Product Review Feature

We have been lucky enough to get our hands on, or should that be our heads in some great helmets over the past 12 months here at Fullnoise.com.au and I am glad to say that the Bell Moto-9 Carbon is certainly one of them.

It has been just over six months since I first put the Moto 9 on my head for the first time to go riding in, so there is no doubt we have had plenty of time to get to know the helmet inside and out, and put it to the test. Though in saying that, I am glad to report it is yet to hit the ground in a crash!

The first time I actually tried the Bell Moto 9 range of helmets on was late in 2012 at the launch of the all new range of Bell helmets as the iconic brand returned to Australian shelves for the firs time in 18 years thanks to Monza Imports.

Popping the helmet on at the launch is one thing, there was no doubt it was a super comfortable helmet to put on and certainly one of the best looking helmets out there, but riding with a helmet is a lot different than trying one on either at a launch or in the showroom of your local bike-shop, so I was more than a little keen to get my hands on one to try out.

With our own Moto-9 Carbon rocking up on our doorsteps, I quickly pulled Emblem White helmet out of the more than handy helmet bag that comes with each Bell Moto-9 helmet, wacked a Fullnoise.com.au sticker on each side of it, popped it in my gear back and headed out to the local track.

With the new lid on, and the magnetic tab on the end of the chin strap easily tucked back up on the side of the helmet and out of the way, I rolled out on to the track for the first time and instantly noticed something different about the Bell helmet compared to every other helmet I have ever worn!

Riding down the start straight of my local track, something did not quite feel, or should I say, sound right. Once out on the track I had the same sensation, at first I thought it was the bike that sounded off, then realised, that it was in fact the helmet that was causing everything to sound a little odd.

The Bell Moto-9 dampens a lot of sounds that normally flows in to your helmet while riding, everything from the exhaust note of my own bike, to having other bikes around me sounded different.

It was something that took a couple of rides to get used to, but once used to, the quieter sound inside my helmet was fine. In fact I have had trouble going back the other way when wearing other helmets, with the extra noise coming in being a bit of a weird sensation now!

Obviously the feel and comfort of helmet is always important when looking for a helmet, along with fit of course. The Bell Moto-9 Carbon in a Medium, by all means was the perfect fit for my odd shaped head and as mentioned above super comfortable.

The other thing I always look for in a helmet is ventilation. I tend to heat up quickly while riding and sweat a lot. With the Bell Moto-9 being rated as one of the best vented helmets on the market I was keen just to see how well the Velocity Flow Ventilation system worked.

While most helmets rely on maximising air flow in to the helmet, the Bell Moto-9, which has been based of the Bell's Road version of the helmet and has been designed to create a vacuum at the rear of the helmet to draw air out.

The system does work well and there is no doubt that the helmet does vent very well. The only downside with the Velocity Flow Ventilation system relying on a vacuum effect to suck out air is, in theory the faster you go, the more air it will suck out and the better air flow created.

The problem is on most MX tracks the top speeds these days are not that high and there are very few long straights to really get some speed up.

While saying that, between the moisture wicking X-Static liner which also incorporates Silver antimicrobial and antibacterial material to help keep sweat at bay, along with the venting system in place, I have been more than happy with the way the helmet both breaths and keeps sweat from dripping places it shouldn't while riding.

Is it the best ventilation I have found in a helmet recently? not quite, but there is no doubt it does work very well and does the job required, then some.

The eye port on the helmet has certainly been put to the test, I have tried various types of goggles on with the Bell Moto-9, everything from the Dragon NFX Goggle, Scott's Hustle and Tyrant goggle and more recently the new Oakley AirBreak goggle and a pair of Pro Grip goggles.

While all goggles fitted nicely in to the eye port, the only issue I did have was taking the Dragon NFX goggle back off after a ride. Between the extra nose protection that that Bell Helmet offers and the nose guard on the Dragon goggle that also does a great job of keeping the nose out of harms way, the combination of the two would get caught on each other when trying to take the goggles back out.

The solution was a simple one, and was just a matter of removing the extra rubber nose protection on either the helmet or the nose piece from the goggle.

The easy adjust quick-flip visor screws make moving the visor as easy as possible. To this point in time I have had no issue with the visor slipping or moving while riding, which is pretty impressive for a visor that does not have the traditional extra support of an adjustment screw in the middle of the visor.

In fact, due to the shape of the top of the Bell Moto-9 I have been running a Go Pro on the Visor of the helmet and even with the extra weight of the camera and mount, though only minimal, I still have not had any issues with the visor moving while riding.

Cleaning of the interior of the helmet has to be the easiest I have come across, and that is saying something as the last helmet we reviewed also had padding and a liner that was super easy and quick to remove. However the Magnefusion emergency removal cheek-pads in the Bell Moto-9 carbon make life even easier once again.

The magnetic pads actually are designed not so much for easy removal for cleaning, but for easy removal in the case of an emergency. The check pads are designed to be removed while the helmet is still on, making the helmet easier to then get off in those situations where a rider may have suspected neck or back injuries.

It also makes gaining access to a Eject Helmet Removal System easier if a rider has one fitted. In addition the Bell helmet also incorporates a section in the top of the EPS liner so a eject helmet removal system can easily be fitted.

Weight wise the Bell Moto-9 lives up to its reputation of being a light weight helmet. At this point in time I have never rode for more than 30 minutes straight in the helmet, at no point in time have I felt any discomfort from wearing the helmet, or any soreness in the neck the following day after a ride.

All in all the Bell Moto-9 is a great helmet, one that I have worn flat out for the past six months and will continue to be my first point of call for the foreseeable future.

There really is nothing I can fault with the helmet at this point in time, as mentioned at the top, the reduction in noise inside the helmet takes a little getting used to.

After six months the helmet is still soft and lush to put on and I have only taken the interior out to wash twice! Though it is certainly due for a wash at the moment.

The other good news for people currently looking at purchasing the Bell Moto-9 Carbon is that a third colour way has recently been released. The Carbon Airtrix Laguna, has joined the Yellow and Black Carbon Hurricane and the Carbon Emblem White, giving you a choice of three colours to choose from.

The Bell Moto-9 comes in six sizes starting from XS and going all the way through to XXL.

What we are using: BELL HELMET
Type: Moto-9 Carbon
Colour: Carbon Emblem White
Size: Medium
RRP: $569.95
Australian Distributor: Monza Imports



Disclaimer: Monza Imports who import Bell Helmets in to Australia are a current advertiser with fullnoise.com.au