Bell Revolver helmet

I love my Arai Vector helmet. I've got two, one with Ducati colors (red, white, black). They're fantastic helmets - light, aerodynamic, and incredibly well engineered for impact.

However, with the heat cranked up this summer and the city traffic atrociously constricted by way too much construction (every f**king route to work is clogged with some kind of construction), I really wanted something open-faced for when I'm chugging along in first and second gear. I looked at some of the open-faced helmets the cafe racer crowd were wearing. But I didn't feel these scooter-style helmets were safe enough for a 1000cc Ducati. So I began shopping around for modulars.

Bell's offering seemed the best choice. They have a more established brand than HTC who also make modulars - though I may be completely wrong - and the Revolver happens to be sport-rider specific. My biggest beef is that it's only DOT certified and lacks Snell certification - though this is true for all modulars. The industry should fix this IMO.

First off, it's by far an inferior helmet to my Arai Vector. My Vector is much lighter, has both DOT and Snell certification, has better sound-proofing, and the padding is more comfortable.

What the Bell Revolver has going for it is the ability to lift up the chin bar and let you get a little more ventilation circulating around your head. When fully closed, it's also go a bit more venting than the Vector. There are a few other advantages it has over the Vector - the Vector really being a no- nonsense racing helmet - like the built-in sun-visor that pops down behind the shield, and an option to use a photo-chromic shield. The Revolver also has a much easier mechanism for removing and installing shields.

Finally, it was available in the same color-scheme as my bike.

While I'll likely stick to my Vector if I'm planning on any highway riding, for my daily commute on city streets, the Bell Revolver has a few handy features that make it useful.

Next, I need to find finger pads for my gloves that let me use my iPhone without taking them off!