Bell MX-9 Adventure Product Description

The Bell MX-9 Adventure  is Bell’s entry into the adventure riding segment. Though the naming and design is also shared with the fully off road helmet Bell MX-9, notice the lack of adventure at the end, this helmet is designed for touring riders who also like to dabble riding off the beaten track. That’s why you get this off road style peak at the top and wide visor aperture combined with this large visor.

So, with a recommended retail price of about 250 Euros, or 300 USD, the helmet will be competing with the Scorpion ADX-2, Airoh Commander, Icon Variant Pro, Klim Krios Pro, AGV AX-9, Arai Tour X4, and the Shoei Hornet ADV.

 

Material

The Bell MX-9 Adventure is fully composed of a polycarbonate ABS outer shell in 3 shell sizes.  This means that you’ll get a more proportional fit out of the MX-9 ADV since the outer construction will come in multiple sizes. So, if you’re a size M, you won’t have to share the same size helmet as someone with a size 3XL. The helmet is also ECE certified, and it comes with the MIPS energy management system, which we’ll go into more in a moment. Lastly, the helmet comes in weighing in at about 1690 grams in a size M or 3 lbs and 11 oz and is intermediate oval in head fit.

 

Ventilation

For airflow, the MX-9 Adventure is coming with some similarities to the MX-9, but also some substantial differences. In the chin, you’re getting a large cross style air inlet, which is also adjustable for if you are on the road and don’t need quite as much airflow. You then get an additional always open cut out further back on either side of the helmet. In the brow, you get a further set of air inlets, which are hidden a bit under the peak, but they’ll bring plenty of airflow in as well. To let this hot air out, you then get a set of always open exhausts in the back with two on either side and two further up top. For more extreme riding, you can also always open up or entirely remove the visor to allow you to put in a pair of goggles.

 

Visor

For the visor of the helmet, you are getting a fantastic field of view coupled with Bell’s Nutra Fog 2 anti-fog coating. It is also coming anti-scratch and anti-UV treated. So far so good, and you can also pick up a Pinlock visor, for the best level of fog prevention, though it is sold separately. As far as goggle options, this helmet will be offering you a nice set of options since you can always remove the visor or ride with it up and the large space will let you fit your choice of goggles. As far as removing the visor, Bell have kept it very simple since all you need to do is remove the peak, which is held on by 3 thumb screws, rotate the visor up into the open position, and then lift it out of the helmet’s track. If you want to ride without the visor, you can just put the peak back on and ride with the helmet off road or you can alternatively use a set of side pods that come in the box to cover the visor mechanism and use the helmet in a full street configuration without the sun visor. The only downside in this section of the Bell helmet is that you don’t get many options to adjust the sun visor, since you only have the option of two holes rather than a cutaway in the peak that allows it to slide. But what is nice about the visor is that you can always bring it down while wearing a pair of goggles and still get that nice seal.

 

Liner

Keeping your head comfortable on the inside, we are getting Bell’s removable, washable, moisture wicking, and anti-bacterial liner.  Though this liner is coming in a little bit simpler than some of Bell’s other interiors like on the Bell Star line, this is still a good level considering the helmet’s price and competition. To remove the interior, you first have the cheek pads held in with a set of snaps, and there is also the double D-ring chin strap to keep the helmet securely on your head. Once those are out, you can start on the rest of the interior liner, which is also held in with a set of snaps on either end. With that out now, you can check out the helmet’s EPS grooves, hidden under the MIPS system, which will help with ventilation. There are speaker pockets, though the bottom lip is quite wide, but there are work arounds to this as well. As far as MIPS, this is a special impact protection system with an elastomer connecting an interior slip layer to the helmet’s EPS. This means that the helmet will manage rotational impacts much better by allowing for a bit more of that energy to be dispersed before it reaches you.