Schuberth C5 helmet in matt black

 

There is also a carbon version. But carbon helmets don’t purport to be safer. You’ll pay more for a carbon C5, but in some ways you’ll get less, because the carbon shell will quite dramatically reduce the talk distance if you go with their integrated comms. from Sena or Cardo.

 

The C5 has a multi-density eps.. And that’s important because ideally you want a softer eps nearest the shell for low-speed impacts, with higher density material closer to the skull for harder, more sustained impacts.

 

but the C5 comes in just two shell sizes; and to us this is disappointing. Premium brands like Arai and Shoei will invariably have at least three shell sizes, sometimes four. With more shell sizes, more people will get a helmet that doesn’t look like a bowling ball on their heads. More shell sizes also allows a better fit. 

 

Historically, Schuberths were quite round, but with the C5 Schuberth moved more towards the more oval shape of a Shoei helmet. There are six sizes for the C5. XS is a 53. The largest size, XXXL, is a 65. 

 

Historically one of the major weaknesses with a Schuberth helmet was that, even though the headliners and cheekpads could be removed for washing, they couldn’t be changed for ones of different thicknesses to customise the fit. Well with the new generation of 22-06 Schuberth helmets we do now have some ability to alter the internal dimensions of the helmet. The Schuberth system is not perfect. It is fiddly. And the system only works on three of  the six sizes.

 

Schuberth has also come up with a cockamamie way of packaging the internal liners, meaning that you have to buy the side of head pads along with the pad for the back of the head. This is unnecessary because you will often need only one or t’other. We think all this is nonsense, so if you come and see us in the shop, and we do a fitting, you will pay nothing for the pads.

 

Okay, let’s delve a little bit deeper into some of the features and details of the C5.

 

The C5 is both P and J rated. What this means is that it can legally be ridden with the chin bar either open or closed. And to this end, there’s a locking mechanism on the side of the helmet.

 

Any helmet can rock to and fro on the strap. The strap acts as a pivot and so a helmet can always be rotated over the strap. The important thing is that the chin strap should not be able to pass forward under the chin, because in such a circumstance a helmet could come off. Schuberth has a system called AROS. Basically the chin strap is connected via two other straps to the back of the helmet. It’s why a properly-fastened Schuberth will never come off in an accident.

 

The C5 is well vented. There are two vent openings on the chin, as well as a brow vent that sends cool air over the scalp and helps pull warm air out from the area behind the visor. There’s a permanently open exhaust vent at the back of the helmet.

 

The main visor is of Class 1 optical quality. The helmet comes fitted as standard with a Pinlock 120; and that's important because good-quality, flip helmets are more likely to fog up than full-face ones. 

 

There’s a reasonably strong detente mechanism that enables you to fix the position of the visor if you want to ride with it open. One of the positions is what Schuberth call a City position; that is to say a crack position to allow air to enter the helmet at slow speed to avoid misting. You also get a drop-down sun visor that is easy to use, even with a gloved hand.

 

We can confirm that most people find the C5 to be a quiet helmet. Schuberth has its own wind tunnel for noise testing, and the C5 comes with the tight neck roll and chin curtain that serve to stop noise-inducing air entering the helmet. But in the margin the fit and the way the helmet can be buffetted by, say a screen, can make a significant difference to perceived noise levels. Noise is not a black and white issue. But let us be clear. We cannot guarantee that this helmet will be quiet for you on your bike. The C5 should be a pretty quiet helmet, but there are simply too many variables at play to make any promises.

 

Like the Shoei Neotec 3, the C5 comes equipped to take an integrated comms. unit. Now integrated comms. are the way to go, although they don’t go down well with everybody because for some people it will entail paying for a new comms. system that they didn’t want to fork out for. But integrated comms. don’t affect the way your helmet will perform in an accident. They are simpler to install. They won’t get knocked off. And importantly they don’t impact on the aerodynamics, so they add less noise.

 

Now Schuberth offers a number of alternative systems; and in this at least they have stolen a march on Shoei. They have a top-of-the-line Mesh/Bluetooth system from Sena called the SC2. They have a top-of-the-line Mesh/Bluetooth system from Cardo called the SC Edge. And they have a more basic system from Sena for those who only want to talk to a pillion, use the phone, listen to music or hear the commands from a satnav. This is known as the SC Standard.

 

Despite our feelings about the Neotec, we like the C5. It's a thumping good helmet, and miles ahead of any other flip helmet out there without a Shoei badge.  And if the C5 fits you well it's pretty much a match for the Neotec on the road. The clear blue water between the two lies largely in our ability to achieve that perfect fit using Shoei's PFS (personal Fitting Service).

 

In terms of price, the C5 is cheaper across the board than the Neotec.