Update: now called the "Raw," this helmet will be sold in the States. No price yet, but check RevZilla for all Shark's helmets.
Like the Bell Rogue, this new Shark Streetfighter affixes a plastic face cover to an otherwise open face helmet. But, where the Rogue is styled to appeal to a cruiser audience, the Streetfighter should appeal more to the city/cafe/sports scene and includes integrated goggles.
Like the cover on the Rogue, the Streetfighter's face mask is more about weather and wind protection than it is actual safety. It appears to be affixed to the integrated goggles, providing little to no impact protection as it's not a part of the shell.
We dig the contrasting elastic goggle straps.
Shark describes the Streetfighter as "...an urban biking helmet that combines protection and style." The shell is made from thermoplastic and the goggles are given an anti-fog, anti-scratch coating. The chin strap is a ratchet/buckle affair and there's vents integrated into the top and rear of the shell. Both the goggles and face mask can be removed if you prefer to run an alternative eye protection arrangement.
A study Dietmar Otte conducted into motorcycle safety found that 40 percent of all impacts to helmets occur in the face area.
While the inclusion of a mask may seem odd to you, an experienced rider that makes intelligent choices about safety gear, its appearance on new helmets from two major brands indicates that it could work as sort of a halfway house for inexperienced riders not yet indoctrinated into the full-face continuum. Many new-ish riders feel uncomfortably hemmed in by a chin bar or are simply uncomfortable with the way they look. Helmets like these address those concerns while moving those riders towards a full-face design. Someone may wear one of these now, become comfortable with the idea of having their face covered, then drop dime on a fancy full-face in the near future.
The Streetfigther will retail for around $300 when it goes on sale in Europe. American availability is uncertain.
