It seems like new helmet tech is coming out every other day. And by no means are we complaining - more companies spending time and energy to make safer products is better for everyone. While the prices are relatively high now for these new lids, the tech inside can trickle down to more economical offerings making it easier to get safer helmets for every rider that wants one.
The all-new Fox V3 is the latest high-tech helmet with a multitude of features that are designed together to make a safer helmet. While Fox might be seen as gear-only company that happens to make helmets, they’ve been in the helmet game since 1998, with Jeff Emig wearing the first Fox helmet. Let's look at some of the tech inside the all-new V3 in more detail.
Fluid Inside
Every high-end (and even low-end) helmet on the market these days is looking to manage rotational energy. There are a lot of different systems out there and Fox has come up with yet another technology to address this issue - Fluid Inside. There are seven pods around the inside of the helmet that are filled with a food-grade mineral oil that mimics the same fluid that is inside your skull (cerebral spinal fluid). Fox claims that with this system, the head is decoupled from the helmet allowing the pods to squish and deform, thereby absorbing rotational and linear energy. Also, all of the top Fox athletes that have been wearing current V3s have had these FI pods in their helmets for durability testing throughout the 2019 supercross season. Sneaky, sneaky.
Magnetic Visor Release System 2.0
The MVRS has been updated to be more secure than the previous V3 visor. On the new V3, the visor slots into the top-front of the helmet with a dedicated channel rather than just floating on a round section of the helmet. This keeps the visor from popping off as easy when hit with roost, but still allows it to separate from the helmet if you go down. The benefit of the visor breaking away easily is that, in a crash, the visor doesn't act as a shovel and add to energy transferred to the head and neck.
Varisorb EPS
Two different densities of foam are combined in a cone pattern to dissipate energy better than one or two layers of foam that are combined in a straight line. This foam design is becoming more popular in motocross helmets and we’re seeing it in most of the new helmets hitting the market.
Cage
The front chin bar/eye port area of the helmet is a separate piece than the rest of the shell. Fox says that to get the big, open vents in the chin bar and above the eye port to pass all the safety certifications, this cage had to be added. It is a different material than the shell that allows the injection molded mesh to hold up to the impact tests in helmet certification. While it looks like it is replaceable, it isn't.
Multi-Composite Technology
The shell is made of a blend of carbon fiber and FRP resins that is unique to this helmet. What is also pretty cool, is that in the flat carbon colorway you can see the uni-directional carbon pieces and each helmet is unique, almost like wood grain. It is subtle but cool.
Availability
The new V3 is available now but is only in three colorways currently. You can get all white, the carbon matte, or zebra print. Fox will be releasing multiple new colorways soon. And the helmet comes in at $499.95, which is on the less-expensive side of premium level helmets.
For more info go to FoxRacing.com
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