Well, after nearly two weeks of riding with my new Bell Revolver Helmet, I finally feel like I can give a fair review for other riders considering a new helmet purchase.

I have been using a Modular Nolan N102 for the past few years, and it was high time for me to consider replacing it, especially since the lining was so stretched out, it was no longer near as “safe” has it had been when it was new. The Nolan never really did fit my head right since it is better suited for a round head shape. Mine is a very long oval meaning the Nolan was always too tight on my forehead and not tight enough on the cheek pads. Nolan, being a good supportive helmet company, replaced the cheek pads for me with larger ones hoping that they alone could take up the slack for a better fit, but it never quite fit properly.

Sadly, you just don’t know whether or not you have a good fitting helmet until you use the helmet on a ride. You can put it on and walk around the store for 30 or so minutes for an idea of how it may fit, but it’s never quite the same as riding with wind resistance and all the other forces of riding a motorcycle. After many miles, I concluded that the Nolan N102 was NOT for me or anyone with an oval shaped head.

On to the Bell Revolver…another modular helmet
This helmet out of the box was a completely different fit. The narrow side to side width made a huge difference and fit my head immediately. The longer front to back dimension kept any hot spots from forming on my forehead. My Nolan had hotspots immediately with each ride until I carved down the front foam a bit, which I DO NOT recommend. The Revolver definitely has a narrow profile, much like the Arai which makes wearing glasses a bit tedious, but the fit is definitely better! Part of the reason I like a modular helmet is because I don’t have to remove my glasses before donning the helmet. That is not the case with the Revolver. I still have to take my glasses off, put on the helmet then replace my glasses. It’s a process. Now, I do have new glasses with a bit bigger frame. Possibly a thinner frame would work better with the helmet, but I don’t know yet.

To flip the helmet open is a delight. It’s an simple button latch found at the chin and can easily be flipped up with gloves. This system is much easier than the Nolan N102 which would get stuck all the time and I was unable to flip it open which made me crazy (ier). 😉

The liner and cheek pads of the helmet snaps right out for washing which is nice. They are easy to remove as is changing the shield. It’s a very simple process.

My favorite feature is the inner sunglasses which work well, are nicely designed and dark enough to add the necessary sun dampening. They fit well and don’t slam down on my nose like many other brands. They are easy to adjust with the button right on the bottom left side of the helmet. My only issue is that sometimes as I put on the helmet, I hit that button and down come the shades. But I believe it’s just something I will get used to as I wear the helmet more.

The flip down sunglass button is very easy to use and handy, a bit too handy sometimes!

I got a white helmet this time, since I like the sun reflection and that white helmets are know as the best seen helmet. It’s got a good finish and is easy to clean. I have seen the sportier design, the Bell Rally, which I quite like and probably would have ordered if I had seen it first!

As to helmet noise, I am not really able to comment, since I ALWAYS wear ear protection. I either have on ear plugs or am wearing my iPod. This helmet has a space in the ear area for helmet speakers, but I just use ear buds, which is not really legal, so I am pretty careful with the wiring. I do think wireless ear buds would be awesome and better helmet speakers are a must in order to get me to quit using my ear buds!

The venting seems more than adequate. There is a chin vent which is controlled by a center slider. It took me a couple of tries riding with gloves to get control of the device, but once you know, you know! The top of the helmet had two vents on either side also controlled by a slider which was even less easy to use. There are four exit vents on the back the back of the helmet two above and two behind the ears so the air flow seemed good, although most of my trip was cold so I had the venting closed. I did notice that I got little bugs inside my visor more than a few times, since the intake vents in the forehead have no screens! I don’t like bugs inside my helmet and wish this had been better dealt with. This helmet is primarily designed for sport bike riders, since the placement of the venting is designed for a more tucked position, although it seemed fine on my Versys which is standard positioning.

I was used to the closure of my Nolan which snapped, so this double D-ring system and the Bell “Magnafusion” magnetic keeper with a strong magnet, isn’t bad, but will take some getting used to. I do like the magnet so the tail of the strap is contained with a simply flip.

The weight of this helmet is actually less than my Nolan N102, however it is still no lightweight. I have to say, I really didn’t notice the weight, so i believe the fit is everything!

I ordered a chin curtain which was supposed to help with helmet noise and all the sites said it did NOT come with one, however mine ordered from Motorcycle Superstore did have one attached, so maybe Bell decided it needed to include the chin curtain. Now I have two! 😉

All in all, I am quite pleased with my new Bell Revolver and you can’t beat the screaming deal I got on it at Motorcycle Superstore. The cool Bell Rally is also available. The fit for me is near perfect and the features are dynamite.

Like most modular helmets, this has a DOT certification but no Snell.