Raceblock is one of two decors in this carbon line still without manufacturer product photography at the time of writing, this description built from the supplier's own naming rather than an image. The price list records this colourway as Carbon Chrome Red, a glossy finish, one of two Raceblock colour codes sold side by side — this red-accented version and a blue-accented sibling (HE8166DUB) documented separately below.

Finish

Shark's price list records both Raceblock colourways as glossy, unlike several other decors in this line that pair a glossy and a matte version of the same graphic. No further detail on the graphic layout is offered here beyond the supplier's naming, in the absence of a product photograph.

About the Raceblock name

Raceblock is one of two decors in this carbon range — alongside Vibetrack, documented later in this line — sold in two colour-code variants of an identical glossy finish rather than a glossy/matte pairing. Both Raceblock codes (DUR here, DUB for the blue-accented sibling) share the 'Chrome' element in their Couleur BRI naming, suggesting a metallic accent finish common to both, though this cannot be confirmed without a photograph. Where several other decors in this line pair one graphic across a glossy and a matte finish, Raceblock instead offers one finish across two colour codes — a different pairing logic worth knowing if a matte Raceblock is what a buyer is actually looking for; none exists in this range.

The certificate behind this Raceblock colourway

Every decor sold under the Spartan RS Carbon name, this one included, meets ECE 22.06 — the road-homologation standard the EU made mandatory for newly certified helmets from January 2024. It replaced a five-point, single-speed impact test with eighteen points across several speeds, introduced an oblique strike against a rough anvil to load the shell with torsion rather than a straight drop, and for the first time scores rotational energy via a Brain Injury Criterion. Price-list article HE8166EDUR carries the Norme 2206 with no FIM suffix.

Carbon versus fibre, briefly

Raceblock rides on the same carbon shell as the rest of this range, weighing in at Shark's published 1455 g for the smallest shell size. Nothing about the certificate, the buckle, the EPS density count or the visor family changes when moving from the fibre Spartan RS to this carbon one — the difference the extra money buys is confined to weight and surface finish.

A weight figure worth putting in context

1455 g is Shark's own number for the first shell size on this decor; a carbon-specific independent test unit for the range came out at 1485 g. Whichever figure is closer to the truth for a given size, it is the neck that carries it, continuously, through corners, braking zones and the small stabilising movements a rider makes without noticing them.

How well it breathes

Independent testers scored this carbon shell's airflow at 3 out of 5: good results from the chin vent specifically while leaning into the tank, less impressive in stop-and-go heat, and a top vent that does its job without excelling. Colourway plays no part in this — it is purely a property of the shell and its vent geometry. That score is consistent across every colourway in this carbon line, so it is not a reason to prefer one Raceblock colour code over the other.

Behind the outer visor

A drop-down internal sun shade is included, and the VZ300 outer visor beneath it carries optical class 1 certification, tapers from 2.8 mm down to 2.2 mm, locks centrally on four anchor points, wears an anti-scratch coating, and arrives with a clear Pinlock 120 insert already seated rather than bagged separately.

In the box

Sibling decors reviewed independently in this carbon range confirm a carrying bag, reflective strips and the pre-fitted Pinlock 120 Max Vision insert as standard, on top of a 5-year manufacturer warranty. The outer visor releases without tools, and the chin flap unclips for a cleaner silhouette or extra airflow when wanted.

Fitting a comms unit

A recess moulded into the cheek-pad area accepts Shark's Sharktooth intercom or a SENA For SHARK unit without an external bracket — standard across the whole Spartan RS Carbon range and unaffected by which colour code is chosen.

Sizing this decor

The XS-to-XXL range is built from two shell sizes, matching every other Spartan RS Carbon decor. Inside, a brushed suede-effect Alveotech lining and a snug neck roll for wind isolation carry over unchanged from the rest of the line, independent of the still-unphotographed graphic on this particular colourway.

What riders hear, honestly

Shark states no decibel number for any Spartan RS Carbon decor. Independent testers scored the shared shell 4 out of 5 for noise, describing light buffeting on the motorway and reasonable awareness of traffic sound in town — an assessment, not a measurement, and not upgraded into one here.

Keeping it running

A scratched visor here is solved through Shark's standing Spartan RS visor listing, which also covers the fibre line and the Spartan GT Pro Carbon — three current ranges drawing on the same VZ300 stock rather than one narrow catalogue entry.

Where this sits in Shark's own range

This decor is priced at 459.99 EUR before any storewide discount. Set against Shark's own current 2027 lineup rather than a competitor's:

Limitations, honestly

No manufacturer photograph exists for this decor at the time of writing, so the Carbon Chrome Red colour name is presented as supplied rather than confirmed against an image — a gap that applies to only two of the nine decors in this line, this one and its blue-accented Raceblock sibling. The shared carbon shell's 3.0-out-of-5 ventilation score and the reported Pinlock-fitting issue on an early test unit apply here as elsewhere. This decor and its blue-accented sibling are priced identically at 459.99 EUR, so the choice between the two colour codes carries no cost trade-off either way.