Shoei NXR2 vs Shoei NXR | First look at the new ECE22.06 helmet

This is the new Shoei NXR2. Now I've literally got it for just a few hours after incepting it on its way to Shoei Europe and it's the only one in the country so I'm not going to be able to wear it just yet but what I am really interested in is the fact that it's one of the first ECE 2206 helmets that I've laid my hands on. Now the first 2206 lids will start appearing on shelves this year but this show will be towards the end of 2021. But it's not until January 2024 that all helmets sold will have to comply with the new standard. Now don't worry it doesn't mean that the helmet you have becomes obsolete illegal but this is happening and Brexit doesn't make any difference. Not just for the reasons that CE standards are mirrored in British standards but because ECE is a United Nations standard so it's even less relevant that we're no longer part of the European Union. Now as with the existing ECE 2205 helmets are dropped onto a flat anvil and a curb angle but under 2206 they'll be tested at a wider range of speeds and at 18 points on the shell instead of the just six that there are now. Now there's a higher speed test incorporated as well and a lower speed test. It's about how much energy is transferred to your skull not only in a big crash but also in a slower one. Basically it helps prevent some helmets being designed simply to pass the test so updating a 20 year old standard should help keep us all a lot safer. There's also a new oblique test which sees helmets dropped onto a 45 degree angle that's got um 80 grit sandpaper on it and it sees how much rotational force is transferred to the brain but the protrusions on lids are what Ken calls a big issue so expect to see fewer sharp aerofoils and anything that is on the outer shell is likely to have the ability to either have minimal impact as it glances off that anvil or it'll shear off in the event of it hitting that or being in a crash. So while we have it let's have a closer look at this new NXR 2. Now the XR range which went from the XR 700 in the late 90s to the 2013 NXR has been one of Shoei's most popular helmets and I've got the original here. It's a compact sports road lid, pure and simple. The vents are in the same places as the previous model but this front vent has got two ports on the inside instead of one to improve cooling but there are also hidden channels. You can see channels inside the inner shell but between the inner shell and the outer shell there's also channels in there and all of these are to help draw the warm air out of the helmet out through the exhaust. The exhaust actually on this one you can't close that, you can close it on the original. The vents have also been redesigned to be easy to use. Certainly this front one it was a slider on the previous one, this one it's easier to use that front vent. There's still no direct to mouth venting, you don't see that on many lids but some give you more of a jet into the mouth but this chin vent has been redesigned and it's said to allow a large amount of air up over the visor without it hitting your eyes which is obviously terrible when you get that buffeting feeling or you can feel it even on your eyelashes but it's also been changed to incorporate this new visor lock which keeps the visor securely shut. Now I've never had a Shoei visor open even at high speed but in the event of a crash it could also help stop it pop it open and allowing gravel in there onto your face in the event of a crash if it's locked down fully. The visor is one of the big changes to the NXR2 and it's completely new it's catchily called the CWR-F2 and it's got these vortex generators on the sides which are said to reduce the yawing forces by up to 50% and be quieter. It's not the first time we've seen these on helmets Shoebirth have been using these for a while. Now it's worth mentioning that a lot of top end manufacturers do use wind tunnels in testing their helmets, Shoei of course is one of them but all of them use unfared bikes for the testing because the fairings and screens on bikes create so many variables and that's where you tend to get the buffeting and the noise on the helmet and any kind of twisting or force on your lid so anything they can add we'll have to wait and see how much difference it does make on a variety of bikes. Now this visor is also two-dimensional clearly it's three-dimensional but on visors two-dimensional means that it's flat across this vertical plane. Now a 2D visor allows tear-offs to be used and while that's not really relevant here partly because there's no tear-off posts and you're on the road but it's also said to be tougher and reduce distortion. It will come with a pin lock insert and this new visor does allow those pin lock pins to be even further back on the helmet further out of your vision. Now maybe it's just me but I'm most excited about this new central tab. It really annoys me when I'm stuck at traffic lights holding the clutch in and I'm trying to reach to the side you know you start misting up there's nothing you can do until you take it out of gear so you reach around the side trying to get the visor open. Having a central tab I've been hoping for this for ages especially with Shoeis especially on their more touring and commuting focus lids just to have a central visor catch really appreciate that. So the visor is still really easy to take off and put back on but it isn't compatible with this old model so if you had a dark visor for this NXR1 you're not going to be able to use it with the NXR2. This little lever in here has been redesigned over the previous dial version and it pushes the visor forward and back by one millimeter which doesn't sound much but top end lids tend to have an adjustable visor plate on the side which allows you to get the position of the visor just perfect. Now I test obviously all helmets for any rain leakage and one of the biggest problems really is water collecting the top and then running down the inside front so getting good seal is really important having that set slightly forward adjusting the plate so you get a good seal and then pulling it back in should give you a really good wind and rain seal. Now you can also see that the seals have been redesigned on this and Shoei says that that makes the NXR2 even quieter obviously we're gonna have to wait and see to find out. There's no drop down sunshield on the original NXR or on the new one but that's because this is a sports biased helmet not a touring one. Now let me show you adding a drop down sunshield will result in the front section of the helmet being pushed further out so as you're on a sports bike down low anything coming out further here restricts your vision so you're having to tip your head further and further back so on sports bias and on race edge you won't find that because they're trying to keep this distance as compact as possible. The line is a high quality material you'd expect of a Shoei and like the original NXR the quick release cheek pads are here which makes it easier for the emergency services to get those out and then lift the helmet safely off in the event of an accident. Now the outer shell is of course a multi-layer resin fiber which is what you'll find on all the top spec helmets and it comes in four sizes across the extra extra small to extra extra large sizes. Now that's normally pretty hard to explain but this NXR2 is a medium and this NXR is a small and look at how the outer shells are slightly different sizes basically the more shell sizes and a helmet has across its head sizes the less you'll look like Toad in Super Mario Kart if you've got a small head and nobody wants to look like Toad. So keep a lookout for the full review of this and many more helmets on bikesocial.co.uk as soon as we get our hands on one again it'll be for several thousand miles of testing in all weathers on a massive variety of bikes. A 2206 will also affect any accessories that are fitted 2206 will also affect any accessories fitted which have to be shown to not have a detriment