So, having had this lid a couple of months now, I thought I’d give my review of it.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Chin Strap | Double-D |
| Colour Scheme | Red |
| Finish | Gloss |
| Form | Full Face |
| Removable Interior | Fully Removable |
| Sharp Rating | 4 Star |
| Shell Construction | Multi-Composite |
| Shell Sizes | 2 |
| Visors | Pinlock Ready, Integral Sun Visor |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Cost | Around £270 |
| Weight | 1370g (+/- 50g) |
(Specifications taken from SportsBikeShop)
Styling 4/5
Whilst not to everyone’s taste, I think the lid has a nice look to it, blending carbon style into solid colours, complete with a ‘spoiler’ on the rear which is intended to keep your head straight at speed, and relieve some of the weight.
Available in Red/black/carbon and white/black/carbon (Others may be available), I quite like the style of it.
Visibility 3/5
The lid has great visibility, and as it’s quite light, moves around easily with a wide visor allowing clear all round sight.
The visor itself is good quality, although wearing polarised sunglasses causes a strange effect on the visor.
The visor has a race style holding stud, so when closed it’s held down, however this posed a bit of a problem at first, as it has to be pressed onto the stud to properly close, and when not done, it doesn’t half make a racket. When it is closed, it can be somewhat awkward to open at lights if you’re still in gear as you have to reach with your right hand to the left side of the helmet to unclip.
It is also fitted with a top-gun sun visor which works well, but the catch for it can be a little fiddly to open and close if travelling at speed
The helmet came with a pinlock, although it isn’t a great fit, and gaps at the top slightly, defeating the whole purpose of it.
Fastening 3/5
The fastener is the double d loop style, and whilst this is a more traditional fastening, the pop snap clip that holds the tail has a habit of coming loose if not fully engaged, causing the tail of the strap to flap around!
Fitting & Comfort 3/5
The inner padding is nice and supple and fits well, I have a BT Intercom in mine, which went in easy as there are cutouts in the plastic interior to allow the speakers.
By default there is a Nose bridge fitting in the helmet which I had to remove, simply because I wear glasses, and leaving it causes them to steam up whilst not on the move.
There is also a chin section which fits the helmet which has a habit of snagging on removal, and pulls out, although it’s only on velcro so easily refitted.
The venting on the helmet is good, allowing some cool air through, but not so much that you feel it, with them closed, it’s quickly apparent that they are doing their job well!
Noise 3/5
This is not a top of the range race helmet, and as such I wasn’t expecting pure silence, but there are a couple of notes here.
When the visor isn’t closed properly (see visibility), then the noise is unreal, with high pitched whistling.
When it is closed properly, this dissipates, however, there is a noticeable difference in left/right, with the fastener being on the left, it’s much quieter as a better seal is achieved, on the right, there is a hint of whistling.
Over 50mph, the sound evens out quite nicely, and is tolerable. On the track, over 70mph is bearable, but I’d suggest ear plugs anyway, that noise quickly becomes a distraction.
Summary
A good all-round lid that’s easy and comfortable enough for every day use including some spirited riding. Although there’s room for improvement, this is not the top of Shark’s range, and as such I feel is good value for money.
Ride Safe!