German helmet maker Schuberth, which introduced its first modular helmet?the Concept?in the late ?90s, launched the fourth-generation C4 last year. Compared to the C3 Pro it replaces, the DOT- and ECE-certified C4 has a more aerodynamic shell with redesigned vents, a new comfort liner and pre-installed microphone and speakers for the optional SC1 communication system.
Schuberth uses a new, proprietary method called Direct Fiber Processing to construct the C4?s shell. Strands of fiberglass are precisely cut using a robot, the pieces are blown into a mold, resin is added and the preform is then baked under high pressure, producing a strong shell of uniform thickness. Inside the shell is an impact-absorbing, multi-density EPS liner with built-in ventilation channels, and inside the EPS liner is a new moisture-wicking, antibacterial ShinyTex comfort liner that?s removable and washable. Compared to the C3 Pro, I found the C4 easier to pull on and off since the neckroll isn?t as tight and its comfort liner is comparably plush. However, after about an hour of riding, pain would develop in a particular spot on the left side of my head and get progressively worse. There was nothing sharp inside the helmet, but there are hard edges on the innermost part of the comfort liner. I removed the liner?a complicated process due to the internal straps that are part of the C4?s anti-roll off system?and used a razor knife to trim some material off the hard edge near the pain point, which solved...