Jack has recently been out on the road putting the Bell SRT Blackout helmet to the test. He tells us about what it's like living with the lid, and what he thinks of it so far... Review: Jack Maguire

For the past few months I’ve been sporting Bell’s SRT Blackout lid and it’s been a great helmet that I really can’t fault. I’ve worn it day in and day out in all sorts of weather and it’s proved that it’s a serious mid price contender among the premium road helmets on the market.

Jack found this helmet so comfortable, he quite literally wore it everywhere!

Jack found this helmet so comfortable, he quite literally wore it everywhere – even at his desk!

Bell did a great job with the design, sharp lines mixed with that blacked out look makes for a seriously cool helmet. The ‘Blackout’, being the lid we received, features the ‘Blackout’ graphic, and has the Dark Tint Panovision visor included in the box. The Dark Tint Panovision visor is available separately for $139.95RRP. It’s finished off with a mixture of Matte and Gloss which I think is unique and makes for a great looking helmet.

For something as inexpensive as the SRT, it’s surprisingly comfortable. I can wear this helmet all day without complaint and if you’re a sweaty bastard like myself, you won’t have to worry about being stuck with a stinky, sweaty helmet all the time because the SRT comes with a removable and washable antibacterial lining. All you have to do is give it a wash and you’re set!

The Bell SRT Blackout is a mean and aggressive looking helmet, especially coupled with the tinted Panovision shield.

The Bell SRT Blackout is a mean and aggressive looking helmet, especially coupled with the tinted Panovision shield.

Speaking of comfort, it can be pretty annoying stuck in a helmet on a hot day, but even on some of the hottest days I felt quite cool inside the Bell. Even though the helmet only has two vents, one on the chin bar and one at the top, it offers great ventilation and keeps you cool.

Looking through the shield, you have an abundance of vision, the field of view is great and it’s something that I really can’t fault. Bell also made the SRT eyewear compatible, which is great for glasses-wearers like me who are as blind as a bat, but this also means that you don’t have to splash more money on a tinted visor and just stick with good old sunnies.



The SRT also offers the option to integrate speakers into recessed EPS speaker pockets, which I unfortunately was unable to test as I didn’t have any speakers to use, but just looking at the pockets you can see that there is plenty of room to accommodate them.

The lid is really quite lightweight too, especially considering that this is an affordable helmet. I think it contributes a lot to the comfort of this helmet, because when you have to wear a helmet all day, having a heavy helmet can be really uncomfortable. The construction is a lightweight fibreglass composite, which really helps with those weight savings.

The helmet offers a good amount of protection being both DOT and ECE approved.

The helmet offers a good amount of protection being both DOT and ECE approved.

The helmet is both DOT and ECE approved, offering great protection, and the adjustable chin strap is super comfortable and keeps you nice and strapped in. Changing the visor from tint to clear is a 30-second job, there is little fogging and wind noise is minimal.

For an affordable $349.95 for the standard SRT – featuring plain colours/graphics, or $409.95RRP for the Blackout series which includes ‘Blackout’ graphic and the Dark Tint Panovision visor, you really can’t go wrong with this lid as a daily use one but not for the track days. It looks great, feels comfortable, has plenty of room to accommodate speakers, offers great protection and is great, lightweight piece of kit that would be great for any street rider.

For more information or to purchase the Bell SRT Blackout lit, visit the Cassons website.


Suzuki 1 2024


 

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