Bell SRT Modular Motorcycle Helmet Gets the Roland Sands Design Treatment
This snazzy Bell SRT helmet from Roland Sands Design studio is a top pick for 2019.
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A motorcycle helmet is meant to serve several functions. The first role of the helmet, of course, is to keep what is (for most motorcycle riders) the most important part of the body intact in extreme situations. The Bell SRT modular helmet from Roland Sands Design's studio, with a flip-up chin bar and built-in speaker pockets, is crafted from a fiberglass composite shell—a step up from Bell's entry-level Revolver line. After that, in a ranking that depends on a motorcyclist’s personal tastes, it scores remarkably high marks against much stiffer competition.
The SRT has a shape that hues closely to Bell's top-line Star MIPS, and comes equipped with the Panovision Class 1 visor, which has a wide view with zero optical distortion. The helmet and visor together offer impact protection that meets all current DOT, Snell, and ECE regs, and it comes in sizes XS through Large.
In the field of modular motorcycle helmets—the kind with that flip-up chin bar—the Bell punches above its weight. It is lighter and quieter than the comparably priced Schuberth C4. And while it’s not a track helmet by any stretch, its form creates exceptional aerodynamics at high speed, with almost no lift.
Inside, the Bell SRT is fitted out with a drop-down inner sun shield that combines with the chin bar to cover the entire face. The removable and washable anti-bacterial interior takes a week or so of dedicated use to break in, but when it does it molded nicely to my (rather average) face, gripping my cheeks without urgency or malice.
The hallmarks of a great motorcycle helmet are similar to most necessary products: when you use it you don't notice it, and when you hold it in your hand it pleases you. For helmets, I would add ease of use—it's tiring to have to wrestle with gloves and helmet and keys every time I mount or dismount a motorcycle. On that note, the real downside to the Bell SRT is the old school D-ring chin strap, which increasingly looks like a relic in a world of the quick-latch.
But the low noise level—combined with the excellent Roland Sands Design—makes the Bell SRT modular a top pick for 2019.
