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Shark’s entry-level all-rounder – the Shark Ridill full face helmet
The Shark Ridill is the replacement for that good ole stalwart, the Shark S700S. The S700S was a great all-rounder: a SHARP 4 Star safety rated helmet that performed pretty well in every respect and didn’t cost a ton.
And the Ridill looks like a promising successor for those on a budget (that’s most of us, right?). So we scoured the web for tons of feedback on what the Ridill offers and what owners and riders think of their helmets. Here’s what we came up with…
- Polycarbonate helmet
- Entry level all-rounder full face
- Now DOT certified
- SHARP 4 star safety tested
- Drop down sun visor
- Glasses groove
- Weight 3.44lbs (1.55Kg)
- Micrometric fastener
- Pinlock anti-fog insert included (check retailer)
- 5 year warranty
- Sizes XS-XL
- Expect to pay $160-$200
Looking to buy a Shark Ridill?
Please click below to visit the Shark Ridill helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Helmet Safety
If you compare the Shark Ridill with the outgoing 700s, you can see the similarities in the overall helmet shell design. Both look pretty modern but the new Ridill’s definitely got the edge with lots of cut-outs and sculpted mouldings.
The Ridill’s been tested by the helmet testing gurus at SHARP where it scored a very solid four out of five stars. And it’s also DOT certified too and together they mean the Ridill should give an excellent level of rider protection.
One other thing worth mentioning is that Shark are our current fourth placed safest crash helmet brand. That’s based on SHARP test data so is only directly applicable to helmets on sale in the EU (sometimes helmets on sale in the US are slightly different). But of the 24 helmets tested by SHARP to date, their overall score is (a frankly amazing) 4.3 stars with their last four polycarbonate helmets scoring three four stars and one five.
Which is starting to make us think if you’re after excellent protection, you can pretty much always trust a Shark (go on, there’s a quote for you Shark 😉
Test scores apart, the Shark Ridill comes with a Pinlock-ready shield and Pinlock antifog insert in the box. In pure safety terms, having a fog-free shield is essential and a Pinlock, while not perfect, is one of the best hands-off ways to keep your shield fog free.
The shield is also quick-release so there’s no excuse not to whip it off after a ride to clean the dirt and bugs off it and keep your forward vision in tip-top condition.
The Ridill comes with a micrometric fastener which are both easy to use and safe as houses (provided you occasionally check it’s adjusted correctly – see here for more details about micrometric fasteners or use the link above to see every helmet we’ve reviewed that comes with a micrometric fastener).
All in all, the Shark Ridill is a more entry-level helmet that’s made from polycarbonate. And while that’s probably the most conventional and unsexiest of the helmet materials, there’s many polycarb helmets that score maximum points in SHARP tests and at this stage, there’s no reason to doubt the Ridill won’t provide very good protection indeed (and every reason to suspect it will!).
Helmet Noise
(more about helmet noise)
Shark helmets are generally well-built and have decent aero properties – both helping keep in-helmet noise to a minimum.
And it seems to have worked pretty well with the Ridill. Despite the Ridill not coming with a chin curtain (which usually helps reduce wind and noise coming into the helmet from below), owners reckon noise-suppression is anywhere between OK and good.
Ventilation
One of the few things Shark say about the Ridill is that the ventilation is ‘optimized by means of numerical simulation (computational fluid dynamics)’. Well thanks for clearing that up!
For those among us lacking doctorates in fluid dynamics (!), there’s a single large chin vent that’s operated by a large flip-panel. On the crown there’s a couple of separate vents operated by small sliders that should be easy to find and use in gloves.
Unlike the outgoing S700S – and pretty well every other modern helmet out there at the moment – there aren’t any rear exhaust vents in the shell of the helmet to aid the air flow through the helmet and extraction of stale air out the back.
That does help with making a pleasantly clutter-free rear helmet design, but from a ventilation standpoint it’s pretty surprising.
Having said that, ventilation on the Ridill is decent – not good enough to stop the shield misting up if you don’t use a Pinlock, but gives a reasonable level of head ventilation according to owners.
If a helmet with lots of ventilation is important to you, you’re probably best taking a look at our helmets with great ventilation pages.
Shield
The Ridill has a quick-release main shield that’s Pinlock ready; and comes with a drop-down sun visor.
The main shield works on a ratchet mechanism and has the opening tab on the left hand side (rather than the middle – or even top). Both of those are broadly preferred by most people so ‘good one’ Shark.
All Ridill’s come with a Pinlock-ready shield and some stores include the Pinlock in the box. A Pinlock is a must if you ride in cool weather, or even somewhere it’s often humid, so check with the retailer first before you buy to make sure yours comes with a Pinlock. If it’s not, it’s going to cost you about $30 so well worth asking first.
The sun visor is operated using the slider on the top of the crown. It’s not the best place for the sun visor slider but most folks get used to it pretty quickly and if you’ve not had an integrated sun visor in your helmet before, they’re well worth it. Personally, I’m unlikely to buy a helmet without one these days (so speaks the voice of someone who’s just spent an hour squinting into the sun riding in the hills!).
Overall, for a helmet towards the budget end of the price range, the Ridill covers all the bases and offers most of the functionality you’ll need from your shield system – ratchet clear main shield, Pinlock antifog and drop down sun visor: all present and correct.
Comfort & Sizing
The Ridill is available in sizes XS-XL. Inside there’s a removable/washable liner and there’s glasses grooves in the sides to make it easier to insert your glasses’ stems and stop them digging into the side of your head while riding.
Shark is known for creating decent quality, comfortable linings on their helmets and that’s reflected in owner’s opinions.
Sizing of the Ridill is reported to be about spot on and, providing you get the correct sized helmet in the first place, gives a snug and comfortable fit. Comments like ‘love the fit,’ and ‘comfortable and lightweight,’ and ‘found it comfortable in summer and winter,’ are typical.
Looks & Graphics
At the time of writing, there’s six different designs available with a few different color schemes in each. We’ve put examples of the plain/solid versions along with the Kengal, Skyd, Finks, Tika and Oxyd. But as usual there’s new designs and color options coming out reasonably regularly through the year so it’s worth clicking through to our recommended retailers below to see the latest designs and check out any offers going on.
Looking to buy a Shark Ridill?
Please click below to visit the Shark Ridill helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Shark Ridill Video
Here’s a very quick video rotating a Shark Ridill Skyd so you can have a 360 degree look around it.
Other stuff: weight, build quality, warranty
Weight
Because the Ridill is a polycarbonate helmet, it was never going to be the lightest helmet in the world. Shark quote figures of around 3.44lbs (1.55Kg) which is very much the average weight for a polycarbonate full face helmet so you shouldn’t have a problem with weight.
Build quality and warranty
The Ridill hasn’t been out very long, but reports are coming back that the build quality is fine with decent quality materials and components used throughout: just don’t expect the world as this is one of Shark’s entry-level helmets.
And don’t forget, every Shark helmet is supported by their outstanding 5 year warranty which is as long as the helmet’s designed to last.
Overall/Summary
Shark has an excellent reputation for producing some great helmets. Their top-of-the range helmets adorn pretty much every racing grid in the world and they’re consistently at the sharp end of our safest helmets brands list.
And, true to form, the Ridill scored four stars in the SHARP safety test meaning it should offer excellent protection in an accident. And with its cool looks, wide range of funky designs, as well as drop down sun visor and Pinlock-ready shield, we reckon the Ridill will provide pretty much everything most riders will need in a helmet – at a pretty competitive price point.
That’s all backed by owners who rate the helmet highly in pretty well every respect. Sure, it’s built to the price and you won’t get quite the same build quality from a helmet at twice the price, but the majority of owners seem very happy with the balance between value for money and helmet performance from the Ridill.
If you think the Ridill is the helmet you want, we say go for it. Or alternatively, check out some of our suggested tried, tested and recommended helmets below.
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Alternatives to the Shark Ridill?
So you’re after a helmet that’s going to give you great protection in an accident but not break the bank? Here’s some helmets we suggest having a look at…
How about the AGV K3 SV or the Scorpion Exo-R410? The AGV is SHARP 4 star safety rated, has a drop down internal sun visor and it comes with a Pinlock antifog insert in the box. It’s from well-respected maker AGV (they make Valentino Rossi’s helmet no less) and it’s a smidge lighter than the Ridill.
The Scorpion Exo-R410 is a bit cheaper than the AGV or the Shark and comes with an optically-correct shield along with its innovative air pump system to get the fit just right and a SHARP 4 star safety rating too. There’s no drop down sun visor with the Scorpion though.
Finally, the HJC IS-17. It’s another budget polycarbonate helmet with an integral sun visor but one that does everything very well – plus it offers great value for money and was SHARP tested at a maximum 5 stars.
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Looking to buy a Shark Ridill?
Please click below to visit the Shark Ridill helmets pages at Amazon and our recommended store, Revzilla. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
