Shark Helmet

Having now covered more than 1500km with the Shark Evoline helmet, I am thankful to Dale Britton for his advice and part-sponsorship of the helmet for this trip.

The helmet has been into freezing cold up at 3,000m, through steaming 90% humidity in the jungle, and weathered monsoonal showers. The built in dark visor has been invaluable, and wind noise is minimal making conversation easy with the Scala headsets.

The flip-up chin piece is also unique in that it flips right up and over the back of the helmet, allowing it to be used as a true open face helmet as well. I have always used open face helmets for touring in the past, believing that this type of helmet puts you more 'in' the environment; sharing not just the sights but also the smells and occasionally taste of the surroundings. I have also felt that the additional safety of the full face helmet was outweighed by the extra visibility afforded by the open face helmet style. Also, from a practicality point of view, touring involves takng the helmet on and off many times a day which becomes a bit tiresome with a full face. On the downside, open face helmets are not pleasant in cold or wet conditions, not are they as safe in the event of a mishap. The flip up function on the Shark really does seem to offer the best of both worlds with no evident downside.

It's funny how such a small thing as helmet noise can make such a big difference on a trip such as this. It's not just about being able to share sights and highlights enroute, it is also a safety feature. When there is such a huge variety of road conditions, it is invaluable to have the lead rider able to offer an occasional commentary re deep potholes, animals on the roadside, and bends with tightening radii. With the Scala units installed on the side of the helmet, and the speakers tucked into the special slots already moulded into the helmet, the sound quality is sensational.

It has taken nearly 20 years of experimentation - but I think I have finally found the perfect touring helmet.