{"product_id":"d-skwal-3-blank-he0901ekma","title":"Shark D-Skwal 3 Blank Matte Black Helmet HE0901","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe same Blank design as its gloss sibling, finished in matte black instead: no graphic, no decor name, just the shell in a flat, light-absorbing black that reads differently from every angle a gloss shell does not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat 1,540 grams means over a day's riding\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat is Shark's figure for the smaller of the two D-Skwal 3 shell sizes, not a specific size M reading — larger sizes on the bigger shell will run somewhat heavier. Weight matters less as a number and more as sustained load: a helmet is supported by the neck for the entire time it is worn, and the difference between a light and a heavy lid compounds over a long ride rather than announcing itself immediately. Road-legal full-face helmets broadly span 1,250-1,800 g, and this sits mid-pack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe price ladder, with real numbers\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRather than describe this helmet as simply affordable, here is exactly where it sits against its nearest Shark siblings:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt EUR 219.99, this specific decor sits within that range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLine\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStarting price\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eD-Skwal 3\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efrom EUR 219.99\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRidill 2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efrom EUR 189.99\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSkwal Cup\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efrom EUR 269.99\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSkwal i3\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efrom EUR 319.99\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are current 2027 list prices, not discounted or promotional figures. The Ridill 2, Skwal Cup and Skwal i3's own specifications are not detailed here, since only their prices are sourced for this comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow the D-Skwal 3 breathes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo chin-mounted intakes and two crown-mounted exhausts make up the airflow system, and all four are designed to be worked with gloves on. A long-term press test rated the setup adequate for normal riding temperatures, while noting that serious heat still called for cracking the visor for more air at speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eReplacement visors, already available\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA scratched visor does not mean buying a new helmet: Shark's spare-parts range lists visors compatible with the D-Skwal 3, Skwal Cup, Ridill 2 and Skwal i3 in one dedicated collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBuilt-in sun protection\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRather than requiring a tinted visor swap, the D-Skwal 3 drops an internal sun visor down at a slider's touch. Intercom compatibility covers both Sharktooth and SENA units without modifying the shell, and the main visor keeps its quick, tool-free release for regular cleaning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA shared visor family, Optical class 1\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis visor belongs to Shark's VZ400 range, used across the Skwal i3, Skwal i Cup, Skwal Cup, Ridill 2 and this D-Skwal 3, rated Optical class 1 with a vortex generator moulded in and thickness tapering from 3 mm to 2.2 mm. A Pinlock 70 insert is fitted from the factory with adjustable tension, the surface carries an anti-scratch treatment, and a central lock releases it without tools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe certification behind the graphics\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eECE 22.06 replaced 22.05 as the EU's mandatory standard for newly homologated helmets from January 2024, and it tests considerably harder: eighteen impact points instead of five, at multiple speeds rather than a single one, plus an oblique-impact test against an abrasive anvil that puts rotational, glancing force through the shell rather than a straight vertical drop. A Brain Injury Criterion score for that rotational energy is new to this standard, and testing is done with the visor, Pinlock insert and a comms unit fitted, not a bare shell. No FIM suffix appears on the certificate — this is street homologation, not a competition rating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSix sizes, two shells\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eXS and S share the smaller shell; L, XL and XXL share the larger one, with M sitting at the boundary — six sizes in total, built to avoid the compromises of forcing every head into a single shell mould. The removable, washable liner and glasses-friendly cheek pads round out the everyday fit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere the D-Skwal 3 sits in Shark's range\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBelow it on price sits the Ridill 2, a simpler helmet with fewer aero and visor features; above it sit the Skwal Cup and the LED-equipped Skwal i3. The D-Skwal 3 is the point in the range where Shark starts adding real aerodynamic engineering and a proper Pinlock-ready visor system without yet charging for a factory LED brake light. That middle position, not a stripped-down entry point, is what this decor is built on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look at Blank, in matte\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere the gloss Blank keeps a single black across the whole shell including the rear spoiler fins, this matte version does the same in a flat, non-reflective finish instead. The shell geometry — the aero spoiler at the back, the sharp browline over the visor — reads more subdued under matte than it does under gloss, since there is less light bouncing off the surfaces to pick out those lines. For a rider who wants the D-Skwal 3's aerodynamics and certification without a graphic to think about, and who prefers a flatter, less reflective look than the standard gloss black offers, this is the more understated of the two Blank options.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe matte coating here sits directly over the shell rather than over a printed layer, so there is nothing to fade differently across the surface the way a multicolour graphic eventually can under years of UV exposure. Sizing follows the same XS-XXL chart as every other D-Skwal 3 decor; there is no graphic placement to account for when choosing between borderline sizes.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA plain matte shell pairs with any riding gear colour without a graphic to clash against, one small practical reason some riders default to a Blank colourway over a printed one. It also tends to show less obvious contrast between old and new panels if a shell is ever repaired or replaced under warranty, since there is no pattern alignment to worry about matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe matte finish, in use\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMatte black does not reflect stray light the way gloss does, which hides minor scuffs better day to day but shows fingerprints and oily marks more readily — a straightforward trade most matte-helmet owners already know to expect. It also will not develop the swirl-mark polishing marks a gloss shell can pick up over time.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePriced at EUR 219.99, this matte finish and the gloss Blank open the D-Skwal 3 range at the same figure. Registering the five-year warranty after purchase is worth doing whichever of the two is chosen, since it does not happen automatically on delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHonest limitations\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo MIPS layer, no EQRS quick-release cheek pads, no tear-off posts, and no IRID photochromic visor option (kept for the AERON GP, AERON and RACE R PRO). Certification stops at ECE 22.06, no FIM suffix. SHARP does have an entry for a 'Shark D-Skwal' — but that is the original 2018 helmet, tested under the old ECE 22.05 standard; this D-Skwal 3 has not been independently SHARP-tested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat an independent reviewer actually heard\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRather than quote a made-up decibel number, here is what a 1,700-mile press test reported: the helmet is pretty loud without earplugs, and opening the visor for airflow at speeds above about 25 mph brings on a distinct whistle, loud enough to show up on the reviewer's own camera audio. Earplugs and a fully closed visor at speed both help.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow the shell is built\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo shell sizes carry the six-size run (XS-XXL), moulded from thermoplastic and backed by a multi-density EPS liner. Closure is a micrometric buckle, adjustable in fine steps and quick to release with one hand — a meaningfully different mechanism from the double-D ring fitted to some of Shark's other 2027 lines.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shark","offers":[{"title":"XS \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299823882,"sku":"HE0901KMA_XS","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true},{"title":"S \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299954954,"sku":"HE0901KMA_S","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true},{"title":"M \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299889418,"sku":"HE0901KMA_M","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true},{"title":"L \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299922186,"sku":"HE0901KMA_L","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299856650,"sku":"HE0901KMA_XL","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true},{"title":"XXL \/ Blank KMA HE0901","offer_id":53819299791114,"sku":"HE0901KMA_XXL","price":872.0,"currency_code":"PGK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/7831\/0410\/files\/HE0901KMA-00-front-three-quarter-view.png?v=1790466092","url":"https:\/\/inter-pace.com\/en-pg\/products\/d-skwal-3-blank-he0901ekma","provider":"Inter-Pace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}