Tested: Fox Racing V4 Helmet 1

When Fox Racing first entered the helmet market back in the late ‘90s, they managed to break the mold of knockoff helmet designs, and came out with a completely unique offering right off the bat. Now, here we are about 15 years down the road and Fox has not only stayed in the game, but expanded their line and stepped into the high-end helmet market with their latest, the V4.

Features:

  • 16 Intake & 8 Exhaust Ports .
  • 4 large brow/goggle intake ports pull air in & over the face.
  • Cheek pad design wraps around the riders jaw line to create a secure fit .
  • 4 Shell & EPS Sizes for a precise fit (XS-S, M, L, XL-XXL).
  • Dual Density EPS Liner: Anatomically correct, impact absorbing foam reacts positively to impact & widens the energy dispersal area (Firmer outside / Softer inner).
  • Carbon fiber composite shell construction. Astonishing high tensile strength of carbon-fiber is a distinct advantage.
  • Exceeds Snell 2010 & DOT Standards.
  • DRY LEX™ comfort liner wicks moisture & provides a comfortable feel.
  • Cheek pads feature a cupped lower edge design to mold to the riders face.
  • MSRP $549.95

More than any other previous Fox helmet offering, the V4 was built to compete with the top helmet brands while maintaining the company’s unique styling and design innovations.

Overall, the V4 is unmistakably a Fox Racing helmet, and while it draws greatly from the V3 in it’s general look, the V4 is an entirely new lid. With a carbon-fiber construction, the V4 is quite light, yet very sturdy (ie, no flimsy mouth piece here). One of the first things that pops out when looking at the new lid, are the over whelming number of vents built into the shell.

Ventilation abounds on the V4, both on the shell and in the EPS foam liner.

Intake vents abound at the front of the chin piece, along the chin bar, at the top of the eye port, and on the front top portion of the main shell. Those alone out number the majority of helmets are on the market already. However, pair them with the matching exhaust vents on the back of the helmet, plus the vents and channeling built into the EPS foam liner itself, and you have what is easily one of the best ventilated helmets on the market.

To match the shell and EPS venting, the removable foam liner resembles something one would find on a bicycle helmet rather than an MX helmet. But don’t let the minimalist approach fool you, the V4 is a very comfortable lid.

The intake ports and integrated visor are blended seamlessly into the V4 design.

While it feels a little snug when first putting it on, the V4 has nothing (that I noticed) in the way of pressure points, although everyone’s head is shaped differently. And as you might expect, with all of that venting, at speed it is possible to actually feel air moving over your head…that means the helmet is working. If you’ve never experienced this feeling when riding, then you are missing out. For people who sweat a lot (myself included), helmet breathability is priceless.

As one might expect of high-end helmets, or really any motocross helmet for that matter, the liner and cheek pads are completely removable, as is the front mouthpiece, removed simply by pulling it out.

Did you say carbon? The entire V4 shell is a carbon-fiber weave. Tasty!

Style-wise, the integrated visor/helmet area give that look of modernism while, at least on the Futura colorway we tested, and several others, the exposed carbon fiber weave push the bling factor up to a solid 10.

With several rides in the new Fox Racing V4 with some sweltering summer heat, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the best ventilated helmets on the market. While the price may cause you to do a double take, there is no price you can put on your head. Fox has made an excellent helmet.

-bayodome

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