MX-9 ADVENTURE
There's no doubt that adventure helmets are a
compromise, just like the bikes they are made for. Some
are more of a compromise than others, but not the Bell
MX-9 Adventure.
You'd think that having a large visor would act like a sale
and catch most of the wind, not the case, it works extremely
well on the Bell MX-9 Adventure. The visor works well at
keeping the sun from the riders eyes, especially when the
sun is getting low, in
most cases there's little
need for sunglasses
allowing for a clearer
view of the tracks and
more definition within
the surrounds.
If you did decide that
the visor was in the way
it's a simple release of
three screws to remove,
giving a great street
fighter look.
The
helmet
fits
well, firm and yet not
uncomfortable. For it's
low price, this helmet
fits perfectly (at least if
you have a Bell shaped
head).
At a fraction of the cost
of other manufacturers'
helmets, the Bell MX-9
Adventure is the perfect
fit, easily allowing for hour upon hour of hardcore riding.
The feel is like it surrounds the whole head, comfortably,
and safely. The internal padding is soft and comfortable,
yet doesn't feel spongey and cheap.
Ventilation through the Bell MX-9 Adventure is also
very good, keeping the rider cool while on the highway.
It could probably be a little better when offroad, but that's
only if you're comparing it to full moto style helmets, but
let's face it; adventure helmets are essentially road based
helmets that are adapted to offroad. The compromise
works.
For a very long time Bell has made helmets for road
use and also off road but nothing in between, the MX-9
Adventure is the first foray to fill the gap and it works
perfectly.
At around AU$250
you'd think the Bell
MX-9 Adventure is a
little on the cheap side
however, it's packed
with features that many
of the more expensive
adventure / dual sport
helmets don't.
The shell is injected
composite while the
moisture
wicking
internal
liner
also
features MIPS. What's
MIPS? We hear you ask.
Mu l t i - d i r e c t i o n a l
Impact
Protection
System is a liner
between the helmet
shell liner and helmet
foam
that
allows
the helmet to rotate
slightly during impact,
therefore
absorbing
some of the impact forces. This does work, ask our editor,
he took the full force of a bike flipping and landing on his
head. Yes, there was broken bones, but his noggin' went
relatively untouched ... nothing that we noticed ...
At around 1.5 kilograms the Bell MX-9 Adventure isn't
the lightest helmet around yet it's not heavy and once on,
you don't notice the weight difference.
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