REVIEW
Words & photos : Ray Heron
BELL QUALIFIER
Having graced the heads of Burt Munro and Steve McQueen , Bell now has a helmet on Kiwi Rider ’ s Ray Heron .
Bell is an American helmet manufacturer that has been around since , well , forever . Given their racing heritage , worn by the likes of Steve McQueen , and our very own Burt Munro , it would seem they have a foot in the door with Hollywood too . Picture Anthony Hopkins playing Burt Munro in the World ’ s Fastest Indian with any other helmet brand right there , centre screen on his forehead . It just wouldn ’ t be right . Leading up to producing their first helmet in 1954 , Bell spent a lot of time reverse engineering military aviation helmets before releasing the Bell 500 . These days the Bell lineup is vast , from entry level helmets right through to track-focused lids . Heritage-style , modern , Adventure and offroad , open-face , full face , it would seem they do something for everyone .
QUALIFIER FEATURES Having never even tried on a Bell helmet before , I was sent the Bell Qualifier MIPS to test . The Qualifier is priced at $ 399.00 which puts it in the entry-mid range category , but a quick look at the specs confirms it ’ s punching above its weight in a number of key areas . The shell is a polycarbonate / ABS design with brow , crown and chin bar vents , and exhaust vents on the rear . Manufactured in five shell sizes , you ’ re only ever one size , at the most , away from the perfect shell size for your head . It ’ s ECE rated and on the
KIWI RIDER 99