Rennie Scaysbrook | July 18, 2018
Product Review
X-Lite Helmets are worn by some of the best riders the world has ever seen, but they’re rarely used here in the U.S.
Part of the Nolan Helmet group in Italy, X-Lite has some serious names on their roster, like Chaz Davies, Marco Melandri, Casey Stoner, and Danilo Petrucci. And it’s the latter of these four whose replica helmet I’ve been testing of late. The X803 Petrucci replica with the UC moniker at the end stands for Ultra Carbon, and it’s a full race helmet with next to no concessions made for anything other than going flat-out.
It’s constructed using, you guessed it, carbon fiber, and weighs so little that my bathroom scales wouldn’t even pick up a difference in weight when I was holding it.
Inside, the liner is constructed using what X-Lite calls the “Carbon Fitting Racing Experience,” which is a fancy way of saying they’ve used carbon filaments in the construction of the liner. X-Lite claims the liner helps move more air from the front chin vent and the quad top vents around the rider’s head to keep them cool. The cheek pads are also just two units, removable via the red strap at the base, and washable.
The face shield (pinlock-equipped) also comes with two locks; one on the left side and one at the front where the thumb lever resides.
The X-903 UC comes in three shell sizes of XXS-S, M-L and XL-XXL.
Standout Feature – Incredibly light, even for a carbon helmet
List Price: $759.95
Rider Analysis
I’m a sucker for branding. I get that. As such (and a proud Aussie), I’ve always wanted to try a Nolan helmet simply because Casey Stoner always used one (and still does). If it was good enough for him…
A Nolan I’m still yet to try, but an X-Lite I have. The Petrucci is easily my ‘like’ of the replica bunch that includes a sweet, incognito Stoner replica, and the WorldSBK official helmet. It’s got that super-cool Hawaiian vibe, with white and blue flowers and pretty things to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about motor-bicycling. But, seriously, the X-803 UC is a very nice helmet, indeed.
You notice two things when you put it on: The first is just how tight and racy it is. The way the cheek pads grip, the mesh lining on the top of your head, and the way the bottom half of the face opening curves down just screams “race!”
The second point of notice is the weight. There’s nothing of it. It’s so damned light it makes you wonder if it’s going to break apart. Luckily, I’ve seen Petrucci himself test this theory multiple times and it never has, so that gives me confidence.
At speed, the X803 UC is extremely stable, and you can alter how the helmet reacts via the little spoiler at the rear.
One issue I did have was I found the extreme peripheral vision to be lacking, as the side of the helmet comes up not too far from my eye line. For example, when looking through a really long corner like The Bowl at Chuckwalla, I thought the X-Lite didn’t have as good of side vision as something like my Arai Corsair X. However, at high speed, I felt the X803 UC was extremely stable and comfortable, so it’s a win there.
In all, for under $800, you get a great helmet for the money. X-Lite USA tells me this is the exact same spec as what Danilo wears at Pramac Ducati. Whether this is completely true, I cannot say, but I have no reason to doubt them.
The X803 UC is an excellent helmet, and don’t be surprised if you start seeing more X-Lite and Nolan products on the roads and tracks near you soon. CN
Visit http://xlite-usa.com for more information.