Head Protection is a complicated subject which cannot be fully disclosed in tihs owner's manual. Regardless, before you ride, you should read this owner's manual careully for important information about your helmet.
You should also store this manual in a place where you can retrieve it for periodic review or if any questions arise. You should not use your helmet until you have read and fully understand the contants of this manual. For additional information about your helmet and head protection, we encourage you to visit our website at www.bellpowersports.com.
Your Bell motorcycle helmet is designed to reduce or prevent certain injuries, and studies show you are better off in an accident if you are wearing a helmet than if you are not. Regardless, a motorcycle helmet cannot protect against all foreseeable impacts or injnuries. For example, your helmet cannot protect against spinal injuries, neck injuries, or any protion of the body it does not cover. In addition, it may not protect against injuries to areas the helmet does cover. For example, your helmet is made of energy absoribing materials which may or may not crush depending upon the impact. Sometimes the force of the impact is such that there is no crush, and sometimes the force of the impact is such that the material crushes completely, in either case at least some of the force of the impact is transmitted to the head and brain, and permanent injury or death may result. In addition, some head injuries are not caused by impacts. They are caused by other forces, like scrambling an egg just by shaking it. You do not have to destroy the shell to destroy the contents. Helmets cannot prevent this type of injury. Because of the wide variety of accidents scenarios, it is impossible to tell when your helmet will or will not protect against injury or death.
Do choose a helmet which fits properly;
Do not choose a helmet which interferes with your field of vision or your ability to hear;
Do make sure that when the chin strap is fastened the helmet fits snugly all over your head, and low on your forehead so you can see the edge in your upper field of vision;
Always wear the chinstrap tightly and securely fastened while riding;
Do not modify your helmet;
Do check your helmet before each ride for signs of wear or damage;
Do not park your helmet on mirror stalks or sissy bars;
Do not carry your helmet on the motorcycle's helmet lock while riding;
Replace your helmet immediately if it shows signs of wear or damage;
Replace your helmet immediately after an impact, even if no damage is visible;
Replace your helmet at least every five years;
Do not loan or sell your helmet, or buy a used helmet;
Do not wear someone else's helmet;
Clean your helmet with soap and water only;
Wear a helmet whenever you ride;
Ride safely, do not take risks just because you are wearing helmet.
Bell manufactures a variety of helmets at difference price points with different features. All helmets distributed by Bell meet or exceed the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 ("DOT Safety Standard"). Most helmets sold by Bell also meet the Snell Memorial Foundation ("Snell") M2010 standard. The standards are too lengthy to cover in this manual, but are available at www.smf.org, which includes a chart prepared by Snell which compares the two. Depending upon the type of crash you are in, a helmet certified to meet the Snell M2010 standard may provide protection that a helmet certified to meet the DOT Safety Standard does not provide. Also, a helmet certified only to the DOT Safety Standard, may not cover as much as the head as a helmet certified to the Snell M2010 Standard. The Snell M2010 Standard has a roll off test that the DOT Safety Standard does not have. It is important for the helmet to be in place on your head to provide protection, consequently a helmet which passes the Snell M2010 Standard may stay on your head better than a helmet certified only to the DOT Safety Standard. To pass the Snell M2010 Standard a helmet must absorb more energy, thus in some higher energy impacts a helmet certified to Snell M2010 Standard may provide protection a helmet certified to the DOT Safety Standard does not provide.
Bell recommends you purchase and wear the helmet which provides the greatest amount of coverage and the best impact protection for your intended uses.
| Standard Size | Hat Size | Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4XS | 6 3/8 | 20 1/16 | 51 |
| 3XS | 6 1/2 - 6 5/8 | 20 1/2 - 20 7/8 | 52-53 |
| 2XS | 6 3/4 - 6 7/8 | 21 1/4 - 21 5/8 | 54-55 |
| XS | 7 | 22 | 56 |
| S | 7 1/8 | 2 3/8 | 57 |
| M | 7 1/4 - 7 3/8 | 22 3/4 - 23 1/4 | 58-59 |
| L | 7 1/2 | 23 5/8 | 60 |
| XL | 7 5/8 - 7 3/4 | 24 - 24 3/8 | 61-62 |
| 2XL | 7 7/8 - 8 | 24 3/4 - 25 1/4 | 63-64 |
| 3XL | 8 1/8 - 8 1/4 | 25 5/8 - 26 | 65-66 |
| 4XL | 8 3/8 - 8 1/2 | 26 3/8 - 26 3/4 | 67-68 |
Measuring the head is only a starting point for the entire sizing procedure. Due to varying shapes, heads that are apparently the same size when measured by a tape may not necessarily fit the same size helmet. A small metal tape measure or a cloth tape may be used to make your initial measurement. You can also use a string, which can then be laid against a measuring tape.
(H) Head
Measure the circumference of the head at a point approximately one inch above the eyebrows in front, and at a point in the back of the head that results in the largest possible measurement. Take several measurements. The largest measurement is the one you want to use.
BELL: A LEGACY OF CHAMPIONSHIP AND CONFIDENCE
It’s no coincidence that Bell is both the first name in speed and the first name in helmets. Born in the 1950’s California hot rod and racing scene, Bell founder Roy Richter built an entire industry anticipating the unmet needs of those with a speed-hungry disposition. People wanted to drive fast … he corralled all the go-fast parts he could find into the world’s first speed shop. They wanted to race … he built them race cars. And when the need-for-speed started to reveal some grim realities, Roy did something about that too and Bell Helmets was born.
Roy Richter spent his life removing the limits of what was possible — and his unlimited spirit has been Bell’s guiding light for nearly 60 years, earning the admiration, trust and loyalty of generations of champions. Throughout those years nearly every advance on the list of helmet “firsts” were built under Bell’s auspices. That drive to anticipate and create continues, as much a part of Bell’s ethos today as it was back in Roy’s day.
Whether for auto racing, motorcycling or bicycling, Bell is synonymous with instilling confidence and enabling awesomeness. Established 1954, proven ever since.
BELL PARTNERSHIPS
Bell is committed to supporting the sports we were born from and the organizations that preserve, enhance and elevate these activities. Here is a sampling of organizations and causes we hold near-and-dear:
The International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) mission is to create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for mountain bikers worldwide. Bell has long been a supporter of IMBA’s goal of creating compatible mountain bike opportunities worldwide.
Bell is a member company of Bikes Belong, a coalition of industry and advocates whose mission is to “get more people on bikes more often.”
Safe Kids Worldwide is a Bell partner who provides parents and caregivers with practical and proven resources to help protect kids from unintentional injuries.
