Shark has added the SKWAL iCUP to its helmet range, a full-face model whose most distinctive feature is a vertical red LED strip built into the rear spoiler. The light serves as a position or flashing signal, but it also operates as an automatic brake light. Its styling draws on Formula 1 and the sporty character of the SKWAL CUP.

An integrated accelerometer recognises deceleration and commands the braking signal without a wire or Bluetooth link to the motorcycle. The light can therefore come on when the rider rolls off the throttle or uses engine braking. The system has three settings—position lighting, smart brake lighting and flashing—and Shark quotes up to 12 hours of battery life in flashing mode. A complete recharge takes approximately three hours.

Construction and equipment

The shell is made from Lexan polycarbonate and is produced in two shell sizes around a multi-density EPS liner. ECE 22.06 approval is combined with four air intakes, two exhaust outlets, a Class 1 optical visor and a Pinlock 70 insert included as standard. The specification also includes a quick-release visor mechanism, an integrated inner sun visor and a removable lining. Shark’s Easy Fit system is intended for spectacle wearers, while retention is handled by a Double D-ring. The helmet is prepared for the SENA for Shark communication system.

Sizing runs from XS through XXL. Shark gives an approximate weight of 1,555 g in Medium, with a tolerance of 50 g in either direction. The listed finish is Dark Shadow matte black, and the box includes a second dark-smoke visor. The SKWAL iCUP is already in stores and is scheduled to appear at EICMA in Milan in November 2026. The quoted price is £299.99 in the United Kingdom.

The SKWAL family first received LED lighting from Shark in 2015. The SKWAL i3 followed in 2023 with automatic illumination during deceleration, and that braking-light concept now extends to the iCUP and the open-face SKWAL i3 JET. For the iCUP, the feature is packaged in a full-face helmet with a more overtly sporty design, while remaining independent of any electronic connection to the motorcycle.