Retro Motorcycle Helmets

Retro Motorcycle Helmets by Bell

Retro motorcycle helmets bring vintage silhouettes, café racer proportions, 3/4 shell open face designs and classic motocross lines, together with certified modern protection. Bell has been shaping that look since 1954, when the original Custom 500 became one of the first helmets built for the street, and every helmet in the current retro range is certified to ECE 22.06. From the fiberglass Bullitt GT to the 3/4 shell Custom 500 and the scrambler ready Moto-3, the collection lets riders pick a period correct shape without giving up certified protection.

Which Retro Style Fits Your Riding

Riders after a café racer profile usually go for the retro full face helmets, such as the Bullitt GT and the carbon Bullitt GT Carbon. For a more relaxed, classic look with a 3/4 shell, the retro open face helmets range from the original Custom 500 to the lightweight Magnum at 980g and the TX-501 with its drop down sun shield. For scrambler and flat track riding, the Moto-3 is still the reference point, and it's covered in more detail among the retro motocross helmets.

Retro Motorcycle Helmets: Frequently Asked Questions

Which Bell retro helmet should I buy?
It depends on the bike and the riding style. A café racer usually calls for a full face model such as the Bullitt GT or Bullitt GT Carbon, a classic roadster or everyday ride suits an open face helmet such as the Custom 500 or Magnum, and scrambler or flat track riding points to the Moto-3. Every model is certified to ECE 22.06.

Is one Bell retro helmet safer than another?
No. Every helmet across the retro range, full face, open face and motocross, is certified to the same ECE 22.06 standard, so the safety certification doesn't change between models. What changes is coverage: a full face helmet encloses the chin and jaw, while an open face helmet leaves the face exposed.

Full face or open face (jet) for a retro helmet?
A full face helmet, such as the Bullitt GT, gives more coverage around the chin and jaw for faster or café racer riding. An open face, or jet, helmet, such as the Custom 500 or Magnum, trades some of that coverage for a wider field of view and a classic silhouette, and suits a more relaxed or urban ride.

What certification should a retro motorcycle helmet have?
Look for ECE 22.06 certification. It's the current standard, and every helmet in Bell's retro range, including the Custom 500, Magnum, TX-501, Bullitt GT and Moto-3, is certified to it regardless of its vintage styling.

How do I know what helmet size I need?
Bell's retro range runs from XS to 2XL. Measure head circumference in centimetres and check it against Bell's size guide before choosing, since a correct fit is what makes an ECE 22.06 certified helmet effective.

Are retro motorcycle helmets as safe as modern ones?
Yes. The retro element is the styling, not the protection. Bell's retro helmets are certified to the same ECE 22.06 standard as the rest of the range.

Which Bell retro helmet suits city riding?
An open face model such as the Magnum, the lightest in the range at 980g, offers a wider field of view and less weight for stop and go city and commuter riding.

Which Bell retro helmet pairs with a café racer or scrambler?
The Bullitt GT and Bullitt GT Carbon, with their 1960s Bell Star proportions, are built for a café racer. The Moto-3, a recreation of Bell's late 1970s scrambler and flat track helmet, is the retro motocross choice.

Are Bell's retro helmets comfortable?
The Bullitt GT and the open face range use genuine leather interiors, and the Moto-3 has a removable, washable antimicrobial liner, so comfort features vary by model rather than being generic across the range.

What's the difference between a vintage and a retro motorcycle helmet?
A vintage helmet is an original helmet from its era, without a current safety certification. A retro helmet, like Bell's Custom 500 or Moto-3, reproduces that period design using current materials and is certified to ECE 22.06.