New 2016 Bell Stars

John Burns
by John Burns

Countless hours of testing went into the development of Bell’s new Star helmets, it says, from state-of-the-art wind tunnels for optimized aerodynamics to road testing. The Scotts Valley, California-based company says it tapped into several of its top ambassadors for their input, including racers Cameron Beaubier, Jake Gagne, Josh Herrin, William Dunlop and Gary Johnson.

The Pro Star is the top shelf item in Bell’s 2016 Star Series, followed up by the Race Star, made for the racer with a day job, says Bell: “It provides the same level of rider protection in a more affordable package”. Rounding out the series is the plain old Star, which “is built from the Pro Star pedigree but delivers performance at a price point the everyday rider can appreciate.”

The bottom line looks like this:

Pro Star:

  • FLEX Impact Liner
  • TeXtreme Shell
  • Virus CoolJade Anti Bacterial Liner
  • Panovision Shield with Class 1 Optics
  • Magnefusion Magnetic Cheek Pads
  • RaceView Orientation

MSRP: $1,199.95 – $1,299.95

Certification: Snell M2015, DOT, ECE 22.05, AS/NZ Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Race Star:

  • FLEX Impact Liner
  • 3K Carbon Shell
  • Virus CoolJade Anti Bacterial Liner
  • Panovision Shield with Class 1 Optics
  • Magnefusion Magnetic Cheek Pads
  • RaceView Orientation

MSRP: $699.95 – $749.95

Certification: Snell M2015, DOT, ECE 22.05, AS/NZ

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Star:

  • Tri-Matrix Composite Shell
  • X-Static XT2 Silver Liner
  • Panovision Shield with Class 1 Optics
  • Street Orientation
  • Bell 54 Cheek Pads

MSRP: $449.95 – $499.95

Certification: Snell M2015, DOT, ECE 22.05, AS/NZ

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Your VIRUS CoolJade power mesh liner is said to reduce skin surface temperatures up to 10 degrees F, and the new Panovision Viewport offers additional vertical and lateral visibility.

The Pro Star pulls its “Flex Impact Liner” from its top-of-the-line dirt counterpart, the Moto-9 Flex. Its “progressive layering” technology – a system of three unique protective materials – is “designed to deliver Bell’s most comprehensive level of protection.” Its carbon shell is reinforced by “TeXtreme”, an ultra-thin carbon fiber weave said to be 20 percent lighter than conventional carbon fiber, making it one of Bell’s lightest and strongest shells ever. Lastly, the Magnefusion magnetic cheek pad system is designed for easy washability and enables emergency responders to easily pull out the pads before taking the helmet off an injured rider, reducing the chance of neck injury.

The Race Star has all the same features except the TexTreme shell. The Star gets the new Panovision shield at least! Bell is one of the only helmet makers to offer Transitions shields for its helmets, which is worth trying all by itself. The new line-up should be available early in the new year, says Bell, at select retailers and online.

For more information, visit www.bellhelmets.com.

John Burns
John Burns

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