HJC C70 full face polycarbonate motorcycle helmet review.

The HJC C70 is HJC’s replacement for their IS17 helmet. Which means it’s designed to be a great all-rounder motorcycle helmet at an affordable price.

It also means it has one heck of a job to do – to replace one of their best selling, highest safety rated and fullest-featured crash helmets on the market.

Like the IS17, the C70 is a polycarbonate shelled helmet with a drop down sun visor, micrometric fastener, quick release and Pinlock-ready main faceshield. But sadly, unlike the outgoing helmet, there isn’t a Pinlock in the box.

So if you’re after a good quality, well performing but affordable helmet that’ll work from any bike from moped to a tourer (but not so well on a sportsbike) then read on as we tell you all you need to know about the HJC C70 helmet.

• Full face all-rounder helmet
• Polycarbonate shell
• Drop down sun visor
• Made in 2 shell sizes
• DOT certified
• Pinlock ready shield (insert not included)
• Micrometric fastener
• Quick release main shield
  
• Sizes XS-XXL
• Expect to pay $150-$190

Looking to buy an HJC C70 ?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

HJC has a pretty good reputation for safety, not least among their polycarbonate helmets.

The helmet it’s replacing was actually given a maximum safety rating of 5 stars by UK helmet testers at SHARP (ECE version), and of course the HJC C70, like all helmets for sale in the US, is certified DOT compliant too.

HJC does send the occasional helmet off to the Snell foundation for testing, but to date, there’s no sign of the C70 on their website yet (though the HJC i10 is).

Where a helmet has been tested by the UK’s SHARP helmet testing labs, we also mention the score there.

However, in the case of the C70, HJC USA has confirmed to us that the US version of the C70 is different from the European version. Over there it scored a maximum 5 stars, but since HJC has confirmed that the two helmets aren’t comparable, we’ve removed the test results from this page.

Right onto other safety features…

The shield’s been designed to be wide to give good peripheral vision. And an integral drop down sun visor’s always really useful to have on your helmet, to stop you getting caught out when the sun’s blinding; so that’s a very worthwhile safety addition.

And finally, the HJC C70 is made in two shell sizes. That’s probably to be expected for a helmet at this price point but we like to see more these days as more shells means a more optimized fit, less weight and – arguably – improved safety.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

HJC does say the C70 has been wind tunnel designed for improved aerodynamic performance. Which should help reduce wind noise entering the helmet of course.

That maybe the case, but where you have ventilation holes, you also have pathways for noise. And while there’s plenty of padding inside the C70 – including those ‘generous cheek pads’ (see comfort section below), it seems the C70 is about average for noise suppression.

As we often find, some owners think it’s a really quiet helmet while others say it’s noisy – all dependent on different motorcycles, riding styles, fairings, previous helmets etc. etc. It’s all very subjective, but given that we found an equal number of owners on either side of the fence, we’ve plumped for a score of about average when it comes to noise suppression.

And if you do buy a C70 – hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised (but always wear decent ear plugs when you ride to protect your hearing).

Ventilation

(more about helmet ventilation)

As you can see from the photos, there’s one large top vent and a single vent in the chin bar too.

That chin bar vent is covered by a sliding panel used to close it off or open it up and direct air behind the shield.

The top vent is opened by a small slider right on the top of the helmet. According to C70 owners, it’s actually really easy to find and, because it sticks up nicely, it’s simple to use and means gloved fingers can easily grip it .

This top vent passes air through the helmet shell and into grooved channels inside the helmet.

It’s a similar system to the outgoing helmet and, according to several owners, it works well – pulling in a decent amount of air that can be felt across the top of the head inside the helmet.

Same goes for that chin vent. And if you’re riding in more Northern states, you’re going to want to buy and fit a Pinlock antifog insert in there to stop fogging.

If you’re a summer-only rider, you might get away without. Otherwise, expect the shield to fog up on cold mornings or when it rains.

Pinlocks are about $30.

A couple of links you might find useful…

– Click to see all our HJC Helmet Reviews –
– Here you’ll find all the safest helmets we’ve looked at –

Shield

(more about shields)

OK, the shield on the C70 does pretty much everything you’re going to need on your helmet – except come with a Pinlock antifog insert.

It is Pinlock-ready, meaning it’s got those Pinlock pegs fixed on the shield so you can buy a Pinlock and fit it on there. Just some helmets come with the Pinlock itself in the box – whereas the C70 doesn’t.

Find our helmets that are Pinlock-ready or come with a Pinlock insert in the box by clicking the link.

You can understand why the C70 doesn’t come with an insert. HJC obviously wanted to keep the cost of the helmet down and including a Pinlock would’ve nudged it up a bit.

But it’s a real shame because, according to a few C70 owners, it can fog up pretty easily, though to be fair, most helmets can when it’s cold and wet.

Other than that, the shield system on the C70 looks pretty good.

It’s nice and wide to give good peripheral vision. It also features HJCs RapidFire II shield quick removal system. That’s one of the best and just involves raising the shield, squeezing a trigger and popping off the shield.

Why do you need that? Well for easy cleaning mostly. Get home covered in dust/bug juice – pop it off and wash it in soapy water. Job done.

The C70’s shield’s also got a small locking mechanism on it. When you snap the shield closed, it’ll click-locked. But it’s easy to push up on the shield tab, releasing the lock and opening the shield in one go.

A shield lock’s probably not that important to most of us outside a race track, but it does help a little with securing the shield against the shield gasket and keeping wind/rain out.

Sun Visor

(more about sun visors)

A sun visor’s always a mega useful addition to a helmet. Not only is it really convenient – quickly dropping it down to keep the sun out of your eyes – but it’s also an important safety feature when the sun’s low and dazzling.

The sun visor on the C70 is operated by a slider sat high up and far back on the crown of the helmet. It’s kind of an OK position for the slider, though it can be a bit tricky to find until you get used to it.

Unlike the old model which returned the sun visor to it’s fully up position using a spring-loaded, button operated mechanism, the C70’s sun visor needs to be slid down, then manually slid back up again.

That does give you the option of choosing exactly which position you drop it down to – whether you want it fully down or just down a little.

Plus, the spring mechanism on the old IS17 was known for getting a bit tired – meaning it’d raise it a bit but not fully. So this system does away with that potential problem.

Feedback from owners on the sun visor on the C70 is that it’s super easy to operate, it’s fairly dark and that it’s easy to find and use in gloves. So all good there.

Comfort and Sizing

(more about comfort and sizing)

The inner lining on the HJC C70 is removable and washable and uses a material HJC calls SuperCool. That’s a moisture wicking and antimicrobial material that’s soft to the touch too.

It’s available in sizes XS-XXL and is a medium oval fitment.

If you are looking to buy a C70, check out our helmet fitting guide first. Then when you receive the helmet, make sure it’s a reasonably tight fit (but expect it to give a little over the first days/weeks) and make sure it’s comfortable.

Ensuring your helmet fits correctly should be your number one priority when buying a helmet because a correctly fitting helmet means the helmet can do its job in an accident. If it’s too loose, it won’t give you the best protection.

And make sure you always tighten your chin strap fully, because loose helmets are known to come off in accidents if they’re not correctly tightened.

Like several HJC helmets, a few owners say that while it fits well, the cheek pads in the C70 can be really tight when you first get it (though they do break in pretty quickly). So if you’ve chubby cheeks – beware and expect to have to do some breaking in.

But note: you can buy different size cheek pads if it doesn’t break in as quickly or as much as you’d like.

Looks & Graphics

HJC’s expecting to sell lots of C70s and you can see that in the number of graphics available.

If you’re after a solid/plain helmet, there’s a gloss black and gloss white as well as a matt black version.

And there’s also a heap of funky graphics that we’ve scattered up and down the page: the Valon, Lianto, Troky and Boltas available in allsorts of color options including some hi-viz.

If you’re interested in seeing the latest discounts and deals as well as any new designs that have surfaced since we last looked at the C70, feel free to click the links below to our recommended stores – recommended because they all score high marks in online reviews meaning they’ll look after you well if you buy from them.

Best places to buy an HJC C70 ?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Other stuff – fasteners, glasses, aero, breath guard, comms/audio, warranty

The C70 is available with a micrometric fastener from most stores in the US and continental Europe (but mostly double-d in the UK). Either system’s fine – click the links to find out more about either fastener if you’re not sure.

And if you prefer riding in sun (or normal) glasses, then the C70 is good for glasses wearers because there’s glasses grooves inside the C70. We found a couple of owners who said the grooves work great and the C70 is fantastic if you wear glasses because the slots make it really easy to shove your glasses on and stop the arms pressing into your head.

HJC says the slightly redesigned shell of the C70 was wind-tunnel tested to reduce noise, buffeting and give all round improved aero performance.

We found owners who said the aerodynamic performance is very good, finding the helmet doesn’t ‘pull’ when you’re riding or looking around.

It comes with a removable breath guard inside the box to help reduce fogging on the shield.

While there aren’t any specific speaker cutouts inside the helmet, a few owners reckoned there is space to fit speakers comfortably and pockets in the cheek pads for them to go. So it seems you shouldn’t have a problem fitting a bluetooth kit as long as the speakers aren’t too oversized.

Finally, whereas some HJCs come with a 5 year warranty (RPHA range of helmets) the C70 only comes with a paltry 1 year guarantee 🙁

Overall/Summary

The outgoing IS17 was a great helmet, and so too is its replacement, the HJC C70.

The C70 has a slightly redesigned shell for improved aero, but other than that and a few other minor tweaks, it’s a very similar helmet.

Owners say the C70 has good ventilation, a great face shield and sun visor system and, as long as your face isn’t too squeezed by the cheek pads, is very comfortable.

It’s well built too – for a helmet at this price point.

All of which means that if you’re after a budget helmet for your more upright motorcycle (so nakeds, adventure bikes etc. but probably not sportsbikes) that offers real performance and all the major features you need – like sun visor and Pinlock-ready main shield – then the HJC C70 very much delivers.

It’s a great helmet offering max levels of protection* at a low price point. Highly recommended.

Good Alternatives to the HJC C70?

HJC make some great performing lower-priced helmets, and we expect the C70 to be a good buy. But there are quite a few other great helmets available for not very much money.

Here’s a selection of recommended alternatives to take a look at. These have all scored well on safety tests – and you can find more by using our smart(ish) filters page, for example by checking the ‘budget’ and ‘safest’ boxes to find lower priced helmets that offer great safety levels.

The Scorpion Exo R-710 is a Snell certified, light weight full face helmet that comes with a 5 year warranty and is great value for money.

Same goes for its slightly more expensive stablemate, the Scorpion Exo R2000. That’s a composite fiber Snell certified helmet that comes with EQRS and works particularly well with sportsbikes.

The Shark Skwal 2 is SHARP 4 star rated (ECE version), has a Pinlock in the box, sun visor, is reasonably light weight and has in-built LEDs for extra visibility.

Looking to buy an HJC C70 ?

Please click below to visit the HJC C70 helmets pages at our recommended stores – all checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from any store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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