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Over the years, I’ve found the main difference between riding on the street and riding in the dirt is the crashing. Whereas I might drop a bike once every three or four years out on the road, it’s not uncommon to find myself on the ground every three to four hours once the pavement ends and the singletrack begins.
Faster men than me are fond of saying, “If you’re not crashing, you’re not improving.” If that wisdom is anything to go by, I’m improving at an exponential rate this year. Maybe that’s why I finally decided to bite the bullet and pick up a properly impressive off-road helmet, Fox Racing’s latest V3 RS, back in March. If you’re gonna bounce your head off the ground at regular intervals, you might as well do it with style, and as safely as possible.
Fast forward five months, and I can honestly say I’ve successfully crash-tested this helmet more times than I care to admit. Here’s my take after covering three continents, eight vehicles, and every sort of weather and terrain known to man in the Fox V3 RS Carbon Solid motorcycle helmet.
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What It Is
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The V3 RS Carbon Solid is Fox Racing’s latest flagship helmet, a no-expense-spared lid that’s built for racing’s highest level of competition. You’ll find a V3 RS on the shoulders of FIM Hard Enduro World Champion Mani Lettenbichler, factory Honda rider Jo Shimoda, and freeride legend Josh Hill, just to name a few.
The V3 RS has all the fixins’ you’d expect from an $800 helmet, from its full 4K carbon fiber shell to its industry-first Mips Integra Split impact protection system. Yes, it’s got everything it needs to compete with the most advanced helmets out there, but it’s also got another important trick up its sleeve: it doesn’t actually cost anywhere near $800.
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Don’t ask me how, but the folks at Fox Racing somehow managed to bring this top-shelf helmet to market for just $600, a $200+ savings over other brands’ pro models like the Bell Moto-10 Spherical, Alpinestars Supertech M10, or Fly Racing’s Formula S. What’s even more impressive is that for every example listed above, you could argue that the Fox V3 RS is actually more advanced, more protective, and more appealing in every way that matters. It seemed too good to be true, so when the time came to pick up a new helmet for this year’s off-road test rides, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to see if the V3 RS is actually as good as it looks on paper.
Fox Racing V3 RS Carbon Solid Helmet Overall Impressions
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I’ve tested this thing pretty extensively over the last five months. I took a dual-sport ride around Prescott, rode some enduro singletrack in Spain, blasted around the California desert in a side-by-side, then finished it all off in northern India with a three-week adventure tour through the Himalayas. So yeah, I’ve done a little bit of everything in the V3 RS, and truth be told, I don’t have a single honest complaint worth sharing. I’m not sure if Fox is charging too little or everyone else is charging too much, but this helmet lacks absolutely nothing in terms of quality or performance.
The first thing I noticed about the V3 RS was the weight, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. There’s a reason that fancy carbon fiber shell is worth paying for, and you’ll feel it the first time you throw this thing on.
The real-world benefit of such a light helmet (2.9 pounds) is that neck and shoulder fatigue become a thing of the past. I love my dirt cheap Bell MX9 Adventure deeply, but after a few days, it can start to feel like a grindstone around your neck. That’s just never the case with the V3 RS. This is also an obscenely comfortable helmet all day long. Weight plays a major role in that, but the V3 RS’s plush comfort liner and sculpted cheek pads do a fair amount of the lifting as well.
And while I’m on the topic of comfort, I can’t say enough about just how impressive the ventilation on this helmet is. Fox specs the V3 RS with a whopping 15 total intake and exhaust ports, and every single one of them vents straight to your head. With the exception of a thin layer of see-through mesh in the comfort liner, air travels in and out of the helmet completely unobstructed, and it works exceptionally well. Historically, every helmet I’ve owned has devolved into a swampy, sweaty mess at some point. The fact that I was comfortable in the V3 RS in the 110-degree heat of an Ocotillo summer speaks volumes to the effectiveness of its design.
Key Features and Tech
From the outside looking in, you’d think the defining feature of the V3 RS is that handsome 4K carbon fiber shell. Carbon is definitely an important part of the equation here, but you need more than carbon these days if you want to push the envelope. That’s where the V3 RS’s MIPS system comes into play. If you’re into motorbikes, cycling, or even skiing, chances are you’ve heard of MIPS technology before. In short, MIPS is a slip liner that sits between your head and the helmet’s outer shell that’s designed to absorb the rotational energy that often causes brain damage in the event of a crash.
MIPS is nothing new to the motorcycling world, but the V3 RS is the first product to market with the latest version of MIPS tech, dubbed “MIPS Integra Split.” This system works by splitting the energy-absorbing EPS foam into two separate layers: the outside layer is fixed to the exterior shell, while the inside layer is actually two interlocking pieces that are able to rotate independently up to fifteen degrees in any direction.
MIPS says Integra Split is their most advanced technology yet, which means the V3 RS has an even more effective system than the most expensive off-road helmet on the market, Bell’s Moto-10 Spherical. It also allows the V3 RS to weigh in over half a pound lighter than the Moto-10, which once again begs the question: Why is this helmet so affordable?
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Fox even goes so far as to make the V3 RS in five different shell sizes. That means that with the exception of the XL and 2XL options, every other helmet in the lineup is uniquely sized to match the rider’s head size as closely as possible. The fact that Fox takes that fitment a step further by including three different thicknesses of cheek pads in the box is beyond impressive.
Speaking of what’s in the box, another notable feature of the V3 RS is that it comes with a ton of accessories at no extra charge. That includes a high-quality helmet bag, a spare visor, a visor extender, a third visor designed specifically for riding in the mud, additional replacement hardware, and even a second chin vent that’s pre-cut to run hands-free hydration.
Hell, even the V3 RS’ comfort liner is high tech. Fox makes the V3 RS’s liner in collaboration with a brand called Ionic+, which engineers long-lasting microbial treatments for fabrics in the medical space.
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The tech is pretty slick, integrating positively charged silver ions directly into the fabric of the liner. Moisture (aka sweat) activates these ions, and because the majority of odor-causing bacteria carry a negative surface charge by default, the liner naturally seeks out and destroys any bacteria that may come along for the ride. Ionic+ says the treatment is tested to survive a whopping 200 washes, so the helmet will almost certainly age out before the treatment.
The V3 RS Carbon Solid also carries both DOT and ECE safety certifications, is designed to work with Bluetooth helmet coms, includes emergency removal cheek pads, and even features an integrated cutout for the Eject helmet removal system required by professional racing organizations like AMA Supercross.
I could go on, but you get the point. This helmet has every bell and/or whistle you could ask for.
Pros
- Insanely lightweight
- Outstanding ventilation
- Premium materials throughout
- Professional-grade safety tech
- Costs less than its competitors by a wide margin
Cons
- Still expensive in the grand scheme
- Sun visor can be difficult to adjust.
Final Verdict
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If a premium off-road helmet is what you want, I’m having a tough time figuring out why anyone would want anything other than the Fox Racing V3 RS Carbon Solid. By any metric, this helmet is either as good as or better than every helmet it competes with, yet it’ll leave an extra $200-$300 in your pocket to spend on gear, gas, track time, or the million other expenses that come with owning a motorcycle. The V3 RS is just as light, just as protective, and just as advanced as the best in the business. It also looks the part, comes with a ton of extras and accessories, and has the most dialed, comfortable fit system a rider could ask for.
Some folks may prefer the style of a Bell, Arai, or Alpinestars lid, and I totally get that. You want to look good on the bike, and we all know a matching kit adds 10 horsepower to any motor. Still, if performance is what you’re after, there’s nothing on the market that matches the value Fox brings to the table with the V3 RS Carbon Solid moto helmet.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’ve been riding, crashing, and wrenching on motorcycles for the better part of 20 years now. I got into off-roading back in 2015, riding dual sports around the California desert, but that interest rapidly spread into just about everything from enduro to adventure riding. Professionally, I’ve been testing and reviewing motorcycles and gear since 2020, and sticking my head in just about every helmet known to man just comes with the territory.
