Bell Bullitt
Reviewer: Jack Rydell
Overall:
- Safety: 4.4
- Comfort: 4.2
- Ventilation: 3.8
- Noise: 3.6
Pros:
- Stunning retro cafe-racer styling — genuine head-turner
- ECE 22.06 certified — modern protection in a classic shape
- Leather-trimmed interior — premium feel
- Wide flat visor with excellent peripheral vision
- Bubble visor option for authentic vintage look
- Strong build quality
Cons:
- Loud at motorway speeds — the retro shape is not aerodynamic
- Ventilation limited compared to modern sport helmets
- Heavier than contemporary composite full-face lids
- Snug fit — the classic shape runs small
- Not suited to long-distance touring
The Bell Bullitt is a love letter to the racing helmets of the 1960s — modelled on the original Bell Star, the first full-face helmet, but built to modern safety standards. It’s unashamedly a style-led helmet, aimed at cafe racer, classic, and custom riders who want period-correct looks. The question worth answering is whether it’s a genuine helmet or a costume piece. After testing, it’s firmly the former — with clear compromises that come from its retro form.
The Styling
There’s no helmet that nails the vintage aesthetic like the Bullitt. The smooth, round shell, the metal trim, the flat or bubble visor options, and the leather-trimmed interior all evoke 1960s racing perfectly. On a cafe racer, scrambler, or classic bike, it completes the look in a way no modern helmet can. This is the entire reason the Bullitt exists, and it delivers on that promise completely.
Modern Protection
Crucially, the Bullitt is not a novelty helmet — it carries full ECE 22.06 certification. The retro shape houses a modern multi-density EPS liner and a genuine protective structure. This is the key distinction from actual vintage helmets, which offer minimal protection by modern standards: the Bullitt gives you the classic look with contemporary safety. The build quality is excellent throughout, with the metal trim and leather interior feeling genuinely premium.
Visor and Vision
The wide, flat visor is one of the Bullitt’s genuine functional strengths — the field of view is expansive, better than many modern helmets. A bubble visor option is available for the most authentic vintage look, though it distorts slightly at the edges. The visor seals reasonably but the retro design doesn’t achieve the tight modern seal that keeps out wind and noise.
Noise and Ventilation: The Retro Tax
Here’s where the retro form exacts its price. The smooth, round 1960s shape was designed before aerodynamics and ventilation were understood — and it shows. The Bullitt is loud at motorway speeds, noticeably more so than any modern full-face. Ventilation is limited, with none of the channelled airflow of contemporary helmets. For urban riding, short spirited rides, and cruising on classic bikes, this is acceptable. For motorway commuting or touring, the noise makes it genuinely tiring — earplugs are essential.
Comfort and Fit
The leather-trimmed interior is comfortable and feels special. The fit runs snug and the classic shape is on the smaller side — many riders size up. It’s comfortable for the shorter, style-focused rides the Bullitt is designed for, though the limited ventilation makes it warm in summer.
Verdict
The Bell Bullitt succeeds completely at what it sets out to do: deliver genuine 1960s racing helmet style with modern ECE 22.06 protection. For cafe racer, classic, and custom riders who want period-correct looks without sacrificing certified safety, nothing else comes close. The noise and ventilation compromises are real and inherent to the retro form — this is an urban and short-ride helmet, not a tourer. Bought with clear eyes about its use case, the Bullitt is a genuinely special helmet that happens to also be properly protective.