So when I bought my R1150GS a little over 2 years ago, I hadn't been on a bike in a while, so I needed a new helmet. I am the guy who reads everything before pulling the trigger, especially on a $600 purchase like this, and even more so because I wanted something comfortable. I was certain I wanted a modular so I could flip it up for a breath of fresh air at the traffic light, or a sip of water without removing it. I loved the integrated communication module as well, so I was at MAX BMW in Troy NY and they happened to have one in my size and I tried it on. It was like an armored slipper for my head, EXTREMELY comfortable, and it was cheaper than the advertised price so I pulled the trigger and rode home with my new helmet. Not long after that I found a new SC-1 on line and this sealed the deal. I thought it was the perfect match. After riding about 15K miles a year for the last 2 years I noticed some things about it that are not so obvious at first.
It's noisy. Schuberth advertises the C4 Pro as being one of the quietest helmets on the market, but the aerodynamics are not very good and the wind noise is significant, especially on a bike like my GS with my head above the windshield. I ended up having to wear earplugs due to the significant wind noise. And I also noticed that the buffeting at high speed caused my head to vibrate which is not very comfortable on long trips. Poor aerodynamic design. In my opinion.
The 2nd item is ventilation. When it's hot, there is not enough air moving through the helmet to keep me cool, now it's a black helmet so it does absorb some heat from the sun, but I was not very impressed with the amount of air that comes in through the chin vent, or the 2 top vents. Barely noticeable.
The 3rd item is the shield. I love the drop down tinted visor so I can raise the shield to get some air and still have my eyes protected from the sun and wind by the drop down visor, but the mechanism that raises and lowers the shield is so flimsy that the wind constantly flips the shield down. After spending close to $600 on the helmet and another $200 on a comm. system that will only work on this helmet, I was not a happy camper.
So after 30K miles I decided to try something new. After watching Long Way Round, Long Way Down and Long Way Up countless times, I figured Ewen and Charlie must be on to something with their Arai XD-4 Helmets. After the miles these guy's put in, and figuring they could have ANY helmet they wanted, they chose well.
Enter my new Arai XD-4! WOW! What a difference!! Comfortable! Enough air to blow dry your hair, great visibility, great aerodynamics at high speed and I don't need my earplugs unless I'm on a long trip, the wind noise is barely an issue anymore. I am SOLD! Who would have thought the Japanese could out engineer the Germans but in my opinion they certainly have done a brilliant job! the only thing nicer on the Schuberth is the cushy liner, but the Arai is certainly comfortable enough and the other improvements far out weigh the one advantage of an armored slipper on my head! Hope this helps those who are still shopping.
It's noisy. Schuberth advertises the C4 Pro as being one of the quietest helmets on the market, but the aerodynamics are not very good and the wind noise is significant, especially on a bike like my GS with my head above the windshield. I ended up having to wear earplugs due to the significant wind noise. And I also noticed that the buffeting at high speed caused my head to vibrate which is not very comfortable on long trips. Poor aerodynamic design. In my opinion.
The 2nd item is ventilation. When it's hot, there is not enough air moving through the helmet to keep me cool, now it's a black helmet so it does absorb some heat from the sun, but I was not very impressed with the amount of air that comes in through the chin vent, or the 2 top vents. Barely noticeable.
The 3rd item is the shield. I love the drop down tinted visor so I can raise the shield to get some air and still have my eyes protected from the sun and wind by the drop down visor, but the mechanism that raises and lowers the shield is so flimsy that the wind constantly flips the shield down. After spending close to $600 on the helmet and another $200 on a comm. system that will only work on this helmet, I was not a happy camper.
So after 30K miles I decided to try something new. After watching Long Way Round, Long Way Down and Long Way Up countless times, I figured Ewen and Charlie must be on to something with their Arai XD-4 Helmets. After the miles these guy's put in, and figuring they could have ANY helmet they wanted, they chose well.
Enter my new Arai XD-4! WOW! What a difference!! Comfortable! Enough air to blow dry your hair, great visibility, great aerodynamics at high speed and I don't need my earplugs unless I'm on a long trip, the wind noise is barely an issue anymore. I am SOLD! Who would have thought the Japanese could out engineer the Germans but in my opinion they certainly have done a brilliant job! the only thing nicer on the Schuberth is the cushy liner, but the Arai is certainly comfortable enough and the other improvements far out weigh the one advantage of an armored slipper on my head! Hope this helps those who are still shopping.
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