Post date: Jul 2, 2020 3:50:01 PM
Today we're doing a quick review of mean Nexx XR2 Dark Carbon Helmet. This is a super lightweight full-faced carbon fiber helmet coming in at two point eight seven pounds. It's as light as a snowflake, and I love it's. It's one of the sexiest helmets ever produced.
This helmet is rated as a long oval shape on RevZilla, but I disagree with that, I think that's incorrect. I have a long oval shape, and it puts more pressure on my forehead than most standard helmets.
However, that's based on the first impression, and maybe the cushion would give way after a while, and it makes it feel better. That itself is not a deal-breaker because you can always mod the helmet, which I plan to do.
This helmet does run a sliver too small, so I would recommend that you size up. The carbon zero has two shell sizes to keep it nice and tight, nice and small so you don't look like a bobblehead. The new design of carbon zero has new vents designed to increase the airflow and decrease the noise. Both welcome improvements for sure.
The carbon zero has a spoiler built right in, how cool is that. In the aerodynamics are made to destroy drag. This helmet has three vents in the front, two on top, one in the front, and four in the back.
It's pin lock ready, has a breath guard, and has tons of features that you would expect from a premium-priced helmet. It comes with built-in slots for the Nexis intercom system. In terms of looks, I am giving this helmet five out of five stars, I mean, look at this thing.
Look at the front, look at the profile, look at the back, have you ever seen a back end this sexy? It has a rear spoiler with a sort of 3D edged silver necks on the back, with a zero imprint on the top. This has to be the sexiest rear end on a helmet that I've ever seen.
The carbon fiber is under a black gloss, and the carbon fiber weave is near perfect, which is pretty damn good for a helmet.
Nexx is one of my top manufacturers for helmets; they just get it right that I like helmets with the blacks, the matte blacks, the Grays, the red accents, the carbon fibers, I love next helmets that's why I chose one for my full-faced helmet.
The cushions are very comfortable and soft and removable and washable. I'm giving this helmet 5 out of 5 stars for safety. It's got three density EPS and high impact absorption; of course, the shell is made from carbon fiber, so it's nice and robust.
It comes with a removable chin curtain; this comes with the double o-ring fastener, I prefer the latch, but a lot of bikers prefer the double o-ring.
I'm going to Dane this helmet, and I'm going to ding it hard on the fact that there's no Sun Visor, a deal-breaker for me. I don't want to have to fiddle around with putting sunglasses on or if the Sun goes behind the clouds, pulling off to the side of the road taking the shades off-putting my pocket.
I prefer to have a quick flip down the Sun shield, as most helmets do, and I was extremely disappointed that this did not have it. Therefore, I passed on it.
Nexx also makes an excellent helmet called the villager, which I chose over this, and I'll be reviewing that soon if you're interested.
Overall, other than that, the helmet is gorgeous. I'm giving it a four and a half out of 5 stars, one of my top ratings.
As I said, the only reason I did it was because of the lack of the Sun shield. I think it was an oversight, but they probably let it out just to keep that weight low, this is one of the lightest, if not the lightest helmets out there.
The next XR2 carbon is our top of the food chain race thoroughbred. It is a massive departure from the original XR 1. A completely new helmet, forget what you knew about the Nexx helmet.
Other than the fact that their premium manufacturer is coming out of Portugal. They've grown tremendously in Europe, and their new line is much more premium focused, and again, they've redesigned it.
If we look at it, this is the XR2 carbon. Now, there is an X matrix version out there, which is that tri comp, that fiberglass, and resins, this is full carbon fiber, but they have painted it.
This is the pure graphic; there are some other graphics, there's also going to be your stock colorway, and you're coming in north of that $500 mark. You're looking at a helmet at first glance, and from a usage standpoint, is designed for the Tuck.
Do not buy this if you're planning on riding in an upright position, or if you've got a ride aggressively, and it's like take this to the track.
This helmet is DOT ECE rated, it is full carbon fiber, it comes in around the 3-pound mark, but you're paying a premium for that.
Remember, Nexx has some other helmets that use similar technology, but they are built for different configurations. So you have the XT-1, which is suited for sport and sport-touring riding 3/4 upright, a little bit more flexible, similar technology, and the X d1, which is similar technology in a more dual-sport or adventure format.
This bad boy is meant for track days and racing, that's why it's so light, and that's the configuration. Again, you're looking at 250 plus millimeter degree field of view, and you're looking at north a 70-degree field of view vertically.
Again, staying with ergonomic aerodynamics and a viewport theme that is suited for your chin on the tank.
The other things to continue to think about fit, they do address some of our key issues with some of the predecessors in the Nexx line. The original XR1 was long and narrow, and it was tight around the ears, and it was hard to get on and off.
What they've done is they've completely redesigned the interior, it's now Coolmax, it's a 3d shape, and they've given you ergonomics that will work in the tuck position.
This helmet is closer to that intermediate oval fit shape for the American market. It is a little longer front to back, a little bit slightly long, but they are not extreme, and you do have multiple pads.
They call this the Ergo fit system. These are different millimeter pads that fit on the side and fit the helmet's front and back. What they're going to allow you to do is fine-tune the fit, four-millimeter pad, a ten-millimeter pad, and again, you can work to get it just right for your head.
Usually, all of our heads are going to be different; even if you're an intermediate oval, you might be a slightly different intermediate oval than someone else.
The Nexx XR2 carbon is full carbon fiber; there's no fiberglass; this is not try-composite. It is full carbon fiber, the three-pound mark, that's where you're at with this bad boy, I'm going to stop there, that is exceptionally light.
We talked about the Tuck position on the tank when racing. Looking at the positioning of the vents and looking at how the spoiler integrates. Again, everything is suited to create stability as well as minimize the drag.
It's going to want to pull your helmet up when you're in that tuck position; you have that lip at the replaceable back, and again, what I like about the vent scheme on this helmet is it's straightforward to find when you are wearing gloves.
It's very small, they almost come to a point, and it's a two-position chimney vent on the front, and then you also have a vent down along the mouth, which is going to vent to the face.
It's going to vent to the shield, again, it's easy to find because they give you these little Peaks or almost like little mini fangs that stick out. It's rubberized and has a cool feel to it.
If we look at the optically correct shield, it is a Lexan shield, and it is a flat shield, it's going to eliminate Distortion. Notice that it comes stock with tear-off posts, but the beauty is, and it's hard to pick it up, there's a pin locks max vision lens that comes stock in the box. You're getting the genuine Anti Fog of the pin lock system; you're getting as part of a package deal.
If we open it, they've redesigned the vent at the bottom and notice the detent. It has a city position, and you're going to slide it up a couple of detends. What they've also done is they've given you this generation three of the fast-shot-system, which is how you're going to remove it.
In the previous version, you used to go quarter turn up, remove the side plate, and this thing would fly across the street. Now you can remove it, remove the other side, and then move it slightly, and it's going to pop off.
So again, they're just being thoughtful about how they're designing it, and they're making it very functional knowing that there's a handful of guys that are going to be in a race scenario where you might come in and pit, you get a quick change on your shield. Again they're doing it in a way that you can control the environment.
The beautiful part about it is you have a nice big gasket sealing in this eye-port. Again, you're going to get a minimization of wind noise, and you get caught in inclement weather, it's going to do an excellent job at sealing it out. You will notice you do have a breath guard, which is removable as well.
You can see that big port for ventilation, coming up from the chin vent that's going to vent up to the shield.
If we slide it around to the back, you're going to see our big spoiler that almost has a rubberized finish to it. It is sitting atop of some venturi vents, remember fast-moving sphere moving through the air creates a vacuum, that's going to suck warm moist air out of your helmet.
You do have some additional grilles along the back that will continue that extraction factor and keep you fresh, keeping you comfortable while you're riding.
It has a spoiler in the back, spoiler in the front; there is a fully removable chin curtain, it doesn't have to stay in one place. I've already told you about the ergo fit system that allows you to tune it.
It comes with a full Coolmax liner, which is wicking and is exceptionally comfortable. It is antimicrobial, its a high-end liner, and then you have an emergency cheek pad removal system that's baked in.
If you're out cold, Johnny EMT can get these out without moving your head, allowing them to stabilize your neck. If we look at it, this ties in with our gripe from the past, which was how it interfaced with your ears and how it felt when it was on.
Fully cheap, fully 3d, notice the beautiful cradle to this. It has a gentle curve; it's going to support the jawline, be a little bit of a different density around the ear, and it also supports a cutout for a speaker pocket.
If you're buying this helmet then you're going to go put a 3d or put a Bluetooth unit hanging off the side, you're kind of wasting the fact that you bought an aggressive aerodynamically stable and quiet race-oriented helmet. Again, anything you're hanging off the side is just going to act as a sail.
Moving off the other side, you saw how I pulled that out without using the emergency cheek pad removal system, and the way that ties together, again very comfortable.
The comfort liner cab is removed from the back and is very simple. Again, they're minimizing snaps and pressure points when you get into the comfort liner, which is going to interface with your scalp.
As I move up towards my brow, there are three points of connection, and again, they're doing the same thing. Pulling out these snaps allows you not to have those snaps in the brow.
If they put too big beefy snaps right here when you're racing, you would feel them over a twenty lap race or however far you're going. Again, they're trying to do everything they can to minimize the distraction factor and maximize comfort.
If we look at it, it's 3d in its design with lots of cutaways for weight savings. It has lots of cutaways for air ventilation, remember, cool max is cream of the crop when it comes to interiors for helmets.
You'll be able to run this bad boy under some water, let it out, set it to air dry for five minutes, and you'll be good to go.
When it comes to the inside of the helmet, you're going to notice the ventilation channels. Again, starting with those venting ports and moving the air around the back extracting through the bottom.
We are extracting ait through the rear extractors, again giving the best chance for circulation while staying quiet while staying exceptionally light and compact, and while in a tuck position for racing.