I’m not going to sit here and pretend that this is an exclusive review of the BELL moto-10, the best I can offer is that this is the first review on the 2024 Eli Tomac edition. 2024 has seen an array of new colour ways and hopefully, you’ll learn something from this review that you didn’t know previously. Besides, MX Vice is yet to post a BELL moto-10 review so the start of a new season seemed like a good time to do one.
The Moto-10 was first released back in 2021, and since then has cemented itself as one of, if not the most popular high-end helmet. BELL has been in the helmet game since 1975 and has always been at the forefront of design and safety. The moto-10 is no different.
I found that their 3K carbon shell worked great in keeping me cool whilst riding. Not only is it great and getting cool air through the helmet, but it disperses the hot air even better. This is down to the T.E.A.S (Thermal Exchange Airflow System). It sucks air in like a vacuum and sends the hot air out the rear and side exhaust ports. Due to the moto-10 having a split shell (top and bottom), it was easy for BELL to utilise this as a very efficient exhaust port.
Another great addition to the moto-10 from its predecessor is the NMR bumpers (no missed races). I’ll admit when I first saw them I was not a big fan, but after spending some time with the helmet not only do I see the necessity in them, but don’t notice them on the helmet at all. The point of the bumpers is that if you are in a crash where the helmet comes in contact with your body, the bumpers will absorb the impact rather than your body. Possibly saving you from a broken shoulder or collarbone.
Another safety feature on the moto-10 is the way the peak works. The peak is held on by 2 screws on either side, with the addition of 2 plastic set pins that keep the visor from moving too much when you are adjusting it. However, the pins are designed to break as a result of a crash. BELL has just used 2 bolts on either side to remove the fixed point in the middle of the helmet. What this does is that in a crash where you hit the visor, all of the energy is sent away from the top of your head and down the sides. If you didn’t already know, you don’t want a large impact on the top of your head if at all possible.
For me personally, the BELL moto-10 is the easiest helmet to work on and maintain. The tooless screws (the screw has a flap that flicks out allowing you to undo it without the use of tools) that hold the peak in place can easily be removed, and pins popped out to remove the peak when you want to clean it. The cheek pads are held in with 3 magnets, instead of traditional poppers. This not only makes the easy to get out when cleaning, but also easier to get out if you are involved in a crash. The main inner of the helmet is held in with 4 poppers, 2 at the front and 2 at the rear making is straightforward to remove all the inners when you want to wash them.
It seems that cooling was an important factor when they designed the moto-10. Not only have they increased airflow around the helmet with the split shell, they have incorporated recycled jade into the helmet liner. The Virus CoolJade liner has natural cooling effects and decreases your skin surface temperature by around 5’C. Not something that I thought I would benefit from living in the UK where we’re lucky to see temperatures in the 20’C, but even on a day where we were in high single digits it did have an impact whilst I was riding. The whole helmet just felt cooler whilst riding, I didn’t feel like my head was getting cold by any means. It just felt like I was able to concentrate harder for longer. I definitely think during the summer months this would benefit a lot of riders who suffer from dizziness and mental fatigue.
The final thing I want to mention is the goggle port. The BELL moto-10 offers the largest port on the market. I use a SCOTT Prospect 90% of the time and it is a very wide goggle, sometimes it can be difficult to get a proper seal on my face with other helmet brands. But with the moto-10 I had room to spare. The main reason I mention this is because I think it gets overlooked a lot of the time when people are deciding which helmet to buy. You need to factor in the type of goggles you are going to wear with the helmet.
The Tomac 24 moto-10 is up there in price. Coming in at £699.99 it’s one of the dearer helmets but I do believe you get what you pay for when it comes to helmets. After all, we get one head and you need to look after it. I get that some people simply can’t afford that price tag but for those that can it certainly is a sound investment. If price is an issue for you here drop me an email at brad.wheeler@mxvice.com and I’ll be happy to try and point you in another direction.
At current there are 6 different colour ways for 2024 but older years are also available if one of those colours takes your fancy. As I mentioned at the top, this isn’t a moto-10 exclusive but hopefully, you learned something about the helmet that you didn’t already know.
Tested and written by Brad Wheeler
