your opinion on best helmet

I bought a Nexx XR1R Carbon direct from the nexx-usa website. Taking a chance obviously, because I couldn't try it on to check fit etc. and also because it's a relatively new company here. But the review at webBikeWorld pushed all my buttons: light weight, large viewport, good venting. I also ordered the dark visor and the Pinlock anti-fog insert. Nexx-usa's customer service was excellent.

So now that I've got a few hundred miles under it I can give a first impression. I got lucky with the fit; after seeming a bit tight at first, it now feels just perfect. I am coming from an Arai, so I probably have a somewhat 'oval' head. Nexx includes various thicknesses of pads that you can swap out under the liner to adjust the fit, but for me it was very good right out of the box. The fit and finish of the construction, stitching, etc. are excellent.

It's really light. The 1200g they claim must be for the smaller shell, though; mine weighs 1300g. Still, my old lid feels heavy and bulky now.

The viewport is excellent. The combination of the wide-open view and the lightness really make the helmet disappear. The Pinlock insert really works, also. I had read about these in the UK magazine Bike. I can stand still with the vents and visor completely shut and breathe, trying to fog it up, but it stays clear. The dark visor doesn't have the holes for the Pinlock, though.

Changing visors takes a few minutes and a screwdriver or a coin, but it's nice and simple. I never liked the Arai quick-change system much; I always felt like it was just about to break, though it never did. The visor has five open positions via detents, including a 'barely open' position.

The vents are easy to open and close with gloves on. The chin vent is very effective. The top vents seem to work well also, but it's still pretty cold here in Michigan, so I haven't had them open much yet.

Wind noise is definitely better than my old Arai, but I always wear earplugs. I forgot them once last week, so I had a mile or two to listen and it's much quieter. With the earplugs in, I find I can hear other sounds better (engine, traffic, etc.) due to less ambient noise. I think that much of the improvement may be down to the way the padding fits closely around your neck.

Little things: The chin strap has double D rings, which I prefer. There's a snap to hold the end in place, though the strap seems an inch or so longer than it needs to be. There are nice little padded pieces on the strap where it touches your jaw. How did I live without these? I used to pull my silk scarf under the D rings on cold days to keep them from freezing to my skin; now there's no need. The helmet looks pretty cool, I think; not too flashy, but pretty cool. The little metal mesh covers on the rear vents are nicely trick.

Overall I'm very happy with it. The price is toward the outrageous end of the scale, and I probably would have been 95% as happy with the regular, non-carbon XR1R, which is still plenty light and a couple hundred dollars cheaper.