Speedcore Pink Matt puts a flash of iridescent colour on the darkest version of the Nexx X.R3R. The photograph shows a matt black racing shell with a visor and spoiler blade that run from magenta through violet to a golden edge, the kind of mirror finish that changes every time you turn your head. Beneath the look is a composite helmet built for the track and fast road riding: X-Matrix 2 shell, around 1,650 g, ECE 22.06 approval, three shell sizes, and a kit that includes a Pinlock 120 XLT lens, a second visor, a spoiler extensor and tear-offs.

About the Speedcore Pink Matt finish

Pink Matt keeps the paintwork itself completely neutral: a matt black shell with nothing on it except a fine grey Nexx logo. The colour is carried by the transparent parts in the picture. The mirrored visor glows pink in direct light and falls back to purple and gold at an angle, and the spoiler extension at the rear repeats the effect. It is a colourway that looks restrained parked in a garage and loud in sunshine, and because the accent lives on replaceable parts, you can tone it down with a clear or smoke visor whenever you like.

As with every matt helmet, the black surface hides fine marks but does not take polish, so stick to water, a mild soap and a soft cloth. The pink mirror layer is the most delicate part: clean it wet, never with paper towels, and keep it out of contact with fuel and solvents.

Fibreglass, aramid, carbon: the X-Matrix 2 recipe

Nexx marks the Speedcore shell as X-MATRIX2. According to the composition column of the Nexx 2027 dealer list, the shell is made mostly of fibreglass, around 70 per cent, with about 15 per cent aramid and 10 per cent carbon, with the remaining share listed as organic material. Each material does a different job. Fibreglass is tough and spreads load well, aramid resists tearing and penetration, and carbon raises stiffness where Nexx places it. Nexx describes X-Matrix 2 as a multi-directional lay-up of composite layers; the shell is laminated, not injection-moulded from thermoplastic.

The trade-off against the X-PRO Carbon used on the other X.R3R versions is weight. Composite shells built mainly from glass fibre need more material to reach the same strength, which is why Speedcore is listed at about 1,650 g against about 1,350 g for the carbon X.R3R.

What the shell has to survive

Speedcore is approved to ECE 22.06, the regulation every new road helmet sold in Europe has needed since 2024. The test programme is much broader than under 22.05. Impacts are applied at a larger number of points chosen by the laboratory, at higher and lower energies, and a separate oblique test against an abrasive anvil records rotational acceleration, the movement linked to brain injury. The visor is tested for impact, scratch resistance and optics, and accessories that are sold to be fitted have to be tested in place. The helmet passes all of this as a whole.

How it differs from the X.R3R Carbon

From the outside the two are nearly identical; the shape, the spoiler and the three-shell split are the same, and Nexx sells the visor, Pinlock and spoiler extensor as X.R3R parts for both. The differences are inside the paint. The carbon X.R3R uses X-PRO Carbon and weighs about 1,350 g; Speedcore uses X-Matrix 2 and weighs about 1,650 g. Nexx also lists five intakes for Speedcore and six for the carbon helmet. The carbon models wear visible weave in many of their colourways, while every Speedcore is fully painted. Neither version we sell carries an FIM homologation.

Shell sizes and fit

Three outer shells cover the size range, XXS-XS, S-M and L-XXL, and our shop carries XS to XXL. More shells mean the helmet's outside stays closer in proportion to the head inside it, so a small rider does not end up with an oversized outer. Measure your head at its widest point above the eyebrows, check the size chart on this page and expect a new race helmet to feel tight on the cheeks at first.

Visor system and Pinlock

Nexx fits the Recoil visor system: the visor comes away by hand and locks back in with a clear click, so changing from tinted to clear at the circuit takes very little time. The visor has a recessed area for the supplied Pinlock 120 XLT MaxVision lens and posts for tear-offs. A second visor is included, but Nexx does not say which tint it is, and the pink mirror in the photo should not be taken as confirmation. Treat any mirrored or tinted visor as a daylight visor.

Cooling on hot track days

The Nexx specification table for Speedcore lists five intakes and four exhausts, plus the Air Cumbs cooling chamber, a set of channels moulded into the EPS that carries air across the head and out through the back. Other Nexx sources mention six intakes for the X.R3R, so the count for this version is the lower one. The breath guard is removable, and a wind stopper at the chin keeps cold air from coming up from underneath when you ride on the road.

Intercom and riding in a group

Speedcore is universal intercom ready, meaning there is space in the shell and liner for the speakers and microphone of a common aftermarket system. Nexx does not specify a dedicated unit for this version. Check the depth of your speakers before you buy, since race helmets are built close around the ears.

Spares and accessories

Visors, Pinlock 120 XLT lenses and spoiler extensors that Nexx sells for the X.R3R fit Speedcore, because Nexx classes it as an X.R3R. That includes the pink iridium extensor and visor in the Nexx accessory range, should you ever scratch the originals. Parts for the X.R5R are a different design and do not fit.

Honest limits

There is no integrated sun visor in this helmet. There is no FIM homologation. There is no independent test result or star rating published for Speedcore yet, and we will not guess a noise level. Nexx does not state whether the shell is designed around glasses. An action-camera mount is not part of the box. Finally, Speedcore weighs around 300 g more than the carbon X.R3R, which matters to riders who count grams.

In the box

• 1x helmet (X-Matrix 2 multi-composite, three shell sizes)
• 1x Pinlock 120 XLT MaxVision anti-fog lens
• 1x fitted visor + 1x second visor
• 1x spoiler extensor
• 1x wind deflector
• 1x tear-off set

Specification

• Helmet type — Full-face racing helmet with rear spoiler (X.R3R shell family)
• Certification — ECE 22.06
• Shell — X-Matrix 2 multi-composite (fibreglass, aramid, carbon reinforcement), 3 shell sizes (XXS-XS / S-M / L-XXL)
• Weight — approx. 1,650 g ± 50 g
• Retention — Double D-ring with X-Lock magnetic strap holder
• Visor — Recoil visor system, prepared for tear-offs, Pinlock 120 XLT MaxVision included
• Protection — Emergency cheek-pad release, night-vision reflectors
• Interior — X-Mart Dry fabric, removable and washable lining, removable chin-strap covers
• Ventilation — 5 intakes, 4 exhausts, Air Cumbs cooling chamber, removable breath guard
• Comms & camera — Universal intercom ready

• 1x helmet (X-Matrix 2 multi-composite, three shell sizes)
• 1x Pinlock 120 XLT MaxVision anti-fog lens
• 1x clear visor (fitted) + 1x second visor, Iridium Pink
• 1x spoiler extensor
• 1x wind deflector
• 1x tear-off set