Products 17 Oct 2014

Reviewed: 2014 Bell Moto-9 Carbon Helmet

MotoOnline.com.au tests the Moto-9 Carbon from Bell Powersports.

The Bell Moto 9 Carbon features a carbon fiber shell construction with an EPS-lined chin bar and integrated roost guard. Bell’s Velocity Flow Ventilation System helps pulls air through the helmet, keeping the rider cooler on the track.

Bell’s magnetic cheek pad system allows for easy helmet removal in emergency situations. Used in conjunction with the Eject Helmet Removal System the two features allow first responders to gently remove the helmet from a rider’s head, reducing the potential for secondary neck or spine injuries.

Bell’s Flying Bridge Visor can be adjusted with two hand-in-glove adjustable QuickFlip screws that firmly hold the visor in place. The Moto-9 also features removable and washable X-Static silver-lined extended wear interior.

Positives:
First up, the looks. Our ‘Pinned White’ Bell Moto-9 Carbon looks super clean and fresh right out of the box. The combination of white, gloss and matte black, grey and carbon is really cool. Apart from graphics, the actual shape of the shell itself is rad; it’s such an aggressive looking helmet.

Fitment wise, the Bell Moto-9 Carbon is probably leaning towards the tighter side when it comes to sizing, I stuck with my usual medium choice and it’s definitely tighter than some of its competitors.

Luckily the Moto-9’s X-Static silver-lined interior is super comfortable and forgiving, meaning that I can get away with the tighter fit easily. There’s no pressure points or anything weird going on at all – it’s a super comfortable helmet!

One thing you will notice when you first ride in your Moto-9 is that the helmet actually muffles the sound of your bike a lot. It’s something that took a while to get used to, but I actually prefer it now over the more noisy surroundings I was used to in the past.

Fortunately I haven’t had to use this feature, but it’s one of my favourites and I think every helmet on the market should have it: The magnetic cheek pad system allows for easy helmet removal in an emergency situation. This minimises the chances of secondary neck or spine injuries and I really think this is a must have.

Image: Alex Gobert.

Image: Alex Gobert.

Negatives:
The one main negative comment I have to say about the Bell Moto-9 Carbon is the visor adjustment system. Without a center adjuster, the visor height is hard to keep consistent – nobody wants to go out on the track with their visor down, it’s just not cool.

In saying that though, the two adjusters to either side of the helmet are great, with the QuickFlip feature, you’re able to adjust them with your gloves on, no tools and no messing around required!

Verdict:
Bell is renowned for creating high quality helmets and the Moto-9 Carbon is no exception to that – this helmet is awesome and is worn domestically by the likes of Matt Moss, Kirk Gibbs, Lawson Bopping, Luke Arbon, Toby price and more . It looks great, fits very well, offers plenty of ventilation, great safety features and it also fits a range of goggles including the larger Oakley Airbrake MX models. It can be yours at the local RRP of $589.95.

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