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BMW System 6 helmet..

K1600_gtl

New member
so is this going to be available in the US anytime soon? OR anyone find a place to buy it from overseas? I'm thinking of picking one up even without the DOT sticker...

anyone have one?
 
System 6 helmet

I have one. They are sold here in Canada. I really like it. It's quiet, has decent venting, and it fits me like no other helmet I have owned. They aren't cheap, but I'm glad I bought mine. My wife has a Schuberth C3 in the same size, and I have ridden with her helmet as well. It doesn't fit me quite as well, which probably accounts for the fact that I notice a bit more noise with her helmet. They're both very good though. I was told that Schuberth manufactures the System 6 helmet for BMW using BMW's design specification. They seem very similar in nature, with subtle differences in the venting, the aerodynamic bar on the top, and the chinbar which seems to be less prominent when fully open. I think that at the top of it's range, it nestles closer to the helmet. However, if I didn't have a System 6, I think I would buy a Schuberth.

I hope this helps.

Jack
 
I have one. They are sold here in Canada. I really like it. It's quiet, has decent venting, and it fits me like no other helmet I have owned. They aren't cheap, but I'm glad I bought mine. My wife has a Schuberth C3 in the same size, and I have ridden with her helmet as well. It doesn't fit me quite as well, which probably accounts for the fact that I notice a bit more noise with her helmet. They're both very good though. I was told that Schuberth manufactures the System 6 helmet for BMW using BMW's design specification. They seem very similar in nature, with subtle differences in the venting, the aerodynamic bar on the top, and the chinbar which seems to be less prominent when fully open. I think that at the top of it's range, it nestles closer to the helmet. However, if I didn't have a System 6, I think I would buy a Schuberth.

I hope this helps.

Jack

thanks Jack,

are they legal in Canada then? do you know if they'll sell them to us here in the states? If you know a good source, do share.

Sam
 
thanks Jack,

are they legal in Canada then? do you know if they'll sell them to us here in the states? If you know a good source, do share.

Sam

At one point I believe the dealers were very certain that they NOT sell them to folks living stateside. I'm not sure if that's still true, or was just internet hearsay to begin with.

Something about BMW can't sell them in the US, and dealers selling them from Canada to the US was pretty much the same thing and opens up some legal something or other. This seemed to apply to mail order as well as in store service.

Good luck in your hunt, I hope you find one! I do find them on ebay from somewhere in the UK.
 
thanks gentleman... I'll keep digging into it, or maybe break down and get the C3 even though I'm worried about the things I'm reading with regards to fit and comfort.
 
thanks gentleman... I'll keep digging into it, or maybe break down and get the C3 even though I'm worried about the things I'm reading with regards to fit and comfort.

Helmet fit is always a "personal" thing. If you have the option, don't rely on what you read w/ regards to fit and comfort--on this or any other site. A reason you will see more/ various opinions about C3 fit is because they are more readily available in the US. You would get the same variety of opinion re BMW System 6 in Canada or Europe.

Always try on if you have that option.

In Portland OR area, http://www.schuberthnorthamerica.com/categories/motorcycle/dealers/
shows 3 dealers stocking or accessing Schuberth C3.
Go try one yourself.

From Portland OR, it's a nice day's ride to the nearest BMW Canada dealer in
Victoria BC, http://www.islandbmw.ca/accessories-apparel?category=710,
showing BMW System 6. Call ahead--to confirm (your) sizes in stock to try on.

If you really like the System 6 fit & comfort better, be prepared to pay the Canadian dealer in CND $$ cash sale on site, not a US credit card. My guess is that the CND dealer would be happy to make a CND$800 cash sale over the counter, as long as there was no paper (credit card) trail linking to a US customer.
(That's speculation, but based on experience that even the BMW corp
dealer in Munich was willing to sell me a BMW helmet--knowing I was USA citizen--if it was a cash transaction).

My personal experience is that C3 is more comfortable than Sys6; but that's my
head. Yours may differ, and if you're really that interested, a run up to Victoria or
Vancouver would be a fun way to find out. Enjoy:)
 
The System 3, System 4 and System 5 I purchased in Germany were all purchased at factory dealer using credit card. Things could be different now perhaps.
 
If any Canadian rider KNOWS what is or is not legal in Canada, many of us would like to be enlightened. The province of British Columbia recently brought in new helmet legislation which, at least for me, is clear as mud.

Best I can tell, there is NO required test (DOT, Snell, etc.) for a helmet to be legal, but I stand to be corrected. That is probably the reason you can buy a BMW helmet in Canada but not the US.

I think the advice to US residents who want to buy a BMW helmet is probably good: pay Canadian cash and don't mention where you are from. Guarantees, if you have a problem, may be a separate problem. I sincerely doubt you will ever have a problem with US law enforcement for wearing a full-face or flip-up helmet that lacks the DOT sticker. Or maybe you could get the sticker at a Harley store.
 
lots of good ideas, maybe a ride up to the border is in order.... I'll start with the local C3 dealers however and see if I don't get bit by that first!
 
Best I can tell, there is NO required test (DOT, Snell, etc.) for a helmet to be legal, but I stand to be corrected. That is probably the reason you can buy a BMW helmet in Canada but not the US.

.

Are you saying, that in order to sell a helmet in the U.S., it has to be DOT or Snell tested?
 
Are you saying, that in order to sell a helmet in the U.S., it has to be DOT or Snell tested?

To sell, no. You can sell pretty much anything. In places in the US where helmet wear is required the helmet must have the appropriate DOT labeling saying that the helmet meets FMVSS 218. From a legal perspective Snell is NOT a replacement for DOT.

For whatever reason BMW does not want to sell BMW labelled helmets in the US and apparently actively discourages Canadian dealers from shipping helmets to US residents. That is a BMW business decision that has nothing to do with the legalities of selling helmets.
 
Photo comparison - System 6 and C3

Hi everyone,

I thought that I would post some pictures of the two helmets side by side for anyone who is interested in that information. The System 6 shown is a 60/61 size and the C3 shown is a friends, and is a size 59. As you can see, there are noticeable differences in the chinbar lock, where the System 6 uses an internal mechanism, and the Schuberth has a pin method. The System 6 chinbar seems to rotate back, leaving less exposure to wind lift when riding with it open. The System 6 shown also has BMW's Communication System installed.

Regards to all, Jack
 

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The black plastic at the rear top of the System 6 must have an aero function, but nothing moves and there is no venting there.

The System 6 in the same size fits very differently from the System 5.

The System 6 is the first BMW System helmet with the drop-down inner dark visor.
 
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