The Schuberth R2 works as a daily driver you can rely on for daily cruising. Known for their higher end and pricier helmets, this is a more budget friendly option compared to many of Schuberth’s other products. Super lightweight with an added microphone and speaker, we will see if the R2 comes out on top
Ratings
Comfort:
Visibility:
Coolness:
Ventilation:
Quietness:
Overall rating:
Specifications
Outer shell material : 100% carbon fiber
Shell size : XS-XXL
Liner : EPS
Weight : 3 lb, 4 oz.
Pinlock : Yes
Strap System : Double-D ring fastener
Safety Ratings
DOT : Yes
ECE : Yes
SNELL : No
SHARP : 3/5
Shape and materials
Concerning the shape of the helmet, the Schuberth R2 fits neutral to round shaped heads. This gives the helmet more of a globe shape to accommodate rounder heads. Unfortunately, those with oval or wide heads will have a very hard time squeezing into this bucket. So unless you have a round head, this helmet is not for you. But since the motorcycle gear industry tends to often overlook round headed riders, this might strongly appeal to that group. With sizes from XS to XXL, round heads of all sizes should fit in this helmet.
Now on to the materials. A completely carbon fiber outer shell helps this helmet shed quite a bit of weight. It weighs only three pounds and four ounces, making it easy on the neck and shoulders for extended rides. They also achieved this weight by only reinforcing the areas most prone to accidents. That does not mean that the helmet lacks safety precautions, just that they used less material where they could.
You can remove the EPS liner for cleaning, and it has antimicrobial properties to keep you clean on long rides. The liner is machine washable, making it easy to keep and maintain. It even comes with an integrated slot for glasses, making it easy to wear your favorite shades or prescription lenses with this helmet.
Overall comfort
Now because the helmet really only fits round heads, that is the only shape that will comfortably wear the Schuberth R2. Riders with a non-round head will find
Things I liked
Things I don’t like
pressure points building up rather quickly. How quickly exactly depends on the shape of the rider’s head in question. So anyone who does not have a neutral to round shaped head should probably avoid this helmet.
Other than that, round headed riders should have a nice experience wearing the R2. The seamless liner promises not to dig into anywhere on the scalp and does not apply too much pressure to any specific spot. It also features decent ventilation, which we will cover more later.
If this helmet fit more head shapes it would earn a higher comfort rating. The lightweight design and quality liner make it easy on the head and ears for anyone who can fit into it. But if you cannot fit into it, and even if it feels just a little tight when trying it on, this helmet will likely cause more aggravation than it is worth once you get on the road. So for that, this helmet receives a 60 out of 100 for overall comfort.
Visibility
The included face shield locks down in a smooth, ergonomic manner, meaning that you will not have to worry about incoming air leaks. It also features a Pinlock Max Vision that gives it a double paned window effect on the whole visor. The pinlock system keeps the face shield from fogging up, which definitely earns it quite a few points for visibility. This type of shield comes equipped with all units, so no matter the graphics package you decide on, the pinlock shield will come along with it.
It only comes with a clear face shield in box, so if you want to go for a darker shield you will have to purchase one separately. The clear shield does not offer any protection against sunlight or glares, so on a sunny day you might want to wear sunglasses beneath the face shield. And with the spectacles channel already in place within the liner, you can wear your sunglasses without any discomfort.
If you decide to purchase a separate face shield, the R2 has a quick release shield change mechanism, making it easy to detach and reattach your desired face shield. The wide slot for the face shield gives tons of downwards visibility, making it easy to read all your gauges and still keep an eye on the road. It also features a good peripheral range, giving this helmet overall excellent visibility. So long as you come prepared with your own sunglasses or a tinted face shield when riding on a sunny day, the R2 should not give you any visibility problems.
Quietness
Schuberth did not go out of their way to perform decibel testing on the R2. So while we do not have any concrete specifications for how loud it gets inside this helmet, we have some information relating to quietness. Reviewers and customers report a generally quiet riding experience, but this will vary depending on riding conditions and specific motorcycle in operation.
The helmet features a flush chin curtain and padding which offers a decent seal around the rider. However, this design does not sacrifice ventilation. Air can still flow down the back of the neck and you can remove the chin curtain if you do not want it. Having this padding in place helps add to the overall quietness of the helmet.
Since Schubeth offers a microphone and speaker system ready to use with this helmet, they want you to be able to use that system properly. Therefore, we can say that the Schuberth R2 is adequately quiet.
Ventilation
Here is where things get a little bit more complex. Standard motorcycle helmets feature air vents in three places: chin vents, top vents and back vents. These three positions help air flow around the wearer’s head. The Schuberth R2 only has chin and top vents, missing that third back position. However, thanks to some clever engineering, most riders will not miss it.
Each vent has a width of eight to ten millimeters. These larger than average vents give plenty of air the opportunity to come in and cool down a rider’s hot head. Additionally, the mesh liner has plenty of gaps in it too, at no sacrifice to comfort. Therefore, the vents can pull tons of air directly onto the rider’s head. From there, a sort of whirlpool occurs which pulls the air out of the helmet at the back of the neck. This creates a constant flow of air to keep the rider cool.
So while the R2 lacks all three sets of vents, it makes more than adequate use of two. Users and reviewers report no problems with the helmet creating hot and stifling conditions.
Safety
Last but certainly not least, we come to the safety category. Since a helmet’s entire purpose is to keep the rider safe, this one category carries a lot of weight with it. The Schuberth R2 features a carbon fiber shell with greater reinforcement along the areas most prone to impact during a collision.
The R2 does not have a SNELL safety test rating. However, it does have a SHARP rating. Based on SHARP’s tests from 2019, the R2 received three out of five stars. While this beat’s the two star average we see on a lot of Schuberth helmets it still leaves a little to be desired. The average SHARP rating hovers somewhere around 3.5 stars. So perhaps Schubeth’s attempts to decrease weight resulted in a slightly lower rating. Still, for half a star of safety they managed to pull off quite a bit of weight reduction.
The R2 launched with DOT certification, making it street legal for riders in the United States. However, it did not receive ECE certification until several months after it launched. Now featuring both certifications, riders should feel safe wearing this helmet on both European and American roads alike.
Conclusion
Overall, Schuberth delivers quite the stellar helmet with the R2. It features phenomenal visibility and comfort specifications, with safety ratings that point towards a better future for Schuberth helmets. You can find this helmet in several graphics patterns, so you can find one to fit your desired look.
This helmet really only lacks the fact that not all riders can wear it comfortably. Only neutral to round shaped heads should consider purchasing this helmet without trying it on. And if you can try it on before buying, let it rest for some time to make sure it fits properly.
Another huge selling point comes with the speaker and microphone system. Do not get your hopes up too much, as the speaker and microphone unfortunately lack in quality. Still, the helmet features all the ports and positions for these materials if you wish to install one from a third party.
Where to buy this helmet :