How do I buy a Bell? Can I buy one directly from the factory? Is my Kevlar® canoe bulletproof? What's the story on Lightning Tech and the new KevLight™ lamination? How do they differ from canoes built with clear gel coat? How durable is a Lightning Tech/KevLight canoe? Lightning Tech is a composite lamination process introduced by Bell Canoe Works in 2004. This technology spent more than two years in testing and development by Bell R&D. Lightning Tech eliminates the need for gel goat. Instead, we use a full wet vacuum bag technique to achieve resin saturation of the cloth. This produces a lightweight canoe with an attractive interior and exterior surface luster that resembles that of clear gel coat. The success of Lightning Tech models during the 2004 season helped spawn the current lamination options -- KevLight™ and BlackGold™. KevLight™ replaces KevCrystal, and the BlackGold™ lamination process has been revised. Both come standard with a new Ultralight Aluminum Trim Package featuring bronze anodized aluminum gunwales and thwarts, riveted seat hangers, and contoured web seats. KevLight™ is the premier option for customers seeking the ultimate in weight savings, while BlackGold™ offers the same lightweight performance but with added abrasion resistance. Canoes built using the Lightning Tech process offer comparable durability to gel coated canoes, just without the gel coat. The layer count and amount of material used are identical. Additionally, Bell's proprietary vinylester resin provides superior tensile strength and elasticity. This affords equal impact resistance, rigidity, and stiffness. However, these two surface options will handle abrasion differently. KevLight™ canoes do not have gel coat, but instead use resin as a surface layer. Resin is integrated into the cloth layer itself. KevLight™ canoe surfaces can be touched up using a variety of preparations including clear gel coat or resin, but they cannot be sanded and polished the way gel coat can. The clear advantage of KevLight™ is weight savings. Omitting gel coat shaves 5 to 7 pounds off a tandem. For tripping, lake use, and deep water paddling KevLight™ is the perfect choice. Since our composite canoes do not have gel coat, they carry the appearance of the nude cloth beneath the resin. We use clear, vinylester resin which is more UV resistant than epoxies, but you can easily extend the life of your canoe. We recommend that all our canoes be stored out of the sunlight. It is a good idea to keep them dressed with 303 Protectant to maximize UV protection. It should be noted that many Kevlar™ race canoes built without gel coat by Wabash Valley Canoe (owner Ted Bell's previous company) around 20 years ago are still being paddled today. - - - - - - - - - - Return to top - - - - - - - - - - What happened to the Wildfire Royalex®? Has the Wildfire Royalex® been discontinued? No, the Wildfire Royalex® has not been discontinued. We changed the name but not the boat. It is still available under the name Yellowstone Solo. The reason for the name change is two-fold: 1) The Yellowstone Solo joined our River Touring Series of canoes designed for moving water. The canoes in our River Touring Series (including the Yellowstone and Alaskan tandems) are perfect for paddling mild whitewater and rivers where a pure-bred whitewater canoe just isn't necessary. They are also great for occasional trips on lakes and flatwater. 2) There have always been slight differences between the composite Wildfire and its Royalex® counterpart. The boats share the same length and basic measurements, and they exhibit similar handling. But, the Yellowstone Solo has an asymmetrical hull shape and its shear height differs from the composite Wildfire. These differences are a result of translating the Wildfire hull design to Royalex® construction. Due to the material's limitations (i.e. Royalex® is not as rigid as composite, it must be heat molded, etc.) it was necessary to enhance certain design elements to achieve a canoe with the optimum performance characteristics of the Yellowstone Solo. - - - - - - - - - - Return to top - - - - - - - - - - How do I buy a Bell? Can I buy one directly from the factory? We're just as proud of our dealers as we are our canoes. We happen to think we have the best network of dealers in the country. Your local Bell dealer is not only a place to purchase a Bell canoe, paddle, pack, or accessory -- they are your resource for paddling information, instruction, advice on gear selection and repairs. Your local dealer is also the best place to swap tales and stories with others who enjoy paddling as much as you do. For these reasons our canoes are only available through our authorized dealer network. The way we build canoes is the way our dealers do business — with an emphasis on attention to detail, quality service, and a love for the sport of canoeing. - - - - - - - - - - Return to top - - - - - - - - - - Is my Kevlar® canoe bulletproof? No. This is a common misconception. There are many, many different types of Kevlar®. The "bulletproof" assumption is similar to thinking just because your car has an engine you're ready to race NASCAR. The Kevlar® used in bulletproof vests has different properties than the woven cloth we use to build our canoes. However, the awesome strength properties of the fiber are retained in our distinctive black and gold cloth, while the weight is kept to a minimum. While this does create an exceptionally tough canoe for its weight, please refrain from shot-testing your hull! - - - - - - - - - - Return to top - - - - - - - - - - I just bought a used Bell — how do I get an owner's manual? Replacement owner's manuals are provided free-of-charge. To obtain one you can do one of three things:
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