Yes indeed it did go up and is now near its 52 week high. Perhaps those who bought in at over a dollar in 05 are encouraged. Penny stocks have their own type of persona and disclosure availability and I am pointing out that this is a penny stock. I hope it continues to do well.

geo

Re: If you don't read any other post this year...PLEASE read this one!
 

Good post and thought-provoking video.
Makes you wonder why this hasn't been looked into way before this. I first read about the Leatt brace several years ago, it seems. Thought it was the logical thing then and even more now.


Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look
:

Well, I'm sitting pretty with my 1,000 shares. I may cash in and buy that R1200S!

Don't forget the promise you made to Elke!!!!!



From this thread.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/bmw-r1100s-r1200s-tech-forum/291810-fantastic-discovery-about-july-4th-ride-report.html


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Steve Carlton
[B]

We were having a nice time relaxing and chatting. Then Elke kind of surprised me when she said "Dad, I know there might be a little brother joining the family someday. Am I staying, or are you going to get rid of me like ckcarr did? That would make me very, very sad." I told her she's my original girl, and she'll always have a home with me...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152080325.jpg

Uh oh.

One other little minor glitch, Steve. I failed to mention those prices are in cents, not dollars. Maybe you can buy a new tire for Elke.

Oh well. Seemed too good to be true for a $150 investment. :cool:

report from san diego supercross race:

about a dozen of the pro riders were wearing the leatt brace last night. many more had tried it in practice during the week and will be showing up with it in the next couple of weeks.

josh grant was the first to put it on the podium (won his heat race in the Lites division).
kevin windham was the first to put it on the main event podium (finished third in the Supercross class).

a quick poll of the riders shows that at least half of them will be wearing the leatt brace by the end of the season in september.

the leatt guys were there, didn't have a chance to talk to them...they were kind of "busy".

Brad,

As I mentioned above, I've gone ahead and ordered one, but I'm just wondering what the statistics are for these types of injuries on the street (vs racing)?

I think the offshore boat racers need to see this. they use horse collars but this seems to be better. A boat can spank your body just as badly as a quad chasing you down and stomping you after an endo.

john~

were you on our ride when Gerhard got hurt?

think about the roads we ride the most. when you make a BIG mistake, where do you go?

off-road.

think about the #1 fatality of motorcycle riders: somebody making a left hand turn in your face. in my opinion, that's a whole lot like the pro supercross/motocross guys experience.
they come up "short", they slam their head into the face of the next uphill section. their head goes either WAY too far back or WAY too far forward.
snap.
wheelchair.

one of the main things the leatt brace does is to help restrict your head from going too far forward, or too far back. and too far to the left or right.
that's the whole idea.

when gerhard went into that icy corner, he ended up in the dirt, and (from what i saw), stuffed his head into the hillside.
i don't know if he suffered from too far forward or too far back. or maybe he drilled himself (augered in).

unfortunately, i've had a few people confront me after Gerhard's incident and say things like "dude...of all the folks there, you seemed to be the least effected....the calmest...like it was no big deal."

they're probably right. i've seen, over the past 35 years, way too many friends suffer this kind of injury.

is the leatt brace the fix-all, end-all? probably not.
does it help lower the odds of experiencing that kind of injury? so far, it looks like it.

one of the things i noticed yesterday at the race is that i'm getting really tired of seeing long-time friends of mine who i walk up to, knowing i can't shake their hand.

i have to grab their hand, or scoot down and give them a hug...because their hands are curled up, and they don't have that kind of motor skills anymore.

case in point: james marshall, who fell off a year ago, at the san diego event, stopped and talked with us. steve giberson, who shot the david bailey video, was with me when we "walked" up to james.

one of the things he said was: "Thanks for doing what you're doing. the leatt was around before i fell off. i wish now that i'd of gotten one. it might have helped...it might not...but i'll never know."

Ordered one today.

First I'll see how it works riding the dirt bike with chest protector. Looks like it should integrate pretty well based on the pictures I've seen.

Hopefully it will fit with my street riding jackets. I'm hoping I can wear it under the jackets? We'll see

thanks Brad.

wow. I'm in for one, too. coulda saved be a bit o trouble last may with my clavicle...

Now I need a dirtbike. Thanks, Brad...

billy~
most of your questions are answered at: http://www.leatt-brace.com/pdf/gpx_instruction_manual.pdf


some (not all) chest protectors need to be modified to fit the brace.

so do some street leathers.

in my case, i have a 1-piece track suit with a spine protection hump in the back. i will cut a slit in the hump to put the rear part of the leatt brace into it.
http://www.bradzimmerman.com/hump.jpg

not an issue. i called around and easily found a tailor who will sew a "leather jacket", and i'm good to go. i can cut the slit. i just want her to hem it up so it doesn't unravel.

i also have a regular riding jacket for the street. from what i've seen, the leatt will easily fit inside the jacket.

i have a lot of friends (US, England, South Africa) that i've kept in touch with over the past week.

most of 'em have voluntarily "grounded" themselves until they get their brace. they won't ride again until they have it.

i'm of the same line of thinking. i'll let my bmw trickle charge. i'll start my supermoto bike to keep the battery charged.

but i won't ride until i have my leatt.
and i don't plan on ever riding again without it.

interesting side-bar: there was a kid in my neighborhood who was a skateboard nut. i jumped his butt about not wearing a helmet. his attitude was "so what, no big deal". i challenged him to run as fast as he could (slower than a skateboard), and stuff his head into the nearby light pole. he declined.
i also offered him a $1,000 bounty if he ever saw me ride one of my motorcycles without a helmet.
he took me up on that one...most times when i fired up a bike, he was out there watching.

he never collected.
never will.

i feel the same way about the leatt. might help. might not.

but i'm not willing to go ride and find out.

i really don't want to be one of those guys you have to bend down and hug.

they now make "spinners" for wheelchairs.

the cost? about $600+
here's a foto from last night's race:

http://www.vitalmx.com/photo/albums/..._031sdprac.jpg

There's no doubt that a good neck brace can help minimize injury. And I'm surprised this hasn't become an accepted and common piece of gear by now.

But being wheelchair-bound is one thing. Having a fractured neck is another.

Without causing undue fear in people, how many riders suffer fractured cervical vertebrae? That would leave them like Chris Reeves, often unable to breathe on their own.

If they are wheelchair-bound pushing themselves around, a cervical neck brace would not have helped.

For example, a cervical brace would not have helped Chris Bailey (video).

Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look: Adventure Tourer?

Meaning that the injury was lower on the spine? So for injuries lower on the spine (below the neck), are we talking back protectors or is it extreme motion that causes these injuries as well? (I'm guessing you're a doctor.)

you dont have to be a doctor to know something of the injuries and their results. all you have to know is someone that has had similar injuries or experienced injuries yourself and spent time with a sports medicine doctor that schools you on injury and recovery, as well as, prevention.
you learn a lot about the body when you start to break things...and you dont have to be a doctor to retain the knowledge.

i am aware a few people who have broken their back on track days and are still upright, some even still riding. and the point seeker made is accurate. a neck brace will aid in protection against injuries that would result in neck-down paralysis...back protectors aid in protection in further-down paralysis. neither prevents it completely.

repoe3

i can't find this product anywhere at the Dealer Expo in Indianapolis. Not usually a wise move to miss this trade show with a new revolutionary type motorcycle product.

bobby~

the US crew, based out of Lost Wages, was at the san diego supercross this weekend fitting riders with braces, rather than at the indy show.

maybe they're following the usual route of selling direct before establishing a dealer network? i know that some dealers have applied to carry the braces, but only in the last week or so.
plus, the whole thing, over the past couple of weeks, has pretty much overwhelmed leatt in response to orders. they're back-ordered on the carbon fiber version and just added three phone lines and staff to keep up with demand. they say that, other than the CF version, they have enough product to keep up with demand.

Yes.

Quote:

So for injuries lower on the spine (below the neck), are we talking back protectors or is it extreme motion that causes these injuries as well?

Yes. Back protectors that protect against crushing blows to vertebrae or lateral displacement and injury resulting from excessive range of motion.

Having said that, I'm surprised that the use of neck braces has yet to become more widespread in those types of competitions.



Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look: Adventure Tourer?
:

I feel that one of these would have prevented many of the problems that I experience as a result of crashing my S. I rolled over while on the bike, my chin met my chest -- painfully hard -- and now I have several pinched nerves and deformed vertibrae up top. I believe 200% that this injury would not have occured had I owned and was wearing this device. Let's see, it was probably 80-90% extension ... according to their data (backed up by BMW, but who cares about what they have to say WRT engineering safety devices) ... that would have been reduced to 50% extension. Sounds to me like the angle would have been no worse than nodding off in my computer chair.

The detractors moan on about biomedical engineers and not enough data. Sorry, but when you've had or known people with injuries, you tend to wear different gear. Back protector and leatt seem to be the way to save your spine. If you get whipped into a guard rail, you'd want something stopping "rag doll physics" -- all the somethings you could.

(Not an investor ... yet.)

I feel for you as I know how painful a pinched nerve at the neck feels like. Do you have lingering pain and if so, where?

Curious about your <deformed vertibrae>. Vertebrae is bone. It breaks, it crushes. How is it deformed?

Quote:

Let's see, it was probably 80-90% extension ... according to their data ... that would have been reduced to 50% extension.

I'm not sure I follow what extension you're referring to. If it refers to your neck injury and you say you hit your chest, that would be neck flexion not extension. http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/...s/thinkerg.gif

Quote:

Sorry, but when you've had or known people with injuries, you tend to wear different gear.

True enough.

Quote:

Back protector and leatt seem to be the way to save your spine.

True in that your neck is technically considered part of your spine. But if you are referring to what most people mean when referring to spine ie below the shoulders, then the Leatt targets the neck.

Just so we don't go rushing off in a panic creating a run, if you look at statistics on the types of injuries caused by motorcycle accidents on the road, true spinal cord damage at the neck is very rare. Of course it doesn't mean that it can't happen.

Quote:

If you get whipped into a guard rail, you'd want something stopping "rag doll physics" -- all the somethings you could.

Since you are using this example, if you get whipped into a guard rail, you typically have other concerns that are more likely to happen and prevent against.


Cheers!

Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look: Adventure Tourer?
:

Yes, flexion ... their website had it wrong and I incorrectly corrected myself.

I guess it wasn't too bad of a crush but there is a lip on the edge of the vert ... if I could scan in my x-ray, I would, Be ... Bruno.

Their website had it wrong? Whose website?




Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look: Adventure Tourer?
:

I'm glad we're talking about this as I never considered lateral displacement issues. This would mean that the typical foam pad inserted inside a jacket would not be sufficient as it only protects against the impact. You need one with a hard plastic backing that restrics movement of the back as well. (Edit: I guess this isn't true even for the "reinforced" back protectors. The instructions for my Dainese Back Space G2 protector says it limits transmitted force due to impact, but does not protect against traumas caused by twisting or extreme movements.)

Even if the statistics for neck injuries on the street are low, my neck is already vulnerable so I'm getting one of these. I have pinched nerves (and ruptured discs) in my neck from an acrobatic skiing accident. All I have to do is move the wrong way and it can flare up. If this restricts head movement (without being uncomfortable), I need it.

From the MAIDS report - "The 921 on-scene, in-depth accident investigations have provided a large volume of data related to the general characteristics of PTW accidents; including accident causation and rider and passenger injury information. The outcome of these investigations can be considered in the identification, development and introduction of countermeasures."

http://maids.acembike.org/ (You must register on the site to view the report).



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1171916306.gif

From above mentioned MAIDS Study:

Figure 9.3: Summary of the distribution of PTW rider injuries greater than AIS=1 (number in parenthesis indicates total number of reported injuries for that region, total number of injuries to the PTW rider = 3417)






http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1171919094.gif

Yes. These were some of the stats I was referring to. Point to consider: As anyone in risk management knows, it's important to not only factor in the probability of an occurence, but also the damage resulting from its occurence. So even though injuries to lower extremities are more probable, a coma-inducing injury to the head is of higher gravity.

One injury that is rarely talked about for road riding but is often fatal is a chest injury. The type of injury that killed astronaut Pete (Chuck) Conrad while he was riding his motorcycle. Also the type of injury that killed a Cycle Canada staff member a couple of years back. Once you suffer this injury, your survival rate in the ER is less than 10%.

For road riding, I would put chest protection ahead of neck protection. Expecially when dealing with steel barriers.

But motocross track riding is different.

of note: of all the highsides occuring at roadrace tracks around the country each year, how many result in a fractured neck?


Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides

BRP Can-Am Spyder First Look: Adventure Tourer?
:

There's an ADVrider thread running on the Leatt:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173305

wow, they recommend replacement every 3 years.

repoe3

repoe~
yep, that's about as far as i'm willing to go with a helmet too. three years, to me, is a long time. makes me nervous to even go that far!

(just got a new helmet last week...old one is retired after 2 years).

hey john~
i'm in the middle of putting up the new '07 spidi protection gear. thought you might be intersted.

defender: http://www.motonation.com/defenderback_chest.htm

back warrior: http://www.motonation.com/backwarrior.htm

air back: http://www.motonation.com/airback.htm

pages aren't done yet (BUY button doesn't work), but you can call and order them now: 877-789-4140.

I want Batman's body armor to ride in.

Looks nice, Brad. I particularly like the word "svelte."

I do need to upgrade some of my older pads that are foam only (no reinforcing). Can these fit inside the back pocket of the jacket or are they meant to be worn inside the jacket only?

i dunno. not sure which protective gear you're referring to, plus i forgett which spidi jacket you have (a textile maybe?).

US distributor, motonation is at 877-789-4940. punch in "0".
ask for jojo. he should know.

My $0.02 on this is that the five-year replacment interval for helmets is probably ultra-conservative. I've never seen any hard data WHATSOEVER to justify this interval, let alone one that is shorter. I think storage and usage conditions are much more important than a fixed calendar interval. I've looked at EPS liners in five-year old helmets and notwithstanding crash damage or throwing them over mirror stalks, they generally look just like new. If the helmet still fits snugly, and the shell has not been compromised, it will do exactly the same job as a new one.

I know you can take the attitude that one should never skimp on safety gear, but obviously you have to draw the line somewhere. If you're throwing darts at the wall without any supporting data, why not 1 year? Why not six-months? And certainly you have to take into account the type of usage - racing (whether you do it as you're supposed to on the track or as you're not supposed to on the street) certainly justifies being more conservative.

- Mark

and that pretty much sums up the useful life of anything...use and care. i have a few helmets and rotate their use as wearing them nearly everyday for 8+ months can make them quite aromatic. however, with removable liners for cleaning, not to mention one of the techniques for cleaning a helmet is complete submersion in water, the shell is not harmed.

the 5 year rule thrown out for helmets made sense to me in the past as technology was moving at a more rapid pace. now its more about styling than innovative safety features, in a helmet. i had one of my original arai helmets that was over 5 years old and i felt just as safe in it as i did a new one.

unless a safety device is "tested," meaning involved in a crash, it should had a greater service life.

all that said, i like having a new lid for riding as frequently as funds permit. and with arai lifting their online sales ban and the available helmets out there that are, well don't want to start the whole snell battle again, lets just say, its easier to have new gear more often.

repoe3

on a side note, i read an article the other day that had a great quote...

"sheep have but two speeds, graze and stampede" :D

repoe3

I was dissappointed to see Stewart NOT wearing one. With his crash history and the history of his number "259", I would think that he would be pushing more for this, not just the Honda guys that are close with Fonzi.

Looks like a "smart" piece of gear, thanks for posting this Brad.