I have been a Bell guy for a long time. My first Bell helmet was purchased on a partial sponsorship (discount) deal because I emailed them back in the late 90s when I was autocrossing a lot. I used that helmet until the mid-00s, long past its “legal” lifespan. I even used it for my Formula D career! I still have it.
Around 2008 I purchased this black Bell. In hindsight, it didn’t fit quite right. It’s also expired at this point, and, at least on the outside, is filthy still from my 24-hour karting experience in the wet and yuck.
Bart warned me not to try on the Arai. He said I would regret it. It’s a bit more expensive. But, oh, it fit so well. “Unfortunately” it’s what I chose, and I don’t think I’ll regret the extra pennies.
There are actually two types of anchors specifically for HANS devices: hook and button. I have the hook type, pictured here. It is essentially a quick release, but not a quick connect. They can be a bit of a pain in the ass to get on. You have to thread the little hole from your restraint’s safety strap onto the hook. However, in an accident, or if you just need to disconnect the restraint quickly, the orange tether is yanked and the hook pops open, releasing your restraint from its tether.
The alternative button / post anchor can be much easier to connect, but isn’t as quick to disconnect. With practice, though, Bart assures me the post can be as fast as the hook type. Ultimately it’s just a preference.
Here we’re removing the anchors from my old helmet in order to install them on the new helmet.
Definitely use thread locking compound to install the anchors onto the helmet. The bolts should be tight. You don’t need to crank them to oblivion, but they definitely should not be finger tight.
1 comment
Thanks for great for me