Comments on: Schuberth C3 lid review

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:14:12 +0000

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

By: Ray Walton

Ray Walton — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:43:56 +0000

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

By: Robert Broadbent

Robert Broadbent — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:25:35 +0000

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.

By: Andrew Dalton

Andrew Dalton — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:23:17 +0000

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.

By: Neil Minchin

Neil Minchin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:53:16 +0000

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.

By: Andrew Dalton

Andrew Dalton — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:11:48 +0000

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.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:11:29 +0000

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.

By: Andrew Dalton

Andrew Dalton — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:08:05 +0000

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

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:14:35 +0000

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?

By: Stephen Dunne

Stephen Dunne — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:54 +0000

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.