Crash Tested! The Biltwell Gringo Retro Helmet Review 

It would be great to see this redone with the ECE approved version...

The Face shield should have been on for the waterproof & noise test !! Just say'n :)

I think textile jacket vs. leather jacket and awesome idea. I would also be very interested in seeing regular jeans vs riding jeans because I think that test applies to so many riders

Impact tests would be more accurate if you dropped each helmet form the same height with a bowling ball (and impact detectors) INSIDE the helmet.... Swings with a baseball bat leaves a lot of room for variables. The same with the sander, setting a weighted (and braced) helmet on a sander would be more consistent than tired arms applying variable pressure. Just my thoughts though... Love the test/review series!

The day when you test a helmet and it receives a perfect score is the day ill be spending a lot of money.

This is the first FortNine vid I ever watched. I was hooked. I don't even own a bike.

you guys make the best reviews! it would be cool if you guys could do some reviews on some of the ultra cheap gear! and when I say cheap I mean generic eBay cheap, I'd like to see how the generic stuff stacks up against the name brand stuff, gloves, jackets, helmets and Bluetooth communication

I love the looks of the helmet. I grew up when this type of helmet was contemporary.

love the new branding and the way things are going for you guys at FortNine, ive been a long time customer. Keep the vids coming, these are great!

I'd love to see this series come back, lots of new stuff on the market and I'm into this level of detail. Or at least some review of MIPS? Keep up the great work 💪👌

This is frightening to be honest! I think it's good that you are testing all this stuff - I've got loads of my mates that wear this helmet in the uk 🇬🇧... I'm sending this review straight over - Biltwell need to sort this out

Yes, definetly need to see a Bell Bullit one!

I bought a Gringo S recently, and this is why I only use it for mopeds and my 70cc road racer. The Ducati, Cagiva, and Yamaha always get my race bucket and gear.

I absolutely love your videos dude! I can't believe you don't get more views. I could watch hours of these videos.

I know you don't think much of them but PLEASE do the Bell Bullitt. Would be a great comparison & to see how it goes for noise and waterproofing

This channel content keeps getting better and better!

How did you guys decide on a 1 minute benchmark for the belt sander? You guys must be anticipating some loooooooong slides!

You need to do one of these tests on the Bell Bullitt next.

Seaworld - "This is gonna suck..." Still laughing lol

This vid proves I’m messed up in the head, Since I still want one 😎

I would like to echo that it would be great to see this redone with the ECE approved version... They are such popular helmets and it would be informative to see if there were actual any safety improvements

Ryan I really enjoy and value your videos - appreciate that you point out both the pros and cons of products and call out flaws etc. Hoping that you can do a review of the Scorpion Yukon Jacket/Pants or maybe the Scorpion exo at950 helmet. Would look forward to hearing your opinions on those! Thx again for the great vids and keep up the awesome work:)

Vintage style cotton jackets seem all the rage these days, would be good to see one of those put through its paces 👍👍👍

Great video! An interesting thing to do - a crash test of Europeans vintage helmets (like Premier Trophy or Trophy MX , DMD 75, Astone GT Retro or Super Retro)

Interesting. I wished I had watched this before ordering one. I sort of assumed a modern DOT approved full face helmet was equally safe, albeit with the retro aesthetic. Great channel, I just watched some of your other videos. You guys can't be too far from me. I'm from near the Plattsburgh, NY area.

I've always wanted to see how the 'retro' helmets compare lol. Bubble shield for the Bell Bullitt!

good to see regular uploads this year👍🏻

wow doing a waterproof test without a visor , what a genius !

You should test the Gringo S ECE version!

Do a test of Bell Moto-3 or Bell Bullitt please!

Please do this again with the new ECE approved S model. I've been wearing my Gringo for 2 years and recently had to hang it up after dropping on my head at 20mph. No concussion, helmet barely looked like it took a hit.

On a shelf in my garage sits the Bell Star which I bought new along with my first bike in '79. It's made in fibreglass, it's noisy, it's heavy, but no way would the chin bar fail as miserably as on this cheap copy. There really is no excuse for buying this Gringo, is there ?

Something I would like to see answered is what the best bubble shield helmet on the market is. They are cool and retro, and I am willing to sacrifice comfort for a cool look when doing some short city driving, but not my own safety.

Great video! You guys should test the Bell Bullitt helmet.

4:38 When you step into a puddle of water with your socks on

We would like you to crash test the AGV K3 and K5. Most requested crash test.

One of the prerequisite for wearing a 1970s replica helmet is to accept the risk and not be overly paranoid about what could go wrong. What I found is that the more you think of the worst the most likely it is to happen, because you condition yourself and your subconscious will influence your riding. I condition myself to ride and ride only, what is out of my hands is not worth a thought. A very good helmet will give you a false sense of security and in some cases will even influence the way you ride. Why on earth would you want a soundproof helmet?! You're asking for it if you ask me. Whenever I ride, I want to be on the edge, I don't want to be all cosy and relaxed because this is when shit happens. I have had expensive Shoei before, downgraded to Bell and got myself a Biltwell for this very reason other than the paint job: I actually want to hear my bike and everything around and I am prepared to get wet and foggy inside and feel like I am getting back to a time when riding was everything, every tiny bits of discomfort included. No Bluetooth bullshit, no fancy dimmable visors, no soundproof bubble... It is not an apartment I am buying it is an helmet. I am a biker, I am the one in charge, I am the one making decisions, my bike is the only place where I evade and trust myself more than every bit of fashionable material and technology you can throw at it. Biking is a simple pleasure so Biltwell are a welcome addition as far as I am concerned. Besides if your crash is so bad that your helmet will be judge and executioner of your sentence, then chances are the rest of you will be in no way to ever function properly. You guys put way too much trust in DOT and ECE. The only worthy test I know about is the British SHARP and you would be surprised how many expensive helmets fail miserably when tested properly...

Looking forward to the leather vs textile video next week. It would also be really interesting to see how the different types of textile do against each other, I'm particularly curious about the talisman super fabric. Thanks for the great videos.

I would love if you guys could crash test an Icon Variant, as I am new to motorcycling and I want to know just how protected I'll be before making any purchase. Love the videos and have learned a lot from this channel. Thanks

Helmet suggestions for future videos; HJC CL-17 ($64-$245)(9 new graphics are Snell M2015, and 15 other graphics are Snell M2010) & Arai Defiant-Pro Cruise ($603-$720) I was wearing the CL-17 when I got in my wreck and had a top of the head impact

Excellent video! I'm thinking that the metal flake is responsible for the sustained burn.

Thanks for the video! I figured the score on my Biltwell would be horrible. So test something good that I can afford!!!

Went with a Nexx XG100R over the Biltwell Gringo, and glad I did.

The Nexx XG100 is a premium lid with retro styling, would love to see it tested and see how it stands up against the Gringo

Really digging these tests, the Biltwell was on my radar with the Moto3, guess which one I'm not buying lol.

you should crash test the agv k3

One thing I notice on these tests, nothing was done on the chin strap strength. Good info here as usual though. Going to look and see if there is one for Gmax helmets.

Please do a review of the new Biltwell Lane Splitter! I think it will lend itself better.

please test fire helmets from various brands and prices to find out which extinguisher helmet is superior when on duty

I was literally about to buy a couple of these as I am starting to worry about wearing open face. Think I'll look for something more substantial!

PLEASE DO A TEST ON BELL BULLIT NEXT!!!

I found these destructive tests very informative on how the helmet would stand up to abuse. I was looking at a similar looking cheaper retro style helmet, but I can't find any informative safety reviews on it. It's called the "torc t-50" 3/4 style helmet. Could you please test one of those? Thanks.

This video just put me off of these helmets lol nicely done Fort Nine. What are your thoughts on the AGV helmets? Or should I just save up & buy a Shoei? (Currently using a Nitro modular helmet)

It looks like you've changed up your testing procedure since testing the gringo, changing the impact protection to a 100g shockwatch sticker instead of 50 and dropping it instead of hitting it with the bat. Do you think it would have passed impact protection under your new setup? I think I'm just wishing these helmets were better quality, the green one would match my green 2015 vulcan S so well. Oh well, I'll just have to stick with my DOT/ECE approved Bell.

Would you ever look at testing the newish AGV X3000? I've heard it's actually good for a retro-styled helmet.

you should check out the Ruroc Atlas sport it is supposed to be really durable with an ece and dot certificatation

i love your videos man. im thinking about getting a scorpion covert helmet and i think it would be a sweet helmet to test considering its a half helmet full face hybrid type thing. just a thought. keep up the good work!

Thanks for this honest vid!

This video is the reason I don’t own a gringo. I’m still trying to find a safe retro style helmet. How safe is the Simpson M50?

My best friend was using mine when he got hit by another biker. He was going maybe 35 and who knows about the other biker. Dude rode off! Anyway, my friend took some damage to his abdomen. Hospital said it was a laceration but the handlebars, yikes. But his cranium was okay 👌

Very nice waiting for this

I love the addition of music in your Crash Test vids. Keep up the good work. I'm really looking forward to that textile vs leather video

HEY HEY HEY! Should test a new one! with the ECE approval. Do like a side by side thing? :D

Hey Ryan, i was hoping that for your next helmet test you could bring the Arai Axces II to the table, as this is the helmet i just got and want to know how it pits up against your murder lab 😂

I have the gringo s, which I'm assuming would fail all of these test too. Might be time to get a new lid 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Thanks l almost bought one till l looked at your video l must say they look good though

I know I'm late, but your fantastic assessment process has influenced me considerably ( im not getting this any more )

Would be great to see this repeated with the new ECE variants!

Hey Ryan any chance you can do the same test on the new ECE rated Gringo? Interested to see if it’s actually improved

Wonder if the good people of fort9 will bring these tests back

Nice series of tests and very relevant information for cafe racers!! Could you perform this series of tests on a Bell Bullit? Thank you and keep with your good work!

A classic case of "dress for the slide, not for the ride"

Guys, is everything is in constant like the speed of the bat swing and the height of the ball during the impact test?

Can you do the Shoei Qwest? It seems to be universally regarded and I'm looking at it for a next helmet.

Salesman: slaps gringo 100g sticker and every hipster in 20 miles: Triggered

Whats the song at 5:17? I've heard it on Sam Crac videos before too but Shazam won't pick it up

I can attest to that fragile out gloss. Any slight bump chips it and leaves a crack. If this is your helmet, don't drop it by accident

Should test the nexx x.g100 I have one and I'd like to see how well it'll cope with the test

love the new vids..keep up the good work

RyanF9, where are the vids for the Firstgear Rainier jacket and Kili Low boots ????

Could you please test the Nexx XT1 Raptor, which I am using.

I bought one for the style. Not sure if i will wear it again :s Thanks for those interesting crash tester, would you mind doing a crash test of the new bell moto 3 ?

I'm looking for same design, full face helmet but in way more quality aspect obviously..... Which way to look?

Can you test the Arai Axess 2 helmet? One of my favourites but I wonder how it would do on these tests!!!

id love to see a crash test of the biltwell lanesplitter

Could you crash test the speed and strength SS1600? myself and a few of my riding buddies have went down in this helmet and id like to see how accurate your tests really are, pitting real crash damage to your simulated damage. I can E-mail pics.

Can you say anything about the premier helmets vintage range? Are there any good 'retro' helmets?

I really don't favor reviews at all... I mean there is nothing worse than trying to find facts online these days and getting nothing but 200,000 opinions with very little fact thrown in there at all, In my opinion anyway... But i have to say I have been a subscriber for more than a week now and I do enjoy these videos a lot! I may not always agree with them but they are always well done and fun.

Hi Ryan, great review. Can you do the icon airflite?

I'd like to see you test the biltwell lanespliter helmer

What a test! 😆

I was wondering why they weren't legal in Australia, now I know why!!

Can you please test a Nexx x Garage XG100 or XG 100R it's supposed to be one of the safest Retro helmets out there

Dude I love those comments you make like “our music will be provided by the 70s cuz that’s the only language it understands” 🤣🤣

@FortNine how about the same test on their ECE rated helmet update?

any plans on doing a crash test on the bell bullitt.

why didnt you waterproof test with the bubble sheild on?

I think you should have used a bubble shield. Probably a bit more common than the thin one.

Darn, turns out my favourite lid isn't so safe after all. To be honest, I always kinda thought so.

Any chance of seeing you test a bell qualifier dlx?