dobervol
.040 Over
Re: the serious question: Good gear matters, and the C3 Pro is good gear (if you steer clear of the antiquated SRC comms system, that is), even though it's just a tad too round for my noggin'. I prefer the C4 w/integrated comms, but Schuberth makes quality helmets (for the last 20 years or so; I know nothing about the '90s), and is the only mfg. with their own, on-site, wind tunnel. On average (of course there are exceptions), they'll be quieter than other helmets on an apples to apples basis, but in scorching heat, they won't move as much air as, say, an Arai Corsair or AGV Pista GP (of course, both of those are race helmets and the trade-off for that air is LOUD.
And your (pretty true, I have to admit) stereotype of BMW folks got me thinking. You've described me, except I do remove even my modular Schuberths before eating said hot dog at the rally. I'm only 52, but enough of a geezer to identify with what my momma used to tell me as a kid when I shook my head at, for example, a geezer with blue Bermuda shorts, a picked, 30 year old, polyester, striped polo shirt, two socks that didn't match, and dress loafers: "He probably couldn't care less what you think, and he's probably happier than you." I'm still in pursuit of better motorcycling ability, especially cornering, and I do care about how my bikes look, and the quality (over looks) of my gear. Last Friday, I took my 2006 BMW K1200S (old but well-preserved and will fly; it's a big sportbike; think slightly slower 'Busa or ZX-14) on a mountain ride through the twisties. I stopped at a country gas station, with full mesh, armored gear, and hi-viz striping, and a Harley guy kind of sneered at me, and shook his head, and of course, I knew exactly what he was thinking: "Look at that BMW dork with all his crap on. How does he wear all that?" And that's fine; I found it kind of funny. Different strokes. I prefer the extra dose of safety, especially since I'm usually traveling nearly twice the speed of the average H-D pirate.
I like the vibe here; it's an interesting mix of folks, with this bike in kind of it's own genre. Lots of variety in people, including nice folks who've come off H-Ds. Just not many people (thankfully) who are trying to start a patched chapter of "Dark Angels of Pucklechurch" or "Rocket Reapers of Upton Snodsbury".
