Rocket is the more angular of the graphic families on this shell, and C17 is its red — under a matt finish, which is an unusual combination and one of the better-looking things MT does at this price.

What this helmet is — honestly

MT positions the Stinger 2 as a helmet that exceeds ECE 22.06 rather than merely meeting it. That is the manufacturer's phrasing; what is independently verifiable is the homologation itself, which is the current standard rather than the superseded 22.05.

🔵 No independent road test of the Stinger 2 has been published, and SHARP has not tested it.

About the Rocket C17 graphic

Red under matt behaves differently from red under gloss: without a highlight running across it the colour reads as pigment rather than as paint, which pushes the helmet away from the shiny look most entry-level helmets have. Red is also a high-saturation colour that holds up well against grey tarmac, putting it among the more conspicuous options here without going fluorescent. 🔵 Red pigment fades faster than most under sustained ultraviolet, and matt clear coat is washed rather than polished. A printed graphic cannot be touched in after a stone strike.

HIRP and ECE 22.06

🔵 A thermoplastic shell is not a lesser shell, it is a different manufacturing route — and at 85 € it is the only route that exists. What matters is the approval it holds, and the Stinger 2 holds the current European standard.

HIRP, roughly 1.6 kg, ECE 22.06.

The sun visor this helmet does not have

If you ride mostly in daylight and mostly short distances, the absence of a sun visor is a smaller problem than it sounds — sunglasses under a clear visor work perfectly well, and this is a helmet you take on and off frequently anyway.

🔵 If your riding runs from dawn to after dark, MT's SV models are worth the extra.

MT-V-28B, MT-QVSS and the Pinlock you buy separately

The clear MT-V-28B visor is supplied as standard, and an optional smoked visor is available for bright days — which on a helmet with no drop-down shield is how you handle glare.

🔵 Both change over through MT-QVSS in seconds without tools.

The MT-MDTC closure

What a micrometric closure gives you over a simple buckle is fine adjustment. You are not choosing between two holes; you are setting the strap to the millimetre and clicking to the same place every time.

🔵 MT's MT-MDTC adds a double-tooth engagement, which is what makes the lock feel positive rather than approximate.

Interior, fit and washing

Machine-washable is a genuinely different proposition from removable-and-washable. Most helmet linings need hand-washing and careful drying; this one goes in with the laundry, which is the difference between washing it and meaning to.

🔵 The fabric is hypoallergenic, and the whole interior comes out.

Universal UCS intercom slot

An intercom on a commuting helmet earns its keep in traffic rather than on the open road: navigation prompts without looking at a screen, and a call answered without stopping.

🔵 The Stinger 2 has a universal UCS slot and speaker pockets. Nothing is supplied — the provision is the feature.

Where it sits in MT's range

If an integrated sun visor is what you want, MT's models ending in SV have one — the Thunder 4 R SV, the Braker SV, the Jarama SV among the full-face helmets.

🔵 The Stinger 2 does not, and that accounts for a large part of why it costs less.

When something wears out

🔵 A word on visor care, because it prevents most of the visor sales we make. Never wipe a dry visor — road dust is abrasive and dragging it across the surface leaves permanent fine scratches that flare against oncoming headlights at night.

Wet it first, every time. MT-QVSS makes replacing a scratched visor a ten-second job.

In the box

• MT Stinger 2 helmet — Rocket C17 (HIRP shell)
• Clear MT-V-28B visor, fitted
• 🔵 No Pinlock insert — the visor is DKS435-ready; the lens is a separate purchase
• 🔵 No sun visor — an optional smoked visor is available separately
• 🔵 No intercom — the helmet has a universal UCS slot and speaker pockets; the system is a separate purchase

Size guide

Specification

• Model — MT-Helmets Stinger 2
• Part number — 1334492C17202
• Colour — Rocket C17 — Matt red
• Homologation — ECE 22.06 — MT states the helmet exceeds the standard
• 🔴 Safety rating — none — SHARP has never listed the Stinger 2; no ADAC or Snell result, and no independent road test has been published
• Helmet type — Full-face, entry-level / commuting
• Shell — HIRP (High Impact Resistant Polymer)
• Weight — approx. 1.6 kg — heavier than MT's dearer models and than any composite shell
• Sizes — XXS to XXL (seven sizes)
• Visor — MT-V-28B polycarbonate, sealed against the shell, with MT-QVSS tool-free quick swap
• 🔴 Anti-fog — Pinlock® DKS435 ready — insert sold separately, not supplied
• 🔴 Sun visor — none. An optional smoked visor is available; a drop-down shield is not fitted to this model
• Retention — MT-MDTC — Micrometric Double Teeth Closure
• Interior — hypoallergenic, fully removable and machine-washable
• Communication — universal UCS intercom slot with dedicated speaker pockets — no system supplied
• Impact liner — expanded polystyrene — crushes once and does not recover; replace the helmet after any real impact
• Serviceability — visor, Pinlock lens, cheek pads and complete lining all available separately
• Made for — commuting, city and short-distance riding — not a long-distance touring helmet
• Manufacturer — MT-Helmets (MT Helmets, Spain)
• Sizing note — measure around the widest part of your head, about 1–2 cm above the eyebrows, and try the size the chart gives you. A helmet that can be rolled forward off your head with the strap fastened is too large
• Care — the lining is machine-washable; never wipe the visor dry, as road dust scratches it permanently
• Replacement guidance — after around five years of use regardless of condition, and immediately after any impact
• 🔴 Ventilation — MT publishes no detailed ventilation specification for the Stinger 2, and no independent test has measured it. We are not going to describe a system we cannot document — treat airflow as the open question on this helmet
• Head protection — full-face — unlike a jet, the chin and jaw are covered, which is the single largest protective difference between helmet types
• Worth budgeting — a Pinlock DKS435 insert for winter and an optional smoked visor for summer — neither is supplied, and together they add roughly 50–60 € to the helmet
• Compared with the Thunder 4 R SV — that helmet adds an integrated sun visor, a supplied Pinlock lens and roughly 100 g less weight, for nearly twice the price. Both are HIRP shells homologated to ECE 22.06 — the difference is equipment, not protection standard

• 1x MT Stinger 2 helmet
• 1x MT-V-28B clear visor (fitted)
• User manual and MT Helmets stickers