OK, I realize that most riders around here don’t even own a helmet. It’s “uncool”, especially on a Harley. I always wear a helmet when I ride; I don’t worry about looking “cool”. Until now, any old helmet would do for me. It needs to fit, of course, and cover my face completely. It also needed to be reasonably priced.  

My helmet served me well, with only one minor complaint: at speeds over about 50mph I had to put up with a lot of vibration inside, making my glasses dance on my nose, causing blurry vision. So I had been toying around the idea of a Schuberth C3. Made in Germany, excellent reviews, integrated Bluetooth communication system, but one huge problem: it costs around $1,000 new.

Watching ebay, I realized there are not many of those available either. People, who have one, probably like it so much they won’t sell. Last Sunday I got really lucky, though! I won an auction for this white Schuberth C3 with SRC system already installed, used for only 500 miles, selling because of “sizing issues”. It’s mine for only $426, including shipping.

When I first tried it on, I experienced serious buyer’s remorse.

It is heavy. It takes some fiddling to put on and take off. The chin-strap has some hard parts to it, which dig into the front of your neck, because the soft cushion doesn’t stay in place. Sizing doesn’t follow their own charts, really. People recommend you buy one size up from what you normally wear. So I got an XL, because I normally wear size L. Schuberth’s XL seems just a tad too big for me, though – oh boy, what have I done…

My first impulse was to turn around and list it back on ebay.

Now I’m really glad I didn’t follow that impulse! All those little problems have very easy fixes. I replaced the C3 size XL crown lining with a S2 size XL crown lining, which has the same shape and buttons, but is a bit thicker, making for a perfect, snug but comfortable, fit. The chin-strap cushion will stay put now that I sewed some velcro onto it. Putting the helmet on and removing it simply takes practice, and the weight really just takes getting used to.

My perseverance is being rewarded with the experience of a world class helmet, quiet interior, no fog, a retractable sun visor, crystal clear sound system, excellent ventilation – and hardly any vibration.

I’m hooked.