New Nexx Top-of-the-Line Supersport Helmet
The Nexx XT1 is the Portuguese company’s new premiere full-face motorcycle helmet.
It’s what we’d call a “supersport” helmet, with features such as the locking face shield and Pinlock posts cribbed from racing helmets.
But the very nice, full coverage internal sun visor and “quick release” chin strap retainer, along with the plush removable liner, give the XT1 street cred.
It’s also fitted for the Nexx/Sena X-Com intercom system, with molded speaker cavities, a molded inset for the mic and the X-Com intercom receptacle on the left-hand side of the shell.
The built-in X-Com intercom is a version of the Sena SMH-10R (review) low-profile system.
The XT1 has a composite fiberglass/aramid/carbon shell and it’s also available in full carbon fiber.
It’s about as far from the original Nexx XR1R helmet (review) as you can get in every way that you can imagine, so forget everything you thought you new about Nexx when you check out the XT1.
Not everything is a bed of roses, however. The XT1 carries a fairly hefty list price and we found it to be louder than we anticipated, given the thick liner and comfortable fit.
Introduction
We’ve been reviewing Nexx helmets since the XR1R review back in 2009. The original XR1R was unique, lightweight, different and…a bit crude.
Forget all that, because the XT1 has about as much in common with the XR1R as a moped does to a Multistrada.
Nexx helmets are made in Europe and the company has always been at the leading edge of helmet design. Need proof? Take a look at last year’s Nexx SWITX SX10 (review), thewebBikeWorld Motorcycle Product of the Year. Nothing else comes anywhere close to this unique design!
While the new XT1 isn’t quite as radical, it does have a new “organic” shape, reminiscent of recent Japanese “fluid” design, such as the Kodo “Soul of Motion” design language popularized by Mazda.
One doesn’t have to look very far in the family tree, as the XT1 styling is quite different from the more angular styling found in the Nexx XD1 dual-sport helmet (review), also announced during 2014 EICMA and the 2014 AIMExpo show (report).
The XT1 is a hybrid of sport and street, with features from both. We’d place it in the somewhat nebulous “supersport” category, such as the CMS GTRS we reviewed recently.
Unfortunately for the XT1, it arrived at the same time as the CMS GTRS and back-to-back evaluation rides pointed to at least one major difference. The XT1 is much louder than the GTRS when riding in the exact same conditions on the same motorcycles.
We’ll discuss that in the “Sound Levels” section below.
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Paint, Graphics and Overall Quality
The XT1 comes in either the tri-composite matrix shell form or a pure carbon fiber shell. The “Titanium Graphite” version shown here is the former and Nexx refers to the solid color XT1 helmets as the “Plain” model.
While there’s little imagination in that appellation, the Titanium Graphite is a pretty cool “stealthy” look design. The surface is matte and it has that sort of rubbery-feeling finish similar to “Rubatone”. This one is much easier to clean and doesn’t attract fingerprints, however.
The overall quality and the paint or finish is excellent, with no flaws. The entire helmet looks and feels modern, without a trace of the offbeat and somewhat crude features of the original XR1R (e.g., the XR1R’s face shield rotating system).
In other words, the XT1 is modern in every way.
The moving parts all have a solid feel and the face shield has a new release system with firm detents and a tight seal against the eye port gasket.
The liner and padding is also nice and thick and comfortable and the overall fit and finish of the liner and fabric is right up there with the best.
Score: We’ll rate the XT1 as “Outstanding” for overall quality. See the Summary Table at the bottom of the page for a description of our rating system.
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Nexx XT1 Helmet Fit, Internal Shape and Liner
This XT1 is a size large and it fits as expected for a 59-60 cm head. The internal shape is what we’d call a “Medium Narrow” to “Slight Narrow”, very similar to a modern Shoei GT-Air (review) or theArai Signet-Q Pro Tour (review), but maybe a touch tighter on the sides.
This will be good news for the many webBikeWorld readers who have written us over the last year, bemoaning the trend of helmet manufacturers to make helmets with a “Neutral” internal shape.
The thick padding in the XT1 means there are no hotspots or sharp points to be felt. The narrower shape means riders with rounder heads may have problems fitting eyeglasses.
The ear pockets aren’t as deep as some and they are nicely lined at the bottom. Underneath the lining is a molded area in the EPS for the optional Nexx X-Com intercom speakers.
So the shallower pockets may be a benefit, as they keep the speakers closer to the ears — important for good sound volume and quality.
The chin bar is molded on the inside to fit the microphone of the X-Com intercom kit.
The liner is fully removable, as are the cheek pads. The cheek pads have emergency release straps, which can be pulled to quickly remove the padding.
The XT1 has 3 shell sizes to span the head size range: XXS-S; M-L and XL-XXL, so that’s a plus. Note that the stylized gasket/spoiler around the bottom and the X-Com mounting port pretty much preclude mounting of other types of clip-on intercom systems.
More information on helmet fit can be found in the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet FAQ page, along with the chart that lists the helmet weights of webBikeWorld reviewed helmets and also by shape on the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet Shapes page.
Score: We rate the XT1 as “Outstanding” for shape, comfort and padding and the nicely designed speaker pockets.
Face Shield, Eye Port and Outward Visibility
One of the unique features of the XT1 is the face shield, which is extra tall and covers part of the helmet above the eye port. The eye port gasket has been extended also, so the black portion matches the shape along the top part of the face shield.
The face shield seals tight against the oversize gasket and the removal mechanism is spring-loaded, which helps to pull the face shield tight to maintain that waterproof seal.
The face shield has a single tab at the center. Under the tab is a push button that acts as the face shield lock. Push the button to release the face shield into a very slight city defogging position — it’s just a crack, but it helps.
The 2.44 mm thick face shield can then be raised through 3 stiff detents. The final detent is extra-strong to hold the face shield open in the fully raised position.
The face shield has Pinlock posts but no Pinlock insert is included. There is some distortion at either side of the face shield, caused by a slight indent in the molding to fit the Pinlock and the distortion is somewhat annoying when doing over-the-shoulder traffic checks.
The vertical sight lines are excellent and the horizontal visibility would be also, but the distortion limits this a bit at the extremes.
Internal Sun Visor
The XT1 has an internal sun visor, which slips into a cavity above the forehead, eliminating the possibility of Snell certification.
The sun visor works very well; it’s a friction-based system, with a slider up and to the rear, on the left side of the exhaust vent assembly. It’s fairly easy to find when wearing gloves and the sun visor can be stopped in an intermediate position.
The coverage provided by the sun visor is excellent; it’s among the best when it comes to coverage without annoying cutouts or curves. So overall, we rate the XT1’s sun visor as outstanding.
Score: The visibility and face shield operation and the internal sun visor of the XT1 rate an “Excellent”.
Nexx XT1 Vents and Ventilation
The top vent assembly in the XT1 is operated by a small but prominent rocker/slider switch on the top. It opens and closes both vents simultaneously, which eliminates fussing with separate vents.
The vent openings are narrower than average and unfortunately the plastic that blocks the vent doesn’t fold back and up out of the way, so this limits the amount of air intake.
Nevertheless, the liner is properly designed with open panels or slots along the top of the head. This allows the air to flow in through four large holes through the EPS and on to the rider’s head.
The air flow isn’t as good as, say, the most recent Arai RX-7 Limited Editions (review), but it’s better than the average street helmet.
The chin vent has a vertical slider, which flows air up along the top of the chin bar only. There are no vents through the chin bar itself, due to the molding for the X-Com microphone. The air flow through the chin vent is average.
There are two “always open” exhaust vents in the rear of the helmet. Overall, the system works well, with ventilation at average to slightly above average levels.
Score: We rate the overall ventilation as “Very Good”.
Nexx XT1 Sound Levels
Unfortunately for the XT1, it had the unfortunate circumstance of being evaluated on the road concurrently with the CMS GTRS helmet we reviewed recently.
The XT1 just seemed a bit cruder overall, with the big difference being the amount of noise that comes through the XT1. It is immediately noticeable in comparison; something about the XT1 overall design seems to allow more ambient engine and mechanical noises through.
When riding, the XT1 is louder than the GTRS. The noise comes mostly through the rear of the helmet, where the cheek pads meet the liner. We have noticed this issue before in several other helmets.
There needs to be a better fit or different design where the cheek pads meet the rear of the padding in the helmet liner, which would help attenuate the noise.
When a hand is placed over this area, the noise decreases dramatically, so thicker padding or a different design would help.
Otherwise, the noise at the upper part of the XT1 is average, helped by the low-profile intake.
Note that our helmet evaluations are a combined effort of several riders over time on different types of motorcycles with and without windscreens.
Evaluators wear correctly fitted, high quality ear plugs (even when evaluating motorcycle intercom systems).
Always protect your hearing when riding a motorcycle. See the wBW Earplug Reviews for more information on choosing and wearing earplugs.
Note also that perceived noise levels will vary, depending on the individual.
Noise can be caused by many factors, including helmet fit, the type of motorcycle and windscreen, wind speed and direction and even the rider’s clothing.
For more information on helmet noise, visit the wBW Motorcycle Helmet Noise page.
Score: The XT1 transmits more noise than average along the bottom and average at the top, so it gets a “Neutral” rating overall.
Nexx XT1 Helmet Weight
This XT1 in size large weighs 1582 grams (3 lbs., 7-3/4 oz.), coincidentally the same weight as theNexx XD1 Dual-Sport helmet (review).
Other size large helmets in this range include the the Kabuto Aeroblade III (review) at 1587 grams; the Arai Corsair V 2015 Isle of Man TT (review) at 1596 grams and the Bell RS-1 (review) at 1603 grams.
Funny thing — the XT1 feels heavier than the other helmets when it’s picked up, perhaps due to the stout build.
The XT1 feels good when riding and it’s nicely balanced, with the organic shape apparently helping to improve air flow.
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Miscellaneous
The XT1 has thick cushions on the chin strap and a “quick release” chin strap retainer. Nexx has recently revised their U.S. distribution system and headquarters and Nexx helmets are once again available in the U.S.A.
- Outstanding overall quality.
- Comfortable liner.
- Excellent internal sun visor.
- Good sight lines from the eye port.
- Three shell sizes.
- Louder than we expected.
- Price.
- Lower ventilation could be improved.
Conclusion
The Nexx XT1 is another very nicely made helmet from the “new” Nexx, with overall excellent quality.
It would make an excellent street, sport or touring helmet for anyone wanting to move up from a basic full-face without spending a fortune.
However, the overall feeling is that the price may be a bit of a reach; perhaps a $350.00 list would be better…although you are getting the higher-end composite shell construction and the accommodations for the X-Com intercom system and the 3 shell sizes.
Perhaps if the Pinlock was standard equipment? Or if the helmet was a class-leader in terms of noise control?
One thing is certain: the XT1 is a big improvement over earlier Nexx full-face helmets and the fact that we can nitpick advanced features is actually a good thing!
wBW Review: Nexx XT1 Helmet
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Owner Comments and Feedback
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From “R.C.” (October 2015): “Basically with my long oval head shape this helmet envelops my head rather than just sits on it like some other helmets.
I found that the visibility is excellent and the internal sunshade is much better than others I’ve tried on helmets such as Scorpion.
Every opening lets lots of air in but when the face shield is closed I still hear a little wind noise but with certain head turns it feel solid and much sturdier than several of my other helmets.
I’ve tried riding it up to speeds of 80 miles an hour and it definitely instills confidence — stupidly I’m sure but still confidence 🙂
It feels like it is cutting the air in a superior way, the weight is light and balanced. The only thing I don’t like is the securing buckle as it pushes my Adam’s apple, however less than others with similar clasps and this one does move forward and stay.
Super satisfied with the matte color and helmet is my daily rider now!”
From “B” (July 2015): “Great helmet. Good looking, great function with wonderful execution. Another helmet that I will not even try to fit on my ROUND head.”
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