Scotty

The Bell KC3 CMR is a Snell CMR 2007 Approved helmet designed for karting (cannot be used in cars) and is focused towards younger drivers with its lighter weight and smaller form factor. Despite of this, it still offers a high level of protection. First Impressions. Bell have created a great looking helmet which is based on the Bell HP3. The helmet Comes in 3 colours, White, Orange and Blue. The orange and blue come in a pre painted design straight from the box so if you don't want a plain white helmet, this is a great option which saves shelling out for a custom paint job. I went for the “Oil Blue” as we love Blue at Kart Review! General use and observations. The Build quality is excellent as you would come to expect from Bell. The visor mechanism is very easy to operate and is the same as the rest of the Bell range. If you wish to change the visor due to changing conditions at the track it only takes a matter of minutes with the tool provided or a set of Allen keys. The helmet is very comfortable to wear, the CMR range of helmets are designed primarily for children so they are limited to sizes 52-57 CM. The smaller size offers a considerable saving in weight, weighing in at 1185g compared to the K2010 variant which weighs 1450g. We think that if you can comfortably fit your head inside one then it's worth buying a CMR helmet. There are many stories about how “It's designed for a child's head shape” etc but if the helmet fits comfortably there is NO reason not to buy one. Many adults, including myself have a small head so it is ideal for me. It also saves the neck muscles a little! We can confirm it is 100% legal for an adult to use a SNELL CMR 2007 as of the 2016 Season. The ventilation on the helmet is top notch due to the many holes on the helmet. The CMR range of helmets come with a forehead air duct included which helps scoop more air into the top vent holes. During a cold and wet weekend at Larkhall, I only had one moment where my visor steamed up and that was due to sitting in the dummy grid. If you fancy spicing up your helmet (Sounds painful), Bell offer a large range of different colour/effect visors to suit any style. I Choose to go for the Blue mirror effect visor to match the design. Mirrored effect/Iridium visors can get very expensive, but thankfully the visors for the CMR variant are cheaper than the standard visors coming in at £72 INC VAT. It's worth noting that the visors between the CMR and the K versions are not interchangeable. The CMR version is 2mm thick whereas the K version is 3mm. I also chose to purchase an after market rear spoiler from Ebay to add more style to the helmet hoping it will translate to faster lap times ;). One concern I have with owning this helmet is after wearing it for only one race meeting I've discovered a few chips in the paint as shown in the pictures below. It's hard to say whether this was just bad luck or if the finish is susceptible to damage. Summary Overall the KC-3 CMR is a great helmet for yourself or your children. If you are looking to stand out in the sea of plain white and black helmets, this helmet offers excellent value for money while still providing top quality head protection you would expect from Bell. Pros Stylish Design Great Quality Good ventilation Good Value Cons Expensive accessories Easily damaged exterior