Best Old-School Motorcycle Helmets
Don’t you just love the style of those old school motorcycle helmets? Don’t you like that classic, vintage look that has just the right amount of bygone era style with today’s functionality and safety? Don’t you miss the golden years of classic motorcycles, cool hipster bikers who defined the look we all remember so fondly? We do. That’s why we decided to put together our list of the best old-school and vintage motorcycle helmets you can buy this year.
What You Need To Know Before Buying an Old-School Vintage Helmet?
Old school motorcycle helmets are most often open face or half helmets. While occasionally you can find full-face or modular helmets they are rare. This matters because off the bat these vintage helmets won’t be as safe when they are open face or half helmets. Sure they will be made of the latest and greatest materials and be strong as sh*t, but lets be serious for a second and realize their shortfalls.
Open faces or three-quarter helmets protect the base and top of your head, as well as the sides. They do not however protect your jaw or your face. The problem is that you will then be open to the elements, to the wind and the sun and if you ever come off a bike there is nothing there between your face and the ground.
On the plus side these helmets have great visibility. Your face is open so you can see the full road ahead, without any obstructions. It also gives you nice mobility since you can move your head in most directions and the lightweight nature of these helmets also makes them very comfortable. This also eliminates fatigue and minimizes the chance of creating neck issues.
Half helmets only cover the top of your head. They are an extreme version of the open face helmet, giving you the same, but better, advantages, and the same, but worse, disadvantages. As it only covers the top of your head it provides minimum protection. The area along your neck and the base of your head are exposed.
Vintage and Old School Helmets Should Still Meet Helmet Safety Standard
Now, we all want and love cool motorcycle helmets. We especially love that old school retro look. Still, there are a few more things you need to keep in mind. Don’t buy a helmet on eBay that is an original vintage helmet from decades ago. Sure they are cheap but they are probably close to useless from a safety perspective.
Buy a helmet that is tested and carries the seal of approval from either DOT, ECE or SNELL. These certificates guarantee that during a crash you helmet you are wearing will have a higher likelihood of protecting your skull.
The DOT is a standard started by the US Department of Transportation. The ECE is based in Europe and is determined by the Economic Commission of Europe. The SNELL standard has been created by the Snell Memorial Foundation. Every one of these certifications makes a helmet undergo a battery of tests, trying to figure out its structural integrity, how it transfers impact force and in general tries to find any weak spots in the helmet itself. If the old school motorcycle helmets you want have passed these tests, then you’re good to go.
Best Old-School Motorcycle Helmets
Now, in our opinion, these are the best old school motorcycle helmets money can buy:
Goggles Vintage German Style Half Helmet
This stylish, WWII style half helmet will certainly turn heads.
It comes with goggles, ear muffle and is colored in a deep, old-timely brown, with the goggles being brown and copper/brass color. Some can say that it even has a somewhat steam punk design.
You can remove the ear muffle, because of hot weather, and keep it on when it’s cold, or when you can’t stand the noise while riding.
A downside to this product is that the leather can make you sweat a lot more during hot days.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Docooler® 54-60mm Leather Motorcycle Goggles Vintage Garman Style Half Helmets
The Docooler is a jet-black helmet, with the goggles and studs being metallic silver, making a nice contrast between the two.
The goggles have an anti-fog coating, keeping you safe and protecting your visibility while riding.
It comes with a leather scarf, (though it can be removed if needed) giving you a bit more protection and style.
However, some have complained that it is not aerodynamic, and actually quite bulky. This can be problematic for people who have problems with fatigue and neck issues.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Core Vintage Open Face Helmet
Are you a fan of the film Easy Rider? Then this is the perfect helmet for you. However, what really makes this helmet special is the padding. It has a breathable nylon interior, which makes it really comfortable and doesn’t need to be washed as most helmet lining types need to be.
Another added benefit is the visor giving it that classic look. The helmet itself is coated with premium automotive paint, making it very scratch resistant.
However, some have complained that the color of the helmet can disappear after an extended period of use.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Daytona Cruiser Helmet
Now this helmet is just pure class.
The lining is pure suede making it one of the most comfortable helmets you can have. You can ride for hours and you won’t even notice you’re wearing it.
Another point is that this helmet is very durable and safe, meeting and exceeding D.O.T. Safety Standards FMVSS 218.
Moisture Wicking Fabric Keeps Your Head Cooler And More Comfortable. Quick Release Lock With One Finger Release Lever For Easy Detachment.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Biltwell Bonanza Le Tracker Helmet
The Blitwell bonanza is an excellent vintage helmet; perfect any rider who wants that old-school feel.
It has an expanded polystyrene inner shell and an adjustable neck strap, keeping you safe, and keeping it safely secured on your head.
It honestly offers excellent protection and comes in a variety of colors.
As an added bonus, the interior lining is removable, making it very easy to clean. Some people have reported that when removing the helmet, they feel a certain pull on their ears, causing discomfort.
However, this depends largely on the shape of your head, and should not be a problem for most people.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
20 Cool Vintage Motorcycle Helmets
When we first wrote this post a few years ago the amount of selection from mainstream motorcycle helmet manufacturers in the vintage or old-school category were pretty weak. Things have changed a lot which is why we update this post every year with our new favorites.
It got to the point where we felt we weren’t sharing enough vintage motorcycles helmet love by limiting our list to the top six vintage helmets. Thus this new section where we broaden our list. We haven’t tested every helmet on the below list, but we did spend time researching, reading customer reviews and then sharing on the old-school vintage helmets we thought were good enough for our readers.
The helmets needed to look really old school but also be modern in terms of features and safety standards. Sit back and enjoy our list of the coolest vintage motorcycle helmets we could find:
Bullitt Carbon Lightweight Classic
The Lightweight Classic Vintage Helmet
Inspired by the very first Bell Star helmet, the Bullitt is a modern take on the original.
Featuring an exceptional fit and ultra-high quality details, the Bullitt is the perfect helmet for riders looking for a vintage look with full-face protection.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Bell Custom 500 Airtrix Delinquent Helmet
Old School Motorcycle Helmet With Added Style
Bell’s Custom 500 pays tribute to the original design and yet takes things up a notch with modern safety standards that don’t affect the original look and soul.
We love this cool design added to the helmet as it still keeps its vintage looks while simultaneously giving it way more personality and originality.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Bell Custom 500 Original Style in Matte Black
Matte Black Vintage Goodness
We love this matte black Roy Richter style helmet. It looks like the original and doesn’t have any fancy designs or colors, just plain black. Simple, old-school helmet fun.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Bell Custom 500 Helmet (Stripes Pearl White)
Classic White With Stripes Racing Heritage
Throwbacks and retro lids are nice, but nothing beats an original.
Back in 1954 Bell founder Roy Richter formed his first helmet out of fiberglass and named it the “500.”
Bell’s Custom 500 pays homage to Richter’s original design while adding modern protective technology to bring the design up-to-date.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Bell Rogue Unisex-Adult Half Street Helmet
Old-School Harley Davidson Match Made in Heaven
ROGUE PURE ATTITUDE Purpose built to guard against the elements, the new Rogue has the look of a half helmet with the comfort of a 3/4.
We love the aggressive “could survive an apocalypse” look of the helmet. Perfect for the Harley rider.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Bell RSD Viva Bullitt SE Street Racing Helmet
Vintage look Helmet With Full-Face Protection
Inspired by the very first Bell Star helmet, the Bullitt is a modern take on the original.
Featuring an exceptional fit and ultra-high quality details, the
Bullitt is the perfect helmet for riders looking for a vintage look with full-face protection.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
Biltwell Gringo S Le Tracker Helmet
Art Deco Helmet Maybe?
The Gringo S is built around Biltwell’s injection-molded ABS outer shell and features a shock-absorbing EPS inner.
A hinged eye port shield raises the style and function of the Gringo S by introducing 70’s F1 flavor for bike riders.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
CUSTOM BILT Vintage Jet Cruiser Graphic Helmet
Perfect Vintage Fighter Pilot Throwback Helmet
Harking back to a simpler time, the BiLT Vintage Jet Cruiser Helmet line has the classic look that riders love but with more modern materials and features.
Available in styles that span from mild to wild, the Vintage Jet Cruiser Helmet is sure to be a hit with the cruiser and cafe racer crowds alike.
Where to Buy: Buy at Revzilla / Buy at Amazon
