Shark Evo-One 2 – a compact, flip-front helmet with Pinlock Max Vision included

Shark has been making flip-up/modular helmets for years – with each new model improving bit by bit. There’s the well-known Evoline series of helmets (version one through to the current version 3) and there’s also the Openline.

And now, they’ve added the Evo-One to their line-up. It’s a further development of the Evoline series, but is designed to be slightly more compact (i.e. have a smaller shell and not look as big) and Shark has looked to improve one or two other features from the older Evolines in the range.

Since then, they’re added an evolutionary model to the range – the Evo-One 2. This is very similar to the first Evo-One but with a slightly modified chin bar opening mechanism to make things smoother. Essentially, they’ve tweaked the original helmet here and there and released it as an upgraded model.

So here’s the lowdown on what the Evo-One 2 offers – including tech specs, features, and – crucially – what owners think of them.

• Thermoplastic flip-up helmet
• Not Snell tested yet
• SHARP 4 star safety rated
• DOT & ECE certified
• 2 shell sizes
• Compact shell form
• Pinlock Max Vision anti fog included (check with retailer)
• Sizes XS-XL
• Weight –  3.6lbs (1.65Kg) – about average
• Expect to pay $430-$470

Looking to buy a Shark Evo One 2?

Please click below to visit the Shark Evo One 2 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

The Shark Evo-One 2 has been DOT and ECE certified and safety tested by the SHARP helmet testing labs in the UK – though neither has yet been Snell tested.

At SHARP, it scored an excellent four out of five stars for safety (read more about their safety testing here).

SHARP also record the % of impacts during testing where the chin guard remains fully locked. In the Evo-One 2’s case, that was recorded as 100%, which is great to know if you’re after a modular helmet where you can rely on the chin bar to give protection.

Though note: early models produced before May 2017 were fitted with a different chin guard latch that performed substantially worse during SHARP testing, achieving a score of only 33%. So if you buy an Evo-One, check the production number on the chin strap – models with a number before production number 077099 have the earlier chin guard latch, so make sure you return it to your retailer.

For other SHARP tested modular helmets where you know you can trust the chin guard to stay locked and closed, you might also want to check out the Nolan N91 Evo, Nolan N104 and the HJC IS Max II – all of which scored 100% for their locks staying closed during testing and all score SHARP four stars.

Finally for safety with the Evo-One 2, it’s dual-homologated. That’s a European standard but means it’s tested/certified to be used in both full face and open face configurations – most modulars are ECE certified as a full face and not necessarily open face. So if you’re planning on wearing without the chin guard down, then the Evo-One 2’s good for you.

Helmet Noise

As usual, there’s quite a few conflicting accounts of how noisy the Shark Evo-One 2 is. And as usual, that’s because we all ride different bikes, in different conditions with experience of different helmets to compare it to.

Shark have made efforts to design a helmet that’ll be quiet though. The aero design with rear spoiler and small and round helmet shape, magnetic chin curtain and plush lining are all there to contribute to suppressing noise.

So how does it do?

One owner commented it’s quieter than his Arai Quantum. Another that it’s not as quiet as his Schuberth. While another said it’s the noisiest helmet they’ve ever used!

The bottom line seems to be if you’re going to be riding fast, you’ll need ear plugs to keep the noise down – but then we’d say wear earplugs for most journeys anyway (it’s the only way to keep things properly quiet and keep your hearing intact).

If pushed, and taking all the comments into consideration, it seems like the Shark Evo One 2 is a quieter than average helmet – which is great for a modular because they’re usually on the louder side.

Ventilation

Ventilation is a plus point for the Shark Evo-One 2 too.

Chin/shield ventilation is provided by a single exterior chin vent operated by a large toggle panel to open/close it.

There’s also another vent opening on the inside of the chin guard too to direct air towards the shield for demisting or away towards the mouth.

Two crown vents are on the top of the helmet, individually opened and closed by small sliders, and warm air exits the helmet just behind, from an exhaust below the spoiler on the top of the helmet.

All in all, it doesn’t seem anything special. But everyone who commented reckon everything conspires to do a great job at keeping your head cool – and in combination with the Pinlock Max Vision (more below) it keeps the shield fog free too.

Shield

Shark have really done their homework with the shield on the Evo-One 2.

Unlike some modular helmets, it doesn’t get in the way of the chin guard when you flip open the helmet (see chin guard section below) – which is good.

It has a Pinlock Max Vision-ready shield and Shark include a Max Vision in the box. Which is welcome because Pinlocks are one of the best ways to keep your shield fog-free.

Shark warned you not to flex the shield when fitting the Pinlock to the original Evo One. Pinlocks can be a bit tricky to fit and in my experience do require some flattening and flexing of the shield when you’re doing it. However, it seems the the shield on the Evo-One was a bit brittle because one owner’s shield snapped.

Shark says the shield and Pinlock on the Evo-One 2 is updated and we haven’t heard of any problems so far, so hopefully this problem’s now a thing of the past.

Let’s hope so because the Evo-One 2 has what Shark call their ‘Autoseal’ system, where the shield mechanism pulls the shield flush against the shield gasket to improve the seal against wind/noise/crap from the road.

This seems to work pretty well by all accounts – but Shark’s marketing blurb does say the system ‘flattens’ the shield against the helmet so let’s hope the new shield is more resilient than the last one.

The shield is also quick-change – something that’s very unusual on a modular and very welcome. It’s not tool-less removal though – to remove the shield, you need to push something like a screwdriver into the recess at each side of the shield and it’ll pop out. To replace the shield, just shove it back in and it’ll click into place. Even though it needs a tool, it’s pretty easy.

However, with the original Evo One, it seems Shark didn’t design the shield closing mechanism to adequately take the Pinlock into account and quite a few owners online say that theirs catches the top of the shield, leading to a nasty mark on the Pinlock that obscures your vision.

Shark did seem to have acknowledged the problem and hopefully, changes to the Evo One 2 will have fully resolved it (we’ve not heard of any problems so far!). However, take note and if you have a problem, get in touch with your retailer to get it sorted – and let us know.

Sun Visor

We often read about sun visors being a bit too light or a bit too short.

So it’s good to hear that Shark have improved at least one of these issues.

They say the sun visor on the Evo-One 2 is 23% bigger than the one found on the Evoline. That’s what they call a ‘full coverage’ sun visor and it’s operated by a big slider on the top of the helmet.

Reports are that the sun visor drops down nicely and it’s a good size, so that’s a thumbs up here.

Chin Guard

Shark have made quite a thing of the chin guards on their modular helmets.

Unlike most makers (Roof excepted) they try and make it so their chin guards get well out of the way, making their modulars work really well as open-face helmets too.

The Evo-One 2 is no exception. Press a single button center-bottom of the chin guard and the chin guard moves all the way around to the rear of the helmet where it nestles into the back of the helmet with a ‘click’. That improves the balance and aero of the helmet while you’re using it in jet mode.

The Evo-One 2 also features what Shark call their ‘Auto-up, Auto-down’ system. Don’t be confused though, this relates to the shield only, not the chin guard automatically opening/closing (got me all excited that!).

What it actually means is when you’re opening the chin guard, the shield automatically opens and moves out of the way. Similarly, if you’re in open-face mode with the shield down, pull the chin guard back over and down and the shield will move up to let the chin guard close.

Shark do say the chin guard should be closed using both hands though and by pulling down at the sides, not the front. Folks do say you can open/close it on the move but, like most modulars, it’s a hefty bit of kit to be pushing and pulling around on the move and will obscure your view ahead quite a bit so it’s really not recommended.

All in all, the chin guard is a pretty slick system and most folks say it works nice and smoothly. It can be a bit tricky at first by all accounts, but you soon get the hang of it.

And of course the Evo-One 2 was safety tested by SHARP, where the chin guard stayed locked 100% of the time. That’s an awesome score and should mean you can rely on the chin guard to stay locked and closed during an accident (data shows you can’t with every modular!).

Comfort & Sizing

The internals of the Evo-One 2 are nice and plush and removable/washable.

Owners seem to reckon they’re comfortable too and the sizing is correct. So if you’re looking to buy one, check your measurements using our guide and the sizing should be good (but do buy from a retailer with a no-quibble returns policy as you’re never sure until you try it).

Looks & Graphics

We usually mention shell sizes in the safety section when we review helmets. But Shark have managed to pull off a neat trick with the Evo-One 2. They’ve managed to make a helmet that scores well for safety (though read the safety section about the chin guard performance), with a flip-front mechanism, but that’s compact too.

That makes for a helmet that looks pretty good. It also helps with aero of course (a smaller helmet offers less wind resistance) but if you’re wanting a modular helmet that looks good and compact on you, then the Shark Evo-One 2 gets the thumbs up.

As for graphics and designs, at the time of writing there’s only a handful of designs around.

There’s the usual range of solid colors – called Blank – and coming in gloss black and white and a matt black.

If you’re looking for some fancy graphic versions though, you’re best clicking through to our recommended retailers where you’ll find the latest designs and deals. The links below will take you to their Shark helmet pages.

Looking to buy a Shark Evo One 2?

Please click below to visit the Shark Evo One 2 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Shark Evo-One 2 Video

Here’s a 4m video taking you round the main features of the Shark Evo-One 2.

Other stuff – fasteners, build quality, weight, bluetooth, warranty

The Shark Evo-One 2 has a micrometric fastener and, internally, a glasses groove to make it easier to push your glasses in/out as well as ride while wearing glasses.

Overall, build quality is reported to be really good, with a nice finish and solid feel to it – especially at this not exorbitant price.

It’s about average weight for a modular and it’s designed for Shark’s Sharktooth bluetooth communicator. As for other communicators – it sounds like it’s a bit tricky to fit em. One owner tried to fit his Cardo headset but found the mic boom too long. Another tried a Sena 10R and had to attach it to the inner lining somehow though found a nice recess to take the battery. One guy found the Sena SMH10 fitted OK though.

Finally, Shark offer a 5 year warranty on all their helmets.

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Overall/Summary

With the original Shark Evo-One Shark created an innovative flip-up helmet with the type of features we’ve all come to love and use.

With its compact helmet shell, sun visor, great rotating chin guard that sits out of the way at the back of the helmet – if you’re after a flip-up helmet, what’s not to like?

Only, there were a few problems reported with the original. The good news is that Shark looks to have addressed some of those problems with the Evo-One 2. A revised shield system with new Pinlock means we shouldn’t get problems with shields rubbing on the helmet.

They’ve also revised the locking mechanism to make it easier to use – but they’ve also kept that excellent SHARP test score that’s not only awarded the Evo-One 2 an excellent SHARP 4 stars (out of 5) but it’s resulted in the chin bar staying locked and closed during 100% of the impact tests (make sure you read our Safety section for more information).

But the Evo-One has always been a great helmet to use day-to-day. Comfortable, great ventilation and that fantastic out-of-the-way chin guard giving a proper open-faced riding experience. All at a good price too. And now we’re onto the second generation of the Evo-One, then word is many of the niggles have been sorted out which should make the Evo One 2 a great and versatile helmet to live with.

Alternatives to the Shark Evo-One 2

Flip-up helmets are becoming more and more popular, meaning there’s lots of competition and some great helmets out there.

You might want to check out the fiberglass Shoei Neotec, a SHARP 4 star rated helmet with good ventilation and a nice wide shield.

For a quirky but cool alternative, how about the SHARP four star Roof Boxer V8 – it’s fiberglass and cheaper than the Shark.

We also love (and, more importantly, so does its owners!) the AGV Numo Evo – another SHARP four star rated flip-up with a sun visor that’s comfortable and well ventilated. It’s a bit noisy though.

Looking to buy a Shark Evo One 2?

Please click below to visit the Shark Evo One 2 helmets pages at our recommended store and Amazon. And if you buy from either, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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