Schuberth C3 lid review
by Andrew on Jun.16, 2009, under Andrew Dalton, Kit Reviews
I had heard a lot of good things about the Schuberth C3 and having ridden 600 miles in a day with the very noisy Carberg I decided to try out a Schuberth. I popped into Helmet City’s shop cum farm, where the guys let me put my soaking wet gloves on the heater. I tried out a range of helmets, but was advised by them not to buy a seriously reduced in price C2 as it had been on about 3,000 heads at shows and I tried it on and it did smell a bit! I bought a C3 flip up lid in matt black. The price was discounted but it is not a cheap lid.
However I wanted a number of features, the first was the drop down dark visor, secondly I wanted quiet, thirdly I wanted a helmet which was designed not to come off in crash. As a solicitor who spends all day dealing with serious motorcycle accidents I am all too well aware that just about any helmet will come off just about any head if the rider is unlucky. The Schuberth has two key features which resist this. The first is the chin piece sits snug to the chin and secondly the strap sits close to the throat. Having seen loads of expert reports as to why helmets come off, these Shuberths are said to be designed to avoid this particular problem. However, all lids have their engineering constraints, so no helmet manufacturer will ever be able to persuade me that their lids will stay on in every situation.
On riding for the first time in the Shuberth, it was a bit but not massively quieter than my Shoei Raid II. It was comfortable, quite snug and the noise reduction was most noticeable when listening to my sat nav and mobile phone. If you don’t have your lid wired full of gizmos and ride in earplugs the quietness really is not a big factor.
It was really easy to fit the Autocom head set neatly into the lid, with a little nick cut into the polystyrene lining to accommodate the shrink/heat wrapped connector for the autocom.
So would I recommend it? Yes, it is quiet, comfortable, the inner visor is excellent but it has one really annoyng habit. The main visor flops down at about 25mph. In urban riding in the summer I lift the whole front up, which looks a bit stupid, probably isn’t especially safe and has the potential to mess up my already fairly lived in face. If the weather is really hot, I use the Shoei, which for a supposedly top of the range Schuberth is a little poor.
June 30th, 2009 on 4:08 pm
Helmet City sent me some replacement pods, so now my visor cracks down at about 50. Better, but still not good. Helmet city very good, still unconvinced about Schuberths.
July 13th, 2009 on 1:47 pm
I am trying to decide if I should return my C3 due to the visor not staying up. It slams down from all the way open to all the way closed at low speeds. This is rather annoying specially when the weather is hot. It is a shame that they overlook something so important is making a truly comfortable helmet. Living In Illinois it costs me a lot in shipping from overseas. I made the mistake of listening to the dealer and not going off my old helmet when buying the new ones. My wives’s and mine were both too small by one size. I had great luck with the C1 but this visor issue is a bit much for such an expensive helmet.
July 14th, 2009 on 10:20 am
I am sending mine back to the factory. Yesterday in torrential rain (the skies really opened) and was raining so hard I could not see through my visor meant I could not have my visor up at all. The gap between the pinlock fog screen and the visor filled up with water vapour droplets. I really wish I had worn my cheaper Shoei Raid II.
July 18th, 2009 on 11:43 am
Hi,
I trashed my C2 yesterday which I have worn everyday for the last 3 years in all weathers. I had a crash on a motorway yesterday at about 60mph in really bad rain.
When I got up after sliding and rolling down the road the helmet had not come loose at all and the the locking device worked as if nothing had happened.
Afet this event no one can ever persuade me that Shuberths are no good, in fact I am off to buy a new one next week.
July 21st, 2009 on 9:01 am
It is stories like this that made me buy the Schuberth. It is now back with Helmet City who are sending it on to the importers, who will I am sure either fix the “slappy” visor or replace the lid. Ideally repair as the helmet has been customised a bit for me!I bought the helmet after a lot of thought as I had always bought plain full face Shoeis but really liked the drop down visor and reports of good build quality and good customer service. Any firm or company can make a mistake,it is when things go a bit wrong that you see how they look after customers. I certainly don’t think Schuberths are no good, I have a problem with one, but I am pretty optimistic that it will be sorted.
Good luck Dave, 60mph offs always hurt, but then again, you didn’t really need me to tell you that.
July 21st, 2009 on 10:28 am
Erm, bit embarrassed, Helmet City’s Ben called me. I have apparently put the pods on the wrong side (to save my embarrassment apparently the virtually identical side pods have a tiny L & R in them) and I offered to pay postage for my lid to be returned but they declined with good humour. Hopefully I will be getting my lid back tomorrow, so lets hope all is well with it.
July 21st, 2009 on 4:50 pm
Riding a flip up helmet, with the flip up, is the same as riding without a helmet on, it was NOT made
to be ridden in the flip up position, as a legal person, especially dealing with bike accidents, I am, ” surprised ” you not only do this, but also tell people you do,
would you ride with the strap undone ?
July 22nd, 2009 on 9:09 am
I certainly do not ride with the strap undone, but I am not going to lie on a blog and say I do not ride flipped up, especially in hot weather at low speed. I am well aware that if I hit the deck there will be significant rotational forces caused by the leverage of the flip up, and my chin will be as exposed as if I were wearing an open face lid. But I have seen any number of police officers riding with the lids flipped up, usually in town but also on the open road. By the same token, if you ride with your visor up you are asking for an eye injury, but I bet you do it.
And riding with the lid flipped up still protects the cranium, and the frontal zone of the brain, so I disagree with you that riding flipped up is the same as riding lidless. My jaw is exposed, granted, and the rotational forces are increased, but that compared to either heatstroke in 30 degree London heat or constantly lifting my visor (and thereby riding one handed frequently) as well as being distracted by the visor violently clunking down means I will continue to ride flipped up. Whatever you do on a bike there will always be risk.
July 23rd, 2009 on 1:41 pm
Just got my helmet back from Helmet City – not good news. I was reassured it was working fine and when I tried it the visor was sloppier than ever. I called Ben at Helmet City. He advised me that he had compared my lid against another Schuberth and they are all like this. I had checked this against another C3 at Hein Gericke and that resisted normally, not the sloppy collapse of this visor. Helmet City sell loads of helmets and loads of Schuberths and I am the first one with this complaint apparently, so lets hope the importers, Oxford, can sort it out.
August 10th, 2009 on 2:00 pm
Got my lid back, well packaged etc – and immediately the resistance to visor flop felt very much stronger. I was delighted when I got up to 70mph and the visor stayed up. At 80 with a cross wind it slapped down, but I can live with that. The visor vibrates a lot more than my Shoei when it is up, and I think the Schuberth is noticeably more quiet with the visor down, save for crosswinds which seem exceptionally noisy but I think there are some adjustments I need to make. I also give Helmet City a thumbs up. They remembered me when I came back with a problem and did not insist on me digging out my receipt. I am happy enough with my helmet, but not so much happier that I would pay the Schuberth premium again.
September 8th, 2009 on 4:10 pm
3 months ago I purchased a C2 after reading great reports of the lid and how quiet it is, I hate wearing plugs! It is quiet the only wind noise that is anoying is through the front vent I placed a bit of tape over it and I am happy, best lid so far. Love the secure flip front locking device, solid snap shut. Flip down sunvisor is poor though giving a very hazy outlook so I wear my BMF special bike sunglasses, these let you have the visor up on hot days and you will not gain any damage from bees or flies! Very much rate Schuberths. I thank you. Paul.
September 9th, 2009 on 2:31 pm
hi Paul, I am still far from happy with the C3 – as it has now gone sloppy in the visor again. On a different note, I will give you a bell about the Xenons for my wife’s car and my bike! Good to hear from you.
Paul runs car Concepts in Aylesbury, and deals with all the electrickery on my bike and had as many gadgets on his GS as I had on mine. He is a top lad and an excellent (and neat) autoelectrician.
Andrew
September 11th, 2009 on 10:30 am
Couple of things. I have a C2 and a few months ago the disc at the centre of the hinge just broke when I picked it up by the chin piece. Oxford wer about as much help as a chocolate firguard. Refused point blank to sell the offending disc, demanded that I send them the lid just before I was off on hols on the bike. happily I had an old C1 and discovered that the hinge was identical so I scavenged the offending disc from the C1. Took 5 mins and no more complex than changing the visor. Not happy with Oxford’s attitude at all.
Interesting point from “ex old bill” about riding with the chin piece up. The old people I have seen riding with the chin piece up have all been old bill.
Can’t bring myself to stump up for the C3 yet. Tried one on yesterday and they are very very nice but I think the C2 is also damn good and so will probably put off replacing it until next year when the price might have come down.
October 15th, 2009 on 12:14 am
I have C3 with sloppy visor. Even closed, latched and then pushed back, it still leakes… Are there any adjustments? Could it be there are differetn size visoros for different sized helmet shell? It really is a sloppy fit…
Also, my anti fog liner doesnt work either… In rain or even if I start breathing hard, it will fog up…
Any suggestions?
October 15th, 2009 on 9:08 am
I have kind of given up on the C3 – the most expensive lid I have ever bought, and I am now using my much cheaper Shoei Raid II as my every day lid. It is a real pity the sloppy visor issue has made what I think could be a really good lid into my least favourite lid. The only suggestion I can make Tom is that you check the visor size matches the helmet. Mine does and it does not leak at all. The only downside is the helmet is so well sealed (for wind noise) that with vents shut it will steam up.
Andrew
November 3rd, 2009 on 5:11 pm
I bought a C3 from Helmet City around a year ago, great service and no complaints with them. I have had exactly the same experience with the Visor coming down at fairly low speeds. It is SO annoying and dangerous. The helmet has gone back to the distributor on two occasions, each time taking over FIVE weeks to come back to me. On the last occasion they put a new visor on the lid which has improved it a little, but it feels like it will loosen up again. This is a MAJOR short-coming which spoils a good helmet.
I would add that I too have had droplets of water getting into the visor during bad rain. Which never happened with my old helmet.
I also suspect that there is a slight flow of air ‘leaking’ in through the flip mechanism; this results in my right eye watering / itchy nose! But this is a subtle problem – cant be sure if its the flip or the visor.
Unless we got a bad batch through Helmet City I’m surprised I haven’t heard more complaint’s about this model. All the reviews rave about how great it is, I remain disappointed.
November 4th, 2009 on 11:11 am
My C3 is now gathering dust. My Shoei Raid is now my daily lid and I am taking out the Autocom stuff to put in my Arai Tour X. I cannot just send mine back as it has had the lining snipped for the Autocom and has the same helmet stickers as our sponsored racer Jamie Wilkins, but I am mightily disappointed. I would happily do business with Helmet City again, but not Schuberth. Daniels experience is identical to mine.
November 8th, 2009 on 2:53 pm
I bought a C3 from Hein Gericke two weeks ago after deciding my 8 year old AGV X-Vent was now past it. I was excited about wearing it for my usual 55 mile Monday morning commute which turned out to be a pretty chilly one with low sun at 07:00.
My AGV X-Vent was fitted with an aftermarket clear visor which had an anti-mist coating and I never had a problem with it misting up.
The sun visor in the C3 was perfect for such early morning conditions where I set off before sun-rise and progressed in to low sun in front of me.
I found the C3 much quieter than my old AGV. Quite possibly it is lighter too, but in being quieter through the use of under chin wind and noise guards I believe this is a flaw for glasses wearers.
Normally, I don’t have to touch my AGV visor or vents for the entire trip, but the C3 I found was either too much air being blown in the front vent or not enough and everytime I stopped at a junction my glasses misted up instantly. I found the pin lock worked well, but at low speed I noticed the rest of the visor around it had misted up which was quite distracting.
For years I have felt extrememly happy to ride in any weather in my AGV, even enjoying heavy rain on occassions as I would be warm and snug in my wet gear.
But, all this has changed with the C3 as of my commute home in the early November dark and rain on Friday, which is not an unusual event for me.
I set off from work needing the front vent fully open to keep things clear, but as the M25 slowed down I had to crack the visor open to the smallest opening, just short of fully sealed shut, to keep air moving around my glasses. Alas, this then let rain in and the misting increased until I was faced with not being able to see where I was going and having to closely follow the car lights in front of me.
The helmet is great for those fortunate enough to not need glasses or whose eyes are compatible with contact lenses, but in shutting out the wind noise Schuberth have made this helmet unsuitable for riders who wear glasses, in my opinion.
I am now faced with having to spray anti-fog spray on my glasses and ride without the under chin wind and noise deflectors, or leave the C3 at home and use my old AGV whenever the weather forecast predicts rain.
November 9th, 2009 on 10:23 am
I don’t think it is just me that feels the C3 does not live up to the hype. I am not getting another one, ever! Like Neil in torrential rain the visor became really frightening. I think this expensive lid is going to go into the bin.
November 30th, 2009 on 9:25 am
I have a C3. One of the worst helmets that I have ever bought. The inner visor keeps falling out. The chin peices fall off or at best come away from their clips. The plastic on the chin is so thin, one tap and it falls apart. This product is truly appauling.
I too had problems with the pin lock steaming up.
January 20th, 2010 on 4:43 pm
Reading these reviews of the C3 makes pretty glum reading really, the helmet is a top tier item which ought to get a better write up than this.
Is it then, that the ability to have a design that allows a flip up of the chin, will always restrict basic functionality such as misting, visor flappyness all that stuff?
I want a helmet that is really quiet, and is also fully functional. Any suggestions? At this price level, it is an very expensive mistake waiting to happen.
Cheers
RW
February 8th, 2010 on 3:14 am
I am considering buying a C3…. ok I pretty much have my heart set on one as the supposedly quietest lid around, so it’s really great to see some real-life views and comments on the net. Keep it coming guys!
So why am I leaving a comment? Well, I was prettty disappointed with the ex-poloiceman’s note about the lid and impressed with Andrew’s careful and well thought out follow up. I have no gripes with the UK police at all, infact I’ve always found them to be really pleasant people whatever the circumstances but these kind of narrow minded comments about flip-ups being up etc are really for teenage scooter riders, not grown-ups please.
I’ve just been living in Brasil for 2 years where hardly anyone uses a helmet, or carries one on their elbow just to pop-on when the police are spotted. You can’t tell me that the RTAs I stopped at to assist would have looked the same if the riders had been wearing an open flip-up. I personally ften rode in Brasil with my flip-up open at low-ish speeds as it gives much better awareness, reduces fatigue and overheating and increases primary accident protection (i.e. not having one in the first place). Secondary protection (i.e. actually protecting your head against being hit) is, of course, reduced but it is important to accept that is part of the picture, not the whole answer.
Thank God for a blog that uses reasoned argument and experience above knee jerk policy quoting.
Best regards,
Jon
March 25th, 2010 on 11:45 pm
Thanks Jon. I deal with the Police most days and find them helpful and quite pro bike.That said, if I choose to ride flipped up, I’ll take the risks that go with it. I ride the most dangerous form of transport on the road, I know the risks I take. I do get a bit fed up with being constantly told the risks of everything. I know. I am a grown up who deals with the aftermath of motorcycle accidents, all day, everyday. I shouldn’t ride at all. Motorcycles are nasty dangerous things. At least it can’t be a midlife crisis, as it started when I was 18. I would rarely choose to ride flipped up. It is uncomfortable at more than 30mph and it does look a bit nobby, but if my head is hot and I am at urban speeds, I will ride flipped up. it doesn’t matter much now as my full face Raid II is the helmet I use every day. I still have not thrown the C3 away but I will when I clear out the garage. I am going to try one more repair on the visor but I will not ever buy a Schuberth again.
April 8th, 2010 on 7:43 pm
Read your review with interest, I’m currently on my second C3 after the first one failed with the sun visor jamming and eventually coming away all together.
I’m interested to know how the visor locks, I notice that when I close mine the left hand side is not as flush as the right side but with a little bit of force there is a click and the left side become flush, is this the locking mechanism?
Not 100% convinced that the lid will last if I am honest but now I finally have the autocom system working via bluetooth with my iphone (music, ipod, sat nav all in one) I will persevere until such time I need to replace it.
Rich
April 19th, 2010 on 7:48 pm
I had a Multitec from Shoei & fancied a change to a C3.
I have to admit that I am also quite disappointed with the C3 & have returned to my Multitec.
The C3 has a very flimsy feel to it & the vent on the top of the helmet has come loose on two occasions.
Despite the antimist ‘double glazing’ visor, the C3 still collects moisture rain or shine!
The fit is lovely & it is light, but if I could turn back the hands of time I would have spent the money on something else (I recommend you do!).
April 22nd, 2010 on 3:09 pm
Richard, sorry I can’t help you. My C3 is sat in a helmet bag gathering dust. The sun visor always seemed okay.I do not have an unusually large or malformed nose, and I always felt the sun visor was a bit too close to my nose and a minor off could result in my face becoming even more lived in. I still have half a mind to put a fibre washer on the visor mounting to see if the friction would help, but it is a bodge on an expensive lid.
April 22nd, 2010 on 3:10 pm
Geoff, I couldn’t agree more.
Andrew
May 9th, 2010 on 4:03 pm
Guys & Girls, thx for all the Schuberth C3 info – I was looking into one for ages but after reading all these ‘comments’, I opted for the CABERG SINTESI as it’s LEGAL to ride in the OPEN position, which should please our ‘legal friends’…
The SINTESI is much quieter than my Caberg Trip and a much better build. It also includes the ‘Caberg’ attempt to bring down wind noise by using a large Chin-Guard and close fitting neck padding – maybe not as comprehensive as the C3 but really works for me.
The flip-up SINTESI system is BRILLIANT – check it out for yourselves Guys, it is a simple ONE-PUSH “press and lift” system, which then locks up and is LEGAL to stay open while riding…! (I believe the first ever)… Then to pull it down it is simply ONE ACTION of lift & pull – NO BUTTONS to push to bring down. It locks in the open position automatically.!
It also has a great (internal) Sun Visor which can be adjusted to any level of vision and DOES NOT SLIDE DOWN on its own. The Chin Strap is really strong and has the EU quick release TENSIONER, which makes life real easy when you’ve got a Neck-Tube on for winter rides and you need a little more Strap length without having to actually adjust your chin strap, simply click the TENSION STRAP in 90%.
Plus the SINTESI styling is great to look at – all the above is dependant on the individual user – The SINTESI is a great Helmet until the C3 gets its problems sorted out and you can get them for less than £210. – Ride Safe friends..! and thx for this blog…it helps..!
May 15th, 2010 on 6:02 am
Great blog on the c3 – saved me £400 and a lot of hassle from buying one. Comments should be sent to Schuberth for comment.
June 9th, 2010 on 6:35 pm
Guys,
This riding with the flip up is an important UK issue.
The helmet is type tested only in the flip down position, if you ride with the flip up, the helmet is not type approved and therefore, legally, you are riding without a helmet fitted. Also with the way the insurance companies are keen to wriggle out of a claim, you may find your self without an insurance payout too.
Sad, but the truth!!
Colin.
June 10th, 2010 on 11:45 am
Colin, there is merit in what you observe, but the law on “wriggling out” of a claim if the rider has an improperly worn helmet is a bit more complex than your observation. As a rule of thumb, strap undone (and causative of injury) is 10%, no helmet at all 20 -25%. However if I break my leg riding without a helmet my lack of helmet is legally irrelevant. Potentially riding with a lid flipped could be a motoring offence. I say could because the law in not that clear, having been drafted before any one thought of flip lids. No higher Court has ever tested the point. Therefore, your observation is only partially true, but commonly held.
Andrew Dalton
Solicitor Advocate
July 1st, 2010 on 12:35 pm
What an interesting read! My 5 year old BMW System 5 lid is coming to the end if its useful life so I’m looking for a replacement.
I’ve looked at the BMW System 6 which seems to have good reviews, but wanted a comparison. The C3 seemed to fit the bill.
Having read this blog, I’ll probably pass on the C3 but does anyone have a review on the System 6 or suggest an alternative?
On another point. My System 5 is certified in the UK as a full face and as a jet lid. I thought this would make it OK to ride through town on a hot day flip up because my visor auto-closes at 5mph now it’s worn.
Apparently not, I got pulled last week!
The “Advanced vehicle inspectorate traffic cop” told me to I could only ride with the flip down. When I explained about the visor auto-closing, he replied that if a visor is fitted, it needs to work correctly and started suggesting my lid was not actually legal.
Suggesting removal of the visor, riding flip down and relying on my shatterproof sunglasses to complete the ride home (at 4pm on a very sunny afternoon) also failed to impress because the glasses “wouldn’t protect me from the dust and other hazards that could blow into my face”.
Realising this was a no win situation, I agreed to ride home with the flip and visor down. The call on his radio also helped bring the conversation to a close but it does highlight a very grey area as to what is, and what is not, deemed to be legal/acceptable/safe on UK roads.
July 1st, 2010 on 1:55 pm
We’ll have to see if anyone actually gets prosecuted, Farrel. I don’t use a flip up any more so it is a pity it can’t be me, but if there is a serving Policeman who wants to make an issue of it I could be persuaded to ride in front of such an officer with my lid up and refer it to the Divisional Court for a binding judgment. Just going to the Magistrates won’t do! Statements of the law by Police officers are more accurate than civilians but they are enforcement officers, not lawyers and most sensible coppers know this. Their legal knowledge is much greater than most citizens but it is not in the fine art of statutory interpretation but in the rather more practical trade of keeping the peace and detecting crime. I have had one or two learned debates by the side of the road with Police Officers, and thus far all have ended up good humoured but I am not afraid to tell a Police Officer they are wrong but when I have been banged to rights, my grovelling is quite shameless.
July 12th, 2010 on 11:20 am
I have a C3 and am very disappointed with it. In wet weather the water was lierally streaming down the inside of the visor and I had to stop. I returned it to the retailer (Hein Gericke) who sent it away to Oxford who said thay had adjusted it and it would be OK. It wasn’t; it still lets in water, especially if the chin vent is open.
However, now the neck guard is detaching everytime I close the flip because the clip has disengaged and the clip holder, a plastic piece that runs around the bottom edge of the helmet has split. I’ve taken it back again, and once again Hein Gericke are sending it to Oxford for their comments.
The inference here is that I have cracked it. I haven’t. As an observer for the IAM and a RoSPA tutor I look after my equipment. I wanted the flip helmet as it’s great when instructing, and you want to stop for a brief chat. My last Arai, a Quantum F, is still in good nick.
My advice, avoid the C3, it isn’t worth the money. I’m now trying to get my money back, and will look at one or two of the helmets mentioned in this blog. Well done guys, keep it up!
July 15th, 2010 on 2:50 pm
Hi,
I bought a C3 and found this site afterwards. I’ve just come back from a 3000+ mile trip into Europe with weather from torrential thunderstorms to 34c+.
Having read all the comments, I wonder if I’m really wearing the same helmet or whether I’ve just been lucky?
In torrential rain, its doesn’t leak. As long as the visor is securely locked down in its final ‘click’ position, it didn’t let in a drop even in a thunderstorm so bad we had to stop.
Nothings fallen off or broken (yet) Sun visor stays where you put it, I usually had it about 3/4 down so I could see the GPS and even over bumps it stayed put.
Visors stays open in whatever position I put it and in the heat we had I frequently rode at 50+ with it open – no slamming shut or dropping down.
Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but the only criticisms I have is that its not quite a all-day comfy as my old Arai; in the heat the semi-sealed nature means that you have to flip the front up to avoid feeling suffocated whenever I stopped and that you have to put up with the Schuberth ‘Inverse Mohican’ from the single centre padding!
July 21st, 2010 on 10:22 am
Hi Andrew, I have a C3 which I have been very happy with….. until the little plastic catch on the right side that you use to remove the visor snapped. I have been trying to get a replacement catch since April from Schuberth but they don’t seem to be able to provide a replacment. The one on the left works fine.
Regarding the rest of the problems reported, I have experienced none of them. Although the “inverse Mohican” effect may account for my premature baldness.
If you are throwing away your C3, I would be happy to have the right hand visor catch to repair mine
In the meantime, I am using my old C1 which has never given me a moments trouble either.
August 1st, 2010 on 6:51 pm
What interesting reading! Here’s my tale of woe regarding the C3. I bought one fro Hein Gericke in April. The left-hand sun visor clip snapped while I was riding with the visor up just as I was exiting a t-junction in town. The helmet went back to Hein Gericke, who sent it back to Oxford and returned it, with new clips and sun visor. within two weeks.
All was well for a while, apart from a few drops of rain entering through the top of the visor and the chin strap cutting cutting into my adam’s apple. (I hadn’t noticed this when trying on the helmet and just decided to put up with it.) Then last week I carefully cleaned the sun visor with a lint-free cloth. The anti-fog coating smeared all over the place and has remained smeared, resulting in an opaque sun visor. One reason for buying the helmet? The sun visor.
The Inverse Mohican is another problem, but not quite so spectacular as the Double Mohican left by the Shoei Multitec.
August 1st, 2010 on 6:53 pm
What interesting reading! Here’s my tale of woe regarding the C3. I bought one from Hein Gericke in April. The left-hand sun visor clip snapped while I was riding with the visor up just as I was exiting a t-junction in town. The helmet went back to Hein Gericke, who sent it back to Oxford and returned it, with new clips and sun visor, within two weeks.
All was well for a while, apart from a few drops of rain entering through the top of the visor and the chin strap cutting cutting into my adam’s apple. (I hadn’t noticed this when trying on the helmet and just decided to put up with it.) Then last week I carefully cleaned the sun visor with a lint-free cloth. The anti-fog coating smeared all over the place and has remained smeared, resulting in an opaque sun visor. One reason for buying the helmet? The sun visor.
The Inverse Mohican is another problem, but not quite so spectacular as the Double Mohican left by the Shoei Multitec.
August 2nd, 2010 on 7:34 pm
Like Keith I have had no problems at all. I bought 2 C3’s from the November NEC show 2009, did the iron but 24 hour ride, been to france, scotland. In total about 6,000 miles wearing the C3. The Helmet is brilliant. No issues with sloppy visors, bits falling off fogging up nothing. The autocom fits brilliant all in all a fantastic helmet and would buy another tommorow. I guess they have changed it somehow, perhaps changed factories or material suppliers.
August 4th, 2010 on 8:11 pm
Keith, pop me a stamped addressed envelope and you can have any part of the poxy helmet you want. I have now just totally given up with it. I hate it. Send a big jiffy bag and you can have the visor, the lining, whatever. It has had less than a thousand miles with my head in it and it is matt black. I cannot give the whole lid away as it is sign written and second hand but consumables you are welcome to. Better you have it mate than it goes into landfill. I used it today for 250 miles in the wet, it fogged, the visor started slamming at exactly 44mph, and it is the worst lid I have ever had, and I am old enough to remember the Stadium Achilles (if you are under 40 ask your dad!)
August 6th, 2010 on 12:06 pm
Andrew
My experience with the C3 is totally different to yours, or perhaps I’ve just been lucky. I purchased mine from Hein Gericke in Norwich last Saturday and so far I’m thrilled with it.
It’s much quieter than any other helmet I’ve ever used.
The visor will stay wherever it’s set from fully open to fully closed at any speed; I rode 25 miles home in a thunderstorm at 4 AM on Tuesday morning (I work nights) and there were no water leaks into the helmet with the visor fully closed, nor was there any misting of the visor at all while waiting at traffic lights or junctions.
My old AGV would have misted totally unless I’d opened the visor a little, letting in lots of water.
I do remember the old stadium Achilles but I think even that was better than the heavy old Kangol Gladiator that I had back in the mid seventies!!!
August 9th, 2010 on 10:43 am
There is hope then for the C3 and I hope I have just got a bad one. However, I really now hate the helmet. I have put my Scala Rider into my old and cheap Caberg, and put my autocom into my even older Arai Raid. I am not convinced about the noise saving, but it may be quiet for a flip lid – but not noticeably quieter than my Shoei Raid. Mike, I’ll have to ask my dad about Kangol Gladiators! I think there must be a rogue batch of these helmets because mine is shockingly bad, and I am not alone. Other riders seem really happy with them, and this seems to me to be the only logical answer but I have now officially given up on tis lid, as evidenced by my inviting people to request spares off it as I will never use it again.
August 18th, 2010 on 6:32 pm
I purchased my C3 my from Helmet City in May last year, and have been using it on my commute ever since.
Until it leaked in torrential rain. So badly that I couldn’t see through the visor and despite the intensity of the rain I was forced to ride with the visor up!!
I was so shocked at this event that I did some tests at home with a small watering-can to prove to myself that even with the visor fully closed it would leak. What I noticed was that as soon as the water ‘backs up’ to a certain point it then gets behind the black strip and then down the inside of the visor. In dismay at this major design flaw I took the helmet back to helmet City, who sent it off to Oxford for repair. After about 6 weeks the helmet was returned ostensibly having been repaired.
Since getting it back all seemed fine until early June when the same thing happened again while riding around the lake district. This time there wasn’t quite so much rain on the inside of the visor so I was able to continue in relative safety.
However, on a recent trip to the continent I was making good progress along a German autobahn when the heavens opened with the worst downpour I have ever ridden in. Despite the visor being fully closed the effect was like having a pillion put their hands over my eyes.
In view of this major safety feature I will be asking Helmet City for a refund as the helmet is clearly not fit for purpose.
Other observations. It may be slightly quieter than my previous Arai’s but it is not as comfortable for all day riding, it not as cool in very hot weather and the visor does not stay where it is put (unlike an Arai).
Steve
August 25th, 2010 on 2:06 pm
Andrew, sorry to hear about your problems with the C3. Were you at any time tempted to reject it as ‘not fit for purpose’ under the Sale of Goods Act?