The Bell MX-9 Adventure Helmet | A great value helmet adaptable for both street and off-road riding

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The Bell MX-9 helmet is a firm staple in the motocross market, and now it’s available in this adventure riding guise. It boasts more road riding features, in part by utilising its built-in flip down visor.

With the visor lifted, you can fit a pair of goggles on as well should you want to get into the gnarly stuff. The peak can be quickly detached using the thumb screws, allowing you to keep the visor on for a decent road lid. This results in a wider than standard view but a bit more wind noise over a dedicated road lid.  It has MIPS protection for added confidence, putting your mind at ease.

Is the Bell MX-9 helmet comfortable?

Yes, very comfortable. Straight out of the box I had a 180-mile commute lined up; mostly A road and motorway work, and it was perfect. The only recommendation I can make here, is to make sure you have your screen and wind deflectors aligned correctly to pass over your helmet peak. I tweaked mine on the trip as I went along. If you don’t, the peak can catch the wind and then cause some forward pressure, but that is to be expected if you are caught in heavy buffeting. Once the angles were dialled in it was very peaceful and comfortable.

Related: The best Hi-Viz Motorcycle kit for commuting

What’s the visor like?

Wide! The great thing with adventure off-road lids is their visibility. With the MX-9 being able to accommodate goggles the opening is much larger and wider, creating a great field of vision. The Nutra Fog II Anti-Fog, Anti-Scratch and UV Protection comes as standard and creates a decent visor. You can even get a pair of sunglasses behind the visor if you wanted to, which helps as there isn’t a drop-down sun visor. But this isn’t the helmet’s primary focus. It’s also not necessary as a decent pair of UV protected riding glasses or goggles will suffice, and Bell can also sell you a range of visors with tints if it’s a specific concern.

What about the ventilation?

One big chin vent, dubbed the ‘Velocity flow Ventilation System’ by Bell, really does force air into the helmet and helps to keep you cool. It would be nice to see some ports on top of the helmet to help keep the top of the rider’s head cool. However, when wearing googles you do get an acceptable amount of wind ingress.

Is the Bell MX-9 a noisy helmet?

As standard, for all my long distance riding I don a pair of the finest rhubarb and custard foam ear plugs. Those alone take the wind noise down to a very low level. Without them, the helmet is as loud as any other MX lid or open-faced helmet due to the wide visor opening.

That being said, if you don’t get your angles right regarding the visor and your windshield, you can get some vibration of the peak which isn’t violent but it’s enough at the right buffeting speed to cause an irritating sound within the helmet. Be sure to experiment with different angles, screen heights, and deflectors before setting off for a long ride.

Is it a good quality helmet?

Surprisingly great quality for the price. Bell is a well-known brand so you would be safe to assume it shouldn’t be anything less. When you first take the helmet out of its box you can instantly feel the quality and it puts a smile on your face straight away ensuring you got your money’s worth for what is seemingly a very well-priced helmet. The plastic is solid, the paint and gloss finish are deep. The visor and peak are strong as well, with a solid reassurance to the mechanisms. 

Ultimately, is this a good value helmet?

Very good value for money. Some sale prices are filtering through for various colour ways, making it a very tempting purchase or an adaptable helmet for street and off-road riding.

Other helmets that are similar and worth considering for their own merits include the LS2 Pioneer II and the Nexx X.WED 2.

My verdict

Would I buy one for myself? With my own money? In short, yes, no questions asked. I would also seek one out on a deal and use my remaining cash to get some decent goggles to accompany the MX-9 so I had the full suite of configurable riding options for less than £200.00. Can’t grumble at that.

Our scores explained

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted average in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectations and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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