Photo: original image by autoevolution
← Continued from Page 1 of "Bell Revolver EVO Review"No Pinlock posts on the visor, and that's because Bell uses its own NutraFog II anti-fog coating. We breathed as hot as possible inside the helmet and we saw no fogging, whereas the outer surface did get blurry. Bell also says the visor is UV-protected.
When not fully closed, the visor has multiple intermediary positions. One slightly open, great for riding in the rain, letting a bit of air in, and then with some 15 different “locking points” until the maximum opening. It stays put even at high speed regardless of the position, and can be easily changed without any tools.
We even dropped the helmet face-down (accidentally) from a small height on the gravel. The visor scratched less than we feared and one of its sides came off, being possibly the cause for less damage.
The integrated sun shades are almost as dark as we like our sun glasses to be, and are spring-loaded. Lowering them is very easy and can be effortlessly done with gloved hands. A rocker-type slider makes things easy, while retracting them is even easier, thanks to the spring.
If you plan to ride fast with the open helmet, they're not offering enough protection against the wind, as some air does get behind them and if dust is in the equation too, then some better eyewear is mandatory. Anyway, for slower riding around the city, the integrated sun visor is as good as it gets. Speaking of glasses, Bell could improve the liner design for better accommodating various types of rims.
Verdict: there is nothing to write home about on the inside of the Bell Revolver EVO, but everything is just fine for 4 well-deserved stars. We liked the non-fogging visor not needing new Pinlock lenses every 2 seasons and the snug fit of the liner, for a truly safe feel. Again, this is no high-end lid, but it really is comfortable.
Bell Revolver EVO – Breathe and hear
We tested this helmet on 4 bikes, two of which with no windshields, and we'd say it fared better on them. If you're used to the quietness of the top-notch full-face 500 bucks lids, you might find the Bell Revolver EVO a bit too noisy, especially when behind windscreens.
It may be that specific types of air streams do tend to become louder while wearing the Bell Revolver EVO and some of you could start thinking about ear plugs. However, there are quite few flip-up lids which are dead-silent (or claim they are), and a bit of noise comes with the fact of choosing a modular helmet.
A great feature is that the open vents do not hiss or squeal even at speeds close to 200 km/h on unfaired machinery (please do not test gear at such speed unless you're in a race track environment). The lower chin piece really does the job and reduces much of the lift at higher speeds.
There are certain positions in which noise increases, but riding like that for a long time is rather hard if not even impossible, so we'd rate the noise levels somewhere around 5 out of 10 (1 being very quiet and 10 being very loud).
Ventilation is probably the strongest point of the Bell Revolver EVO. We wore this lid in 33-centigrade (91 F) weather (in the shade) and were surprised by how well it ventilated. The porting works far better than meets the eye, and we were delighted to learn that the Revolver EVO is a helmet we could wear even in longer adventures in a really hot climate.
Air intake uses a dual-port chin vent which is easy to use with gloves, and it sends two streams through the chin guard towards the corners of the mouth. Some might like this, some might not; we only thought it was a bit strange at first, but that was it.
Above the forehead, the Bell Revolver EVO has two more intakes, each on either half of the head, and they come with 3-position sliders for fully closed, half-open, and fully-open operation.
Extraction is even better, as this helmets comes with no less than 5 rear exit ports: two large ones at the back of the head, in the upper section, two more lower, behind the ears, and a huge one at the base of the neck.
We rode ATG, and never felt the need to soak the liner or anything like this. At lower speed, the Bell Revolver EVO builds up some heat. When riding the Transalp with the touring windshield blasting a solid air stream straight in the face, things were quickly solved, anyway. The Bell Revolver EVO is however, a worthy touring lid, if not exactly as free-flowing as other off-road ones.
Close to 200 km/h and with the head bent forward aboard the M90 Boulevard with no windshield, the Revolver EVO sends two icy jets of air under the shell and they split around the upper skull, wicking away moist and dispersing the heat, while the area around the base of the neck harvests the flow under the helmet and extracts it through the large lower rear one.
As far as ventilation is concerned, the verdict for the Bell Revolver EVO is also 4 out of 5. We're waiting for the fall to see how it performs with the vents closed in cold weather.
It has no luxury features, but Bell did not cut any corners engineering this lid. Far better quality and features than a lot of similarly priced helmets, definitely, so it's a clean 4-star (out of 5) lid.
Good vibrations:
Very good ventilation
Solid build quality
Anti-fogging visor with easy, tool-less removal
Snugged fitting, yet comfy liner
Smooth face guard operation
To-do list:
Fix the Magnefusion system
A better design for accommodating the eyeglasses rims
Some more chin room.
It may be that specific types of air streams do tend to become louder while wearing the Bell Revolver EVO and some of you could start thinking about ear plugs. However, there are quite few flip-up lids which are dead-silent (or claim they are), and a bit of noise comes with the fact of choosing a modular helmet.
A great feature is that the open vents do not hiss or squeal even at speeds close to 200 km/h on unfaired machinery (please do not test gear at such speed unless you're in a race track environment). The lower chin piece really does the job and reduces much of the lift at higher speeds.
There are certain positions in which noise increases, but riding like that for a long time is rather hard if not even impossible, so we'd rate the noise levels somewhere around 5 out of 10 (1 being very quiet and 10 being very loud).
Ventilation is probably the strongest point of the Bell Revolver EVO. We wore this lid in 33-centigrade (91 F) weather (in the shade) and were surprised by how well it ventilated. The porting works far better than meets the eye, and we were delighted to learn that the Revolver EVO is a helmet we could wear even in longer adventures in a really hot climate.
Air intake uses a dual-port chin vent which is easy to use with gloves, and it sends two streams through the chin guard towards the corners of the mouth. Some might like this, some might not; we only thought it was a bit strange at first, but that was it.
Above the forehead, the Bell Revolver EVO has two more intakes, each on either half of the head, and they come with 3-position sliders for fully closed, half-open, and fully-open operation.
Extraction is even better, as this helmets comes with no less than 5 rear exit ports: two large ones at the back of the head, in the upper section, two more lower, behind the ears, and a huge one at the base of the neck.
We rode ATG, and never felt the need to soak the liner or anything like this. At lower speed, the Bell Revolver EVO builds up some heat. When riding the Transalp with the touring windshield blasting a solid air stream straight in the face, things were quickly solved, anyway. The Bell Revolver EVO is however, a worthy touring lid, if not exactly as free-flowing as other off-road ones.
Close to 200 km/h and with the head bent forward aboard the M90 Boulevard with no windshield, the Revolver EVO sends two icy jets of air under the shell and they split around the upper skull, wicking away moist and dispersing the heat, while the area around the base of the neck harvests the flow under the helmet and extracts it through the large lower rear one.
Bell Revolver EVO – the end
If you're looking for a decent flip-up lid with solid craftsmanship and worth every cent of the $200 in your pocket, then the Bell Revolver EVO is definitely one of the must-check helmets. It meets the DOT standards, comes with great looks, and feels very well on the head and in your hand.It has no luxury features, but Bell did not cut any corners engineering this lid. Far better quality and features than a lot of similarly priced helmets, definitely, so it's a clean 4-star (out of 5) lid.
Good vibrations:
Very good ventilation
Solid build quality
Anti-fogging visor with easy, tool-less removal
Snugged fitting, yet comfy liner
Smooth face guard operation
To-do list:
Fix the Magnefusion system
A better design for accommodating the eyeglasses rims
Some more chin room.
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