American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 226 May 2018 | Page 44

Biltwell ‘Lane Splitter’ Helmets –
Feature-Rich and Convincing
The motorcycle helmet “space” is
a “crowded house” at the best of
times, but with tastes and business
opportunities changing as new
generations of riders seek to
differentiate themselves, the
market has become complex from
a dealer’s point of view.
The stocking overhead has risen as
more styles are needed to cater to
traditional and emerging customer
groups, and the choices that a
store makes says a lot about how
close to the action the owners are.
As the stakes rise, vendor choices
are critical, and of all the volume
helmet options that buyers are
faced with, that ability for the shop to make
a statement about itself is at a premium.
Enter into fray Californian designer Biltwell.
Not entirely new to the market, Biltwell has
carefully finessed its offer and the
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
perception of its brand values over several
years. The result of that experience is now
to be seen in three ranges – their half shell
DOT approved ‘Bonanza’ line, ‘Gringo’ and
‘Gringo S’ full face DOT programs (ECE
approval is expected to follow later this
year), and, seen here, their top-selling
comms-ready DOT/ECE ‘Lane Splitter’ full
face range.
All three are feature-rich, combining
comfort with safety, and all three deliver on
one of the ‘Holy Grails’ of the helmet
designers – that often sought but rarely
achieved marriage between 21st century
materials and safety standards, and a
convincing interpretation of ‘retro’ desi