Bell Race Star DLX Flex Solid Matte Black

The Bell Race Star DLXis coming in almost at the top of Bell’s range for sport riders. The helmet comes fully built for speed with Bell’s unique flex system, comes with improved aerodynamics, and even includes tear off posts. The Flex system means that this helmet is fully focused on safety with a triple density impact absorbing liner.

Since it is designed to manage rotational impacts, has 5 outer shell sizes for an ideal fit and shape, and we’re even getting a FIM certified version of the helmet, called the Bell Pro Star, which means Bell are throwing their hat into the ring with AGV, Shark, and Arai for commercially available FIM helmets.

The Bell will be competing with the AGV Pista GP RR, Shoei X-SPR Pro, X-Lite x-803 RS Ultra Carbon, Shark Race-R Pro GP, Scorpion EXO-R1 EVO Carbon, Roof RO200 Carbon, Icon Airframe Pro, HJC RPHA 1 and the Arai RX-7V Evo

Material

The Bell Race Star Flex Deluxe Sport Helmet is fully constructed out of Bell’s 3K carbon fiber construction with a pre-impregnated weave to make sure the right amount of resin is used and to cut down on weight as much as possible. The Race Star is coming in 5 outer shell sizes with each size getting its own EPS liner. This fantastic array of options has been dubbed Bell’s Pro-Fit System, and it improves safety with a more proportional fit and the correct amount of EPS.

Lastly, the helmet is ECE 22.05 certified, a FIM version is available, and the regular Bell Race Star earned 5/5 stars from SHARP. For weight, the Bell helmet is coming at an excellent result of about 1425 grams in a size M, or 3 lbs and 2 oz.

Ventilation

For airflow, the Bell Race Star Flex DLX Racing Helmet comes with a large vent in the chin operated by a switch and there is even a hidden interior chin vent cover that you just pull out to bring air into the helmet.

In the brow, there is another sliding vent to open 4 air inlets with a third scoop up top, which is also adjustable. Lastly, the hot air will escape out another adjustable outlet at the top of the helmet.

To further help the Bell helmet’s ventilation system, the Flex energy management system allows for improved airflow throughout.

Visor

The visor of the Bell Racestar Flex DLX is an optical class 1 Panovision visor. This means that you get an incredible field of view with special cutouts along the chin and that the visor is distortion free. Since this is a race helmet, the visor also includes a set of tear-off posts and it is also Pinlock prepared with the Max Vision anti-fog insert provided in the box.

As another nice feature, you do get an extra dark smoke visor provided in the box and a Panovision Protint photochromatic visor is available, which changes tint depending on light conditions and darkens when exposed to sunlight.

Bell have also made removing the visor incredibly easy, with a clever quick release mechanism where all you do is push in on a button on the side and slide forward to release the catch.

Liner

Just as we’re getting a well-thought-out exterior construction, we’re getting the same high-quality interior. This means that the helmet’s Virus brand CoolJade interior is removable, washable, fits glasses, and is anti-bacterial. The material has been fused with Jade to always give you that cool feel inside.

The magnetic user friendly Magnefusion cheek pads for washing and enables emergency responders to easily remove the pads of the helmet following an impact. In addition to these pads, you are also getting a double D-ring chin strap with a magnetic closure and the same CoolJade material for the covers.

Inside the helmet, there are speaker pockets and plenty of space for airflow. This is also where the helmet’s unique safety offering comes to the fore: The Flex Energy Management System.

This means that there are 3 different energy absorbing liners, with the red expanded polyolefin to manage low speeds, expanded polypropylene (that inner black layer) and EPO for medium speeds, and a combination of EPP, EPO, and Expanded polystyrene or EPS (which is the outermost layer) for high-speed impacts with the Flex system also allowing for lateral movement in the case of oblique impacts.

Put simply, the Flex liner is specifically designed to manage rotational impacts and different speeds, which is another important safety factor to consider for helmets and the use of different materials instead of different EPS densities is novel.

Summary

The Bell Race Star Flex DLX Full Face Helmet is showing all of the things that we like to see in a helmet. Not only is it coming with plenty of features, but an incredible amount of safety focused design with a 3 layer Flex impact liner and numerous shell sizes, all of which make it top notch for high-speed racing.

If you want to learn more about the Bell Race Star Flex, then don’t forget to check out our Bell Race Star Flex DLX Video Review and Road Test on our YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe to keep up to date on more data driven road tests like the one above where we actually test the helmet for noise, ventilation, and more.