Hey guys, I've been considering the idea of using a modular helmet for touring and came across what looks like a decent deal on the Bell Revolver. Most of the reviews are positive, but there are some that note excessive noise, excessive and turbulent air flow inside and some seal issues when used in rain. I realize that the riding style, type of bike, shape of head, etc all affect how a helmet will fit and perform so I can't put too much weight on most of the reviews.
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with these helmets on the VFR's? This will at least give me an idea of how the helmet acts when used on the same bike and rule out one of the variables.
Any input, positive or negative, is greatly appreciated.
From everyone of the reviews on modular helmets, all of them suffer from the same two issues, noise and weight. I was seriously looking into the Scorpion for a while, as it had good reviews, and considered the Bell for a time, I ultimately chose the Schuberth C3. The majority of the buyer reviews were all very positive on both noise level and overall performance, particularly with wind buffeting. (According to Schuberth it has an 88dB rating). I can't tell you if that number is accurate or what I exactly encounter at my ears, I can say it is much quieter than any of the other helmets I have owned. I also bought the SRCS communication device as it becomes an integral part of the helmet and does not hang off the side. It works really good and I am happy with it so far, but the one common issue reported was a tight fit at first. Now that I have had it a while, the comfort level is good and the fit is not an issue.
The only drawback of the Schuberth is price...it is NOT an inexpensive item ~$700.00 +~$400.00 for the SRCS device. Since I use my MC for work I had my company purchase them so that way I am reachable while on the road. Of course any conversation other than quick updates or info passing, I always pull over to talk. But the great thing about the modular is I just lift the front up and talk into the mic. I don't have to take off my helmet to chat with the office. I hang up, lower the front and get back to riding.
I'm still thinking about getting another modular for a spare, so if you do get the Bell please post up a review. Their on "close out" everywhere so they are reasonably inexpensive now.
timmythecop, on 13 January 2012 - 05:32 PM, said:
i used to love my Nolan flip up, but it lives in Holland now. I have been watchin the revolver as well. watch here for more info:
I saw that one and the one at Revzilla and they both seem to have good opinions of it, it was just a couple of the reviews that sparked some mild concern. I'll be sure to post up a review if I pull the trigger.
Saw the hi-viz revovler @ Laguna last year and purchased a clearance one from Revzilla knowing what to expect for additional noise (plugs help/normal wear here) and weight. Not the best Bell makes but as good as HJC or Shoei mods for fit and finnish.
Buying the $20 darker inner flip shade I would recommend.
Happy with the purchase and use it as much as the Shoei X-11 or AGV Ti. Especially when chill touring.
It goes with the Wheels!
[image: index.php?app=gallery&module=images§ion=img_ctrl&img=574]
RevolverHiVisYellow
Album: RC-46
Uploaded 15 Jan 2012 - 20:13
i just got a revolver, and cant wait to try it out. also got the transistions shield. hope it lives up to the hype! although it fits on the smaller side... i wear a med. usually, and it fits quite tight. it is a narrow fit. i think it should pack out a bit(i hope).
and it just snowed here. and my shock is out of the bike. boo hoo!
for 100 bucks(helmet from motorcyclesuperstore), i couldnt refuse!
Bay, have you had yours out in the rain at all? A couple people said they had issues with the seals leaking both around the visor and around the modular mechanism. I seem to have a bad weather curse on trips and that would suck if that's typical, lol.
I was first drawn to these back last summer when they started to be marked down to around $150 online. I thought the rally stripe design looked pretty neat and the price was good....but I resisted mainly due to the mixed reviews. After trying a few on at a local shop and then the online price dropping so much, I picked one up late last week and it is supposed to be here tomorrow. I figure that even if it is a bit loud, $100 for a nice helmet (and a modular at that) is not bad. My HJC helmet is not the quietest, so it may not even be noticeable.
After eying it for some time, I ordered one from M-S when it was a deal of the day for $80. I've only worn it a few times so far as its winter and there is no chin curtin or ability to install one. The modular part (chin) is only plastic; there is no padding aside from the plastic shell, which I don't think would do any good in a face first crash. I wouldn't want to do any extensive highway in it because of that, but for a back up helmet/modular I am pleased with it.
[image: View Post]timmythecop, on 16 January 2012 - 06:24 PM, said:
I found it strange that the Bell stand at the Motorcycle Expo did not have any Revolvers to check out. I wanted to see it up close, but no joy.
I was at the show in DC Saturday and they had the Revolver (solid and striped). Tried a medium on and it fit perfectly (I wear a medium Caberg). Their "show special" was a measly $20.00 off MSRP ($199.99 to $179.99). They are available on-line at several places for $99.99 or less, some including shipping. Nice helmet!
[image: View Post]JoeQ, on 16 January 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:
After eying it for some time, I ordered one from M-S when it was a deal of the day for $80. I've only worn it a few times so far as its winter and there is no chin curtin or ability to install one. The modular part (chin) is only plastic; there is no padding aside from the plastic shell, which I don't think would do any good in a face first crash. I wouldn't want to do any extensive highway in it because of that, but for a back up helmet/modular I am pleased with it.
That's one of the concerns that I had reading the reviews....the lack of a chin curtain and the fact that wind noise mostly comes from air rushing upward in the chin area. I've read where some of the later production helmets have a curtain included...so fingers crossed that mine does when it arrives. If not, Motorcyclesuperstore.com appears to sell it separately for $15.
Well, it arrived today. No chin curtain included, but I think I will try it without before getting one. Really like the fit. Sizing for me is just about like my HJC, but more room/comfort for my ears. Nice helmet...and I really dig the stripes. :smile:
Wish I could go out and try it now, but it's like 35F outside with possibility of flurries later. Guess it'll have to wait till it breaks 40 (my riding temp threshold).
A few notes to consider.
As I mentioned earlier I thought that the tint on the Inner shield was too light for "into a low sun" riding and would opt for the darker one as a $20 replacement if they can be found in the near future.
The other option would be to just leave the inner shield as is and replace the outer shield with the photochromatic shield abeit that purchase price would near match the price of the helmet!
Also, the neat magnetic tab that holds the chin strap end to the buckle is a steel bit held into a hole punched through the strap tip by a glued piece of fabric on either side of the strap. (A very cool feature)
One of the fabric covers came loose (within the first 5 uses) and fell to the ground at a rest stop and required some looking around the bike for it and the steel bit when I discovered it was gone.
At home I removed both sides and reattached them with some rubber cement.
Check the adhesion of those fabric covers...
And yeah, the noise factor is a modular compromise even with ear plugs..Went for a nice bright sun coastal ride this past weekend using the AGV TI-Tech and the noise level was nil by comparison.
This is with a Honda square top windscreen (for chest height blast). I'll throw the D-Bubble to see if that changes things.
I've been thinking about a modular helmet for a while. The option to flip it up and converse at a light or take a swig of water intrigues me. The design of the Revolver seemed to be sportier than the others...Bell used to be a great helmet back in the 80's, hopefully still decent...Motorcycle Superstore had them for $99 and I said what the heck, "gimme a silver one". For $99 it'll make a good back up if I don't like it.
It came in 2 days and it was lighter than I expected. Fit was good but I am curious as to what it will feel like after a couple hours on my head. Bike's bundled up in the basement for the winter but I can't wait to try it out.
Just a followup on my helmet purchase. It wasn't until this past week that I got around to trying it out (50-60 degree winter days in Indiana!). Took the bike out for a ride on the highway. This helmet is LOUD! Granted, it was a bit windy, but it was just entirely too loud for my ears. It wasn't just regular wind noise, the air seemed to "whistle" or "howl" through the gaskets making it amplified and almost deafening. My regular helmet is an HJC FS10...which is probably average as far as noise goes....this Bell was 10 times louder.
What a disappointment. I packed it back in the box and sent it back. I guess I know why they came down in price so much recently. Oh well, it was worth a try. :sad:
[image: View Post]IndyFour, on 04 February 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:
Just a followup on my helmet purchase. It wasn't until this past week that I got around to trying it out (50-60 degree winter days in Indiana!). Took the bike out for a ride on the highway. This helmet is LOUD! Granted, it was a bit windy, but it was just entirely too loud for my ears. It wasn't just regular wind noise, the air seemed to "whistle" or "howl" through the gaskets making it amplified and almost deafening. My regular helmet is an HJC FS10...which is probably average as far as noise goes....this Bell was 10 times louder.
What a disappointment. I packed it back in the box and sent it back. I guess I know why they came down in price so much recently. Oh well, it was worth a try. :sad:
I thought this kind of helmet is suitable for cruisers, i.e. Harley, Goldwing riders. That 's good for ride at low speed and many stops for chit chat, for doing something else which could be very difficult with the full-face helmet on.
For those who love speed, should not using this, as the modular type must contains more parts than the other fulface one, more weight, more chance to breakdown, and also noisier as per users' comments.
Ah, the bike with high touring windscreen could be more suitable with the modular helmet.
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 05 February 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:
[image: View Post]IndyFour, on 04 February 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:
Just a followup on my helmet purchase. It wasn't until this past week that I got around to trying it out (50-60 degree winter days in Indiana!). Took the bike out for a ride on the highway. This helmet is LOUD! Granted, it was a bit windy, but it was just entirely too loud for my ears. It wasn't just regular wind noise, the air seemed to "whistle" or "howl" through the gaskets making it amplified and almost deafening. My regular helmet is an HJC FS10...which is probably average as far as noise goes....this Bell was 10 times louder.
What a disappointment. I packed it back in the box and sent it back. I guess I know why they came down in price so much recently. Oh well, it was worth a try. :sad:
Were you wearing earplugs?
Every helmet I've had was loud without ear plugs. I can't stand riding without them.
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 05 February 2012 - 09:17 AM, said:
Were you wearing earplugs?
No. I do wear plugs when riding long-distance, but for around town or shorter highway jaunts, I prefer not to wear them. If someone always wore earplugs, the noise issue would be a moot point I suppose. I'm sure head shape/size has alot to do with how much noise one experiences. Just didn't work for me. $100 for a decent helmet is a bargain....I just knew that I'd always tend to grab my other helmet and this Bell would sit on the shelf, so back it went.
[image: View Post]IndyFour, on 04 February 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:
Just a followup on my helmet purchase. It wasn't until this past week that I got around to trying it out (50-60 degree winter days in Indiana!). Took the bike out for a ride on the highway. This helmet is LOUD! Granted, it was a bit windy, but it was just entirely too loud for my ears. It wasn't just regular wind noise, the air seemed to "whistle" or "howl" through the gaskets making it amplified and almost deafening. My regular helmet is an HJC FS10...which is probably average as far as noise goes....this Bell was 10 times louder.
What a disappointment. I packed it back in the box and sent it back. I guess I know why they came down in price so much recently. Oh well, it was worth a try. :sad:
Not sure if you had a look at the new offerings from Shoei, but they have a new Modular coming out, the 'Neotech'. It's more like the Schuberth in features and design but cost a little less (only a little). Obviously the Bell is extremely low cost in comparison to both of the fore mentioned but I think the Shoei might be something to look at. I've been a Shoei wearer for some time and I even have an RF-1100 for sport riding but in regards to modular helmets, I didn't like the Multitech's offering, but I do like the Neotech's.
I ordered a $99 hi-vis Revolver from motorcycle-superstore.com, $57 shipping to Canada so I had it shipped free to my parents in Alabama and won't get it until they return. Side note, apparently having a billing address in Canada and shipping to an RV park with a street address of Sleepy Holler Circle is not worthy of comment by any of the vendors I've dealt with this winter :ohmy:
The biggest issue in reviews seemed to be the noise; I found a few posts claiming that 2 rear exit vents lead directly to the ear openings in the helmet liner, and covering them with tape cut the noise by 90%. Also, afaik all hi-vis models come with the chin curtain. I love flip-ups, will probably never ride without one again (track being a possible exception), will definitely never buy another foggy HJC piece of shit again, so with a reported fix for the noise issue and a rep for being fogproof the Revolver seemed worth taking a $99 chance on. Especially since the next step up on the flip-up, hi-vis, fog-resistant food chain would be an Exo-900 at nearly 3 times the price.
[image: View Post]RedEye, on 17 February 2012 - 07:20 PM, said:
I ordered a $99 hi-vis Revolver from motorcycle-superstore.com, $57 shipping to Canada so I had it shipped free to my parents in Alabama and won't get it until they return. Side note, apparently having a billing address in Canada and shipping to an RV park with a street address of Sleepy Holler Circle is not worthy of comment by any of the vendors I've dealt with this winter :ohmy:
The biggest issue in reviews seemed to be the noise; I found a few posts claiming that 2 rear exit vents lead directly to the ear openings in the helmet liner, and covering them with tape cut the noise by 90%. Also, afaik all hi-vis models come with the chin curtain. I love flip-ups, will probably never ride without one again (track being a possible exception), will definitely never buy another foggy HJC piece of shit again, so with a reported fix for the noise issue and a rep for being fogproof the Revolver seemed worth taking a $99 chance on. Especially since the next step up on the flip-up, hi-vis, fog-resistant food chain would be an Exo-900 at nearly 3 times the price.
Most modulars will suffer from high noise levels, some more than others. Check out the video review of the Shoei 'Neotech' at Revzilla.com. You'll see why the noise level is so high on most of the modulars and how Shoei (Schuberth and Scorpion too) handle the issue. Not that you're not going to be happy with the Bell, just an FYI. The price of the Bell is tempting, I thought about buying it as my spare modular, but I just can't seem to pull the trigger. It just doesn't have all of what I'm looking for.
That being said, I did buy a Bilt helmet at Cycle Gear because it was half off (Paid $59.00 for it), although it is not my primary helmet, I'll use it from time to time. I bought it as a spare and/or for a guest who may want to ride with me. The noise level compared to my Shoei RF-1100 is substantial but that's why I have the Shoei (RF-1100) and Schuberth (C3), they are both top notch. I think that if I did get another modular, I'd get the Shoei Neothech.
I hope that once you get the Bell the modification resolves the noise issue and that it really is a hidden gem.
Picked up the chin curtain (pretty slick piece) for $5 plus shipping. M-Superstore is blowing them out now. The package also came with some pieces of the cheek pad foam rubber to plug the base of each strap behind the cheek padding. Will also try taping the rear vents or possibly fill the air space around each ear area that are hollowed to allow for intercom speakers. (can't hurt)
End of thread · 28 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 18 Jun 2012
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