Shark built the Ridill 2 to be the affordable door into its own line-up rather than a stripped-down imitation of one, and Blank Matte is the version that skips the graphics without skipping any of the engineering underneath. A flat-black shell, priced at the opening rung of the range, is the whole pitch: no decal, no clear-coat shine, just the helmet Shark actually designed.

ECE 22.06, in plain terms

This helmet is homologated to ECE 22.06, the regulation the EU has required for newly certified helmets since January 2024, superseding the older ECE 22.05. The practical change is large: five impact points under 22.05 became eighteen under 22.06, tested across a range of speeds instead of a single one, plus a new oblique-impact test on an abrasive surface that measures twisting and glancing force rather than a straight drop, and a rotational Brain Injury Criterion sits alongside the older linear-acceleration measurement. Testing is also done with the visor — and, where fitted, a Pinlock insert and comms unit — in place, matching how the helmet is worn on the road. The homologation code printed is 2206, with no FIM addition: this is a road-only rating.

Weight and the neck that carries it

1,470 g is Shark's own figure for the Ridill 2's first, smallest shell — the number for a mid-size M typically runs a touch higher on the same shell — and Visordown's own test example, in size M, came in at 1,474 g, close enough to stand behind the manufacturer's claim. That weight sits on the neck for the whole of a ride, not just the moment of putting the helmet on, so the difference between a light and a heavy helmet shows up over hours rather than minutes. Shark's own street-helmet range typically spans somewhere around 1,250 g to 1,800 g depending on shell and spec, and at 1,470 g the Ridill 2 sits comfortably on the lighter side of that spread.

Shell material and the buckle that closes it

Shark's own spec sheet calls the shell material "Thermoplastique"; independent reviewers describe the same construction as Lexan polycarbonate. It is moulded in two shell sizes, so a small-headed rider isn't wearing a large-shell helmet padded down to fit. Inside sits a multi-density EPS liner, graded in firmness rather than uniform throughout, and the chin strap fastens with a micrometric ratchet buckle — a one-handed, glove-friendly adjustment that locks onto an exact notch instead of needing to be re-threaded like a double-D ring.

Vents built for gloved hands

An independent reviewer counted three operable vents on the Ridill 2: a chin intake and a pair of crown intakes sharing one slider, plus two exhaust ports at the rear, all workable while wearing gloves. Their verdict was that airflow is "more than adequate" for ordinary riding, with one caveat worth repeating: the chin vent channels air toward the visor more than the face, useful against fogging but not the vent to count on for cooling your chin.

Visor, coating and Pinlock readiness

The visor carries an Optical class 1 rating and an anti-scratch treatment, releases without tools, and is factory-prepared for a Pinlock 70 insert — sold separately, so factor it into the budget if you ride through variable weather, since the visor alone can mist under heavy breathing with the vents shut. It isn't part of Shark's IRID photochromic programme, which today covers only the Aeron GP, Aeron and Race R Pro, so a self-tinting screen here would come from the aftermarket rather than Shark's own catalogue.

Blank Matte: what the finish is and isn't

Matte black trades the mirror shine of a gloss shell for a surface that shrugs off fingerprints and hides light surface marks far better — a practical choice for a helmet that lives on a hook in a garage or gets tossed in a top-box between rides. Shark's own branding stays understated here too: a small "A" mark and the SHARK name, both toned to sit quietly against the flat black rather than standing out. It won't hold a polish the way gloss does, and scuffs that would buff out of a glossy shell tend to stay visible on a matte one, but for a rider who wants the plainest possible helmet with a slightly different texture to plain gloss, this is that helmet.

Everyday details: sun visor, comms, glasses

A drop-down internal sun visor operates via a crown-mounted slider, handy for a low sun without pulling over to swap visors. The cheek area is shaped to leave room for glasses arms, the shell is ready for a Sharktooth- or SENA-type comms unit without any modification, and the outer visor detaches without tools for cleaning.

Six sizes, two shells, one intended fit

The size run — XS through XXL — is built across two distinct shell sizes rather than a single shell padded up or down, which keeps the proportions sensible at both ends instead of putting a small head inside a stretched large shell. Visordown's own reviewer, riding a size M, described the fit as "very good" and "extremely comfortable", noted a wide opening that makes the helmet easy to get on and off, and found the cheek pads snug without squeezing the face.

The Ridill 2 against the D-Skwal 3 and Skwal Cup

At 189.99 euro, Blank Matte sits at the very bottom of Shark's current street-helmet pricing. Moving up, the D-Skwal 3 opens at 219.99 euro with a wind-tunnel-tested shell and a longer decor list, and above that the Skwal Cup starts at 269.99 euro with a CFD-shaped rear spoiler built for stability at speed. Seeing the real numbers side by side makes clear what each step up actually buys, rather than leaving "entry-level" to sound like a compromise it may not be.

Wind noise: what's known and what isn't

There's no published decibel figure for this helmet, and it would be dishonest to make one up. What exists instead is Visordown's own road impression: "a quiet helmet to use at motorway speeds", paired with the standard advice to wear earplugs on longer rides regardless, and a small amount of buffeting at motorway speeds the reviewer called "not horrendous". That's a rider's subjective account, not a lab result — because no lab result for this helmet has been published anywhere we could find.

Spares, when you eventually need them

Shark maintains a spare-visor range that explicitly covers the Ridill 2 together with the Skwal Cup, D-Skwal 3 and Skwal i3 — seven visor variants, from dark smoke to iridium tints to a clear Pinlock-ready screen. A worn or scratched visor is a stocked spare part, not a reason to buy a whole new helmet.

What this helmet doesn't have

In the interest of setting expectations correctly: there's no MIPS liner, no electronic quick-release, and no Pinlock insert in the box — only the mounting for one. There's no chin skirt, so expect more draught around the neck in cold weather than a touring helmet would give you. SHARP tested a "Ridill 2" and rated it four stars against ECE 22.06 in February 2025 — the right generation for this helmet — but that same listing states a retail price of 549 pounds, which plainly has nothing to do with what this helmet actually costs and reads as an error on SHARP's own page rather than a real UK price. There's no FIM racing homologation and no aerodynamic spoiler here; this is a budget road helmet, built to be exactly that.

In the box

The helmet and Shark's five-year warranty documentation. The Pinlock 70 insert is sold separately and is not included.

Technical data

• Model — Ridill 2 Blank Matte
• Shell — Thermoplastic (Lexan), two shell sizes
• Weight — 1,470 g for the first, smallest shell size
• Homologation — ECE 22.06
• Closure — Micrometric buckle
• Ventilation — 1 chin intake, 2 crown intakes (shared control), 2 rear exhausts, glove-operable
• Visor — Optical class 1, Pinlock 70 ready (insert sold separately)
• Sun visor — Internal drop-down, crown slider
• Interior — Removable liner and cheek pads
• Warranty — 5 years
• Country of origin — Portugal
• Sizes — XS-XXL (6 sizes)