Shoei have unveiled their new-for-2027 NXR 3 helmet, promising improved ventilation and aerodynamics over the outgoing NXR 2.
The new Shoei NXR 3 is being unveiled to the public at the 2026 EICMA exhibition in Milan, ready to replace the NXR 2 as the sports helmet in Shoei's range.
As the name suggests, it will be the third generation of the NXR, but its heritage stretches much further back through a series of XR helmets.
Shoei says the shell will be made from the firm’s Advanced Integrated Matrix Plus (AIM+) fibre composite.
That’s a departure from the current NXR 2, which uses the simpler AIM composite. The Plus is more resistant to penetration from sharp objects, and was previously reserved for helmets used in racing or off-road riding.
The ventilation system has been revamped, with a chunkier operating switch above the forehead, which Shoei says will be easier to use than the sliding set-up on the current NXR 2.
The three-switch forehead vent system on the NXR 2 appears to have been replaced by a single slider on the NXR 3.
The chin vent appears to have gone in the opposite direction, however, with pre-release photos suggesting a two-piece cover has replaced the single slider on the NXR 2.
Shoei say the centrally mounted visor locking tab has been improved, and that the cheek padding has also been refined on the new helmet.
The V-shaped cutouts on either side of the NXR 2, which were said to reduce the chance of the helmet striking the rider’s collarbones, are less pronounced on the NXR 3.
There’s no in-built capability to fit a communications device, but the loss of those cutouts makes the NXR 3 more suited to comms fitment.
Photography: SHOEI
Shoei say they will be producing an adaptor that will allow riders to fit the company’s SRL3 intercom unit to the NXR 3.
The NXR 3 is expected to hit the shelves in early 2027 in sizes 2XS-3XL, though the biggest and smallest sizes are likely to be special-order items.
We’re expecting seven plain colours in the UK range, along with 10 graphic designs and a replica of MotoGP racer Fabio Di Giannantonio’s scheme.
Prices will be £449.99 for plain colours, £539.99 for graphics and £589.99 for race replicas.
Information released about the NXR 3 ahead of EICMA has been more limited than we'd usually expect, so we're hoping to learn more when we visit Shoei at the exhibition in Milan. We’ll update this story once we get more info.
Photography: SHOEI