Bell Bullitt Helmet

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I posted the following in the "Helmet Poll" thread but believe it's more appropriately placed on its own. That way, the Helmet Poll remains just that and not a review of my helmet:

The helmet arrived yesterday and it's beautiful. There's a video breakdown of the helmet on Revzilla's website but in the video, the helmet looks to be a lighter shade of blue. I attribute that to the bright lights used in filming because it's certainly closer to the photograph. There's also a very subtle flake/pearlescent quality to the blue. You have to look pretty close to see it.

It comes with a flat, clear shield. It's big. The field of view is tremendous. There is no ratcheting feature with the shield. It does seem to have a spot at the midway point where it feels somewhat secure. Otherwise, it's all the way open or all the way closed. The magnet on the lower left securely bonds with the chin bar with a pleasant snap and pulling on it's strap appears to be the best way to open and close the shield. It is definitely not a quick-release face shield. But I knew that going in. A coin or something similar is used to remove the screws that hold the shield onto the sides of the helmet. I haven't attempted it yet but it does seem to discourage shield changes.

The interior is a beautiful chocolate brown leather. The cheek pads have a suede cover and the helmet is comfortable (so far). It does do a number on my ears getting it on and off. I'm hoping to figure out the proper technique, if one exists, to lessen the discomfort when donning and doffing the helmet. For now, my ears get bent, I pull the chin strap to one side giving one ear room to right itself then pull to the other side and slip my fingers inside to fix the other ear. I'll just have to experiment with different angles when removing the helmet to see if I can make it more pleasant.

The chin bar is relatively low and wraps wide around the chin. My first impression was that it extended far out but checking it again, the chin bar is only about a finger's width away from my chin. This is great for enhancing the field of view, however, it seems to leave a large gap between my jaw and the chin bar. I imagine this will cause significant wind noise and I'm curious as to whether it will contribute to the helmet lifting at speed. There is a vent at the front of the chin bar that seems unnecessary given the large opening underneath, however, I have yet to ride with the helmet. I'm also curious to see how well the vents at the brow work. The one at the chin bar can be closed however those across the brow are fixed open.

One thing I'm very pleased with is the fact that my glasses go on easily and sit comfortably on my face with the helmet on. It does require putting the helmet on, then my glasses and then the reverse when removing the helmet. But I'm okay with that. My thought is to wear my sunglasses with the clear shield during the day and my eyeglasses with the clear shield at night.

I'll return with more impressions once I'm able to ride with the helmet for a decent amount of time.

[the Ferret]

Good idea MG

I edited your post over there and linked it to this thread.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Good idea MG

I edited your post over there and linked it to this thread.

Thank you, kind sir!

[metallyguitarded_imp]

All my worries about this helmet proved to be unnecessary. On my ride yesterday, I couldn't get over how comfortable it is. I mean REALLY comfortable. I thought my RS-1 felt nice but the Bullitt seriously blows it away. At least in the comfort department. The Bullitt feels incredibly light. The padding is perfect. Even my ears, which get bent when putting the helmet on or taking it off, feel fantastic once in place. Add to this the ability to comfortably wear eyeglasses or sunglasses and this helmet is a winner.

I was concerned that the larger opening by my jaw might cause helmet lift with the air rushing in but that never happened. The Bullitt was secure on my head the entire time even while riding through a high wind advisory. One thing the opening did allow, however, was a significant amount of wind noise. I'm reserving judgment on just how bad that is until I can ride in normal conditions. With the wind speeds I was riding in, I suspect all my helmets would have been very loud. When I got back closer to home and the wind was calmer, the helmet was so much quieter. Of course, that was relative to the incredibly loud conditions earlier so I can't say for sure just how loud/quiet the helmet is in normal conditions.

One thing that surprised and disappointed me was the noticeable imprint left across my forehead that lasted for several hours after the ride. I was surprised because the helmet had felt so comfortable the entire time. I'm hoping that when the inner liner breaks in some, the imprint will stop being so pronounced. As it is now, I could never wear this helmet for my commute and have an odd imprint across my forehead the entire morning at the office.

[the Ferret]

we call that Manning Head. When Peyton Manning takes off his football helmet during a game he has this giant red mark on his forehead that is still there at the press conference an hour later

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Haha! That's perfect! I suppose if Peyton can deal with it at a press conference, I could deal with it at the office. Then again, I'm probably much more vain than Peyton is and I most likely embarrass much easier.

[pechorin75_imp]

I've been thinking about getting one of these for a while now...less for the style than for the visibility. You're the first person I've heard from who can directly compare it to the RS-1 (which is my favorite helmet--fits my head perfectly).

How would you compare the fit between the two? Others seem to indicate that it's a fairly "round" fit...and the RS-1 seems pretty oval. Any thoughts?

Also be curious to hear your thoughts on wind blast from below the chin bar. I've read some reviews where people talk about having wind bother their eyes at speed (due, presumably, to the lack of a chin curtain).

[the_undecider_imp]

I saw one of the blue ones yesterday. It is a gorgeous piece and I was wowed by that rich, brown liner which reminded me of a luxury car interior. I was surprised by how light it is. I was curious how noisy it is since I am so used to seeing helmets with all sorts of aerodynamic aids.

[VTR1000F_imp]

I´m one of the lucky owners who do not have any problem with Bullitt not fitting properly. Here as an extract of my earlier impressions:
- helmet is light
- the level of manufacturing and paint is very good
- interior is very nice, feels expensive!
- I´m not used to kinda oldschool system of strap locking (but I "got it fairly quickly)
- the head entry port is quite narrow, I agree with most reviews that people with wider head or bigger ears may have a problem
- when seated, the helmet fits my head snug, no problems and pressure points anywhere.
- view angle is huge, I can literally see my own shoulder with small effort
- no chin deflector, so face gets some breeze from underneath. can be easily solved by wearing scalf. Nt a problem in hot weather.
- chin vent and its sliding flap is a bad joke
- I love the leather strap and hidden magnet for locking the visor

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I've been thinking about getting one of these for a while now...less for the style than for the visibility. You're the first person I've heard from who can directly compare it to the RS-1 (which is my favorite helmet--fits my head perfectly).

How would you compare the fit between the two? Others seem to indicate that it's a fairly "round" fit...and the RS-1 seems pretty oval. Any thoughts?

Also be curious to hear your thoughts on wind blast from below the chin bar. I've read some reviews where people talk about having wind bother their eyes at speed (due, presumably, to the lack of a chin curtain).

The RS-1 does have more of an oval shape compared to the rounder Bullitt (interestingly, the review on revzilla describes the Bullitt as an intermediate oval). That's possibly why the Bullitt leaves an imprint across my forehead while the RS-1 doesn't and never has. From that, it would seem that the RS-1 is a better fit for me but once on my head, the Bullitt actually feels more comfortable. I attribute that to the Bullitt's padding which is in another league. Plus, the Bullitt feels lighter on my head. I can't, however, feel a difference in weight while holding them at the same time in my hands. Unfortunately, I don't have a scale sensitive enough to accurately weigh each.

In terms of visibility, there's really no comparison. The Bullitt provides so much more field of view than any other full-face helmet I've owned or even tried on. That, of course, also applies to the RS-1. I can't help but wonder if having so much shield lessens the amount of protection. The Bullitt does however pass both DOT and ECE 22.05 standards while the RS-1 passes DOT and Snell M2010. That assures me that both offer very good protection.

The wind from beneath the helmet did not bother my eyes at all. I wore aviator-style sunglasses beneath the shield which I believe would have allowed air to still hit my eyes if it was an issue. On my first ride with the helmet, I rode for several hours in very high winds and for at least one of those hours at freeway speeds. I never had an issue with my eyes.

I took some photos of the two helmets side-by-side. The RS-1 is on the edge of the table so it can rest flat due to the com device. It's hard to tell from the photos but the RS-1 is larger; both in height and length. The difference in the field of view is obvious.
[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/IMG_0347.jpg.html]
[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/IMG_0349.jpg.html]
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[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/IMG_0351.jpg.html]

The graphics on the RS-1 add to the sense of it being more oval shaped but it is in fact true. The field of view on the RS-1 is actually pretty good. The helmets resting on the table is a little deceiving because the angle differs from when riding. The much larger chin bar on the RS-1 descends further down. Still, the Bullitt really does let you see more. It actually crossed my mind that I may need to start wearing sunscreen on my face with this helmet. I have a photochromatic shield on my RS-1 (that also fits my Vortex helmet) and it's fantastic. I wish one was available for the Bullitt.

[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/b7dfafa3-9356-4231-af53-972c1b5292da.jpg.html]
[url=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/jamesfontaine/media/49d1041a-849a-4cb6-a4c7-bb00db3fa070.jpg.html]

Looking at the underside of each helmet and you'd swear that the Bullitt's opening is much larger than that of the RS-1. And maybe it is. But the RS-1, without question, goes on and off much easier. I assume that's because the Bullitt's leather neck roll is stiffer than the fabric neck roll of the RS-1. But, again, once past that neck roll, the inside of the Bullitt really cradles your head nicely. Super comfortable.

Hope that helps!