Hey, everyone! I’m back to looking at helmets for a bit! I just purchased myself a Bell Qualifier DLX so I wanted to talk a bit about that but I’ve already done a blog post that goes into the Qualifier in pretty deep detail. So I thought I’d look at a different kind of helmet and I found a helmet that I had considered getting in the past- The Bell MX-9 Adventure Helmet.
The MX-9, the version with a visor anyway, will go by a few labels such as being an “adventure” helmet, a “dual sport” helmet and may even be labelled into a more specific group such as Motocross. The helmet actually has a version that is called the Bell MX-9 Motocross that doesn’t have a visor and is purely for Motocross and offroad. Personally I like “adventure” as it sounds more fun but no matter what label you put on the visored version of the MX-9 it, it’s a helmet designed for being used both on and off the road. The original MX-9 shell with the long chin bar and the sun peak are what make it great for Motocross but the visor and aerodynamics of the helmet are what make it suitable for the road as well.
The shell is made from a Polycarbonate, a tough material that is sturdy in an impact, resists abrasion and is lightweight. All qualities that a good helmet needs out of it’s shell since it’s holding everything in, most important of which is your head. There are three shell and EPS sizes, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one that is a good fit for you, even the chin bar is lined with it for the most protection. Around the shell you’ll notice intakes for the Velocity Flow Ventilation System. Its designed to keep you cool by allowing fresh air, as you’re riding, to be shunted in through the front of the helmet and push the hot air out of the exhaust vents on the back.
The Visor is removable if you’d rather ride with it that way, giving you the option of riding with motocross goggles off road instead but personally I’d keep it on. It’s a NutraFog II anti fog visor that’s anti-scratch and protects your eyes from UV light so I don’t see a downside to riding with the visor myself.
The padded strap of the helmet features a double D-ring fastener to keep the helmet comfortably and securely on your head. The lining inside the helmet is an air channeled comfort liner that is moisture wicking, anti-bacterial and is also removable, so keeping your helmet clean and fresh is as easy as can be.
Some of the Bell MX-9 Helmets also some with MIPS, a Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. Its an advanced brain protection technology that uses a “slip plane” inside the helmet. In the event of more angled and rotational impacts, the slip plane allows the head to turn just a little bit inside the head using small bungee-like attachments that keep this slip plane in place. This works to slow the movement of your head down inside the helmet and mimics the way the fluid in the human skull buffers the brain against hitting the inside of your head in an impact. It applies the same concept to the helmet and results in some very effective brain trauma protection. But of course, naturally, this means that the versions of the MX-9 that have this installed are a bit more expensive. But for what it is, it’s not -that- much more expensive, for this advanced brain protection tech- it’s only an additional £40.
The MX-9 Adventure comes in a few different graphics and colour options ranging from £149.99 to £189.99 depending on whether you choose a version with MIPS installed.
Solid
Plain
Barricade
Raid
Solid MIPS
Stryker MIPS
RSD MIPS
The Bell MX-9 Adventure is a really great helmet whether you’re using it on the road or if you’re blazing some muddy trails. And for under £200 it’s also really affordable for the quality you’re getting, quality Bell are famous for delivering. I can definitely see this one being added to my collection in the future but I may wait until my Qualifier DLX isn’t as new. Thanks for reading, everybody!
Until next time!
-MattW at Ghostbikes.com
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