Gloss black is the most-bought finish on any entry-level helmet and the one that asks nothing of you visually. Nothing about it competes with the motorcycle, and nothing about it dates.

What this helmet is — honestly

🔵 What you are buying at this price is a current-standard helmet without the equipment that costs money: no sun visor, no anti-fog lens in the box, and around 1.6 kg of thermoplastic shell.

What you are not buying is a compromise on certification. The Stinger 2 meets ECE 22.06, the current European standard, which a good number of budget helmets still do not.

About the gloss black finish

On a helmet at this price the finish quality is where corners are usually cut, and gloss black is the least forgiving colour to get right — every ripple in the shell shows in the reflection. That the Stinger 2 carries it well says something useful about the moulding. The maintenance is the standard gloss-black bargain: road film against dark clear coat is maximum contrast, dry-wiping leaves permanent swirls, and washing wet with a clean cloth afterwards does not. 🔵 It is the least conspicuous version here, on a helmet aimed squarely at commuting and city use.

HIRP and ECE 22.06

🔵 What a thermoplastic shell means in practice: it is injection-moulded rather than laid up by hand, which makes it cheaper to produce and heavier than a composite of equal strength. It also makes it very consistent, because the process is machine-controlled.

Weight is around 1.6 kg — the honest cost of the price.

The sun visor this helmet does not have

🔵 Read the model name carefully across MT's range. Models ending in SV — the Thunder 4 R SV, the Cosmo SV, the Atom 2 SV — have an integrated sun visor. The Stinger 2 does not, and that is most of the price difference.

An optional smoked visor covers the same ground, at the cost of carrying a spare.

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

🔵 The Pinlock code for this helmet is DKS435 and it is not in the box. That is the most common surprise with the Stinger 2, and it is inexpensive to put right.

„MaxVision" versions cover the full width of the aperture rather than leaving a clear border top and bottom, which is where fogging actually starts at low speed.

The MT-MDTC closure

🔵 A micrometric ratchet is the right choice on a commuting helmet fastened twice a day: it is quick, adjustable in fine steps, and workable in winter gloves — which a double-D ring genuinely is not.

MT's version is the MT-MDTC, with a double-tooth engagement for a more positive lock.

Interior, fit and washing

🔵 Hypoallergenic treatment is not marketing on a helmet worn daily. A lining that has absorbed sweat for two summers is where skin irritation starts, and the treatment slows that considerably.

All of it comes out and goes in a washing machine rather than needing to be hand-washed.

Universal UCS intercom slot

🔵 „Universal" is the right approach at this price, because a rider buying an entry-level helmet is unlikely to buy a brand-specific communicator to go with it. The UCS slot takes standard units rather than MT's own.

Speaker pockets are shaped into the lining; nothing is supplied with the helmet.

Where it sits in MT's range

🔵 The clearest comparison in MT's range. Stinger 2: ~1.6 kg, no sun visor, Pinlock not supplied. Thunder 4 R SV: ~1.5 kg, sun visor fitted, Pinlock DKS435 in the box.

Both are HIRP shells homologated to ECE 22.06. The difference is equipment, not protection standard.

When something wears out

🔵 On a helmet at this price, being repairable is what decides whether it lasts three years or one. A scratched visor or a compressed lining should be a part rather than a new helmet.

Visors, Pinlock lenses, cheek pads and complete linings are all stocked for the Stinger 2.

In the box

• MT Stinger 2 helmet — Pure A1 gloss (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 — 133400PA1102
• Colour — Pure A1 gloss — Gloss black
• 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 both add to the cost of 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