Shark D-Skwal 3 helmet review | A sporty helmet that ticks a lot of boxes for the price

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After having been bitten by my own inexperience resulting in a tumble at speed, where my Honda CBR600RR was sadly killed in action, while wearing a Shark motorcycle helmet, I have developed a genuine faith in the brand. Having literally saved my head, getting another from the French manufacturer was a no brainer. Shark’s third generation of the D-Skwal helmet has been designed to have a more aggressive sporty look and meets the latest ECE 22.06 safety standard. With improved aerodynamics for this model I wanted to see if it was up to scratch.

How comfortable is the Shark D-Skwal 3?

The padding is plush and soft and on first putting it on it fit nicely, tight around my cheeks but still soft. However, the shape of my head seems to not be quite right for a Shark helmet as it slips back on my head and I have to repeatedly pull back forward using the chin bar. I questioned whether I had chosen the wrong size, but after over 1,500 miles it remains a nice snug fit around my cheeks and doesn’t wiggle around on my head.

When doing my lifesaver shoulder checks I found that the helmet would catch the wind more than some other helmets that I have worn which in time gave me a neck ache. Also when carrying out over the shoulder checks I noticed that I was having to exaggerate them more than usual due to thickness and placement of the cheek pads.

The chin strap is a ratchet style. A lot of people prefer a double D-ring style, but I quite like the ease of this style of strap as it’s simple to do up and adjust with gloves on. It’s a good length and doesn’t have lots of excess strap hanging out if you tighten it all the way up and is nicely cushioned so you don’t really feel it while riding.

What is the visor like on the Shark D-Skwal 3?

The visor change system is really simple and requires no tools, and this is coming from someone who generally avoids changing visors due to having cracked one in the past while trying. You simply press a button and open the visor to its full position on both sides, and then it pops out. To replace it is the reverse. It was a little tricky to get the hang of the clasp at the front of the visor initially as the ridge you push it open with is not particularly prominent, but once you get the hang of it it’s simple.

The Pinlock was easy to fit and does help to keep the misting up at bay. I really appreciate the drop-down sun visor as I am very sensitive to the bright sun, it’s dark enough to keep the brightness levels down and fills almost all of the visor aperture, which means you don’t get flashes of sunshine around the edges. This has made it my go to helmet as with the clear visor fitted it’s great in bright sunny conditions but also in dark or poor conditions so I don’t need to worry about carrying any additional visors with me, as we all know how temperamental the British weather can be.

The visor has cleaned up well without swirling and it feels solid and not flimsy. My main gripe with the visor is the whistle that it generates when riding with it open at any speed above about 25mph. The whistle is so loud that it can be heard on my Insta360 X3 recordings and can still be heard when wearing a pair of earplugs. Because of this I have only given four stars in this section.

Is there enough ventilation on the Shark D-Skwal 3?

There are two chin-mounted air vents and two vents to the top of the helmet. Both are easy enough to operate with gloves on into either open or closed positions, and do allow some airflow through the helmet.

However, I’d like to have more airflow, as while riding recently in 30-degree heat the airflow was not as good as some previous helmets I have used and I did get a bit of a heavy glow (it’s well known that men sweat and women glow). Because of this I would often ride with the visor open at speed to allow more airflow in, but unfortunately this often results in taking a bug to the face, which stings! For more average temperatures though it is adequate to keep the visor clear and just about enough to keep you from feeling too stale.

How noisy is the Shark D-Skwal 3?

I always try to ride in earplugs but there are occasions when I forget, and with this helmet the wind noise is pretty loud. When I forget my earplugs I will usually make a point of pulling over to put them in, where with my AGV helmet I often just carry on as it is a little quieter and more bearable. As I mentioned earlier the whistle that the visor makes when riding which becomes incredibly irritating quite quickly.

Does the Shark D-Skwal 3 look good?

Looks are obviously a very subjective thing and something that I like the look of, someone else might think is ugly. In the case of the D-Skwal 3 I like the design; it has a nice paint job and the glossy finish is very much to my taste. I went for the grey/black and red pattern and upon receiving the helmet, was pleasantly surprised when I realised that the grey areas had a fine metallic flake, giving the design more depth and matching my Aprilia RS660 perfectly.  I like the look of the aerodynamic fins at the rear, which give the helmet a modern, edgy profile and I also like that the nose wind deflector is rigid and therefore doesn’t crumple and misshape.

Is the Shark D-Skwal 3 good quality?

The D Skwal 3 feels quality made, the paint is finished well and had withstood wear well, still looking almost new after a few knocks while carrying it. It also isn’t showing any swirls after many washes to remove dead bugs. The sliders for the vents and the drop down sun visor don’t feel flimsy and slide nicely. Internally, the lining is soft and has stood up to some sweaty rides and is still soft and fresh.

The padding has given in nicely to be a nice snug fit but has remained full, unlike some helmets I have owned in the past, that have given so much that the helmet ends up too big after a couple of thousand miles.

What about value for money?

This helmet is available from various distributors at just over £200, which in the grand scheme of helmets, puts it in the lower price bracket. At this price point it performs well. It feels quality, comes with a Pinlock insert in the box, and is pretty light at 1,540g. It also comes with a five-year warranty if registered, which is pretty much the lifespan of a helmet, so you are likely to replace your lid before it runs out. All of the seams and lining still look as good as new after just under 2000 miles of use in all weather conditions so I feel like it has a good few thousand more miles left in it before it starts to look worn and tatty.

Similar helmets at this level are the HJC i71 which is around £230, however HJC only offer a three year warranty and it’s more than 200g heavier. The HJC C10 is less than £100 offering a three-year warranty, but it has no sun visor and Pinlock is sold separately. The AGV K1 S is around the same price at just over £200, only offers a two year warranty and does not include a sun visor or Pinlock.

So what’s the verdict?

Overall, the D-Skwal 3 is a good sporty helmet for the money that you spend on it. It looks and feels quality and well made with an acceptable level of ventilation and is reasonably light for a helmet at this price point. The whistling visor may not bother a rider who doesn’t ride with their visor open as often as I do, and the fit issue that I had with the slipping back could also be an issue unique to my head shape. These niggles aside, this helmet is a practical sporty lid at a reasonable price that will serve you well for many miles of riding.