By JOHN Ogden Jr |
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BELL MODULAR HELMET good reasons for
Two wearing a helmet are comfort and safety . Since most helmets you buy have passed DOT safety standards , we should consider features , comfort , and cost . Today , we are looking at the Bell SRT-Modular . It has recessed EPS speaker pockets and class 1 Panovision optics β and adds the convenience of a modular helmet . The big question is why a person would switch from Shoei Neotec to a β lesser β helmet . The answer lies in necessity . When Holly and I flew to Australia , the airline lost our luggage , which had the riding gear we needed . Not being one to miss a chance for a bike ride , I quickly found an accessory outlet . The first order of business was finding a helmet , as I have a hard head to fit . The difficulty of helmet fit is what drove me to high-end brands such as Shoei and Arai . I started
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trying on helmets that were cheap to see if I could save a few hundred dollars . Much to my amazement , I found a Bell Qualifier that fit like a glove and was only $ 120 . Sign me up . I discovered that the helmet fit as well as any , and better than most . That led me to try a modular from Bell for my main touring helmet . I β ve put several thousand miles on the SRT-Modular and have found a perfect fit .
On a 900-mile day , I never noticed any pain or discomfort . I never thought about the helmet until I got to my stop for the night . That helmet had been on my head all day , and for most of my stops , I never pulled it off ; I just flipped the chin bar up . That is a first for me as I normally push the helmet up with my shoulders to ease the pain after a few hundred miles . I β ve found the Bell to feel much lighter , which has stopped my neck pain I had with the old Shoei . For this head , I β ve found my helmet . One additional perk is that I can take the helmet off without lifting the modular chin bar , which is very convenient . The vents in the helmet flow a good amount of air without adding much extra noise . Without a nice windshield to ride behind , there is some wind noise ,
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more than with the Arai , but on par with the Neotec .
I have noticed the SRT-Modular doesn β t seal as well , so you get a little wind even with all the vents closed and the face shield locked down . This isn β t an issue unless you are riding in cold weather . It is such a minor issue that even in the downpour I rode in for a few hours , it never let water in . The Shoei Neotec retails for $ 800 and the Bell SRT-Modular retails for $ 400 . For half the price , I get more comfort while putting up with a draftier helmet . Tape goes a long way to sealing up helmets , and after a year on the Shoei , I had to put earplugs in the vents to stop wind noise and rain from coming in . This Bell is quickly earning a top spot as my all-time favorite . This summer will reveal all as I traverse the USA in the heat of summer . CMA
John Jr and Holly Ogden , John serves as CMA Senior Vice President .
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