Matte black base, colour-shift blue print on top — Mekarium Matte in its Black Blue finish is one of the more dramatic-looking options in a helmet line built around a simple promise: real Shark engineering, priced to get new riders into a full-face helmet rather than a half-lid because that's what fits the budget.

ECE 22.06: the number that matters most

Forget the paint for a second — every Ridill 2 answers to ECE 22.06, mandatory across the EU since January 2024 for any newly certified helmet, replacing ECE 22.05. Test points jumped from five to eighteen. Speed testing went from one fixed value to a range. An oblique-impact test was added, dragging the shell across abrasive grit to load it with twisting force rather than a straight vertical hit, and rotational brain-injury data now gets recorded alongside plain linear deceleration. Testing happens fully assembled — visor down, Pinlock and comms fitted if applicable. Look at the shell and you'll find "2206" stamped there. No FIM letters follow it. Road use only, and nothing claims otherwise.

1,470 g sounds light. Here's why it matters.

That's Shark's number for the smaller of two shell sizes; a mid-range M on the bigger shell typically weighs a bit more. Visordown put a size-M test sample on the scale and got 1,474 g — close enough to back Shark's claim. Pick the helmet up once and the weight barely registers. Wear it for a full day of riding and it's a different story: every gram sits on the neck, hour after hour, and it adds up. Across Shark's street-helmet line-up, weights generally range from roughly 1,250 g to 1,800 g. This one sits well below the middle of that range.

Shell, foam, buckle: the parts under the paint

Take the graphic away and you're left with Shark's standard Ridill 2 build — a thermoplastic shell (called "Thermoplastique" on the spec sheet, referred to by independent reviewers as Lexan polycarbonate), moulded in two separate sizes so a small head isn't stuffed into an oversized shell with extra foam packed around it. A multi-density EPS liner steps its hardness through the structure instead of using one uniform block, and the chin strap locks with a micrometric ratchet buckle — quick to adjust one-handed with gloves on, and precise about the notch it settles into.

Airflow: three vents, gloves stay on

An independent tester logged three working vents on the Ridill 2: one at the chin, two on the crown sharing a single control, and two exhausts at the rear — every one operable without removing gloves. Overall, airflow earned a "more than adequate" rating for regular riding. One caveat from that same test is worth repeating here: the chin vent points more at the visor than the rider's face, which helps against fogging but doesn't do much for cooling your chin directly.

Visor: what's included, what isn't

Optical class 1 rating, anti-scratch treatment, tool-free removal. It's built to take a Pinlock 70 insert — but that insert is a separate purchase, not something in the box, and you'll want it if you ride anywhere near cold or wet weather, because a bare visor fogs when the vents are shut and you're breathing hard. Note that this helmet doesn't feature in Shark's IRID photochromic visor range at all; that list currently stops at the Aeron GP, Aeron and Race R Pro, so a self-tinting screen here means shopping aftermarket.

Black Blue: reading the actual paint job

Shark's price list names this "Black Blue Blue". On the shell, it shows up as a metallic gradient that shifts as the light moves — deep indigo low near the visor mechanism, lightening toward a paler, faintly teal-tinted blue up near the crown, with a flash of violet visible at certain angles. That sits over a matte, not gloss, black base, which mutes glare and keeps fingerprints from standing out the way they would on a shiny shell — the trade-off being that any scuff it does pick up won't buff away like it would on gloss paint.

The small stuff that makes a difference

A drop-down sun visor works off a slider at the crown — no need to pull over for a low sun. Cheek padding is cut to leave clearance for glasses arms. The shell is ready for a Sharktooth- or SENA-style comms unit right out of the box. The outer visor pops off without tools whenever it needs a wipe or a swap.

Sizing: built on two shells, not one stretched

Six sizes cover XS to XXL, split across two genuinely different shell sizes rather than a single shell with more or less padding crammed in. That's why the smallest helmet in the range doesn't feel oversized, and the largest doesn't feel like a squeeze. Visordown's own test, in a size M, rated the fit "very good" and "extremely comfortable", called out an easy, wide opening for putting the helmet on, and found the cheek area snug without any pressure points.

Ridill 2 pricing versus D-Skwal 3 and Skwal Cup

209.99 euro is what this decor costs — the graphic tier of the Ridill 2, sitting above the 189.99-euro plain colours but still the cheapest full-face family Shark sells right now. One tier up, the D-Skwal 3 starts at 219.99 euro and adds a wind-tunnel-developed shell plus a bigger decor lineup. Another tier above that, the Skwal Cup opens at 269.99 euro with a CFD-shaped rear spoiler built for stability at higher speeds. Lined up like that, the real numbers tell you exactly what each price jump buys.

Wind noise: a real quote, not a guess

Nobody has measured a decibel figure for this helmet, and inventing one would be pointless at best. What's actually documented is a tester's own words, from Visordown: "a quiet helmet to use at motorway speeds" — though earplugs are still recommended for any longer trip — with a small amount of buffeting at motorway pace that they called "not horrendous". That's one rider's genuine impression from an actual ride, not a lab figure, because there isn't a published lab figure for this helmet.

Ersatzteile — spare visors, when needed

Shark runs a spare-visor line that specifically lists the Ridill 2 alongside the Skwal Cup, D-Skwal 3 and Skwal i3, with seven visor choices ranging from dark smoke to iridium tints to a clear, Pinlock-ready screen. Scratched or fogged? That's a spare part, not a reason to buy a whole new helmet.

What you're not getting

To be upfront about it: there's no MIPS liner here, no electronic quick-release, and the Pinlock insert isn't included — the visor is only ready to accept one. There's no chin skirt either, so expect more cold-weather draught around your neck than a touring helmet would allow. SHARP has tested a "Ridill 2" — four stars against ECE 22.06, dated February 2025, the correct generation for this exact helmet — though the same listing prints a retail price of 549 pounds that clearly doesn't match what this helmet costs anywhere; that's best treated as an error on SHARP's page rather than a genuine price. No FIM racing homologation. No rear spoiler. This is a budget road helmet, and it doesn't pretend to be anything more.

In the box

The helmet itself, plus Shark's five-year warranty documentation. The Pinlock 70 insert is not included and must be bought separately.

Technical data

• Model — Ridill 2 Mekarium Matte (Black Blue)
• Shell — Thermoplastic (Lexan), 2 shell sizes
• Weight — 1,470 g, first/smallest shell
• Homologation — ECE 22.06
• Closure — Micrometric ratchet buckle
• Ventilation — Chin vent + 2 crown vents (1 slider) + 2 rear exhausts, glove-friendly
• Visor — Optical class 1; Pinlock 70 mount (insert not included)
• Sun visor — Drop-down, crown slider
• Interior — Removable liner, removable cheek pads
• Warranty — 5 years
• Country of origin — Portugal
• Sizes — XS-XXL, 6 sizes