TekDragon

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September 20, 2011
Last review
October 1, 2011
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October 1, 2011
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TekDragon's Reviews

Shark Sharktooth Bluetooth Kit

Shark Sharktooth 2.1 Bluetooth Kit for Shark Helmets Special Features Fits Shark Evoline ST Helmets Paired devices (max.8) Multipoint 3 profiles max (1 hands free 1 A2DP 1 intercom) Incoming alert from other device when connected Stereo music streaming Next/previous remote command for A2DP (music player mode) Full duplex Full DSP noise cancellation/echo cancellation Automatic volume adjustment depending on ambient noise and speed level Easy to find volume/multi-point functions Digital volume control Voice recognition dialing (if phone supports) VOX command Receive or reject incoming calls by voice control Waterproof Aerodynamic and compact shape Easy to install, compatible with most common helmets available on the market Talk Time Up to 10 hours Mobile Phone Up to 10 hours Intercom Up to 10 hours streaming A2DP Stereo Music Standby Time Up to 700 hours/1 month Charging Time 4 hours Battery Type 2.4 GHz Bluetooth Compliance Bluetooth version 2.1 Supported Bluetooth Profiles A2DP Advance Audio Distribution Profile / SBC Stereo Streaming Video Remote control/AVRCP Audio Operating Range Up to 10 meters Phone range in hands free/A2DP Up to 400 meters intercom Frequency 2.4GHz

Overall rating

4 / 5

Good, once you tweak it just right

PostedOctober 1, 2011

TekDragon

From MPLS

State:MN

Rider Type:Moto Enthusiast

Age:35-44

Gender:male

Bang for the Buck

3 / 5

Style

4 / 5

Comfort

4 / 5

Protection & Durability

3 / 5

Features

4 / 5

Fit

Small

Large

Noise Level

Quiet

Loud

I'm sure you have seen the reviews, on any type of motorcycle helmet headset... I even saw some reviews here on RevZilla about the Sharktooth... "It's not loud enough!"

Well, that's because it's not located in the right place. This system is no exception. You ***MUST*** have the speakers in the right locations for your ears, otherwise it will not be loud enough. And I'm not talking about just somewhere in the general vicinity of your ear, I'm talking about placement down to within 1/4" of your ear canal. The reason is because when you put on a good fitting helmet, it should leave no play between the foam and your noggin, so there is no air or space for the sound waves to travel around. The speakers must be located so that they can drive sound directly into your ears.

That said... the next part of this review is written with the Sharktooth fiited inside a Shark Evoline 2 ST helmet.

If you know about the ST helmet, you know it has pre-cut indentations in the foam core to place the various elements of the Sharktooth. Many people have said that the battery pack pushes into the back of their necks, and to them I say, you put it in the wrong place. There *IS* a pocket between the foam and the shell, at the center of the back of the neck, beneath the removable neck shroud. When you pull out the neck shroud, you will see the foam is cut away in a sleeve-tight space that you can slide the battery into. That puts the battery between the shell and foam, NOT between the foam and your neck. However... don't plan on getting it out again, mine was VERY tight! The only way I'll ever get that battery out is to pry it out with something. I have not tried, since I want the battery and wires to stay in one piece.

The real problem is that the ear pockets on each side of the helmet foam that have been cut out for the ST speakers are very VERY poorly located! In fact, for me, they were so high up that the speakers were pressing into the fleshy cartilage over the top of my ears, so there was no way to get sound down into my ears. It took me a while to figure this out, and I was experiencing that same "it's not loud enough!" problem. However I did figure out the placement that they should be using some creative ingenuity, and I then set to figuring out how to move the speakers down to the right place. I ended up having to create a new indentation lower down in the sides of the foam to hold the speakers at the right locations for my ears. I would have liked to have brought them down even lower than I did, but I had to set them so low that the chin strap was in the way so I could only move them down so far. Total move was about 1/2 - 5/8".

So, a few minutes with an exacto knife later, I now have properly located the speakers to my ears, and I can confidently say that it is definitely loud enough. I might make a few minor tweaks if I can, but for the most part, I've got them as low as they can be with the chin strap holes.

If you are going to install this system in a NON "ST" helmet, you will probably be able to do the same thing... find the proper locations for your ears, make the appropriate indentations, and then you can set the speakers in the right places to be plenty loud for all your needs while riding.

ELECTRONICS AND FUNCTIONALITY:

Thus far I have only linked the unit to my cell phone which provides GPS and MP3 as well as phone. Operation of music is limited but easy... a simple double-tap on the center button starts and stops music in a jiffy. Single press brings up voice commands, which is horribly unusable for me, on any headset. Stupid phone NEVER EVER EVER gets the commands right, but that's a bad voice recognition software, not a bad headset. In-call clarity is fine so far. Not that I make a lot of calls while riding, heck I make a point to not do calls while I'm driving too. But i have wanted the nav system audio, and i might do music from time to time... and who knows, maybe there's an emergent call I need to make for some unforseen reason. So, back to functionality... it's a very simple design, only 3 buttons: volume up and down, and a multi-function button. Maybe I'll figure out some crazy hidden button combination technique to get it to do other things, but for now, it's simple.

I give the Sharktooth system 4 stars because it is a little on the simplistic side functionally. I would like to have more control over music, such as skip and back. The system si loud enough, so that's fine. And I can't blame the Sharktooth system for the pre-cut holes in the helmet. Tho I will knock one minor bit off the score because with as much ingenuity and thought Shark put into the overall helmet design, they didn't really spend as much time on the considerations of different head shapes in terms of placing the speakers.

I'd still like to see a maplight! Hey Shark, why don't you integrate a maplight system into this system? That should be easy enough.

I have recommended this to a friend, and I will again too.

Yes, I recommend this product.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Shark Evoline 2 ST Helmet

Shark Evoline Series 2 ST Helmet The Shark Evoline ST features a new EPS liner design shaped to fit speakers and battery for the Sharktooth Bluetooth device. Sharktooth Bluetooth System Compatible Upgraded Face Shield Better sealing against rain Better sealing against air Improved Scratch Resistance Improved Ratchet System (9 positions) Upgraded Sun Visor Lengthened to address issues where sun visor did not come down far enough Neck / Side covers gained 1cm in width for noise reduction and better protection against weather New side markings New Series 2 specific logo Evoline 2 ST Features Shell made from injected thermoplastic resin. Multi-component internal shock absorber with different densities. Air flow circulation through integrated channels. Centrally controlled interior anti-scratch sun visor. External high safety toric anti-scratch / demister visor. External visor, easy to dismantle without tools. Can be opened with one hand. Stainless steel closing system. Inset vents. Hermetic watertight edging. Anti-backwash deflector. Meryl interior, can be fully dismantled, washable and adjustable. Double-D ring Racing chin strap. Meets or exceeds D.O.T. and ECE 22-05 standards The only helmet carrying a double full-face and jet ECE22-05 homologation 5 year warranty Note the only difference between the Absolute, Wayer, and Solid color Evoline helmets is the color scheme

Read all reviews for this product

Overall rating

4 / 5

Great features, very good all around, could be slightly better.

PostedSeptember 20, 2011

TekDragon

From MPLS

State:MN

Rider Type:Moto Enthusiast

Age:35-44

Gender:male

Bang for the Buck

4 / 5

Style

4 / 5

Comfort

4 / 5

Protection & Durability

4 / 5

Air Flow

3 / 5

Features

5 / 5

Fit

Small

Large

Noise Level

Quiet

Loud

Weight

Light

Heavy

Shape

Narrow

Round

Vision

Narrow

Wide

This is the 4th helmet I have owned, and I am very happy with the purchase. After reading other reviews, I bought it mainly because of the chin bar lock back feature. Shark did an excellent job designing that while still keeping a good look and style. It is VERY easy to snap it over with your left hand as you take the on-ramp to the hiway, and back up again on the off-ramp. The one drawback to the design, and the only reason I gave it a "slightly loud" noise and not an excellent airflow rating is that it doesn't, and can't have a chin curtain. I noticed my chin was a slight bit cool while everything else was very comfortable while riding on a chilly, overcast afternoon. The airflow volume is high, even with the shield and all the vents closed. So there is a bit more noise than I'd like for a long-distance touring helmet. For cruising around in a variety of environments with an ocassional jaunt on the hiway tho, this is a GREAT helmet! It's very handy to be able to flip the chin bar back in town and on short trips, and have full-face protection on the hiway. I really like that the shield is not on the bar as well,since my state requires some kind of eye protection (windsheilds don't count) at all times, and other helmets with the shield attached to the chinbar can't be used with the chin bar open. Shark really thought this one out.

The fit is different from any other helmet I have tried. I usually wear an XL, but based on reviews I bought this one in Large. The fit over the top and around the sides of my head is comfortable, not squeezing like some helmets. But the cheekpads make me feel like I have chipmunk cheeks. The hard foam behind the cheekpads is fairly thick and the cheekpads are thinner, where many other helmets have thinner hard foam and thicker cheekpads, so I don't know if going to an XL cheekpad will really help all that much.

I have not put the sharktooth in yet, but I plan to in the next couple weeks. I wanted a matched (same brand) pair helmet and communications, and this helmet has the dedicated pockets and interior shape to fit the electronics. Without the electronics, it does feel tight on my ears, so I'll be looking for good fit without ear pain from the hard plastic speakers.

There seems to be a fair bit of chatter about being able to put the helmet on and take it off without removing your glasses, but this does not work for me, I still have to take them off. The upper part of the cheekpads is firm enough to hold my glasses in place so they don't vibrate, and does not put too much pressure on the temples. The internal sun visor fits perfectly over my glasses, and comes all the way down to barely over my nose, which is great because it doesn't leave that strip of untinted area below your vision like many other brands with shorter visors do. I'd like to see the flip lever on the left side rather than over the top, as the top design has full-length travel (~4") and a long groove over the top of the helmet (rain entry point) rather than the more typical short-travel side levers.

A lot of reviews talk about this helmet being heavy, but I have not found it to be much different than the other three I have. The shape is fine at hiway speed, I don't feel it buffeting or pulling, even when I look around to the sides. The vision is not as wide as my #2 helmet, but it's wide enough for everyday use. The grab point to flip the shield open is at the top center, rather than the bottom left like many helmets, so it is a little awkward to get it open, but once you get used to it, it's fine. The shield has stiff step points so you can keep it open a crack (I always did this on my #2 helmet). But with the high airflow already, I find that I don't leave it open.

All in all, it is an excellent helmet for all-around use. There are some minor adjustments and design differences I'd like to see, but for the money, and the ability to have one helmet for all kinds of riding, it's perfect.

I'd love to see a map light add-on for this helmet.

Yes, I recommend this product.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

TekDragon's Review Comments

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TekDragon's Questions

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TekDragon's Answers

Shark Evoline 2 ST Helmet

Read all questions and answers for this product

What is the difference between the Evoline 2, and the Evoline 2 ST?

How can I know I got the ST version. I don't see anywhere on the helmet where it says ST and I don't see where the bluetooth batteries or speakers mount? Help.

The "ST" model is exactly the same as the "not ST" model in every way except that the ST model has pre-cut indentations in the foam core to place the elements of the Sharktooth bluetooth system. There is an indentation on each side for the ear speakers, and one in the back center for the battery pack.

These indentations are almost completely invisible on a simple visual inspection. You have to actually feel around for them with your fingers to tell the difference between the 2 helmet models.

I have also discovered that the pre-cut ear speaker locations are in the wrong places for my head shape, and I had to do a little creative engineering to remedy that problem. I posted a detailed analysis of this in the review section of the Sharktooth item. After having seen how much it took to get them located right for my ears, I would save the money and buy the non-ST model helmet next time... I'll have to do just as much work on that one as I did on my ST model, so why pay the extra $$?

1 year, 7 months ago

TekDragon

Age: 35-44

Gender: male

MPLS

Shark Sharktooth Bluetooth Kit

How Do You Install the Battery?

I received my Sharktooth Bluetooth from Revzilla to use with my Shark Evoline ST 2 Wayer I ordered several months ago, also from Revzilla. The instructions that came with the Sharktooth say (and show a picture) to install the battery in the "pocket" at the rear of the helmet. There is no pocket as shown on my Wayer, neither in the neckpad or the padding underneath. When I remove both the neckpad and the under-liner, there is the helmet shell with no apparant "indentation" or anything that indicates the battery should go "here". The Sharktooth came with a small rectangular one-sided "sticky pad" which I'm guessing is used to mount the battery, but the instructions don't even mention the pad or what it is for. I've never installed a helmet comm system before. Looks easy enough...once I get the battery in place. So...how do you "mount" the battery in the rear of the Shark Evoline ST 2 Wayer without having the "pocket" as shown in the instructions? Thanks for any guidance.

The pocket is there, it's just really really skinny. It was so tight on my helmet that I know I will never bea ble to get that battery back out again without prying it out. When you remove the neck shroud, it's directly in the center, right under the DOT sticker on the back of the helmet. There is a thin groove that is barely perceptible to finger probing. I also found this to be a goo dplace to tuck the connection between the left and right speakers.

Now what I would like to see is a longer USB charging port cord off the battery. It's too short. Needs to be about 2" longer or so.

1 year, 7 months ago

TekDragon

Age: 35-44

Gender: male

MPLS

Shark Sharktooth Bluetooth Kit

Can the Sharktooth communicate with other communication systems?

I have the Shark Evoline 2 ST and my wife has a Shoei Multitec, looking for a good way for us to communicate both two up and bike to bike.

Unlimited mobile-to-mobile cellular minutes for the win!

Seriously tho, do any of the headsets work with any other brand beside their own? AFAIK, the only way to get that going is to use some kind of purpose-built communication system, such as FRS or CB. (Or Ham, if you are one)

1 year, 7 months ago

TekDragon

Age: 35-44

Gender: male

MPLS