Schuberth C3 Pro And Shoei Gt Air: First Impressions

I have had an opportunity to try on and examine two new helmets:  the Schuberth C3 Pro and the Shoei GT Air.  

For those of you who don't know, the Schuberth C3 was/is a very popular, lightweight, high-cost, high-quality modular helmet.  It is known for its small shell size, extremely light weight, internal visor, pinlock system, and ability to change out the collar for a communication system (using Cardo Scala guts).  Some claim it is the gold standard of modular helmets.  

The new Schuberth C3 Pro was designed in part to improve upon the fit of the old C3.  To do so, changes were made to the internal lining.  In addition, It has a different chin vent, a new spoiler on the shell, and an updated communication system.  It is my understanding that as with the C3, it is only going to come in basic colors (silver, white, black, and matte black).  Maybe hi-viz down the road, but no word on that yet.  I contacted Schuberth about the colors knowing that in Europe red was offered.  They told me they don't have plans to introduce a red version in Europe and certainly not in the US, but who knows.  

This is the new C3 Pro:

[image: Schuberth-C3-Pro-Glossy-Silver-1024x768.jpg]

[image: c3pro open.jpg]

The new Shoei GT Air is Shoei's response to those touring riders who want ventilation and an internal visor in a non-modular package.  The GT Air also features the pinlock system and has a wider eye port.  It will come in a number of cool colors, including a wide variety of solids and two graphic designs -- Journey and Wanderer.  Both look slick in photos: unfortunately, they will be phased in over the coming weeks.  I was only able to see a white (ho hum).

Here is the GT Air with the Journey paint scheme:

[image: gtair_journey_tc1.jpg]

My impressions:

Reference point:  I typically wear a Shoei helmet.  Both my Shoei X-11 helmets have been snug (race fit) but comfortable.  I find the Shoei RF1100 very comfortable -- slightly more comfortable than a Shoei X-12.  I find the Shoei Neotec very comfortable, like a Cadillac.  I find the Arai Corsair V very comfortable.  

Schuberth C3 Pro

The Schuberth is very, very tiny.  I could not believe the medium was actually a medium -- it looked like a size small.  It was remarkable how small and light it was.    

The new chin ventilation appears to be an improvement over the old system.  As with the old helmet, there are two chin curtains -- one is removable.  The non-removable chin curtain dug into me just under my chin on the old model.  On the new model, the chin curtain was not as pronounced, but was at the same position, so it still dug in a bit.  

In addition to the chin curtain issue, I felt a little tightness on the underside of both jaw lines, even with the chin straps hanging loose.  Perhaps different cheek pads would help, but I'm not sure.  I can't be sure what was causing the pressure point. 

The interior of the helmet was supposedly changed, but it seemed pretty much like the old version.  A main complaint with the original C3 is that many people felt the internal liner pressed tightly on the forehead.   Some complained that this tightness even left a mark or a dot.  Comparing the C3 Pro with the original, I did not notice a significant difference between two versions in the forehead area.  Note, however that I didn't have that forehead problem with the original version.  

Overall, the helmet was one of the better quality helmets I have seen and held.  I placed it side by side with the Neotec, and the C3 Pro is visibly, significantly smaller.  In fact, the Neotec looks fairly bulbous and bloated next to it.  

For those looking for a Cadillac fit, the Neotec felt slightly more plush and more comfortable, but this could have been simply because it fit ever so better in the chin/jaw area and because I got the impression Shoei loaded it with padding.  

In the end, fit is paramount, and the improvements to the helmet were not sufficient to make me go back to Schuberth.  The Schuberth's permanent chin curtain was the dealbreaker.  (Note:  I probably have a bigger chin/jaw/mandible than most, so keep that in mind). Note also that for those of you who found the forehead too tight, and who were not bothered by the chin curtain, the C3 Pro is a great product. 

Shoei GT Air

The GT Air fits great, but the sizing is off a bit.  A large fits closer to a medium.  The helmet fits a lot like the RF1100.  It is average weight.  The sculpting of the helmet along the sides gives it a lithe appearance.  The helmet has a very solid feel to it.  

I wear a size medium and I had a very difficult time putting a medium on.  I went to a size large.  I would say sizing is not off by a full size, but probably about 3/4 off.  You will certainly want to at least try a step up before buying.  Personally, I would go with one size up.

The GT Air internal visor is good -- maybe even better than Schuberth's.  The internal visor does not hit my nose.  I occasionally felt the Schuberth internal visor touch my nose if I moved the helmet around.  The GT Air's internal visor comes down just enough, covering about 75 percent of your view.  This is sufficient, considering your head will be tilted downward a bit when in the riding position.  The helmet has a standard d ring strap, which is nice.  The lining is very comfortable and overall, I liked the fit better than the Schuberth.

Conclusion

I have been toying with going back to a full face from a modular.  The internal visor of the GT Air, along with the fit and finish, may very well make it my next lid.   

Great write up!

I did have some signifinant issues with the dot. Schuberth had no advise, despite me having bought a different size inner head liner as well

I was 2 weeks before tmac, so ended up sanding down that spot in the inner foam in the shell. That worked a treat!

The GT Air fits great, but the sizing is off a bit.

I tried one on yesterday and picked size large/59cm as that is the size of my other helmets and the fit was spot on.
I am glad to see that Shoei did finally added a sunvisor to one of their full face helmets. Over here the Shoeis all have a ratchet latch instead of a d-ring. I'd prefer a d-ring chin strap .

Thx for the write, helped a lot as I was searching for the same comparison

Could you give a review of your Neotec.

I was seriously thinking of upgrading from my Caberg Justissimo GT (5 years old now and chinstrap lock is failing, apart from that with new inner pads it's an excellent helmet, although over time has become noisier)... and the Neotec seemed like the be all end all, but I decided to let others be the guinea pig and have since heard of some major recall issues with air entering despite having vents closed (and water if raining). I am unsure as to whether this has been rectified.

Thanks for the writeup!

Thanks for the write-up. I have never felt all that great about Shoei 's fit on my head. If this fits, I will almost certainly replace my first ever helmet with this one - touring person that I am. The journey paint scheme in red is sweet and just the ticket for me. Now,  I guess I will have to kidnap one of my nephews or nieces and sell them into slavery to afford the thing.

Wrestler I can get them for under $500. IIRC my contact said $435 for solid and think the journey/wanderer was $485. This is a reputable, high volume, parts seller here in the US.

Could you give a review of your Neotec.

I was seriously thinking of upgrading from my Caberg Justissimo GT (5 years old now and chinstrap lock is failing, apart from that with new inner pads it's an excellent helmet, although over time has become noisier)... and the Neotec seemed like the be all end all, but I decided to let others be the guinea pig and have since heard of some major recall issues with air entering despite having vents closed (and water if raining). I am unsure as to whether this has been rectified.

I do not have a Neotec.  They were available at the time I was trying on the Schuberth and the GT Air, so I was able to compare the three well.     The Neotec gets very good reviews.  Shoei has been improving its Modular line over the years and I suspect when the Neotec is replaced, the results will be excellent.    I understand that part of the problem with the bulbous nature of the Neotec is that Shoei needed room to include the internal visor.  Perhaps Shoei will make the Neotec a bit more sculpted, like the GT Air, in its next generation.    Another option for you to consider is the new RPHA line of helmets.  Apparently HJC wanted to start selling premium helmets and rather than market them under the HJC line they came up with the RPHA (think Toyota and Lexus.  Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo now use RPHA helmets.   The RPHA Max helmet is a sporty, modular helmet.  It has an internal sunshield, pinlock, and some nice venting.  It also has three shell sizes, which should give you only the shell size you need. It comes in Black, matte black, silver, and a couple of white versions.  No graphics.     Here's a picture:   [image: RPHA max.jpg]     I tried one on and it didn't quite fit the shape of my head.  I would say it was high quality, but just a tick beneath the Shoei and Schuberth.  It was certainly above a typical HJC and I wouldn't call it a budget helmet.  I found it to be nicer than a Nolan.

The new Shoei

[image: 20130222_195.JPG]

And then some....   :goofy:

[image: 20130222_53.JPG]

[image: 20130222_305.JPG]

[image: 20130222_409.JPG]

One question I might have for the original poster or someone else who might know.  Unfortunately for me, I must wear glasses while riding and I have been looking in to one of these modular style helmets and I was wondering if you would be able to wear glasses and still be able to lower the inner visor.  Currently I wear a Shoei RF1100 and I wear prescription sunglasses but I would really like to be able to get away with wearing my regular glasses and having a flip down visor, so I am not always carrying around an extra pair of glasses.

I live in a fairly small town and none of the bike stores carry either of the helmets listed here and most don't even want to carry an Arai helmet in stock because of their high cost.  As an example the Arai Quantum F I had a few years back retailed for $985 in Canada.  Thankfully I got it at a bike show and paid almost half that but the dealers here don't want to order a helmet like the Schuberth C3 unless I pay up front and then if I don't like it I would have to pay a restock fee.  Before I order, I would like to know if you could wear a pair of glasses in either the Schuberth C3 or the Shoei mentioned here and if the when lowered the visor would hit the glasses.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.

Glasses are a non-issue. I wear them and have never had a problem with any of my modular helmets with the sun shield. In fact that is one of the reasons I like the modular helmets: put the helmet on with your glasses on, no threading your glasses through the helmet pads.

Wrestler I can get them for under $500. IIRC my contact said $435 for solid and think the journey/wanderer was $485. This is a reputable, high volume, parts seller here in the US.

You can get the Schuberth C-3 and/or the Shoei Neotech for that price? That's the main issue I have with those two helmets: way too much money. $600 and $700 is just stupid expensive. IMO anyway.

Hey FJ

What kind of modular helmet do you have?  I don't mind paying a ridiculous price for the helmet so long as it fits well and it is comfortable.  I am one of those people who has a head which seems to fit better in the higher priced helmets.  Why,I don't know.  My Shoei seems to fit well enough and it was just under $700 I think with tax.  We seem to get a bit shafted on prices when it comes to living in Canada, and on the cost of bike parts and motorcycles for that matter. 

Well, I've had both of the modular Shoei's before the Neotech, both of the Schuberth's before the new C-3, an HJC Symax, didn't fit me worth a hoot and flimsy IMO, and now I'm wearing a Nolan N-103. I like the looks and fit of the Nolan N-104 but the lever that works the sun shield would interfere with my Scala Rider, which I think is why they put it where they did. My wife had a Caberg, then an AGV, but now wears a Nolan like mine. All of those are modular too.

I've liked all the modulars that I've owned except for the Symax, which didn't fit me worth a hoot. I really liked the Shoei's but when I tried the Schuberth's with the sun shield I was sold! I won't have a helmet without a sun shield now. It's just one of those things.

ZoomZoom, I agree with you to an extent. I paid a ridiculous price for the first Shoei modular that came out back in the late 80's, I think around $350 which was a major chunk o' change at that time. But it was the only one I knew of, except for the BMW modulars and they were very scarce and even more expensive. However the prices for the Shoei and the Schuberth now are just too much when the Nolan and some of the others offer nearly as many features, and excellent build quality for about half the cost. I think the Schuberth and the Shoei are great helmets, but not twice as great as other offerings available. JMO of course.

Thanks FJ

I have tried the Nolan and unfortunately I wind up with quite a pressure point on the top of my forehead.  One of the dealers in town had a salesman that rode a VFR and I met up with him by chance on a ride.  When I asked him about his helmet he was kind enough to swap with me for the short ride back to town and the pressure point at the front was just too much.  I can't say for certain which model of the Nolan he had but maybe the newer model will fit better.  Thank you very much for the response and I will see if I can find a store in Calgary when I am visiting friends this summer.  Calgary is a much larger city and with any luck will have a few stores that have a larger selection of helmets available to try.  If the newer Nolan fits better then it would be the better choice.  I just did a quick check on prices and the Shoei and Schuberth are both in the $650-$750 range here and the Nolan N104 seems to be between $400-$450 so that would be a better deal for sure.

Mazda Man (unless zoom zoom is what your meemaw called you) you should just plan on riding down to TxMac and buying a helmet while in the US.  You can try on nearly any helmet made and pay much less than Can$'s

Or you can just try them on and then order what you find that fits well from an online store since your local dealer says they basically don't want your business.

Thanks FJ

I have tried the Nolan and unfortunately I wind up with quite a pressure point on the top of my forehead.  One of the dealers in town had a salesman that rode a VFR and I met up with him by chance on a ride.  When I asked him about his helmet he was kind enough to swap with me for the short ride back to town and the pressure point at the front was just too much.  I can't say for certain which model of the Nolan he had but maybe the newer model will fit better.  Thank you very much for the response and I will see if I can find a store in Calgary when I am visiting friends this summer.  Calgary is a much larger city and with any luck will have a few stores that have a larger selection of helmets available to try.  If the newer Nolan fits better then it would be the better choice.  I just did a quick check on prices and the Shoei and Schuberth are both in the $650-$750 range here and the Nolan N104 seems to be between $400-$450 so that would be a better deal for sure.

Blackfoot Cycle in Calgary carries Schuberth C3. Bought one for my wife when we went through there last summer.

Thanks EhViffer

Do you off hand remember how much the helmet cost if you don't mind my asking.  I used to deal with Blackfoot Motorsports when I lived in Calgary many, many years ago and they were great people to purchase from and were always very helpful.

Thanks EhViffer

Do you off hand remember how much the helmet cost if you don't mind my asking.  I used to deal with Blackfoot Motorsports when I lived in Calgary many, many years ago and they were great people to purchase from and were always very helpful.

I believe it was $810. They were great to deal with for sure. My wife had the new C3 leaving Ontario for our road trip and it turned out to be a size too small (it was a mens Large). Big indent in her front left forehead and huge headaches. We use the built in communication system bought with the helmet so wanted another Schuberth C3 just a size larger (mens XL). Blackfoot seemed to be the only place out west selling the helmet. They arranged to ship a new helmet to us at the Best Western in Brandon Manitoba on our way through. Worked great. Helmet was there waiting and we switched the communication system to it and shipped her previous C3 back home. We stopped in on Blackfoot Motorsports through Calgary to thank them. As I said a great experience. Anyone interested in a mens Large size silver colored 2012 Schuberth C3 PM me.

Re: Zoom Zoom and the atrocious cost of helmets at local dealers in Canada.

I have bought my last three helmets online, it helps to know that I always fit a Shoei Medium.

I JUST bought an RF1100 for $347 shipped. Brand new.

Sorry, no help on the modular dealio.

Mazda Man (unless zoom zoom is what your meemaw called you) you should just plan on riding down to TxMac and buying a helmet while in the US.  You can try on nearly any helmet made and pay much less than Can$'s

Or you can just try them on and then order what you find that fits well from an online store since your local dealer says they basically don't want your business.

Thanks CornerCarver

Yes, Zoom-Zoom is definitely a Mazda related thing.  My current cage and the previous 4 have all been Mazda's.  My toy cage is a 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 and the daily driver is a Mazda 5. 

Yeah, the dealer here certainly has you over a barrel when it comes to ordering gear.  First off, the prices are a lot higher than they are in the larger cities and certainly ridiculous when it comes to the US prices (prices on anything bike related are more in Canada than the US), and since the majority of their business here is quads/dirt bikes/and other off-road style products (likely 80%) they tend to give the street bike crowd a hard time period.  Of the three stores in town that sell street bike gear (only one offers sales for Schuberth and Nolan) their street bike apparel section of the store is about 60 square ft and their helmet display holds about 40 helmets from the major brands like Shoei, HJC and ICON but that is about it. 

I can understand that they don't want to order a $800 helmet and have it sit on the shelf if it does not fit, but to charge me to restock it (send it back) certainly seems like bad business.  At least they were honest enough to suggest that I go the motorcycle show in Vancouver since there is usually a fair number of retailers on hand.  Trouble is that going to the bike show involves a 5 hour drive each way so seems like a waste, just to look at a helmet.

Oddly enough the service department is fantastic to deal with.  I had a valve adjust performed by the local dealer on my previous bike (97 VFR) and it was less tan $400 incl tax a few years ago now and I had them do the brake fluid and clutch flush on my current bike since I don't have the proper tools and doing the brake flush with the linked brakes was just more than I wanted to get into.  The dealer charged me $120 + tax (incl parts and labor) to do both the clutch and brake flush and they even came to my house and picked the bike up (enclosed trailer) and then dropped it off when they finished.     

I'll just wait until my wife and the kids and I head to Calgary this summer and check to see what is available.  Once I find one I like, I can order one from the US. 

Glasses are a non-issue. I wear them and have never had a problem with any of my modular helmets with the sun shield. In fact that is one of the reasons I like the modular helmets: put the helmet on with your glasses on, no threading your glasses through the helmet pads.

Wrestler I can get them for under $500. IIRC my contact said $435 for solid and think the journey/wanderer was $485. This is a reputable, high volume, parts seller here in the US.

You can get the Schuberth C-3 and/or the Shoei Neotech for that price? That's the main issue I have with those two helmets: way too much money. $600 and $700 is just stupid expensive. IMO anyway.

No.  Those are the prices I can get the Shoei GT-air for.