samw5
Registered
I finally made the jump and invested in a high end race replica helmet.
I had my eyes set on 4 different helmets: Shoei RF1000, X11, Arai Profile and Shark RSR2.
I ended up with the Shark. I’m sure others may like the other models as well but here are some of my comments on the Shark, hopefully giving potential buyers some idea of what to expect.
Here is the breakdown of the Shark:
Looks:
This was probably the most important factor in my purchase, besides fit and protection. The RSR2 looks absolutely stunning! From the single center intake vent to the rear stabilizer the helmet looks absolutely sharp.
Paint:
Here again this goes along with the amazing look of this lid. The paint is absolutely remarkable. It's finished off with a thick layer of clear. Everything looks completely smooth. The tail side of the dragon (white Duhamel replica) has red metal flakes that match that of my 04 LE.
Also as a note this was by far my favorite helmet graphics. Arai Profile Sinister was my second choice but with already 2 dark helmets I figured something brighter would bring a bit of change.
Fit:
I was very worried prior to purchasing the helmet as most reviews categorized it as a round shaped type.
I have a long oval head and this helmet fits me better than my KBC VR2 (which is supposed to be for long oval). My KBC has a pressure point on top of my head which I never really noticed until starting to wear the Shark.
The cheek pads are replaceable with smaller sizes if needed. Right out of the box they aren’t too tight like some other helmets have been. I usually had to break them in so that the cheek pads would fit more comfortably.
Also note that I have read many people complaining about the size running smaller than actual; this is a MotoGP helmet, it's made to be tight. People with round shaped head may find it a bit tight on the cheeks for that exact reason.
Venting:
The helmet features a top mounted intake vent, rear venturi exhaust (under the wing), front lower intake port and two side exhaust.
Besides the side exhaust ports that are non adjustable every other port can be open/closed.
The top intake door is quite stiff and spring loaded so it won't close accidentally.
Now for the cool part. The interior of the helmet (underneath the liner) is completely carved out, top to back! This is no joke, I am taking about 1 to 1/2in deep grooves that run along your head, EVERYWHERE! You can fit your finger in those and feel where they are going! Comparing this to my KBC VR7 or VR2 is well, not comparable! I couldn’t help notice the even flow around my head on my first ride. Other helmets I wore tend to create hot zones over time. Even after several hours of riding in warm weather I couldn’t feel any difference between front, back and sides.
Also the visor can be opened quite a bit without having to worry about wind in the eyes, thus providing extra venting. I have been able to ride in traffic on hot day with the visor completely closed without feeling like I was going to pass out from a heat stroke!
Noise:
This may be an area where the helmet loses half a point. This isn’t a particularly noisy helmet but definitely has a bit more noise (low frequency) while the vents are opened. This isn’t something major and totally bearable, just a bit louder than my KBC VR2 which is extremely quiet (due mainly to the lack of any kind of air flow).
Aerodynamics:
Here again the helmet shines. My VR7 tend to make my head shake from side to side past 80-90mph. My VR2 was much better but still had a bit of side to side motion. The Shark simply cuts through the air. You don’t even feel like you’re turning your head at 90+, it cuts right through!
This is great but again to be expected on a race helmet. I’m sure other brand will offer similar wind flow.
The helmet also appears to create a bit of turbulence in the back neck area. This actually doesn’t affect the performance and helped cool that area of the body during hot summer days.
Liner:
Another area that helped my purchase decision. The RSR2 liner is the softest I have touched to date. It’s completely removable/washable. Very comfortable.
Shield:
Fantastic quick release mechanism. Move the safety tabs down, push the button and remove. It’s also 3mm thick! This thing won’t twist. Scratch resistant, does not fog… to be expected, those things are expensive as hell! Paid $80 for my iridium extra shield. Iridium gets dirty quite quickly and takes some effort to make it shine.
Also the shield works on a friction mechanism rather than clicks like other helmets. This means you can raise the shield anyway you want. There is a small 1 click preset gap for venting (about ¼â€ opening). Fully closed the shield will lock onto a tab located on the left side. You will need a bit more force to open it but you do get used to that mechanism.
It’s quite innovating, it’s a change and I’m pleased with it.
The shield also seems to reduce peripheral vision just a notch. Nothing major but you may need to turn your head a few more degrees when changing lanes.
Strap:
Nice and plush. I wish the padding was attached the whole way thru. Instead you’ll have to make sure it’s sitting properly between your chin and the chin strap. D-ring, the end of the strap tucks in on the right side using a plastic retaining loop.
Weight:
Medium size helmet on the scale at 1460g. My KBC VR2 tips it around 1530g while my VR7 hit the 1590g mark. I didn’t weight the RF1000 that I held but I had the impression it was a bit lighter when I had it in hand. That said I don’t believe it to be that critical.
Extras:
Helmet comes with a bunch of tear-offs (didn’t count them sorry, might be 10 or so). Also they included a breath guard for colder days that will cover the front intake holes near your mouth. 5 years warranty, lots of replacement parts to order (you can order the replacement vents and so on). Totally crappy helmet bag, might as well given use a trash bag to lug this thing around.
Shell is made out of Kevlar composites. Very cool, lots of technology involved in the development.
Also note that the RSR2 doesn’t have SNELL2005 rating (seems that Europeans believe the penetration test is detrimental to the helmet initial protection… supposed to delaminate instead of take the shock and transmitting to the head). For that reason it is a bit lighter than some SNELL approved helmets. On the other side it has both DOT and ECE type of certification and is used in AMA/MotoGP racing.
Bottom line:
Price paid for helmet: $530, plus $80 for iridium shield. My KBC VR2 was around $140 couple years back.
So that’s almost 4.5x the price of the KBC. Now is the Shark RSR2 4.5 times better than my VR2? Probably not. It’s been said that once hitting the $300 mark helmets will tend to offer similar quality.
I definitely paid a premium for the amazing graphics and I knew I was going to. The solid colors around offered for low $400 range which is still quite expensive.
That said the helmet does offer some amazing new and innovative features that I really wanted to give a shot.
Overall I am extremely satisfied with the purchase and would recommend anyone looking for a high end helmet to consider the brand. RSX models are significantly cheaper and offer similar features.
I had my eyes set on 4 different helmets: Shoei RF1000, X11, Arai Profile and Shark RSR2.
I ended up with the Shark. I’m sure others may like the other models as well but here are some of my comments on the Shark, hopefully giving potential buyers some idea of what to expect.
Here is the breakdown of the Shark:
Looks:
This was probably the most important factor in my purchase, besides fit and protection. The RSR2 looks absolutely stunning! From the single center intake vent to the rear stabilizer the helmet looks absolutely sharp.
Paint:
Here again this goes along with the amazing look of this lid. The paint is absolutely remarkable. It's finished off with a thick layer of clear. Everything looks completely smooth. The tail side of the dragon (white Duhamel replica) has red metal flakes that match that of my 04 LE.
Also as a note this was by far my favorite helmet graphics. Arai Profile Sinister was my second choice but with already 2 dark helmets I figured something brighter would bring a bit of change.
Fit:
I was very worried prior to purchasing the helmet as most reviews categorized it as a round shaped type.
I have a long oval head and this helmet fits me better than my KBC VR2 (which is supposed to be for long oval). My KBC has a pressure point on top of my head which I never really noticed until starting to wear the Shark.
The cheek pads are replaceable with smaller sizes if needed. Right out of the box they aren’t too tight like some other helmets have been. I usually had to break them in so that the cheek pads would fit more comfortably.
Also note that I have read many people complaining about the size running smaller than actual; this is a MotoGP helmet, it's made to be tight. People with round shaped head may find it a bit tight on the cheeks for that exact reason.
Venting:
The helmet features a top mounted intake vent, rear venturi exhaust (under the wing), front lower intake port and two side exhaust.
Besides the side exhaust ports that are non adjustable every other port can be open/closed.
The top intake door is quite stiff and spring loaded so it won't close accidentally.
Now for the cool part. The interior of the helmet (underneath the liner) is completely carved out, top to back! This is no joke, I am taking about 1 to 1/2in deep grooves that run along your head, EVERYWHERE! You can fit your finger in those and feel where they are going! Comparing this to my KBC VR7 or VR2 is well, not comparable! I couldn’t help notice the even flow around my head on my first ride. Other helmets I wore tend to create hot zones over time. Even after several hours of riding in warm weather I couldn’t feel any difference between front, back and sides.
Also the visor can be opened quite a bit without having to worry about wind in the eyes, thus providing extra venting. I have been able to ride in traffic on hot day with the visor completely closed without feeling like I was going to pass out from a heat stroke!
Noise:
This may be an area where the helmet loses half a point. This isn’t a particularly noisy helmet but definitely has a bit more noise (low frequency) while the vents are opened. This isn’t something major and totally bearable, just a bit louder than my KBC VR2 which is extremely quiet (due mainly to the lack of any kind of air flow).
Aerodynamics:
Here again the helmet shines. My VR7 tend to make my head shake from side to side past 80-90mph. My VR2 was much better but still had a bit of side to side motion. The Shark simply cuts through the air. You don’t even feel like you’re turning your head at 90+, it cuts right through!
This is great but again to be expected on a race helmet. I’m sure other brand will offer similar wind flow.
The helmet also appears to create a bit of turbulence in the back neck area. This actually doesn’t affect the performance and helped cool that area of the body during hot summer days.
Liner:
Another area that helped my purchase decision. The RSR2 liner is the softest I have touched to date. It’s completely removable/washable. Very comfortable.
Shield:
Fantastic quick release mechanism. Move the safety tabs down, push the button and remove. It’s also 3mm thick! This thing won’t twist. Scratch resistant, does not fog… to be expected, those things are expensive as hell! Paid $80 for my iridium extra shield. Iridium gets dirty quite quickly and takes some effort to make it shine.
Also the shield works on a friction mechanism rather than clicks like other helmets. This means you can raise the shield anyway you want. There is a small 1 click preset gap for venting (about ¼â€ opening). Fully closed the shield will lock onto a tab located on the left side. You will need a bit more force to open it but you do get used to that mechanism.
It’s quite innovating, it’s a change and I’m pleased with it.
The shield also seems to reduce peripheral vision just a notch. Nothing major but you may need to turn your head a few more degrees when changing lanes.
Strap:
Nice and plush. I wish the padding was attached the whole way thru. Instead you’ll have to make sure it’s sitting properly between your chin and the chin strap. D-ring, the end of the strap tucks in on the right side using a plastic retaining loop.
Weight:
Medium size helmet on the scale at 1460g. My KBC VR2 tips it around 1530g while my VR7 hit the 1590g mark. I didn’t weight the RF1000 that I held but I had the impression it was a bit lighter when I had it in hand. That said I don’t believe it to be that critical.
Extras:
Helmet comes with a bunch of tear-offs (didn’t count them sorry, might be 10 or so). Also they included a breath guard for colder days that will cover the front intake holes near your mouth. 5 years warranty, lots of replacement parts to order (you can order the replacement vents and so on). Totally crappy helmet bag, might as well given use a trash bag to lug this thing around.
Shell is made out of Kevlar composites. Very cool, lots of technology involved in the development.
Also note that the RSR2 doesn’t have SNELL2005 rating (seems that Europeans believe the penetration test is detrimental to the helmet initial protection… supposed to delaminate instead of take the shock and transmitting to the head). For that reason it is a bit lighter than some SNELL approved helmets. On the other side it has both DOT and ECE type of certification and is used in AMA/MotoGP racing.
Bottom line:
Price paid for helmet: $530, plus $80 for iridium shield. My KBC VR2 was around $140 couple years back.
So that’s almost 4.5x the price of the KBC. Now is the Shark RSR2 4.5 times better than my VR2? Probably not. It’s been said that once hitting the $300 mark helmets will tend to offer similar quality.
I definitely paid a premium for the amazing graphics and I knew I was going to. The solid colors around offered for low $400 range which is still quite expensive.
That said the helmet does offer some amazing new and innovative features that I really wanted to give a shot.
Overall I am extremely satisfied with the purchase and would recommend anyone looking for a high end helmet to consider the brand. RSX models are significantly cheaper and offer similar features.
