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166
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5/7/2013
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
US
Speeddemon73
7/29/2016 4:55am
7/29/2016 4:55am
Edited Date/Time
10/22/2018 7:02pm
Hey Guys,
I was in the market for a new helmet and tried on both of these helmets at my local shop. I thought I would give my opinion on both helmets in terms of their fit, feel, and function in hopes of helping people decide on a new helmet.
*Troy Lee SE4
The first thing that I noticed about this helmet was how light the helmet was. Seriously, it feels like wearing barely anything on your head. The next thing that I noticed is the amount of vents and exhaust ports on the helmet. The front of the helmet has huge intake ports and the rear has strategically placed exhaust ports that are placed right behind the crown of your head. The fit of this helmet is really snug and feels very minimalistic inside. By minimalistic, I mean that your head is not bombarded by an enormous amount of padding. The feel of this helmet I would describe as your head being supported rather than cushioned. The rear of the helmet feels as if someone was cradling the back of your head which I really liked. The nose of the helmet is not stubbed and does not create the feeling that you would crack your nose on the nose of the helmet. I did not feel any weird pressure points. The front of the helmet by my forehead was a little tight, but nothing abnormal. The eye port on the helmet is HUGE! It fit my OTG goggles perfectly. This is a major problem I have with other helmets. So if your wear large goggles or the newer goggles like the airbrake, this helmet fits those great. Overall, I really liked this helmet a ton.
*Bell Moto-9 Flex Carbon
Again, this helmet like the troy lee is very light and I do not notice this helmet on my head at all. The first thing I notice on this helmet that I really didn't like was how short and stubby the nose is on this helmet. The nose of the helmet feels as if I would crack my nose on it during a crash. Some people prefer this, but I do not. The fit of this helmet was very comfortable and I would say slightly better than the Troy Lee. No weird pressure points and it did not squish my head at all. The feel of this helmet is very plush. It feels as though someone wrapped a pillow around your head. It is very comfy to wear. I could fall asleep in this helmet. The downfall of this helmet for me is the eye-port. I tried fitting my OTG goggles into this helmet and it was a no go. The goggles hit the top bridge of the helmet and the side of the eye-port created pressure points on the sides of the goggles that forced the goggles off my face a bit on either side. If you wear a large goggle with a big eye-port, I would try the helmet first with your goggle before purchasing. I don't think larger goggles are going to work well with this helmet. Overall, I really liked the feel of this helmet, but the small eye-port and stubby nose deterred me from this helmet.
At the end of the day I put in an order for a new Troy Lee SE4 in the Team White colorway. I feel this helmet was the ticket for me. Both of these helmets are amazing and you can't go wrong with either. Both helmets were tested with my 100% Accuri OTG goggles. If you're looking for a new helmet I would seriously look at these two helmets. I will be doing an update review of the SE4 once it comes in and I get some rides with it.
Thanks for your time and hope this helps someone.
Steven \m/ -__- \m/
I was in the market for a new helmet and tried on both of these helmets at my local shop. I thought I would give my opinion on both helmets in terms of their fit, feel, and function in hopes of helping people decide on a new helmet.
*Troy Lee SE4
The first thing that I noticed about this helmet was how light the helmet was. Seriously, it feels like wearing barely anything on your head. The next thing that I noticed is the amount of vents and exhaust ports on the helmet. The front of the helmet has huge intake ports and the rear has strategically placed exhaust ports that are placed right behind the crown of your head. The fit of this helmet is really snug and feels very minimalistic inside. By minimalistic, I mean that your head is not bombarded by an enormous amount of padding. The feel of this helmet I would describe as your head being supported rather than cushioned. The rear of the helmet feels as if someone was cradling the back of your head which I really liked. The nose of the helmet is not stubbed and does not create the feeling that you would crack your nose on the nose of the helmet. I did not feel any weird pressure points. The front of the helmet by my forehead was a little tight, but nothing abnormal. The eye port on the helmet is HUGE! It fit my OTG goggles perfectly. This is a major problem I have with other helmets. So if your wear large goggles or the newer goggles like the airbrake, this helmet fits those great. Overall, I really liked this helmet a ton.
*Bell Moto-9 Flex Carbon
Again, this helmet like the troy lee is very light and I do not notice this helmet on my head at all. The first thing I notice on this helmet that I really didn't like was how short and stubby the nose is on this helmet. The nose of the helmet feels as if I would crack my nose on it during a crash. Some people prefer this, but I do not. The fit of this helmet was very comfortable and I would say slightly better than the Troy Lee. No weird pressure points and it did not squish my head at all. The feel of this helmet is very plush. It feels as though someone wrapped a pillow around your head. It is very comfy to wear. I could fall asleep in this helmet. The downfall of this helmet for me is the eye-port. I tried fitting my OTG goggles into this helmet and it was a no go. The goggles hit the top bridge of the helmet and the side of the eye-port created pressure points on the sides of the goggles that forced the goggles off my face a bit on either side. If you wear a large goggle with a big eye-port, I would try the helmet first with your goggle before purchasing. I don't think larger goggles are going to work well with this helmet. Overall, I really liked the feel of this helmet, but the small eye-port and stubby nose deterred me from this helmet.
At the end of the day I put in an order for a new Troy Lee SE4 in the Team White colorway. I feel this helmet was the ticket for me. Both of these helmets are amazing and you can't go wrong with either. Both helmets were tested with my 100% Accuri OTG goggles. If you're looking for a new helmet I would seriously look at these two helmets. I will be doing an update review of the SE4 once it comes in and I get some rides with it.
Thanks for your time and hope this helps someone.
Steven \m/ -__- \m/
* Lightness was noticeable on bike, however i didn't really take much hype in when i was just holding it. When riding though i could feel it.
* Air flow was noticeably better than my previous thor helmet, didn't really even take much notice but when riding the cooling was much better and could physically feel it.
* Also i thought the viewing port was a little small but again when riding it felt much more open and my nose was protected.
Been very happy with mine.
Carbon Flex $649.95
SE4 $650 (all SE4s are Carbon)
The Shop
What I'm very curious about is the custom fitting that Bell now provides. My son doesnt have a uhh... typical... head shape so in a few years when I get him on a bike I'm probably going to go this route for him.
currently ride with a shoei and im looking for a new helmet
i would love to get the bell moto 9 carbon or the se4 but unfortunately its out of my budget,
ill be purchasing two, for my dad and i
i see that the 2016 se3 carbon is for sale on most sites $349
also considering the moto 9 for $399
has anyone tried any of the two?
Pit Row
Thanks.
I ran a moto 9 flex last year and its a great helmet, but picked up 2 SE4s recently and really into them. The cheek pad and liner material is better and the vents really help in the heat. Overall comfort is perfect, safety is proven to be the best, easier to clean than the bell (i hated the mud that got stuck in the mouthpiece on the moto 9!), and the styling of the TLD stuff is always second to none. Go for it!
Post a reply to: Troy Lee SE4 vs Bell Moto 9 Flex Carbon