Shoei has finally released the long-awaited successor to the X-Fourteen road helmet that first came out in 2016. The X-Fifteen has been developed in MotoGP competition and is a dramatic evolution of Shoei’s premium road racing helmet.
Photos by Ryan Nitzen
This is a completely new helmet. There’s the new Maxi-Ply Matrix AIM+ shell, the multi-density EPS liner where the venting ports have been increased to 10mm (up 4mm), and completely new, customizable interior system—nothing is carried over from the X-Fourteen.
Development of the new X-Fifteen saw engineers go through over 150 different possible shell shapes, the final design seeing a claimed 6.1 percent reduction in drag and a 1.6 percent reduction in lift when in a racing tuck.
The bottom third of the helmet (from the chin bar to the rear of the shell) was narrowed and works with the new rear stabilizer and rear flap/vent design for extra high-speed stability.
Inside the X-Fifteen are seven closable intake vents and six exhaust ports, and work with the EPS liner and the new cheek pads that have 23 vent holes on each side to drag hot air away from the rider’s face.
The interior of the X-Fifteen is extremely adjustable. You can change the position on your head by up to four degrees and each cheek pad’s surface area has been upped by 16.5 percent. Each pad has separate, removeable layers that can be peeled away to change the fit.
The field of vision has also been enhanced, with the upper field increased by 5mm without changing the position of the helmet on the rider’s head. This is good news for when you’re in the racing tuck and need to look upwards to maintain the correct line of sight.
The CWR-F2R visor itself has been heavily reworked and comes with aerodynamic-enhancing vortex generators on each side and a two-stage locking system—one on the side and one on the front near the chin vent—that prevents the visor from coming off in a crash.
Lowdown | Shoei X-Fifteen Helmet
Standout Feature: Massive increase in comfort over long distances
List Price: Starting at $899.99 (as tested)
Great fit for long distances
Flows lots of air
Sturdy screen-locking mechanism
Not the prettiest helmet out there
Visor latch and chin vent are easy to fumble
Rider Analysis | Shoei X-Fifteen Helmet
The Shoei X-Fourteen and I were never really friends. I have what I would describe as a bowling ball for a head and the 14’s ultra-slim design never really suited my cranium, so I was skeptical when I got the new 15.
Helmets don’t get revamped very often. Indeed, Arai’s Corsair-X is a year older than the Shoei X-Fourteen (2015), and that’s the helmet I’ve predominately been wearing all these years.
The X-Fifteen is such a massive departure from the old X-Fourteen it may as well be from a different company. Intermediate oval in shape (which suits me just fine), the X-Fifteen is a much more relaxed fit than the old X-Fourteen could ever hope to be. That helmet was like putting my head in a vice after an hour, and I’ve knocked out two press rides with the X-Fifteen. Like a good jacket, the more I wear it, the better it feels.
For me, the best part of the X-Fifteen is how snugly it sits on my head and the venting it has. The increased field of view over the outgoing model is welcome, but it’s not as noticeable as how much air it flows.
The visor latch at the front of the helmet is a bit of a pain as I’ve caught my glove on the chin vent flap plenty of times instead, but I’m a fan of how tight the locking mechanism works. Visors should never come off in a crash and this Shoei system looks about as sturdy as I’ve seen on the market.
The look is taking a bit to grow on me. It’s not the prettiest helmet but it is a sport/race lid, where aero is king and looks are a distant second. I’ve yet to ride this helmet on the track but those times will come real soon. For now, this is an excellent street lid when you take into account all the adjustability it comes with, and very good value for the price. CN
For more information, visit shoei-helmets.com
Click here to read the Shoei X-Fifteen Helmet Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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