12-11-2016, 11:20 AM
My trusty Bell RS-1 is 3 1/2 years old and was manufactured nearly 5 years ago. It's holding up well, but it has me keeping my eyes out for another great deal on a helmet.
Honestly, a new RS-1, currently available on clearance for half off ($200) is a good route to go. But I actually got my current RS-1 for $215 years ago, so it wasn't ringing my cheapskate bell. I could get a silver one for even less, but silver is the opposite of visible on the road.
The new base-level Star is a beaut of a motorcycle hat and is the successor to the RS-1 in the Bell hierarchy. But it's a newly released helmet, so full retail. Worth it, but are there any other options? I can always get the new Star 3-4 years from now when it'll be on sale.
Turns out there are - Stars and Star Carbons. After much research and shopping, I'm going to try a Bell Star Carbon Union, a 2015 model (Stars had a significant upgrade in 2013) from STG, who had the lowest price by far - $249. I'm sure of the size, as it follows the RS-1 fitment, so XL is my size. It's light, high quality, vents well. Not known for being noisy or particularly quiet. It's made for more of a tucked position than the CB11 supports, but I'm betting that's not going to be too big a deal. But $249 for a $649 2015 helmet is a big deal. Will I love it, like my RS-1? We'll see next week.
Honestly, a new RS-1, currently available on clearance for half off ($200) is a good route to go. But I actually got my current RS-1 for $215 years ago, so it wasn't ringing my cheapskate bell. I could get a silver one for even less, but silver is the opposite of visible on the road.
The new base-level Star is a beaut of a motorcycle hat and is the successor to the RS-1 in the Bell hierarchy. But it's a newly released helmet, so full retail. Worth it, but are there any other options? I can always get the new Star 3-4 years from now when it'll be on sale.
Turns out there are - Stars and Star Carbons. After much research and shopping, I'm going to try a Bell Star Carbon Union, a 2015 model (Stars had a significant upgrade in 2013) from STG, who had the lowest price by far - $249. I'm sure of the size, as it follows the RS-1 fitment, so XL is my size. It's light, high quality, vents well. Not known for being noisy or particularly quiet. It's made for more of a tucked position than the CB11 supports, but I'm betting that's not going to be too big a deal. But $249 for a $649 2015 helmet is a big deal. Will I love it, like my RS-1? We'll see next week.