Heat is the enemy on a summer track day, and the Nexx X.R5R answers it with more openings than its predecessor: eight intakes and five exhausts, against six and four on the X.R3R. The Zero Pro Green Matt puts that shell in matt exposed carbon with iridescent accents. Nexx calls it green; on the studio photo the visor shifts between green, turquoise and violet and the spoiler fins look more blue-teal, depending on the angle. The helmet weighs about 1,325 grams in the medium shell, is built in four shell sizes and approved to ECE 22.06. If you ride in the heat, the sections below on airflow are the ones to read first.

How air moves through the X.R5R

Cool air enters at the front and leaves at the back, and the more freely it can travel between the two, the less heat builds up around the scalp. On the X.R5R the intakes sit on the crown and at the chin. The chin vent sends air onto the inside of the visor, which also helps against misting, while the upper intakes feed channels in the EPS liner. Five exhausts at the rear, helped by the low pressure behind the spoiler, pull the warm air out. Both the top and the chin vents can be closed when the morning is cold.

Cheek pads with their own channels

Most helmets ventilate the head and leave the face to stew. Nexx routes extra airflow through the cheek pads of the X.R5R, the area where sweat collects first when you are tucked in on a long straight. Combined with the X-Mart Dry fabric, which is designed to wick moisture away from the skin, the cheeks stay noticeably drier during a long session.

The Air Cumbs chamber

Between the shell and the comfort liner sits a cooling chamber Nexx calls Air Cumbs. It is a space that lets the air from the intakes spread out instead of rushing straight to the exhausts, so that more of the head surface gets a share. The effect is most useful at lower speeds, in the paddock or in slow sections, where the pressure difference between front and back is small.

About the Zero Pro Green Matt finish

Like every Zero Pro colourway, Green Matt leaves the carbon structure visible under a matt clear coat, with a grey ZERO lettering along the side and a white Nexx logo. The colour comes entirely from the iridescent mirror on the visor and spoiler fins on the photo, which is why this helmet looks different every time it turns: green from the front, almost violet at the edges, blue on the spoiler. If you are choosing a colour to match your bike, it is worth knowing that the effect is closer to oil on water than to a solid green. The matt shell copes well with daily handling and does not show swirl marks the way a gloss lacquer does. It does, however, absorb grease marks, so clean it with soapy water and a soft cloth and leave polish, wax and silicone sprays on the shelf. A deep scratch cannot be buffed out of a matt carbon surface.

Glasses, pads and long days in the heat

Riders who wear glasses can use the X.R5R: the manual describes the interior as glasses-friendly. The 360° Custom Fit system uses interchangeable pads to change the fit around the head, and the whole liner is removable and washable, which after a few hot days is not optional. Straps for an X-Hidro hydration tube are integrated, so you can drink without lifting the visor.

Visor positions as an air valve

The visor itself is another vent. Three intermediate positions between closed and open let you choose a gap, from a slit that stops the lens misting at the lights to a wider opening for slow traffic. On the track the X-Race lock holds it firmly shut, and the supplied Pinlock 200 XLT MaxVision insert keeps the lens clear in cool, damp conditions. The visor is also prepared for tear-offs, although no set is supplied.

Vent settings through the season

In spring, with cool air and a cold track, close the chin vent to stop a draught on the chin and keep the upper intakes open so the visor does not mist. On a hot July afternoon open everything and let the cheek-pad channels work. In autumn the supplied wind deflector under the chin keeps the cold out of the helmet while the top vents still remove humidity. Because the openings work independently, you can find a setting for almost any day without stopping.

Four shells, seven sizes

The X.R5R is built in four outer shells, one for XXS to S, one each for M and L, and one for XL to XXL. A shell that is close to the size of your head leaves less dead space for heat to collect in. We stock XS to XXL.

Neighbours in the Nexx range

The closest relative is the X.R3R carbon at about 1,350 grams with three shells and six intakes and four exhausts. The X.R5R carbon undercuts it slightly in weight and adds one shell size and more ventilation. There is also an X.R5R with an X-Matrix 2 multi-composite shell at about 1,475 grams, which comes with a Pinlock 120 rather than a 200 and without a racing bag. The X.R3R Speedcore uses X-Matrix 2 too and weighs around 1,650 grams.

Approval and retention

Homologation is ECE 22.06, which since January 2024 is the only basis on which new helmets may be sold in Europe. It covers impacts at many more points than the old 22.05, oblique impacts that measure rotational load and a visor penetration test. The strap closes with a Peraluman double D-ring and a magnetic X-Lock holder keeps the free end tidy. Emergency cheek-pad release and night reflectors complete the safety package.

Where it falls short

A well-ventilated racing helmet is rarely the quietest one, and Nexx publishes no noise figure for the X.R5R; neither do we. There is no internal sun visor. It is not FIM-homologated. No SHARP or other independent test has been published yet. Nexx lists a second visor in the box without naming its tint, and the iridescent mirror on the photo is not a guarantee that it is included; please ask us if you want that lens. X.R5R spare parts are not yet listed by Nexx, and X.R3R parts do not fit.

In the box

• 1x helmet (X-PRO Carbon, four shell sizes)
• 1x Pinlock 200 XLT MaxVision anti-fog lens
• 1x fitted visor + 1x second visor
• 1x spoiler extensor (tool-free, up to 20 mm)
• 1x chin action-camera mount; wind deflector
• 1x racing bag

Specification

• Helmet type — Full-face racing helmet, rear spoiler with tool-free extension up to 20 mm
• Certification — ECE 22.06
• Shell — X-PRO Carbon composite, 4 shell sizes (XXS-S / M / L / XL-XXL)
• Weight — approx. 1,325 g ± 50 g (M shell)
• Retention — Double D-ring with X-Lock magnetic strap holder
• Visor — Recoil visor system, X-Race visor lock, 3 intermediate positions, prepared for tear-offs, Pinlock 200 XLT MaxVision included
• Protection — Emergency cheek-pad release, night-vision reflectors
• Interior — 360° Custom Fit with interchangeable pads, X-Mart Dry fabric, removable and washable, glasses-friendly
• Ventilation — 8 intakes, 5 exhausts, chin and cheek-pad ventilation, Air Cumbs cooling chamber
• Comms & camera — Universal intercom ready, 360° chin action-camera mount, X-Hidro hydration-tube straps

• 1x helmet (X-PRO Carbon, four shell sizes)
• 1x Pinlock 200 XLT MaxVision anti-fog lens
• 1x fitted visor + 1x second visor
• 1x spoiler extensor (tool-free, up to 20 mm)
• 1x chin action-camera mount; wind deflector
• 1x racing bag