Sure, the big show this April in Austin was the MotoGP race, but Bell Powersports also generated some interesting news.
For a while now, Bell has been working on a custom helmet fitment system, that makes a liner that’s specifically designed for the buyer’s head. We’re not talking about adding or removing padding here – this is a helmet that’s manufactured to specifically fit one person, without fooling around with things like removable cheekpads.
To buy the helmet, you must first get measured. To do this, a scan your head with some electronic gadget that feeds a 3-D scan of your noggin into a computer. Bell then uses this data to create a custom liner for your helmet that they send to you 4-6 weeks later. They claim their custom-fit helmet (a Bell Star Carbon) is the absolute best-fitting helmet you can buy. MSRP is supposed to be around $1000 US.
Bell hopes to have the equipment necessary for this measurement system out in retail stores by the fourth quarter of 2014. They’re planning on only installing it in 20 stores to start with, so we’re guessing they won’t be available in Canadian dealerships anytime soon. However, there’s a possibility that keen Canadian race fans who are traveling to WSBK or MotoGP events in the US could get measured while they’re at the races, as Bell first tried this system out on a limited number of customers at Laguna Seca last year, and then made their full debut at Austin.
Find out more about the custom helmet fitting system below.
This looks very interesting. While wandering around the Tokyo Motorcycle Show this spring, I tried on a number of helmets. I had a very hard time finding anything that had the right combination of fit and ease of ingress/egress.
3D scanners are coming down in price, as are 3D printers, maybe the day is coming for a scan and a print of the foam interior, match it to a pre-made shell, marry the two parts and Voila! Custom fit helmets within the hour as you walk around the store. Price depends on shell style and material. Open face, full face, MX and even beanie helmets, personalized fitted. I like where this is going.