Shark Raw Review

[biggaudi]

 
Feel free to skip to the bottom of my post for a quick pros vs cons if you don't want to read the whole post. Also I'm not going to go in-depth with the build quality and all features or how it comes apart. Revzilla already did that job and here's that vid.

 
Rode over 200 miles so far. Some highway, some city, some back country roads. Purchased the helmet from burnoutitaly.com for $220 shipped to my door. Got the gloss black version. Build quality is great. Looks sleek, aggressive, the tits! Very comfortable helmet. Plush is a good word. I'm a bit OCD though and after seeing how many finger prints I leave behind on the gloss finish, I wish I had maybe picked up the matte finish.
 
The quick attach chin strap is awesome especially if you wear chunky gloves. It just slips and clicks into place and can easily detach with one hand.
 
Venting is great. Definitely a spring/summer maybe a bit of fall riding helmet. The version I have does not have a plug on top of the helm that you pop in/out like the older models . Instead it has a singular sliding scoop vent you can push forward to close or press back to open. The face mask allows for good air flow all while protecting you from bugs, pebbles, or other smaller annoyances. But it is not CE rated and will give you minimal protection at best if you go down. Also noise level wasn't all that loud for a 3/4 helm even on the highway, hitting speeds of over 100mph at one point.
 
Eye protection is good as well with a few caveats. The Carl Zeiss goggles are nice quality, scratch resistant and very clear/clean. I'm 4 eyed and they go over my glasses without issue. They are double layered and act similar to a pin lock so there has been no issue with fogging. However, the double vision I get from other lights while riding at night I felt was significant and could be a serious distraction for some. It is definitely more pronounced than my Shoei with pin lock. My goggles came slightly tinted which I like. Now for my real concern. At high speeds, mainly normal highway speeds of 60-70+mph, when I would turn to do a head check the force of the wind would start blowing the goggles off of my face. They won't leave your helmet because they are attached. But it is a nerve racking sensation and a bit bothersome when you are trying to focus and wind is also going a bit into your eyes.
 
So all in all I really like my helmet and if you are in the market for a 3/4 style helmet this may be a good option to look at. I would not use it for long distance riding/touring. But around town, commuting or maybe a day trip I think it fits the bill. If you guys have any ideas about how to tighten that straps for the goggles I'm all ears because ultimately that was the only big problem I've run into.
 
Pros: Looks badass! Lots of different graphics. Is comfortable. Glasses friendly. Great ventilation. Fog proof. Works well with Bluetooth from what I've heard. Nice, quick and easy on/off chin strap. Relatively quiet for a 3/4 helmet.
 
Cons: 3/4 helm so less protection particularly for your jaw. Double vision at night from other light sources. Goggles detach from face enough to cause discomfort with head checks at reasonable highway speed.

[12ival]

I just got it in matte black. i love it. mine came with d-rings.
 
you can make goggles tighter by pulling on the strap ends that attach to the goggle.
 

 

 

[twowheeladdict]

Definitely has the mad max, i'm a bad a$$ biker while wearing some protection look.

[biggaudi]

@12ival I'll try to tighten it up! Thanks!

[jake]

I was considering that helmet too. It looks cool that is for sure.

[Beemer]

I like getting unbiased opinions before buying things so before I bought my bike I talked to my youngest brother about different gear/aftermarket parts to get and I told him I loved the looks of this helmet (to me it resembled a cool, fighter pilot helmet ) and was as ready to buy it as I was my FZ-07 but he shot down my fighter pilot dream and told me I wouldn't look good with hamburger chin and convinced me to buy a full face helmet, especially one with an interior sun visor that flips down and I've been loving my Scorpion EXO 1100 ever since. I still like this helmet a lot and in hind sight feel that as long as you ride well and are alert the chances of you crashing are slim and who's to say your chin WILL be involved in an accident? Heck, I still may get one as a 2nd, local, runaround helmet. (my hooligan helmet, heh! P-) )

[yamahappy74]

Yeah, I was looking at that helmet initially as well (the Soyouz color) but reviews stating that the goggles were a bit loose and loud turned me off. I ended up buying the Shark Speed-R Avenger
 
http://images1.revzilla.com/product_images/0052/5603/shark_speed_r_avenger_helmet_zoom.jpg
 
http://www.bikersworldstore.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800x800/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/p/speed-r-avenger-white-black-2.jpg

[biggaudi]

OK. So I fudged around with the helm a bit and found out how to adjust the goggle straps! It's actually really easy. My straps have a pin placement system that adjusts tightness. Simply remove the pin and reinsert at designated spots marked by dark lines in the strap. I tightened it up on both sides to the 4th marker line. Here are some pictures to demonstrate. You can see the pin sticking out slightly on the close up of the bottom rung/marker.
 

 
Have not ridden with it since playing around with the strap. But it feels way snugger and suctioned to my face so I feel confident the goggles will stay put.