I just thought about it the other day and checked, sure enough my Bell Star is 12yrs old lol. Ahh the life of a broke guy. Anyways, I figure its time for a new one. I'm normally a medium sized guy, but the Bell fit me in a small. Do they still build em like that? Yes, I could go try some on locally. But then I'd either have to pay full price [not an option for me unless I want a basement level/bargin helmet] or just use the local shop without supporting them, which is bullsh*t so I won't do it. Which means I need to find a clearance one online at some point, hence my sizing question.
Hmm, odd. I found just the opposite. My Bell (Qualifier) Large fits tighter than both my Shoei X14 and 6D in large. Mostly in the cheeks, but a little tighter on my head. The Shoei feels the biggest. When I tried on a Race Star Flex the large fit, but I need to order thinner cheek pads.
My experience was a consistent with these comments. My hat size is right between 7-1/4 & 7-3/8, w/ long narrow 'Arai' head shape. I ended up in sz Medium (Bell Star MIPS). Fit is pretty snug & firm, not as plush & comfy as my previous Arai lids, it is what it is. Tough to get it on & off, but comfortable once I'm in it. It was unbearable w/ std. cheek pads, thinner pads fixed it right up. FWIW, I think I had to put thinner cheek pads in my since-retired Arai Profile. .
One of the issues is that your old helmet would have been 3 shell sizes, but Bell switched it up several years ago and now offers that lid in 5 shell sizes. Fit is a little more finicky and not quite as easy as swapping liners. You can put a thicker liner in if the shell is too big, but you can't reduce the shell size if the one you get is too small. I'd contact Bell directly with your measurements and ask them for their fit advice. I wore Bells for several years in a size small, and I'm a size small in every other brand. Sounds like you needed to size down previously because you were slightly in-between, but as I mentioned above, that situation may have changed now with respect to the new number of shells used.
People will say it "fits small" and size up when their head doesn't fit the prescribed shape, so while the measurements may match, shape may not. Bell's shape definitely did change in the past 10+ years too, so definitely worth a test fit. I put thinner cheek pads in my Bell Star (circa 2013), and they collapsed enough within a few months that it became loose, and I went back to the original ones.
Seem's to me if they have the mips liner they are a tad tighter. I had an previous gen in medium and it fits fine. The new mips gen race fits a bit tighter in the same size.
What he said. XL (2017 build date) was a nice and relaxed fit. Got one late last year and it’s significantly more snug (snugger?).
