Bell Custom 500 | Motorcycle Helmet

Retro Lid

Throwbacks and retro lids are cool, but we were really taken by the Bell Custom 500, the original modern day motorcycle helmet. Back in 1954 Bell founder Roy Richter formed his first open-faced helmet out of fiberglass and named it the "500."

That moment was ground zero for the modern motorsports helmet and it gave rise to an expanding industry. Bell’s new 2011 Custom 500 pays homage to Richter’s original design and adds modern protective technology to bring the design up-to-date while still keeping the original’s aesthetic.

By combining a custom fiberglass layup with a specially designed EPS foam layer, Bell motorcycle helmet engineers were able to craft a retro-looking street bike helmet that is lightweight, narrow in profile, and DOT certified.

The low-profile design has custom paint-inspired graphics, chrome trim work (on some graphics), integrated shield snaps, padded chin strap with D-ring, and a quilted liner. The five 2011 styles include the; Blood Shot, Orange Flake, Silver, Stunt and my favorite, the RSD Speed Soul.

Available in XS to XXL and with a five year warranty, the new open-face Custom 500 street bike lid looks as good as it might perform.