From the leather cap to the ultra-modern full-face helmet, motorcycle helmets have undergone many evolutions - both aesthetic and technological - since they first appeared, and the safety aspect has never ceased to progress. However, as in every field, there is a vintage trend, with many motorcyclists passionate about vintage motorcycles, and naturally, the helmet that goes with them.
Motorcycle equipment manufacturers, and helmet makers in particular, have clearly understood their interest in updating vintage motorcycle helmets. Their aim is to rediscover the shapes that nostalgic motorcyclists dream of, but with today's level of safety, because it has to be said that the first helmets were more ornamental than protective.
A brief history of helmets
The first motorcycle with an internal combustion engine dates back to 1885, but it was not until much later, with the death of the writer T.E. Lawrence - who went down in history as "Lawrence of Arabia" - that measures were taken to protect motorcyclists' skulls. In 1935, Lawrence was involved in a motorcycle accident which caused irreversible head injuries and led to his death after several days of agony.
The first leather helmets were used during the Second World War, but it was not until the 1950s that designers began working on truly hard-wearing models.
In France, the wearing of helmets on motorized two-wheelers became compulsory in 1973, not only for motorcycle riders, but also for scooter and moped riders.
Today's helmets have little in common with the helmets of yesteryear, and brands compete to create helmets that are both attractive, comfortable and perfectly sturdy.
Finishes are becoming technological, with anti-fog or sun screens, hands-free kits compatible with smartphones, anti-bacterial interiors...
Vintage helmets back in fashion
Whether jet helmets or full-face helmets, vintage road bike enthusiasts now have a wide choice. Let's take a closer look at the most famous and popular.
Jet helmets
The Bell Custom 500 helmet
The American Bell Custom 500 helmet inspired many competitors from the moment it was launched in 1954. Its shape inevitably appealed to some vintage bikers, and Bell, sensing the return of vintage fashion, has taken this legendary model and adapted it to today's standards.
The Bell Custom helmet is now available in five shell sizes, and the inner liner has been completely redesigned, both in terms of design and materials.
This helmet lets you enjoy the latest technological advances, while sporting a timeless vintage look. Versions of the helmet are available in a variety of decorations, and you can also distinguish yourself by choosing the type of screen - which is fixed by three front snaps - straight or bubble.
Stormer Pearl helmet
The French Stormer brand often wins you over with its attractive quality/price ratio. Directly inspired by the shape of the jet helmet of the 70s, the Stormer Pearl helmet is back with a vengeance in specialist stores, with helmets available in a wide range of colors, with bold choices such as glossy and/or glittery paintwork, chrome tones or, more soberly, matte versions.
The helmet pads are also available in a range of colors for added originality: brown, black, raspberry...
The helmet features a tab that closes with a snap fastener on the back of the helmet, to hold the eyewear strap firmly in place for those who wear glasses. A visor can also be attached by means of three snaps. Bubble shields can be transparent or smoked.
Full-face helmets
Biltwell Gringo and Lane Splitter helmets
California-based Biltwell is renowned for its high-quality helmets, as well as its stylish design. For its vintage Gringo version, you can choose between an integrated articulated visor, or a visor or screen to be attached with three snap fasteners. Biltwell visors are also renowned for their long-proven anti-fog treatment.
The Lane Splitter full-face model will appeal to dragster enthusiasts, whose look it takes its inspiration from.
With a few exceptions, Biltwell full-face helmets come in solid colors, but the range of colors offered is particularly original: turquoise blue, smoked orange, silver...
The Bell Bullitt helmet
The Bell Bullitt helmet is inspired by its ancestor, the Bell Star, in form, but has been updated with an exceptional level of finish.
Its shell - in carbon or fiber - is available in a range of colors, some with striped decorations, sometimes in blue-white-red.
Bell's focus is on comfort, with a removable and washable antibacterial interior, a padded chinstrap, high-performance ventilation, ear cushions for adding headphones and a practical magnetic screen closure system.
Bell screens are also available in a wide range of colors.
The Bell MOTO-3 Classic helmet
This motocross helmet first appeared in 1970 as the Bell Moto Star, then in 1979 as the Bell Moto-3.
In 2016, the Bell MOTO-3 helmet returned to the market.
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive, and vintage motorcycle enthusiasts are bound to find something to suit their tastes among the huge range available on the market.
