Bell Revolver Flip up Helmet

[Duc OT]

Has anyone bought one of these yet?

[scott19]

I didn't know the Revolver existed until I saw this thread. Unfortunately, I'm a year or two away from justifying a new helmet purchase. But I'll be giving it some consideration when the time comes. I like Bell helmets.

[cognosticator]

Here is a review at Revzilla


I was getting excited about the helmet until I saw the drop down sunshade mechanism was on the left side at the bottom of the helmet where I would need to mount my Sena.

I found a like new Shoei Multitec yesterday for $250 and it was close enough for me to pick it up.

[Hickey]

That's a good looking helmet. I wonder how heavy it is and what the interior shape is like.

[cognosticator]

That's a good looking helmet. I wonder how heavy it is and what the interior shape is like.

This should tell you what you want to know:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-revolver/

Oops, I didn't read it before I posted the link. That don't tell you shit.........sorry

Technologies:
- Industries first Modular helmet designed for function and performance all in one
- Internal Sun Shade offers "on the fly" protection from the sun without having to stop and change shields
- Velocity Flow Ventilation system with FlowAdjust for maximum ventilation and temperature control
- Lightweight composite polycarbonate alloy shell
- Super stable aerodynamic signature resists buffeting and lift
- Contour Cut Cheekpads for superior fit and comfort
- ClickRelease for the fastest, easiest, tool-free shield swaps ever
- NutraFog II superior anti-fog, anti-scratch, and UV protected shield
- Removable and washable, antibacterial/antimicrobial interior comfort liner
- Exclusive Magnefusion magnetic strap keeper (Patent Pending)
- Padded chin strap with D-ring closure
- Five-year warranty
- Certification: DOT Approved
- Weight: 1750 grams

[Hickey]

I read the weight claim by Bell, but I'd like to have that confirmed by Web Bike World.

1750 puts it in the middle of weights of other modular helmets tested by WBW, so if the published weight is accurate then the Revolver might not be a particularly heavy modular.  Which is good news if it is also strong.

Revzilla says it has a slightly round interior shape, but again I'd like to see how WBW rates it. They seem to be pretty consistent with how they rate shape and have tested many helmets, so there are multiple of points of comparison from my personal experience.

I'm looking forward to more information. It is not expensive. It looks good. It might not be heavy for a modular. It might not have a round interior shape and instead be more neutral. It is probably too much to hope for a slightly narrow interior shape, but a neutral shape might work for me depending on the liner.

[mugwump58]

What? No microlock?

[Justin]

I'm intrigued by this helmet. I like the fact that it's designed for sport riding. Anyone know how Bell sizes run compared to HJC?

[cognosticator]

I'm intrigued by this helmet. I like the fact that it's designed for sport riding. Anyone know how Bell sizes run compared to HJC?

On the HJC I wear a medium, I have a Bell Star medium and  it also fits great so I would say they fit the same.

[Justin]

On the HJC I wear a medium, I have a Bell Star medium and  it also fits great so I would say they fit the same.

Thanks

[Nesbocaj]

 Bought one, got sent two, sent both back. Yes, I'm going for the good citizen award 2011.

Sizing put me at the low end of medium, it was too tight, temple pressure. Figured the large would be too big.

Wore the helmet for a while, took it off and then put on my multitec, just so much better than the bell, more money too.  

The locking mechanism seemed a bit spindly as compared to the multi. The base of the locking pin is in plastic, the plastic could have surrounded a metal base, but being able to flex it with my fingers I would doubt it.

The drop down sun shades are cool, with pretty good indents to hold it in place, but not good enough to keep it from bouncing on the craptastic NYS roads I would imagine.

For $200, not really a bad deal, I think the Shoei has me jaded, so no deal for me.

You may ask: why this and the Multi: I wanted a second flip as my commuter helmet to take the everyday abuse.

[cognosticator]

 For $200, not really a bad deal, I think the Shoei has me jaded, so no deal for me.

Makes me feel better about getting a like new Multitec for $250 as I was looking at the Revolver  

[Duc OT]

Makes me feel better about getting a like new Multitec for $250 as I was looking at the Revolver  
[/quote]

Cog,

Where did you score a Multitec for $250?

[sprint_st]

Makes me feel better about getting a like new Multitec for $250 as I was looking at the Revolver  

Just got done with a two month long search for a replacement for my RF1000 which replaced a Signet GT which replace a Quantum.

Went to Competition Accessories Warehouse in Rock Hill, SC who had the most helmets I have seen one place and tried helmet after helmet.  Tried Cycle Gear and MR Cycles which also had a lot of helmets.  Couldn't find a single modular that would fit.    Almost pulled the trigger on the Multitec but it just did not fit "right."  My problem is a huge head and a chin that touched or crammed into the chin bar in all modulars.  The Bell vortex in XXlarge seemed to be a snug fit and OK.  Would have been nice if a revolver was available.  Wound up with an RF1100 which is the BEST helmet "for me" that I have ever owned.  Sure envy you guys with modulars at the gas pumps, but at speed the fit and quietness of the RF1100 keeps me happy.

[Justin]

Where did you score a Multitec for $250?

+1, I'd like to know that as well lol

[cognosticator]

Makes me feel better about getting a like new Multitec for $250 as I was looking at the Revolver  


Cog,

Where did you score a Multitec for $250?

I kept searching craigslist and found one 120 miles from Savannah in Charleston SC, I have a riding buddy who goes to Charleston twice a week.  I called him, he was there, I called the owner of the helmet and those two met up and my buddy picked up the helmet for me    I got lucky that day, so I played the lottery.  I guess I used up all my luck on the helmet  

[DJStevieB]

My Nolan 102 Flip-up helmet is about 4.5 lbs. The Revolver is 1750 grams= 3.86 lbs. My price for the Bell Revolver 'Rally' model was just over $200. Here's a few pictures.







I have a Bell Star Viper helmet that I absolutely love. It's extremely lightweight, functional & has a cool factor. I wear a size small in the Star. I was advised to get a size larger (Medium) for the Revolver. Good thing. It fits tight (a good thing). One thing that I noticed right away... as I pulled down the front to lock it down, the pressure increased a bit around the jaw area. The Revolver uses the same shield as the my Bell Star, but it doesn't have the micro-adjust nor locking ability as the Star does. The flip-down sunglasses are a nice feature... not as dark as I like it, but I normally wear a dark or iridium shield anyway. The new auto-tint shield is available, too. I don't know how the helmet functions with sound, but the Star is noisy with all the vents open, & very quiet with them closed. (Duh). I installed IASUS helmet speakers in the Revolver (like my Nolan 102). There's cutouts behind a mesh material.  My Star Viper came with a beautiful bag with spare parts, etc. The Revolver comes with only a nice soft bag/cover (as shown).

I'll update this post when I can get out & ride. Friggin' winter!

[cognosticator]

 The new auto-tint shield is available, too.

POS, I bought one, left it out in the bright sun on a July day for 2 hours, it hardly changed at all.  I sent it back for a refund.  The rep told me "It will get as dark as a dark smoke shield"    I should have know better

[scott19]

Full Webbikeworld review up:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-revolver/review.htm

[Duc OT]

Full Webbikeworld review up:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-revolver/review.htm

Yep.  Saw that last night.  As the OP, I think I will stick with Shoei and get a Multitec.

[zenwhipper]

I like the speaker cutout. I am not down with the self tinting visor. I don't like something that I can't seem to control.  

scott

[Justin]

I don't like something that I can't seem to control.  

scott

same here - particularly since I don't even like tinted visors to start with. I like the "looks" and concept of this helmet - but after reading the review, I think I'll wait till they can work out some of the issue (leaky visor etc).

[squeezer]

If it wasn't for the placement of that visor switch, I'd probably go for this one.

[scott19]

Yep.  Saw that last night.  As the OP, I think I will stick with Shoei and get a Multitec.

Even if I was willing to pay the price for a Multitec, I could never justify it because I don't like how my chin hits the chinbar. Just goes to show you how personal and unique everyone's relationship is with helmets. There is no such thing as a helmet that fits everybody, regardless of price.

I'll be keeping an eye on the Revolver. I have a feeling it'll be tweaked here and there by the time I'm in the market for a new lid.  

[sprint_st]

Even if I was willing to pay the price for a Multitec, I could never justify it because I don't like how my chin hits the chinbar. Just goes to show you how personal and unique everyone's relationship is with helmets. There is no such thing as a helmet that fits everybody, regardless of price.

I'll be keeping an eye on the Revolver. I have a feeling it'll be tweaked here and there by the time I'm in the market for a new lid.  

Scott, you must be my evil twin    Got the same problem.  Tried them all except this new Bell.  Only the HJC modulars fit without the chin touching but the overall fit did not match the Multitec.  Had one of the original Shuberth modulars and the XXXL did fit the chin, but I could almost spin that baby around on my head it was so big.

[scott19]

Update: I've noticed that the Revolver has gone on serious discount lately. I'm talking half price discount. They were going for $200 when they first came out, and now they are easy to find in the $100 range. They are on such such huge discount that I'm wondering if something defective has been discovered. I don't want to yell "fire!" in the theater, but this brand new design helmet went from $200 to $100ish in the span of a year?   Reading the reviews, the biggest complaints are that it's loud, it's round head biased and pieces of trim have come loose. Still, it's averaging 4 stars out of 5 on most sites I've seen.

[sprint_st]

 They are on such such huge discount that I'm wondering if something defective has been discovered. I don't want to yell "fire!" in the theater, but this brand new design helmet went from $200 to $100ish in the span of a year?  

I was looking at a Bell Star not too long ago.  Owned one back in the old days when they were "the" best.  Bell seems to be making some excellent stuff now but getting a flip to fit right has caused me to hesitate from buying any of them.  This is another reason:

Notice how close that would have been to the hinge.  Think I'm going to stay full face.

[jesse v]

I have the Bell Vortex helmet (non-modular).  I love it.  Extremely plush and comfy interior, and the visor attachment mechanism is amazingly simple and effective.  Ventilation works.  Field of vision is not hindered at all.

My last HJC was an XL, and my Bell is as well.  Same fit.

[scott19]

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered one in large from the local Cycle Gear (available for order not kept in stock). Went to pick it up today. Trying it on, it felt tight all the way around, which is not surprising, as I was at the upper limit measurement-wise for a large. The deal killer however was that I couldn't my glasses to go in right with the helmet on. The padding around the ear just kept pushing the arms up at an angle. (disclosure: the arms on my glasses are pretty spindly, but go on fine with my GMax G68s). I had a similar experience with a Scorpion helmet once before. Goes to show you how one small detail can make or break a deal. The helmet seemed nice otherwise. It's a shame it didn't work out.

As a side note, I was very pleased with being able to order it from Cycle Gear and try it on right there in the store. Doing so cut out the hassle of shipping something back and I avoided any dispute over whether the helmet had been worn. I did have to pay in advance, but the refund procedure was painless.    

[camaroz1985]

I ordered two of them from Motorcycle Superstore last week.  They had a one day sale for $85 (normally they are $110 for solid colors).  I got one for myself and one for my fiancee.  They should be here tonight.  I've never used a modular so I'm curious to see how they work.  She hasn't either but didn't like the feeling of putting on a full face helmet.  She was fine once it was one, just actually sliding it over her head it was really tight.  Hopefully this will resolve that and she will go on a few more rides with me.

[camaroz1985]

Got them on monday, and they both fit well.  It is a little hard to get my glasses on while wearing the helmet, but they do work.  Might have to modify the padding as I saw someone did on webbikeworld.

Initial impressions are good.  They seem decently made, but there are some glaring issues with the supplied accessories.  First the breath guard on the top of the chin bar hits the rubber seal of the eye port when you open the chinbar.  This can be fixed with a little trimming of the guard with a razor blade, but I think Bell should have fixed this first.  Also my helmet came with a breath deflector/chin curtain that I haven't seen in any of the reviews so far (maybe it was a late addition, my helmet has a manufacture date of 8/11).  It snaps into the vents in the chin bar and kind of wraps around your chin.  There were a lot of reviews that said it needed a chin curtain so maybe this is Bell's answer.  Unfortunately with it installed you can't open the chin bar more than about half way, as in interferes with the upper part of the helmet.  My temporary solution was to remove both the breath guard and chin curtain.

I only took a short ride to work this morning, and I would say the helmet is about as noisy or maybe slightly more so than my HJC IS-16 (on a Versys with a Givi windscreen, and I always wear ear plugs).  There is a lot of air that comes in under the chin bar so I will be trying to get the curtain to work for the winter.  Also the inner sunshield has good coverage of the eye port, but is not dark enough.  I will be getting two dark smoke inner visors (had to do the same for the IS-16).  Also the anti-fog coating seems to work great.  I had to keep the visor on my IS-16 cracked until I get out of town and get up to speed, but the visor on the Revolver can be closed, and left closed even at traffic lights (well until my glasses started to fog up).

All in all I think it was a good purchase, especially for $85.  It is my first modular, and I think I will like it, but I haven't had enough time with my head in it yet to determine that.

Also tomorrow my Scala Rider G4 will arrive and I will give that a try.  I have used the Q2 with my IS-16, but got a good cyber monday deal on a set of G4's and wanted to upgrade to hopefully only have to take one device with me for wireless music and gps.

I have a Q2 available for a very reasonable price if anyone is interested.  I was thinking $75 shipped.

[camaroz1985]

Here are a few pictures I took with my phone.  Sorry for the bad quality.

Helmet


Chin curtain




Talked to someone else who got theirs from the Motorcycle Superstore sale, and it didn't come with the chin curtain.

I used the curtain today on the way into work, and it made a huge difference.  It does hit the weatherstripping above the visor, but a little force and it will go passed, and allow the chin bar to open fully.  I just don't like that, as I would assume it would eventually cause problems with sealing.  I will look into a way to fix it, but don't know how much is possible.  Also I don't know how well an intercom mic would fit with the chin curtain in place.  My G4 comes tonight so I will test it with and without the curtain.

[scott19]

I wonder if yours had the chin curtain because it's a HiViz model (it is, isn't it?). The HiViz models are a newer edition than the rest. Perhaps the other person got one of the original colors? The one I ordered was white, and didn't have the curtain.

Camaroz, are the arms on your glasses fairly stout? Mine are spindly wire types, and didn't cooperate with the padding at all (work fine with my Gmax GM68 though).

[mugwump58]

Is there a weather strip at the top of the visor?

[camaroz1985]

I wonder if yours had the chin curtain because it's a HiViz model (it is, isn't it?). The HiViz models are a newer edition than the rest. Perhaps the other person got one of the original colors? The one I ordered was white, and didn't have the curtain.

Camaroz, are the arms on your glasses fairly stout? Mine are spindly wire types, and didn't cooperate with the padding at all (work fine with my Gmax GM68 though).

Yes, mine is the Hi-Viz, and like I said it has an 8/11 build date, so I'm guessing it is newer than a lot of the others.

My glasses do have pretty stout plastic arms.  That is probably why they work with the padding, though they do put a little pressure on them.  I technically don't "need" to drive with them (passed both my car and motorcycle vision tests without them), so in the winter I take them off while riding so they don't fog up.

Is there a weather strip at the top of the visor?

There is weatherstripping on the shell at the top of the visor, and that is what everything gets hung up on.

[mg66]

I bought one this week.

For a $200 helmet out for 50% off and I had a $75 gift card I figured 25 bucks for a Bell helmet was pretty good. I am only going to use this as my commuting helmet at present but if I like it maybe I will tour with it instead.

I also had a Bell Star back in the early 80s when they were the cat's meow of helmets and one of the only ones that were Snell approved and absolutely loved it.