P102
PRODUCT REVIEWI
SHOEI X-FIFTEEN
S
hoei 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.
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, cus
-
tomizable 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 nar-
rowed 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 with
-
out changing the position of
the helmet on the rider's head.
This is good news for when
The fully revised
shape and increased
eye port size give
better visibility
over the outgoing
X-Fourteen.
PHOTOS: RYAN NITZEN
Six exhaust ports allow all
the hot air to escape.
