Matt black is the finish that lets a retro helmet avoid looking like fancy dress. Everything about the Jarama's shape says café racer; a flat modern finish says otherwise, and the result reads as a choice rather than a costume.

A café-racer shape on a 2026 shell

🔵 Retro helmets fail in one of two ways: they look right and are built to an old standard, or they are built properly and look like a modern helmet in costume. The Jarama SV avoids both — the silhouette is genuinely period and the certification is genuinely current.

Worth checking on any classic-styled helmet you compare this with; a good number are still sold against ECE 22.05.

About the matt black finish

There is a real risk with retro-styled helmets of ending up in period dress, and a matt finish is the most effective defence against it. Strip the shine off the shell and the classic silhouette becomes a shape you have selected rather than an era you are re-enacting — particularly on a modern naked bike, where a glossy retro helmet can look borrowed. The practical case is separate and just as strong: a helmet handled twice a day picks up scuffs, and a flat finish has no clear coat for them to catch in. 🔵 Two things to weigh. It is the least conspicuous version here, on a helmet aimed at city and country-road riding. And matt is washed rather than polished — abrasive polish leaves a permanent shiny patch that cannot be undone. Dust also shows more readily on a flat finish than on a shiny one, though it washes off completely. Worth adding that on this particular shell the matt finish does something gloss cannot: it shows the aperture line and the crown curve as pure outline, with no highlight running across them — which on a helmet bought for its silhouette is the more honest reading of the shape. It is the version we would choose for a modern naked bike, where a glossy retro helmet can look like it belongs to a different machine. On a genuine period bike the gloss white or the Wild C2 with its gold accent are the more coherent choices.

HIRP, 1475 grams, ECE 22.06 and DOT

🔵 At around 1475 g this is 50 g under MT's Thunder 4 R SV and 125 g under the Stinger 2 — a genuine difference on a helmet worn daily, and largely a consequence of the simpler shell shape.

Fewer external features means less material: no spoiler, no large vent housings.

Sizes — read this before ordering

🔵 Check the size range before anything else. Where MT's Thunder 4 R SV goes to 3XL and the Stinger 2 starts at XXS, the Jarama SV covers XS to XL and nothing beyond.

Measure around the widest part of your head, about 1–2 cm above the eyebrows, and compare against the chart on this page before committing.

The full-coverage sun visor

🔵 How far a sun visor drops decides whether it is useful. One that stops short leaves a bright band at exactly the height a low sun sits — which on a westbound evening road is the only place it matters.

The Jarama SV's is full-coverage, and it retracts completely when raised.

MT-V-32, the rubber lip and the anti-fog insert you buy separately

🔵 The Pinlock code for this helmet is DKS479 and it is specific to the MT-V-32 visor — it does not interchange with the DKS435, DKS512, DKS279 or DKS 623 lenses used elsewhere in MT's range. Order by designation rather than by helmet name.

FogOff Fog012 is the compatible alternative, and neither comes in the box.

How quiet it is — and what we actually know

🔵 Treat any noise claim without a decibel figure and a speed as an impression rather than a measurement. MT states low noise levels for the Jarama SV; nobody has measured it.

What is documented is the rubber-lipped visor seal, which is a genuine design feature and a plausible reason for the claim.

The MT-MDHC closure

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

MT's MT-MDHC adds a double-tooth engagement for a more positive lock.

Interior, fit and intercom preparation

🔵 A new helmet should feel firm but never painful. The lining beds in over the first few hours and again across the first season, so a helmet that is perfect in the shop will usually be loose by the summer's end. Start tighter than comfortable.

With only five sizes there is less room to fine-tune than on MT's wider ranges.

Where it sits in MT's range

🔵 Against MT's Thunder 4 R SV at 157 €, the Jarama SV is 25 € cheaper, 25 g lighter, adds DOT approval and gives up the supplied Pinlock lens and the wider size range.

Both are HIRP shells homologated to ECE 22.06, and neither has a SHARP rating.

When something wears out

🔵 The anti-fog insert is the first accessory most owners buy, because it is not supplied and a winter commute mists the visor at every stop. Two options fit: Pinlock DKS479 or FogOff Fog012.

Both are consumables — the seal loses grip and the surface clouds after a few seasons.

In the box

• MT Jarama SV helmet — Pure A1 (HIRP shell)
• Clear MT-V-32 visor, fitted
• 🔵 No anti-fog insert — the visor is ready for Pinlock DKS479 or FogOff Fog012; both are separate purchases
• 🔵 No intercom — the helmet has a UCS pre-installation; the system is a separate purchase

Size guide

Specification

• Model — MT-Helmets Jarama SV
• Part number — 132000PA1203
• Colour — Pure A1 — Matt black
• Homologation — ECE 22.06 and DOT
• 🔴 Safety rating — none — SHARP has never listed the Jarama SV; no ADAC or Snell result, and no independent road test has been published
• Helmet type — Full-face, retro / café-racer styling
• Shell — HIRP (High Impact Resistant Polymer)
• Weight — approx. 1475 g — the lightest full-face in MT's range
• 🔴 Sizes — XS to XL only (five sizes). Most of MT's range goes to XXL or 3XL; this model does not
• Visor — MT-V-32 with an easy quick-change mechanism and a rubber-lipped seal against the shell
• 🔴 Anti-fog — ready for Pinlock® DKS479 or FogOff Fog012 — neither insert is supplied
• Sun visor — full-coverage integrated drop-down shield
• 🔴 Noise — MT cites „low noise levels". That is a manufacturer's claim — no independent measurement of this helmet exists
• Retention — MT-MDHC micrometric closure with double-teeth engagement
• Interior — fully removable and washable
• Communication — UCS intercom pre-installation — no system supplied
• Impact liner — expanded polystyrene — crushes once and does not recover; replace the helmet after any real impact
• Serviceability — visor, anti-fog insert, sun shield, lining and cheek pads all available separately
• Manufacturer — MT-Helmets (MT Helmets, Spain)
• Replacement guidance — after around five years of use regardless of condition, and immediately after any impact

• 1x MT Jarama SV helmet
• 1x MT-V-32 clear visor (fitted)
• 1x protective helmet bag
• User manual and MT Helmets stickers