Bell Custom 500 helmet in gloss black

As most bikers know, Bell pretty much invented the modern motorcycle helmet. In 1954, Roy Richter founded the helmet division of Bell Auto Parts and, in 1957, they introduced the most famous helmet in motorcycling history, the 500TX, a design that is now displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Custom 500 is about as classic as a helmet can get. It's a look and style that has been much copied, but if it doesn't feature the famous Bell logo on the front, then it's not the real McCoy. What makes the Custom 500 so special, however, is that it comes in no less than five different shell sizes. No other maker of an open-face helmet goes to such lengths to get the helmet looking just right on the wearer's head. Most will have just two shell sizes. What this means is that extra, unnecessary padding lines the helmet to make it fit snugly. So you often end up with a helmet with an inch or two of padding between your head and the helmet's shell. And this can look a little ungainly. But with five differently sized shells, the Custom 500 always looks just the way it should, sitting lower on the head for a perfect appearance.
As always you can customise this helmet by adding different visors and peak (sold separately).

Read our review of the Bell Custom 500.

Read our editorial how to choose the perfect open face helmet.