Schuberth C3 Review

Schuberth C3 - The World in black

This is a short review of the latest Schuberth C3 helmet.  My recent helmet history starts with the C1 that I replaced in late 2005 with the tri-colored C2 in black, white, and silver.  I chose that color because it matched my 2003 Honda ST1300.  In July I broke down and purchased the C3 World in black mostly because my old helmet was showing signs of wear on the form area around the bottom of the helmet.

The decision to buy came about because several sources told me that no discounts were offered on the new helmet so when a vendor advertised 15% off on all orders over $300 I pulled the trigger.  In addition I was preparing for my yearly long tour.  I wanted the new helmet for the ride and it served as a good 4,400 mile test ride.  I don't recommend taking a helmet that is only 2 days old on an extended ride but it fit me rather well even when brand new.  By that I mean that it was a firm fit but not too tight.  The helmet broke in even better after about 3 days of riding.

Size - The C1 and C2 are both XL.  I tried the Large size a couple of times but it simply was too tight on my face. The C3 is the same size as my older helmets.  Schuberth helmets run on the small size.  All my helmets prior to the Schuberths have been Large.  With the Schuberths I had to go up to XL.

Comfort / Features - First positive impression was the weight, or lack thereof, of the C3.  After so many years with the C2 I noticed the lighter weight of the C3 every time I turned my head to check traffic.  Second, the center chin bar release button makes opening the helmet a one handed operation.  The C2 requires 2 hands to open.  You can open a C2 with one hand but it's not easy.  Opening the C3 with one hand is a natural action.  Third, dropping the sun shield is easier on the C3.  If you grab the chin bar with your left hand your thumb falls on the sun screen lever.  Fourth, I noticed a better upper vent air flow.  Not much better but better nevertheless.  I need to add that the face shield seems to stay open at higher speeds better than the C2.  Once again, it's not a big improvement - just slightly better than the old helmet.  The inside head liner is better on the C3.  It has much better padding.

The one item that I am negative on is that the chin strap rides all the way back under my jaw and sometimes it pushes against my throat.  I have to grab the strap and pull it forward every so often.  If I rotate the helmet back on my head the problem does not exist but it doesn't feel as natural on my head(at least not yet).

I'm neutral on the chin strap racket attachment system.  On the C2 you could adjust the strap for size and it always clicked into place whenever you locked the chin strap.  I found myself setting the C3 a little too tight and had to adjust it while under way.  I'm learning the number of clicks that I need to hear or feel for a proper fit.  The C3 method might be a better solution if you use different types of helmet liners making it easy to snug up.

I'm also neutral on the face shield sealing.  Once during my 10 day tour I got small water droplets inside the shield while riding in the rain.  I'm neutral at this point because this happened only once.  I'm thinking I did not seal the shield properly that one time.

Wind Noise - Much better than prior helmets.  I find myself doing more riding with the bike windshield down and the helmet face shield closed.  The helmet is quiet if you are in a steady stream of air.  Have your head in turbulence and it's no longer quiet.

Quality - Top notch.  The helmet and face shield construction shows attention to the details.  The helmet has ridges in front and back and the face shield has little triangular bumps along the top edge.  I'm sure these are the result of wind tunnel testing.  The paint job is awesome.  I got the black for the looks and it kind of matches my bike.  The white would have been better choice because I live in a very hot climate.  Another reason for not choosing white is that one of my riding friends has the White The World and I didn't want to copy him.

Cost - Expensive.  The model I got cost $749.  The solid colored models cost $699.  Recall that I got 15% off plus free shipping.  I might add that my second choice helmet cost $650 at the dealer.  I justified the extra $50 and then upgraded my order another $50 to get the World model.

Notice - I regret not installing the fog shield for my trip.  I could have used it when we hit rain.  I'll update this review once I try it out this winter.

TSP Rating: 4.5 (1-not recommended to 5-recommended)

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