Six Month Report: Shark RSi Helmet

by Stacy on November 1, 2007

I bought my Shark RSi helmet before I even owned a motorcycle. At the time, I didn’t have a single clue about riding a motorcycle but I was certain about one thing: I wasn’t going to waste my hard earned money on a crappy, uncomfortable helmet. Now that it’s six months later, did I make a good decision or a bad one?

Product Information

Manufacturer: Shark Helmets
Model: RSi
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Size: Small
Style: Titan (black)
MSRP: $329.95 USD

Manufacturer’s Description

This is the last Hi-Tec helmet in the SHARK range. Perfect combination of technology, ergonomy and safety, the new RSI helmet has sharp and aggressive lines that yield exceptional aerodynamic performances. Thanks to its balanced design, the care that goes into making it and its intrinsic safety qualities, this is the new reference for the category.

  • Shell made from multi-directional composite fibres and strengthen with Carbon/Kevlar.
  • Two shell sizes.
  • Multi-element (5) internal shock-absorber with differentiated density.
  • Airflow directed by integrated ducts and “Venturi” deflectors.
  • Dual treated (anti-scratch/anti-fog) “Total Vision” 2.2 mm visor.
  • SHARK’s patented “Push One” visor quick release system.
  • Optimised demisting using visor frame diffuser.
  • Fully removable and washable interior in microfibre fabric.
  • Ergonomic cheek pads.
  • Anti-misting visor and chin cover.
  • Quick release chinstrap (Double-D ring for North America and Australia).
  • Weight: 1400g (+/- 50g).

Six Month Report

The Shark RSi helmet is a full face, DOT and ECE 22.05 certified helmet. The RSi is made by Shark Helmets, a French company that considers it their entry level offering into their top tier line of helmets. This makes the RSi Shark’s upper-middle class or lower-upper class helmet, depending on how you like your glasses filled.

The RSi is not SNELL certified. This might be a deal-breaker for some, but I specifically sought out a helmet that had the combination of DOT and ECE 22.05 certifications after reading this article about motorcycle helmet standards and testing from Motorcyclist magazine. I believe that the Shark RSi is worth a look no matter where you stand on the issue.

Fit

I had a tough time finding a helmet that fit me comfortably. HJC and Scorpion seem to be the most popular and plentiful helmets in my area, and none of those were very comfortable. They were either too tight, too big, or too heavy. The moment I tried on the Shark RSi, I knew I had a winner in terms of fit compared to all the other helmets I had tried. I’m no expert when it comes to head shapes, but if pressed I’d say that my head is oval shaped: narrow from ear to ear and long from crown to chin.

It only took one experience in helmet shopping to convince me that you really need to try helmets on before you buy one. What works for me in terms of fit is probably not going to work for a lot of others out there. If fit is a major concern for you, do the legwork and try a bunch on first.

Features

The RSi’s interior space is filled with thick padding. The padding is removable for washing purposes. Its lining is also quite soft and feels nice against my cheeks and forehead. The same fabric on the lining is used to line the chinstraps, which are secured by standard D rings. The chinstrap is very solid and has plenty of length to spare when secured. A plastic tab at the end of the strap helps when guiding the end through the plastic clip to keep it from flapping around.

The helmet comes equipped with a clear visor, and various tinted and mirrored visors are available at a reasonable cost ($80 USD but shop around). The visor is very clear with no noticeable distortion, and it securely seals against the gasket around the face opening. Contrary to other reviews of this helmet I’ve read, I have experienced the visor fogging up during early morning rides, even with all the vents open. A crack of the visor and the fog clears instantly.

One feature that sets the RSi apart from other helmets is the visor release system. I can swap visors on this helmet in less than 30 seconds, which is spectacular compared to the various other methods I’ve seen on other helmets. Removing the visor is as simple as pushing a button to release one side of the visor and pushing a button to release the other side. That’s it. To replace the visor, line the circular cut-out of the visor with the release button and push the button and visor in until both lock. Repeat on the other side and you’re done.

The only gripe I have about the visor is that it’s a bit difficult to find the notch and tab to open the visor. The tab is also a bit on the small side so I have to pay more attention when I open the visor while wearing thicker gloves. When open, the visor is held in place by plastic notches. The gap between each notch is fairly wide, an inch or so of opening distance, but the first notch open is small enough to let a bit of air in to clear any fog on the visor but not be too open to let a giant blast of cold air in.

The RSi has a forehead vent, a chin vent, and two ports on the back of the helmet that I assume are outflow vents. The forehead and chin vents can be opened and closed using small plastic switches. I found the switches to be a little hard to use when wearing chunky gloves, as its difficult to tell from the feel of them whether they’ve been switched open or closed.

Quality

The Shark RSi is a good looking helmet. My helmet is in the “Titan black” style and the graphics are outstanding. In addition to the Titan, Shark offers the RSi in several different styles including a few pro-racer versions and a Fusion style that combines matte and shiny paintwork on the shell.

Not only do the graphics look good, but the paint job is outstanding. The matte finish is excellent and uniform, and there were no discernible defects in the helmet out of the box. The plastic doodads (vents, etc) attached to the shell were mounted securely and cleanly. The lining is well made, as are the chinstraps and plastic edging around the shell where it meets the neck part of the helmet.

Overall, I was impressed by the quality of the RSi. It simply looks and feels like a much more expensive helmet. Here’s lookin’ at you, Shoei!

In The Wind

The RSi’s angular shape sets it visually apart from the other helmets out there, but it also translates into some directional tendencies when riding at speed. Squaring my head up after a head check at high speed requires more effort that I would like, but I can live with it.

Despite the directional tendencies, the RSi feels very light on the head. I was originally worried that as a new rider, I might not have the neck and shoulder muscle conditioning to wear a full face helmet for a long time. I was glad to find that the RSi’s light weight made this concern something I didn’t need to worry about.

Wind noise is fairly loud while wearing the RSi, but thankfully there are no annoying whistles, clicks, or creaks. I don’t have a lot of experience with other helmets, so I can’t offer a comparison between the RSi and other helmets on the market. WebBikeWorld has a nice discussion of the RSi’s noise levels, including sound files.

Summary

The RSi is Shark’s upper-middle-class entry in its product line. It’s not their most expensive helmet, but it still has most of the features of their top-tier models. I knew that as a new rider, I needed good protection for my noggin, and the RSi fit perfectly into my budget while still providing the quality found in ultra-expensive helmets.

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 fasthair November 4, 2008 at 9:14 pm

Ms. Stacy,

Very well written report on your helmet. I just got a new Shoei RF-1000 last weekend and was thinking of doing a report on it after my 275 mile weekend with it. Your post gives me something to aspire to. I’m not sure I can live up to your standards though.

fasthair

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