Bell has been building motorcycle helmets since 1954, which makes them older than every modern helmet safety standard on the planet. The Bell Star, released in 1968, was the first full face motorcycle helmet ever put on a production line. Bell has sat on the grid at every MotoGP round in one form or another since the sport was called 500cc Grand Prix. We stock the Australian Bell range across six families: Race Star DLX on the track, Lithium and Lithium MIPS on the road, Broozer for riders who cannot decide between full face and 3/4, Bullitt GT for the cafe racer crowd, Moto-10 Spherical for motocross, plus the Custom 500 and Moto-3 for open face riders. Around 50 SKUs, $229.99 to $1,699.99. Every road Bell here is ECE 22.06 certified.
Shop by type: full face motorcycle helmets, open face helmets, motocross helmets, adventure helmets, all motorcycle helmets. Every Bell motorbike helmet on this page ships free Australia-wide over $200 from our Gold Coast warehouse.
The Bell helmet lineup, model by model
Bell builds six model families currently on Shark shelves. They are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong tier for your riding is money in the wrong column, either direction.
Bell Lithium and Lithium MIPS (road-commuter, $279.99 to $399.99). This is the entry point to the Bell road range. Polycarbonate shell, ECE 22.06, Pinlock-ready visor, integrated drop-down sun shield on most colourways. The Lithium MIPS (from $349.99) adds the Multi-Directional Impact Protection System liner. Use case: daily commuter, L/P rider, 8,000 to 15,000 km a year. Trade-off: polycarbonate shells sit roughly 150g heavier than the composite Bells further up the range and the padding life tops out around 20,000 km.
Bell Broozer ($429.95). The convertible. Full face with a removable chin bar, so you get a 3/4 open face at the lights and a full face on the highway. Polycarbonate, ECE 22.06 with the chin bar locked in. Chin bar off is open face comfort, which by definition is not certified for chin impact. Use case: cruiser and urban riders who want the flexibility. Trade-off: at 1,600 g with the chin bar fitted, it is not a lightweight lid, and the chin bar does make a small buffeting noise at highway speed on some helmets.
Bell Bullitt GT ($699.95, carbon $949.99). The retro racer. Fibreglass composite (or full carbon in the GT Carbon), classic 1970s round shell, leather interior, bubble visor. ECE 22.06. This is the lid that replaces the old Eliminator in Bell's 2026 lineup. Use case: cafe racer, Bonneville crowd, W800 and Speed Twin riders who want their helmet to match the bike. Trade-off: the eyeport is smaller than a modern sports full face and the bubble visor is noisier at 110 km/h.
Bell TX501 ($449.99). The adventure lid. Composite shell with a removable peak, ECE 22.06, goggle-ready. Use case: ADV riders splitting time between highway tarmac and fire trails. Trade-off: peak buffeting past 130 km/h unless you pull it off.
Bell Race Star DLX ($1,199.99 to $1,299.99). The road-legal flagship. Full carbon Tri-Matrix shell with Bell's 3K carbon weave, Flex 3-layer EPS liner (three densities stacked for three different impact speeds), 1,340 g, ECE 22.06 and Snell M2020. Use case: track days, club racing, fast Sunday rides. Trade-off: the Bell shell is tuned narrow in the cheeks, a family trait Bell has carried since the original Bell Star. More on that in the fit section below.
Bell Pro Star ($1,699.99). The track-only version of the Race Star. Snell M2020 certified. Not road-legal in Australia without the DLX variant. We stock it for club racers and ASBK paddock punters.
Bell Moto-10 Spherical ($1,199.99 to $1,299.99). The top-tier motocross lid, with Bell's Spherical liner (two EPS layers that rotate independently on impact, developed with MIPS). ECE 22.06 plus ASTM F2040. Use case: motocross, hard enduro, pro-level ADV off-road. Not built for highway cruising with the peak fitted.
Bell Custom 500 ($229.99 to $649.95). The open face cruiser staple, in service since 1960s reissue. Fibreglass composite (carbon variants available around $649), ECE 22.06. Use case: cruiser riders, slow street bikes, tracker builds. No chin protection, no visor seal, so pair it with proper goggles or a set of sunglasses you do not mind replacing.
Bell Moto-3 ($449.95). The vintage 1970s-style open face with the long peak. Fibreglass composite, ECE 22.06. Pure style lid for classic bike riders. Same caveats as the Custom 500.
Safety, MIPS and why a Bell gets on our shelf
Bell has a reason to still be on motorcycle helmet lists seventy years in. They built the first full face motorcycle helmet (the Bell Star, 1968) and the first Snell-certified lid. Their design and development still runs out of Scotts Valley, California, now under Fox Factory ownership. Every road Bell we stock in 2026 carries ECE 22.06, the current European standard that replaced 22.05 in January 2024 and added rotational impact and multi-point impact testing the old standard never ran.
A few things separate a Bell from the other brands on Shark shelves.
MIPS in the Lithium tier. MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) is a low-friction yellow liner that lets the helmet shell rotate 10 to 15 mm on impact, independent of your head. Per MIPS AB's testing protocol, that rotation meaningfully reduces the rotational acceleration that causes diffuse axonal injury in glancing hits. MIPS ships in the Lithium MIPS from $349.99. Finding MIPS at that price point is rare. Most sub-$400 helmets from other brands do not have it.
Flex 3-Layer EPS on the Race Star. Three EPS foam densities stacked in the one liner, each tuned to a different impact speed (low, mid, high). Bell has been shipping this since 2015. It is the technology that earns the Race Star DLX its Snell plus ECE double certification.
Spherical on the Moto-10. Two EPS layers that rotate independently via a ball-and-socket interface. Co-developed with MIPS. It is the off-road equivalent of the road Race Star's liner logic.
Our family's standard. Our family started Shark Leathers after Matthew crashed in 2007, at 19, and was left a quadriplegic. Nearly twenty years on, every helmet we stock gets judged the same way. Would we put it on one of our own? MIPS, Snell, Flex liner, ECE 22.06. All of that gets checked before a Bell makes the shelf. Full story on our about page.
Bell cheek fit. This is the honest objection. Bell shells run narrower across the cheeks and temples than AGV, LS2, Simpson or Airoh. If your last helmet was an AGV K3 or an LS2 Thunder and it fit well, a first-time Bell will often feel tight through the face on the first try. That is by design. Bell's default shell geometry suits intermediate oval head shapes. Round oval (common in Asian head shapes) usually needs the next size up. Try at least two sizes on a first Bell before committing.
Bell head shape and fit, explained
Most riders do not think about head shape until a helmet gives them a pressure headache at 40 minutes. Helmet shells come in three rough internal shapes.
Intermediate oval is the most common Western shape. Slightly longer front to back than side to side. Bell's default internal shape lands here. If your last well-fitting lid was an AGV, LS2 or a mid-range composite, you are probably intermediate oval, and a Bell will fit close to your usual size.
Long oval is noticeably longer front to back, narrow at the sides. Bells run narrow, so a long oval head often fits a Bell straight out of the box, sometimes half a size down from other brands.
Round oval is closer to equal front-to-back and side-to-side. Bell's narrow shell can pinch the temples on round oval heads. Size up, or pick a Bell model with slightly wider cheek pads (the Custom 500 and Moto-3 both run a touch wider through the face than the Race Star).
The test for a correct fit: helmet on, chin strap done up, shake your head. The skin on your cheeks should move with the liner. The helmet should press evenly across the forehead, crown and cheeks. No hot spots after 30 minutes. A thumb should not slide between your forehead and the EPS. If any of those fail, the shell is wrong, not the size.
Which Bell for which rider
Cruiser, Harley, Indian, Bonneville. Bullitt GT at $699.95 for the style-plus-safety pick. Custom 500 from $229.99 if you want open face. Both carry ECE 22.06, both look the part on a retro bike without the pretend-vintage compromises of some budget lids.
Cafe racer, Speed Twin, SR400. Bullitt GT. This is the single best cafe racer lid in the Australian market right now, in our opinion, because the shell certification is current (ECE 22.06) and the visor options now include a modern clear with Pinlock posts, not just the old bubble.
Daily commuter. Lithium MIPS at $349.99. MIPS rotational protection at that price point is the cheapest real safety upgrade in the whole Bell range. If you commute five days a week in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, this is the pick.
Weekend sport rider and track day regular. Race Star DLX from $1,199.99. Double-certified (ECE 22.06 + Snell M2020), Flex 3-layer liner, full carbon shell at 1,340 g. You will not need another lid for three years.
ADV and dual-sport. TX501 at $449.99 for highway-heavy riders who want a peak for fire-trail days. Moto-10 Spherical at $1,199.99 for riders whose off-road time outweighs tarmac, where the Spherical liner earns its money.
Motocross, enduro, supercross. Moto-10 Spherical. There is no second choice in the Bell range.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bell helmets legal in Australia?
Yes. Every road Bell on this page carries ECE 22.06 certification. All Australian states and territories accept helmets certified to UNECE 22.05 / 22.06 or AS/NZS 1698. A Bell with only a US DOT FMVSS-218 sticker (no ECE or AS/NZS) is not legal for road use in Australia, regardless of how the shell looks.
How do I know if a Bell will fit my head shape?
Bell shells are cut for intermediate oval heads and run narrower through the cheeks and temples than AGV, LS2, Simpson or Airoh. If you have never worn a Bell, try at least two sizes before you buy. Round oval heads usually need the next size up. Long oval heads often size down half a size in Bell.
What is the difference between the Bell Race Star DLX and Pro Star?
The Race Star DLX is ECE 22.06 plus Snell M2020 certified, which makes it legal on-road in Australia and eligible for most track days. The Pro Star is Snell M2020 only, so it is track-use only in Australia. Both share the same carbon shell and Flex 3-layer liner. The DLX is the one you want unless you only ever ride on a circuit.
Is the Bell Lithium MIPS worth the extra over the standard Lithium?
Yes, for most riders. The MIPS liner is the cheapest measurable upgrade to rotational impact protection in the Bell road range, at around $70 more than the non-MIPS version. Per MIPS AB testing, the low-friction layer reduces rotational acceleration in glancing impacts. Glancing impacts are the most common crash type for road riders.
How old is the Bell brand?
Bell has been making helmets since 1954, 72 years as of 2026. Founder Roy Richter built the first Bell 500 out of Bell Auto Parts in Bell, California. The 1968 Bell Star was the first full face motorcycle helmet, the first lid ridden to a 500cc Grand Prix win (Dick Mann), and the first Snell-certified motorcycle helmet. Bell now sits under Fox Factory ownership with design still in Scotts Valley, California.
How long will a Bell helmet last?
Bell rates shells to 5 years from date of manufacture or 7 years from first use, whichever comes first. Liners and cheek pads are washable and user-replaceable. A single impact from head height or higher retires the helmet (any brand, not just Bell). Check the date-of-manufacture sticker under the chin strap before you buy a clearance lid.