. Drawbacks? Might be hot in warmer climates or more easily fogged... other than that, appeals to me...

 

[Jomomma]

I love the look of the new Bell helmets. The rs-1 is quite beastly.

 

[lunchboxer]

Don't know if this helps, but I went from a Bell Apex to a Shoei RF1000, which was much lighter.

 

[jcfz6]

For what it's worth I have a bell vortex and like it alot. It vents pretty well when it's warm, although it does fog up quite a bit when it starts to get cooler outside but I suspect they will all do that. And it wasn't too expensive either so that was even better.:thumbup:

 

[kdburtch]

I am an HJC fan, but what ever helmet you should try them on and see which one is most comfortable to you. An uncomfortable helmet is an unused helmet.

 

[Andz]

30 years ago Bell was the only helmet to have if you were serious about protection.

"If you have a $10 head wear a $10 helmet" was their slogan.

I had a Star, a Star II, a Moto III and a TourStar in the early 80s before I took an enforced 20 year sabbatical from biking. In the meantime Shoei, Arai, AGV, Shark and others emerged as the premier brands and Bell helmets are scarcely available in this market.

When I sold my Honda CBX550F in 1984 I tossed the 2 TourStars I had into the deal. I wish I still had one of them.

 

[hybriduff]

I tried on several different helmets and I have to say that as soon as i put on a Bell Star, it was like heaven. It fits me perfect, the inside material is amazingly soft and comfortable, and its one of the most durable helmets out there, to boot. It comes with a ~400 dollar price tag though. My girlfriend bought a Bell Vortex and it doesn't compare, in my opinion, but is still a nice helmet. Hope that helps.

 

[djstrong]

I have 3 helmets and here is my opinion:

Bell Apex - Good helmet with great stability and venting. $80

Scorpion EXO700 - Best comfort and lining. Best anti-fog on the standard face shield. $100

HJC AC-11 - Good helmet with good comfort. Poor poor stability and noise, but is now an outdated design, and I expect the newer HJC's are better. Runs a little looser than the others. $60

The Bell is my preferred helmet due to what I need, but the Scorpion is a very close second. I like the HJC also, but do not use it much any more. Depending on the weather conditions and which windshield is on my bike effects which helmet I use.

I know, I bought the low priced helmets when I found good deals. I did try on some other more expensive helmets, but am very happy with these, and I think going to a $300 or more helmet would not give me better safety, or am I wrong?

Hope this helps.

 

[los211]

I currently have a Bell vortex grinder. For me it is much lighter and quieter than my old helmet. I ride with ear plugs and it is almost too quiet. This is the best fit for me as it is really snug at first and fits my giant head perfectly. The wind collar works very well to keep wind noise/drafts from reaching into the helmet. the additional chin piece also removes a lot of the noise causing wind. i tried others and it was usually pressure on the forehead or the ears that lead to a head ache with in minutes. The vents work very well depending on speed of course. I am totally happy with this helmet. Try em on find the one that fits your head the best and has the features you want/need.

 

[Botch]

I have 3 helmets and here is my opinion:

Bell Apex - Good helmet with great stability and venting. $80

Scorpion EXO700 - Best comfort and lining. Best anti-fog on the standard face shield. $100

This surprises the heck out of me. I wear an EXO 1000 (five years now) and wore a GMax for a couple months that came with my bike. I've tried on all the brands I can, and the Bell stood out as the only helmet I couldn't wear at all.

Their largest size still pinched my forehead and the back of my head badly. Maybe I had water (or beer) on the brain that morning... ?

 

[thethendi]

I haven't tried one on, but my wife tried one on and and from the little while she had it on in the store, she reported that it was comfortable. It seemed well made for the price from what I could tell. (We ended up not getting it though, since we weren't in a rush to buy her a new helmet.)

Try em on find the one that fits your head the best and has the features you want/need.

This. Try it on and make sure it fits properly, that there aren't any pressure points, and that you feel confident that it won't cause you any discomfort when you wear it for extended periods of time. If possible, go to a dealer, put the helmet on, and just hang out while browsing other gear.

 

[NIN]

I purchased a Bell Star helmet with the Transitions face shield a couple of months ago. I have been extremely happy for most part, other than what appears to be a very light rattling sound when anywhere from 40-80 mph, about 10-20% of the time. I believe it is a button swivel for the right neck support pad vibrating in the wind. I picked this helmet up brand new for $199.99 through a closeout website (Motorcyclecloseouts.com) and don't think it could be beat for the price!

 

[los211]

I purchased a Bell Star helmet with the Transitions face shield a couple of months ago. I have been extremely happy for most part, other than what appears to be a very light rattling sound when anywhere from 40-80 mph, about 10-20% of the time. I believe it is a button swivel for the right neck support pad vibrating in the wind. I picked this helmet up brand new for $199.99 through a closeout website (Motorcyclecloseouts.com) and don't think it could be beat for the price!

Holy SHHEEEET man thats a hell of a deal!

A little update for my bell vortex grinder. I have changed over to the transitions sheild and love the flexability of not having to carry a spare for night/day. I have noticed now that I had the helmet for nearly 5k miles of riding that it vents very well even on days of 100+ weather. Not comfy at all when stopped but what helmet out there is comfy in that type of weather. I found that the absolute best ventilation came when I hunched over more over the FZ6 tank and exposed the vents to more direct flow from the windscreen and holy crap its like turning on a turbo fan!! super flow was engaged and nearly froze my scalp. That night I was riding in 60 degree temps after 100+ all day and had to ride 1.5 hrs to get home at 2am. I discovered the super flow that night and wow if I had a super sport bike I could get that kind of flow all the time.:rockon:

 

[cult67]

I have the Apex and the RS-1. The RS-1 fits perfectly. It has great airflow when desired and is quiet in my opinion. There is minimal deflection when turning your head at high speeds. It is great for long rides! I used the Apex for commuting.

 

[granda080]

I've had the bell vortex for the last 4 years and really liked it. I just bought a scorpion exo1100 for 200.00. The scorpion is lighter but the break in is killing me. The bell always fit really nice and snug even 4 years later.