Schuberth SC2 standard comms system for C5 / E2 / S3 - SAVE £40 when purchased with a helmet

The Schuberth C5 and the Shoei Neotec 3 helmet are, in most people's view, vying to be the best flip lid helmet available. Where Schuberth potentially has an advantage over Shoei is in its comms. offering. We're thinking here in terms of the C5 vs the Neotec 3, although of course all of Schuberth's comms. systems will fit into all of its ECE 22-06 helmets.

Now, like Shoei, Schuberth has long had a high-end, Mesh and Bluetooth system at its disposal. Based on the internals of the Sena 50S, it's about as good as a comms. system gets, although now that Schuberth has a Cardo-based system too some might take issue with that assertion.

But the SC2 system was, and is, expensive; and it's way more sophisticated than many bikers need. And so Schuberth has cleverly come up with a more basic system designed for those who largely want to get directions from the satnav, listen to music, talk over the phone, or converse with a pillion. Although it will still work bike to bike.

The Standard is easier to use, does what it's meant to, and costs £100 less than the regular SC2 unit.

Not that the spec. is anything to be sniffed at. Obviously, as they are pre-installed into the helmet you get two FM antennae and HD speakers. And it comes with the same boom microphone. The talk distance is up to a kilometre The maximum talk time is 12 hours.

If you're clever enough you can still use Google or Apple voice assistants to control the unit's functions.

As ever, there's no right or wrong here. If you are not interested in talking to other riders, this is the system for you. You could use it for bike to bike, on the understanding that you will only be able to communicate with others on a Sena Bluetooth unit.

But if you do want to go bike to bike, it may be worth forking out for the SC2 with mesh and Bluetooth, as it promises a certain degree of future proofing, just in case you meet some new friends!