First Looks: Shark S-800 Motorcycle Helmet

Well, a professional reviewer I am not but I feel reasonably qualified to give my $0.02 here.

I was given S-800 as a gift from my then-girlfriend. She bought it from a local Motorcycle shop not long ago. As some may know this model has since been discontinued, replaced instead by the Shark S-650. Needless to say, I got a smokin' deal on it ($200 out the door).

Since there's still 2 feet of snow outside, I have yet to try it on the road. I will update this First Look into a full review at that time.

Compared to my old lid, this one seems to have a smaller shell. That's interesting because they're both similar sizes (my HJC was an XL and the Shark is a L).

The liner in the Shark is VERY comfortable. I would call it plush even. It fits snug all the way around my head with no pressure points. As a result of all the padding, it seems to be much quieter than the HJC however, that's in the house, not on the road. In addition,

For venting, there is a chin vent and a forehead vent. Both operate in the same way - push on the front of the vent to open it, push on the little button to close. Very simple and easy to use with gloves on - a major consideration at speed.

Weight-wise, I haven't measured the two lids but on my head they're both easy to manage. I would guess they're in the average range for helmets (see Web Bike World for articles on this).

The graphics on the Shark are very slick. It has a nice matte finish to it. I'm not big on crazy graphics but the paint scheme on this helmet matches my jacket so at least I'll be a colour coordinated Power Ranger!

Purchased from: Gearhead
Price paid: $194.25 (incl. taxes)

Pros:

+ Comfortable!
+ Good lookin!

Cons:

- Discontinued