Looking for a low weight, high performance, MX-inspired full face helmet to keep your dome safe?
The Bell Full 9 is derived from the Moto 9 and is designed to be a no-compromise downhill full face helmet.
Team Wideopenmag will be wearing them in 2018 for all their riding and racing.
The Full 9.
The Bell Full 9 helmet. The name says it all really. For anyone going big or fast, or both, on a regular basis, you want to know that a decent product has got your back should things go wrong.
At £424.99, this carbon-shelled, MX-derived helmet has been designed to go the distance when head protection is at stake. That said, there’s nothing here that seems superfluous. The Full 9 is designed to do exactly what’s asked of it.
The Full 9 is the bigger brother of the Super 3R MIPS that won our enduro helmet grouptest a few months back. Where the Super 3R is for enduro, the Full 9 is for big, fast, gnarly riding. Downhill, big jumps, bike parks and just thrashing around on your local steep and nasty sections.
All the Bell(s) and whistles.
As we said above, there really isn’t anything left out on the Full 9 but certainly nothing you don’t need either.
Safety is the most important thing and the Full 9 meets the Australian ASTM Downhill Mountain Bike Racing standard (the most demanding to achieve) and also the CPSC and CE bicycle safety standards (ASTM F1952-00, ASTM F2032 (BMX), CE EN1078, CPSC Bicycle).
Beyond those there are plenty of features that go beyond what a cheaper helmet will do to protect you in the event of a crash.
The POV camera mount and visor are all designed to break away reducing the potential for them to give additional leverage in a crash, as well as sporting the Magnefusion emergency removal system, and magnetic pad removal. Those features mean the helmet will be easier and safer for medics to remove in the event of a crash.
Three brow ports, combined with 10 vents are designed to ensure good airflow, while a padded, double D-ring closure keeps things secure.
Coming in at 1130g, there certainly are lighter full face helmets out there, but that isn’t really the thinking behind the Full 9. Bell have gone to town to make the best downhill full face helmet they could make and the Full 9 was the result.
The Bell Full 9 is available in seven sizes from XS (51-53cm) to XL/2XL (59-63cm), and four colours, including the Matt Black/Grey Team Wideopenmag will be sporting. UK RRP is £424.99.
To find your nearest dealer, head to Bell’s UK distributor ZyroFisher for full dealer listings.
Full disclosure – we’re stoked to say that the Wideopenmag race team will be running the Bell Super full face helmet for all of their downhill riding and racing, and for some of the gnarlier enduro races.
We’ve published this story as part of our collaboration with Bell for 2018.