Bikes

Bell Vortex Helmet - Product Evaluation

Good fit and finish for the spinach.

August 4, 2010

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A sneak peek of the Roland Sands Designs “Apocalypse” graphic was all the motivation we needed to pick up this new Bell Vortex. Actual on-head performance of this Snell 2010-approved full-face helmet during our recent Open-class sportbike shootout (“Alternative Energy,” July) has kept it in place on our craniums.

Fancy graphics aside, there’s a lot going on here. For example, the ClickRelease shield mechanism makes visor swaps a snap. Shields are coated to prevent fogging, scratching and protect the wearer from harmful ultra-violet rays, by the way. The contoured cheek pads are removable for washing, as is the remainder of the antibacterial/antimicrobial interior.

After breaking a sweat flogging bikes and logging laps at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, Associate Editor Mark Cernicky discovered that the Vortex’s three-opening, top-of-helmet Velocity Flow Ventilation lacks the full, head-in-the-breeze flow of its pricier brother, the Star. The closable, glove-friendly design is fine for a sporting street ride but left us wanting more air when wrestling literbikes around a racetrack. The padded full-wrap neck collar—a feature not found on the Star—does an admirable job of reducing wind noise.

Even more admirable is the Vortex’s price, which starts at $169.95 (add $20 for the Apocalypse and other graphics). Who says a comfortable, feature-filled and safe helmet has to cost an arm and a leg?