Bell Pit Boss
This 180-dollar helmet made the list because it’s iconic and it is very good. But in a moment I’ll show you a helmet that has all the same features and costs half as much.
What I like most about the Bell Pit Boss is this Speed Dial adjustment system, which is actually stolen from the bicycle world. Just turn this wheel, and the interior of the helmet cinches in around your head. It creates a custom fit that keeps the Pit Boss planted at speed.
The other thing I really like is the drop-down sun visor (show). A lot of people like to ride without goggles or glasses, so it’s nice to have a little eye protection in case it gets dusty or rainy. I just wish Bell gave us a clear visor option as well, because I find this tint to be a little dark on a cloudy day and downright dangerous at night.
The neck curtain is pretty standard. Comfortable felt on the inside and faux leather on the outside. It zips off, of course, in case of hot weather. The only thing that’s special here – in my opinion – is that there are speaker pockets in the ear flaps (show).
What I don’t like about this helmet is its TriMatrix shell. That would be a weave of Kevlar, carbon fibre and fibreglass (WU). The material itself is great, and on a full face it can save quite a bit of weight. But on a half helmet, there just isn’t enough shell to see a major benefit. Half helmets are light to begin with. So shaving a gram or two with fancy materials isn’t worth the jump in price to me.
Like everything else we’ll see in this video, the Pit Boss is a neutral head shape. But thanks to the Speed Dial size adjustment, it works great for oval and round heads too.
GMax GM65
Now, as promised, a comparable helmet for half the price. This is the 90-dollar GMax GM65.
I’m gonna do the one thing Bell would hate most … and put the GM65 next to the Pit Boss.
We have two very similar helmets. Two removable neck curtains. Two drop-down sun shields (show). Two removable sun peaks. Two equally slim profiles and two neutral head shapes.
On the Pit Boss side, we have a better adjustment system with the Speed Dial. But on the GMax side, we have a clear visor option included in the box (show). We also get a removable and washable liner in the GM65, and way more graphic options as well. This one is called silver flame.
My only complaint with the GM65 is that – thanks to my egg head – the visor doesn’t come down as far as I’d like. But otherwise, this is a brilliant helmet that rivals the Pit Boss for half the price.
Bell Rogue
Next up is something straight from Mad Max. This is the Bell Rogue and it costs an eye-watering 250 – 300 dollars.
So – what the hell is going on here?
Basically, Bell took a half helmet. Then they threw semi-rigid rubber around the back of it, and attached this muzzle to the front with magnetic clips. The result is something that has the wind and weather protection of a full face helmet – minus the face shield. It has roughly the safety level of a ¾ helmet. And yet somehow, it looks like a half helmet.
The main thing I love about the Rogue is its badass style. I also like the warmth and comfort that you get from this rubber curtain and the muzzle. I can remove the muzzle liner on a hot day for more airflow. I can also wash it … which is good because it tends to get gross really fast. And finally, I love the way that the Rogue flips out at the edges like a WWII combat helmet. It does give me a bit of a mushroom head, but it’s worth it.
There are a couple things about the Rogue that I’m not sold on. For one, putting the muzzle on is difficult, especially when I’m wearing gloves. And the straps Bell provides are really short, so if you want the muzzle to sit further away from your face, you might have to order longer ones.
I’m also unsure about the necessity of all this. It certainly looks cool, but a bandana is probably a simpler way to keep bugs out of my teeth. And since the muzzle is attached to the helmet, I have to carry its weight with my head rather than my shoulders.
So maybe the Rogue is heavier and more complicated than my other top picks. But it looks downright awesome and that’s the main reason I would want one.
HJC CS-2N
I picked the HJC CS-2N to close us off because it’s the bargain basement choice at 65 bucks.
I love the CS-2N because it does everything a half helmet needs to do at a really attractive price. It is relatively light and slim. Its plastic shell and Styrofoam liner are good enough to pass DOT standards. It comes with a sun peak that clips into this hole here, and there’s a neck curtain that zips off too.
No drop-down visor here – you’d have to jump up to the IS-Cruiser to get that from HJC. But we do have two vents at the front of this helmet, and that’s actually a first out of all the helmets we’ve seen today.
There’s nothing wrong with the CS-2N. The quality is very good. And HJC threw us a bone with the ventilation and 65-dollar price tag. There’s no doubt that the interior padding is minimal, but I don’t notice any drop in comfort compared to the more premium models. If anything, this helmet actually circulates air better because of these big gaps (show).
If you want a no-frills bucket that does its job, I can’t think of anything better-made than the CS-2N.
So, that’s it for my favourite half helmets! Slimmest and best-fitting, best value for money, cheapest and best style (pointing at each as I talk).
As always the product links are right down below. And thank you guys very much for watching.