motorcycle light_Bell Star Helmet Review

Summary
Just two years from the re-launch of one of the most famous motorcycle helmets of all time, the Bell Star has been updated for 2010 with new features, a slightly different head shape and Snell 2010 safety standard approval.  The 2010 Bell Star has outstanding quality and fantastic ventilation, along with many other excellent features that make it a true standout.

Background 
motorcycle light news The Bell Star was one of the most recognized helmet names in the world back in the day and Bell is aiming to resurrect that prestige with the latest version of the helmet.

It started -- or restarted -- again in 2008, when the company announced the new Bell Star at that year's Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, which was covered live on webBikeWorld.com (more).

Once the production line was up and running, a new Bell Star found its way to webBikeWorld and it was reviewed in June of that year. 

The helmet was (and is) different and unique and it had (and has) lots of very leading-edge features, but the internal shape of the original was biased towards narrow, putting it a couple of standard deviations away from the type of fit that works the majority of motorcyclists.

Just two years later, Bell took the opportunity during a redesign to meet the Snell 2010 standard to also change the internal fit to a more neutral shape, while also improving on a few other features to make the helmet even better.

I'll describe some of the differences in this review, but let me start off by saying that the two Bell Star helmets shown here have absolutely superb quality in terms of their construction and paint and graphics, which has left me and others very impressed. 

There's something about these new Bell Star helmets that goes beyond just the numbers too -- pulling these helmets out of the box for the first time and touching the surfaces and fittings gave me one of those subjective and difficult-to-describe feelings that the Bell Star really is something different from the average helmet, no matter the brand or price.

Bell Star Paint, Graphics and Overall Quality
Bell went all out with graphics for the updated Star helmet, making it very difficult to choose a favorite color combination.  The Star has a very unique shape that simply demands a proper graphic design as a compliment and I think all of the current patterns do just that.

The interesting thing is that both the wild black and white "Cerwinske" version shown here and the much simpler matte black and white "Rally" version both compliment the unique shape of the Bell Star, with its most recognizable feature, the "Sonic the Hedgehog" rear spoiler.  At least that's what I call it, because it reminds me of the famous video game character!

When I first saw the Cerwinske graphics, I had some vague recollection of the name.  "Hmmm, Cerwinske -- where have I heard that name before?  He's an AMA motorcycle racer, right?"  Wrong.  Shows how street-smart I am.

As it turns out, Bell did something very interesting by creating an "Artist Series" for certain Bell Star Helmets.  The Cerwinske design is named for the famous street artist Jona Cerwinske. 

The concept and the helmet design are very cool indeed -- and check out more of Cerwinske's incredible work like the white Lamborghini Gallardo done entirely with a black Sharpie pen!  Think of a black and white combination of M.C. Escher and Rick Griffin and you'll pretty much have a good idea of Jona Cerwinske.

The Cerwinske graphics have been hugely popular with Bell Star customers, according to the company.  The version shown here has white colored plastic used in the chin vent, rear vents and other fittings, while a Cerwinske carbon fiber version is also available, with black colored fittings.

Besides the fantastic designs and the quality of the application on both of these helmets, they also have what I can only call perfect quality for everything else.  There's nothing out of place -- the vents, surrounds, liner and even the face shield are all beautifully made and everything is assembled to perfection.

All of this is what adds to that strong out-of-the-box first impression.  It's a helmet you can be proud to own and wear, even if it is admittedly a bit on the expensive side.  Besides, the 5-year warranty provided by Bell goes a long way toward mitigating the dent on the wallet.

And one more thing: Bell positively gives the best helmet bags in the business with the Bell Star.  This isn't some cheap sack that ends up in the bottom of the helmet box; it's an honest piece of soft luggage they could probably charge $49.95 for and no one would blink.

Score:  The Bell Star 2010 gets an "Outstanding" rating from me for overall for quality and design.  All of the vents and the face shield work smoothly and confidently.  See the Summary Table at the end of this page for a description of our rating system.