Bell RS-1 Cataclysm Helmet
4.8
5
125
125
Everything I was looking for
I've ridden everyday with this helmet for a month and thought it was time I make a reputable review, instead of on a whim and excitement over the purchase. I was quite surprised by how comfortable this helmet was. I got the extra small, mainly because I wanted the helmet to fit like a glove and it does. Most hats don’t fit me and I have to wear 6 7/8 if I do wear hats or just snap backs. The helmet does have road noise, but not too much to where it annoys you and the range of your view in the visor is great. I got this helmet in black, instead of the white and get a ton of complements on this paisley schemed helmet every day. I do not regret making this purchase and I no longer bad mouth Bell because of this helmet.
May 14, 2013
Great helemet, a little large
All in all, I like this helmet a lot. I'm no helmet expert, so it's hard to compare against others, but it is quiet, which is nice. It fits a little large (originally I ordered the small, but that was too small, now the medium feels just slightly too big).
Air flow is good; not amazing. The easily changeable visor is a great feature.
April 29, 2013
Great Helmet!
So besides this being a sick looking helmet , the fit is pretty spot on. After a few rides it breaks in and fits nicely comfortably. One time I had put my helmet on my seat and it fell to the ground, surprisingly the helmet didnt take as much damage as i thought it would. The helmet has great airflow if you want it. What i really like about this helmet is that it has 3 vents that can be opened or close which allow you where it in the summer when its hot or the winter where its cold. Overall its a wonderful helmet!
March 20, 2013
Great all around helmet
The rs1 cataclysm is exactly what I was looking for. The photochromatic shield is an awesome capability, both the Bell Rep and the Revzilla Rep bent over backwards to find me exactly what I needed, even though the helmet was on closeout. Could not be happier, I will be back.
January 28, 2013
Great bang for the buck...
I own Shoei (Neotec), Scorpion (exo-1100), Arai (Signet-Q), and now the Bell RS-1 (I collect helmets... what can I say). This is probably the lid I'll wear the most.
Pros:
- Very, very comfortable, and the interior has a smooth crown on the comfort liner (some helmets cut deep channels into the crown of the EPS liner for venting, which can be ultimately uncomfortable).
- Distortion free visor, that covers the entire attachment mechanism, and makes for a very smooth overall aesthetic.
- Deep ear pockets, making it easy to install speakers without any discomfort.
- Relatively quiet (middle of the scale, but does the trick)
- Double D attachment with magnetic strap restraint. I like it.
- Photochromatic shield availability. Big plus.
- Easily removable and replaceable cheekpads, chin curtain, comfort liner.
- Good ventilation.
- Micro detents. I'm not a fan of ratcheting detents (prefer a smooth friction action), however, the micro detents give you the best of both worlds.
- Extremely stable in the wind, even when head-checking.
- Large offering of face shields.
- Price is not over the top.
Cons:
- Neck roll NOT removable. I use Sena SMH Bluetooth devices, and this makes using the clamp style impossible. Fortunately, there's an adhesive alternative base included from Sena.
- Matte black could be a bit more refined. Shows prints, smudges easier than my other matte black helmets.
This is a definitely recommendation. Bell is obviously making a play to get back into the competitive mainstream with an excellent sport/tourer model lid offering.
February 26, 2013
Fantastic helmet for the price!
I did quite a bit of research on a replacement helmet (The Revzilla videos are a godsend in this respect). The considerations for my search included;
Comfort, Noise, must accommodate the Sena SMH 10 intercom and style.
I have only worn it a few times but it is noticeably quieter than my old helmet (I ride an XR12 Firebolt with D&D exhaust). The Sena unit fits perfectly adding to the comfort of the helmet. Overall a fantastic helmet at a very reasonable price.
February 11, 2013
Great helmet for the money
It took me nearly a month to find a helmet that would fit me well, was light and quiet, and did not cost an arm and a leg. The first time I put the RS-1 on I was sold on it. The fit is very similar to the RF-1100, but a bit more snug. After a little break-in time the helmet fit was perfect. I compared the Bell to both an Arai and Shoei that cost more than a hundred more and neither are as quiet or cut through the wind like the RS-1.
January 29, 2013
Excellent mid-range helmet
I was pleasantly surprised with the Bell RS-1. I have used an HJC (don't remember the model, but it was terrible) and a Shoei RF-1000 in the past, but I haven't ridden in a few years.
The RS-1 has a very comfortable liner material that is miles ahead of comfort liners in helmets I have used in the past. I like the magnetic strap keeper as well, the magnet is very strong and I never had issues with it coming loose and flapping around.
The visor change system is like my past Shoei, extremely easy to use. This is a moot point though as you can get the Photochromic face shield which is the biggest selling point of any Bell helmet IMO. It is definitely worth the price to have a face shield that tints itself when the sun is bright and go clear in low light situations.
My only big dislike of the helmet comes from the smaller than normal fit. I have worn large helmets in the past as my head measures right around 59.5-60cm in circumference. A size large in Bell's helmets is 58-59cm so it does exert more pressure than I was used to. Sometimes I developed hot spots, sometimes I didn't. Another small niggle is I sometimes wore eyeglasses with the helmet and even with extremely straight frame arms on the glasses it could be uncomfortable after a certain amount of time.
I ended up changing what my next bike purchase would be and the style of the RS-1 w/ cataclysm graphics doesn't really go well with it so I opted to go Schuberth.
December 1, 2012
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