![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_6790.jpg\")
Very stylish and carbony.<\/p><\/div>\n
Secondly, I can no longer just leave it on my bike for hours while I drink my life away in houses of ill-repute. No-one would ever think of stealing my old open-face, but this shiny carbon-and-war-red unit? Man, the gypsies would be on this like seagulls.<\/p>\n
So those are my First World full-face problems.<\/p>\n
The lid itself is sensational.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/17973626_1876716895949674_1640110733020145616_o.jpg\")
Matches the 2017 Yamaha FJR1300 perfectly.<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s light, weighing in at some 1300gm and is a composite of fibreglass and carbon-fibre. And you really can\u2019t beat light for a helmet. The lighter the better, every time.<\/p>\n
It comes Pinlock Maxvision ready with a Pinlock Maxvision visor included, and I am rather infatuated with its internal slip-down tinted visor. A lot of lids have them these days, and they\u2019re a good thing if done right, obviating the need to replace your tinted visor with a clear one when you\u2019re continuing to ride into the night.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_6676.jpg\")
It doesn’t match the Hayabusa (but what does?), but this is what it looks like with the internal visor down.<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_6627.jpg\")
Apparently, you shouldn’t sit your helmet on your mirrors. It summons bad spirits or something.<\/p><\/div>\n
The one on the Spartan is operated by slider on top of the helmet, comes down all the way across the opening, and does not sit on my nose. And I can also ride around with just the tinted visor down and the external clear one raised. Sure, there\u2019s a bit of whistling going on, as you would expect, but around town it\u2019s fine. Lots of air, but still great eye-protection, and I can scratch away at my face as much as I like.<\/p>\n
But once the speeds rise, the Spartan comes into its own. The visor clicks down and the almost-silence is quite welcome. Yes, this is a quiet lid for me. Your head might be shaped like an eggplant and you might have issues, but I did not.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s got good venting on top of the helmet and on the chin-piece and you can actually feel the air being fed into the lid and onto your head.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_6791.jpg\")
Sexy spoilery things. Air comes out underneath them.<\/p><\/div>\n
It also has two cool spoiler-thingies on the back and while I have no way of establishing if they actually provide any downforce, I have seen some very speedy speeds with this on my head and there was no lift or vibration.<\/p>\n
I used it in pouring rain on a mad run up the Putty at a goodly rate of knots and found it didn\u2019t leak.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/17622010_1867188796902484_3645659932497367690_o.jpg\")
Here it is being water-tested.<\/p><\/div>\n
I also banged it to the Tumbarumba TT, firing it to Thredbo and back, and then home. I almost crash-tested it when I hurriedly pulled over to take a leak and realised I was traveling a bit faster than I should have been in relation to the cliff I was headed towards.<\/p>\n
I came to like it very much on those trips. It didn\u2019t annoy me and I didn\u2019t want to heave it into a field \u2013 something I have been known to do in the past. It came off my head with ease, went on with ease, and sat snug without pushing on my skull-bones.<\/p>\n
In the interests of a comprehensive test, I have even worn it around town and in Peak Hour traffic, where I found it impeded my ability to scream abuse at drivers and chain-smoke durries.<\/p>\n
I have now owned it for about three months and it doesn\u2019t smell at all like a chamberpot, so I\u2019m thinking the plush, washable interior is doing its sweat-wicking stuff quite well.<\/p>\n
But most of all, I like it because it looks really cool \u2013 all carbon-fibrey and red (you can get in all-black and white-and-black), and I do pause to admire myself in shop windows from time to time.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/shark_products_spartan__11np7DgwS0LUrsT.jpg\")
These are the three colours it comes in.<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s also ready for you to install those infernal communications devices if that\u2019s your thing, but I know nothing about that and probably never will.<\/p>\n
But on general principles, I am a fan. It\u2019s an excellent lid at an excellent price.<\/p>\n