{"product_id":"skwal-cup-raceblock-he6518ekao","title":"Shark Skwal Cup Raceblock Helmet Black Anthracite Orange HE6518","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second Raceblock colourway swaps blue for orange against the same black-and-anthracite blocking, gloss-finished and set out along the Skwal Cup's shell rather than printed flat across it. Same graphic language, warmer accent colour, same helmet underneath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe shape at the back of the shell\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLook at the Skwal Cup from the side and the rear of the shell rises into a distinct fin rather than tapering away smoothly — that raised section is the spoiler, and its profile was set through computational fluid-dynamics modelling before being checked in a wind tunnel, not sketched by eye. Its job is entirely functional: managing how air leaves the back of the helmet so it doesn't separate into the kind of turbulence that pushes a rider's head around at speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eRotation, not just impact\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decades, helmet standards mostly measured how hard a straight drop hit the head. ECE 22.06 — the standard the Skwal Cup is certified to, mandatory in the EU since January 2024 and stricter than the 22.05 it replaced — adds a Brain Injury Criterion that scores rotational forces as well, because a glancing, twisting fall is closer to how most real crashes actually load the head than a clean vertical drop is. To get there, the test rig also grew from five impact points to eighteen, added multiple impact speeds, and introduced an oblique-impact test against an abrasive anvil that deliberately induces that rotation — with the visor, Pinlock and comms fitted, as the helmet is actually worn. No FIM suffix on this model: road certification, not competition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere the air goes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA front intake feeds air in; two rear exhaust vents let it back out. Straightforward rather than elaborate, and it stays out of the way of the spoiler's job at the back of the shell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eReading the manufacturer's figure correctly\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eManufacturers almost always quote a helmet's weight for its smallest shell size, because that's the lightest number available — and Shark's 1,580 g (+\/-50 g) figure for the Skwal Cup is no exception: it's measured on the first, smallest shell. A rider taking L, XL or XXL is on the Skwal Cup's larger shell, and should expect a somewhat higher real-world figure for the identical helmet. Compared with the roughly 1,250 g to 1,800 g spread across our own road-legal full-face range, this figure sits mid-pack rather than at either end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eConstruction, briefly\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo shell sizes in injection-moulded polycarbonate, a multi-density EPS liner tuned differently across the shell rather than uniform foam, and a double-D ring closure — mechanical fastening over a quick-release buckle, for a fit that holds under load.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Raceblock orange finish, in use\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrange against black and anthracite is a genuinely visible combination in daylight traffic, and the gloss finish keeps it looking sharp — bug spatter and road film wipe off with less effort than on a matte shell, at the cost of showing fine scuffs a touch more readily. The orange panel is placed to stay legible from the side as well as head-on, the angle most other road users actually see a helmet from at a junction. Alongside the blue-accented Raceblock decor in the same range, this orange version is the warmer, higher-contrast option of the two — worth cross-checking both before deciding, since the shell, the spoiler and every technical spec underneath are identical between them.\u003c\/p\u003e The choice comes down to which accent colour a rider actually wants to see in the mirror every morning, not to any functional difference between the two.\n\u003ch3\u003eSun visor, intercom, glasses\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrown-slider sun visor, glasses-friendly cheek pads, tool-free outer visor, and a shell built to take an intercom unit — small conveniences that matter more on a daily ride than in a spec comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProportional sizing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo shell sizes underpin the six-size run from XS to XXL, avoiding the single-shell compromise where either small heads carry too much bulk or large heads get too little shell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's built in, not what's claimed\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRather than quote a noise figure no one has actually measured for this model, here's what's built to manage it: a perimeter seal at the visor aperture and a chin curtain at the base of the shell, both there to close air gaps rather than leave them open to whistle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePositioned between entry-level and electronics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShark's road range opens with the Ridill 2 at €189.99 and the D-Skwal 3 at €219.99 — both without the Skwal Cup's aerodynamic shell. This decor lists at €319.99. Above it, the Skwal i3 (€319.99–€399.99 by decor) and Skwal i Cup (from €329.99) add an LED brake-light system on top of a broadly similar shell, which accounts for most of the price gap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe one part that wears\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisors take the brunt of daily wear on any helmet, and Shark sells replacements for the Skwal Cup directly, in the same spare-parts collection as the Ridill 2, D-Skwal 3 and Skwal i3 — a scratched visor is an order, not a write-off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat a \"Skwal\" search might mislead you on\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSearch for star ratings or LED brake lights under \"Skwal\" and you'll find results — none of them belong to this helmet. No SHARP rating exists for the Skwal Cup itself; SHARP has rated the Skwal, Skwal 2 and D-Skwal, not the Cup. No LED brake light either — that's fitted to the Skwal i3 and Skwal i Cup. This model's homologation is ECE 22.06 only, with no FIM suffix, and it carries no MIPS liner, no electronic quick-release system, and no tear-off posts on the visor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe helmet, a Pinlock 70 insert fitted ready to use, and Shark's five-year warranty cover, registered on delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChoosing the orange Raceblock over its blue sibling costs nothing in terms of certification, weight or aerodynamics — the decision is purely about which palette a rider prefers, which is exactly how a colourway choice should work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eModel\u003c\/em\u003e — Skwal Cup Raceblock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eVentilation\u003c\/em\u003e — 1 intake vent, 2 exhaust vents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eVisor\u003c\/em\u003e — Optical class 1, anti-scratch visor, Pinlock 70 insert included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eWeight\u003c\/em\u003e — 1,580 g nominal, lighter shell, +\/-50 g spread\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eShell\u003c\/em\u003e — Polycarbonate shell, multi-density EPS, two sizes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eHomologation\u003c\/em\u003e — ECE 22.06 certified\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eSun visor\u003c\/em\u003e — Internal anti-fog sun visor, crown slider\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eClosure\u003c\/em\u003e — Double-D ring buckle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eWarranty\u003c\/em\u003e — 5 years from purchase\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eInterior\u003c\/em\u003e — Removable Alveotech liner, machine washable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eSizes\u003c\/em\u003e — XS to XXL across 6 sizes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eCountry of origin\u003c\/em\u003e — Manufactured in Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Shark","offers":[{"title":"XS \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025588490,"sku":"HE6518KAO_XS","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true},{"title":"S \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025654026,"sku":"HE6518KAO_S","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true},{"title":"M \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025686794,"sku":"HE6518KAO_M","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true},{"title":"L \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025719562,"sku":"HE6518KAO_L","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025621258,"sku":"HE6518KAO_XL","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true},{"title":"XXL \/ Raceblock KAO HE6518","offer_id":53819025555722,"sku":"HE6518KAO_XXL","price":642000.0,"currency_code":"CDF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/7831\/0410\/files\/HE6518KAO-00-shark-skwal-cup-raceblock-kao-he6518-front-three-quarter-view.png?v=1790463397","url":"https:\/\/inter-pace.com\/en-cd\/products\/skwal-cup-raceblock-he6518ekao","provider":"Inter-Pace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}