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

as some of you know, i make my living in the professional supercross/motocross industry.

i want to tell you about something that could possibly save your life...and keep you out of a wheelchair.

i have WAY too many friends that i used to race with, who are now in wheelchairs due to paralysis.

This is my effort to make sure YOU do not become one of them.

This post might be a long read. trust me...it's worth it.

in my industry, we've recently been making a big push on a product called the leatt brace. their website is: http://www.leatt-brace.com/ the brace you want to look at is the GPX version.

the leatt brace is designed to help minimize paralizing neck injuries...the kinds of injuries that put you in a wheelchair...or worse.

the feedback i've gotten from pro mx/sx/road racers is that: the brace is comfortable. it doesn't interfere with your helmet. it doesn't make additional noise. it doesn't weight much. you almost don't notice it's even there.

from what i've seen, the leatt brace is just as important as a helmet, boots or gloves. hopefully, by the time you're done reading this, it will become a mandatory piece of your riding gear.

my friend david bailey, a former motocross racer, recently marked his 20th year in a wheelchair.
although he's been bed-ridden for the past year, he mustered the effort to talk about the leatt brace. the video is called "Stand for Something".

david's video is sponsored by Nike. it's 12 minutes long. the video is mostly an "inside industry" thing, some of which is directed at particular riders. it's worth a watch. the link is: http://www.vitalmx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id= 0&Itemid=64&media_type=pro&media_id=196&media_owne r=1180

since david's video came out, there's been a giant swell of support in our industry. many of our pro riders have been practicing with the brace during the week...some of them (like Kevin Windham), will be wearing the brace this weekend at our supercross event in San Diego.

many others are trying it. it was worn by 70 of the competitors in the recent Dakar race...bike, car and truck guys.

it's been worn and tried by not only US based road racers, but by many MotoGP guys. You'll be seeing it throughout this season worn by famous guys who are way faster than we are.

the leatt brace is a product that was developed by a South African doctor. Over the past year, he's received "funding" from a variety of companies, including BMW and KTM.

the leatt brace is available in three configurations (all fiberglass, half fiber/half carbon, all carbon), and costs between $400 and $1000 dollars.

yep it's expensive. but even the most inexpensive version is less than the cost of a good wheelchair, or a good helmet, boots, radar detector, ohlins shock, etc...


please follow the links above. think about getting one.
personally...from what i know, what i've seen and what i've learned....i ordered one last week...and i'm absolutely NOT going to ride again until i have mine. and i won't ever ride again without it.

if this post encourages just one of you to belly up and get one...then it will be worth it.

thanx for reading this.

...brad

BZDZ:
you're forcing me to look at something I've studiously ignored while knowing full well the results of cruel fate.
I well remember the day bailey got paralyzed. Kinda like magoo.
guess I know what i'm going to spend a bit of tax refund on.
I'm not a fashion maven anyway (what with a fat a$$ nowadays and all) so who cares what one looks like with it.
thanks for the heads-up (bad pun intended).

yea, jony, the list of friends of mine in wheelchairs due to neck injuries is VERY long.
the point was driven home to me by my girlfriend Rochelle, who after meeting a bunch of my friends who are now in wheelchairs, couldn't keep their names straight: david bailey, wayne rainey, tony destefano, mitch payton, mitch mayes, donovan mitchell, ernie fonseco...and others. too may guys. too many chairs.

all of them were really famous fast guys...all of them are now in wheelchairs.

the leatt brace could/might have saved them...but it wasn't available at the time.

now it is.

so....are you going to buy one?

It's got me thinking. it's NOT something you want to put off as a 'nice idea'. (I can remember when the thought of wearing a helmet skiing made me laugh hysterically; same with a bicycle, but times have changed.)
I'm probably just going to stealth the most inexpensive one with my tax refund.
Yes, I'm going to buy one. maybe I can help start a positive trend (for once).
listening to the roll call of better-than-I'll-ever-be riders who are paras and quads makes me confront an aspect of our sport no-one wants to discuss...

and man, I forgot about Tony D. sheesh!
and pat jacobson, local homeboy.
that doesn't count the many people whacked by the most injurious sport in the US, football...

i am all for safety equipment. but i am curious, how does the brace feel in a sport tucked position? it looks great for dirt bike riding or sitting in a seat on a cart or car.

it looks like it flexes a bit, but can you get in a full tuck with it...especially if you have a substantial back protector with or without a speedhump?

just curious, i still like the idea of getting one, but safety equipment has to work with you.

thx

repoe3

nevermind, found the manual on their site and they even show it used in conjunction with a leather suit with a speed hump. good to know.

repoe3

jony~

hitting closer to home, last year we had Gerhard, who has spent a lot of hospital time and rehab time....and could have possibly benefited from the leatt brace.

as far as i'm concerned....i'd like to think i'm an "experienced rider"...but i ain't stupid.

the price of a leatt brace is far less than the cost of the consequences.

thanks for stepping up to the bar.

i'm hoping that others on this board will too.

that's the reason i posted the info in the first place.

(i was going to wait until i got my leatt brace to tell everyone about it, but it's making me nervous to lose a few days...ya just never know!).

you have NO IDEA how many people who are going to the San Diego supercross event this weekend that are actually excited to see how many of our pro riders will be wearing them...and how many people want to talk about it.
it's one of the fastest moving/positive topics i've seen in my 35 years of being in the industry! in just a week, it's become a BIG THING!

thanx fer yer support!
i think it'll help make a difference for someone...somewhere.

there was a time I wore an open face helmet dirt riding. no more.
there was a time I hated wearing a flak jak dirt riding. no more.
anything that extracts less of a physical toll when I make the inevitable mistake doing what I love, is a Good Thing.


'there are two kinds of riders;
those that have fallen and those that will'

repoe~
i've heard from the pro motocross guys that they can't even feel it...and they move around a LOT MORE than we street riders ever will.

the motoGP guys are saying the same thing. once it's on, you don't even notice it.

i've also heard from a hooligan street rider who has a naked bike (no fairing) and said it didn't generate any lift (at 100 MPH+) , didn't create any more noise and didn't restrict him in any way.

hope that helps you make a decision.

...brad

and there are also those who have fallen...and don't ever get back up.

which is why i'm being so militant about spreading the word.

my friend david is taking a stand in the pro motocross industry.
he's challenged to me to do the same within other circles that i travel in. it's important to both of us.

that's why i'm doing this on the pelican board.

if just one person on this board buys a leatt brace...and it keeps him out of a wheelchair...it'll be worth it.

Brad-

Thanks for bringing this up. Which model did you get?

i bought the Moto GPX Glass Reinforced Nylon Lower and Carbon Fiber Upper
$595

and you?

Thanks for the 'heads up' Brad. I've never even heard of the Leatt brace, but it makes perfect sense. I will get one right away. Same reason I got the Roadcrafter suit- I could imagine myself wishing I could pay 100 times the price of the suit to have a do-over instead of being in a hospital getting skin grafts. Those of us that care about our health and well-being should be an example to those we influence, so kudos to you Brad for making this group aware.

I know there's a lot of newbies on this board lately, and that's great. For those that haven't been here long, take it from me, Brad is IMHO the most knowledgeable member here. He's the Pelican Burning Bush when it comes to motorcycles. Trust me, it's true. Other than Jeff Williams, I'm not sure if anyone has drained that poor boy of more info than me. So, consider this. If not for yourself, consider it for those that care about you.

Back in the early nineties, Wayne Rainey was my hero and photographed him at Laguna Seca in '91.......it was a sad day at Misano in '93.

Brock

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1171682288.jpg

Leatt brace......$400 to $1000

My TEMPORARY paralysis......$350,000 and counting

I'm checking this thing out....thanks Brad

It talks about it being custom fitted. Did I miss something or are they referring to the fitting instructions in the pdf file?

Brad,
group buy?
Thanks I'll talk to you on monday and set up something. Is their a difference in fit on the nylon lower compared to the CF lower?
cya soon,
jw

Steve,
yep, Brad is the 'main vein' to drain when it comes to info, god love him.:)
If he was only taller.......:)
cya
jeff

Thanks for sharing that info Brad...I'll have to investigate later...gotta shovel snow for now.

flatbutt~
the leatt brace is designed so you can "custom fit it" aftter you get it.
the procedure is very simple, and if you read the instructions, it's exceptionally simple to do.
it takes about 20 minutes to custom fit it to your body...and everything you need to do so is included with the brace.

jeff~nope, there ain't no group buy available. if you want one, you buy one.
and there's absolutely no difference between the fiberglass and carbon fiber as far as fit. they're identical.

steve~
thanx for the compliment/glowing approval. appreciate it. the only reason i posted this thread is to help others.............i saw/have followed something that really helps, and i think it would be great for the people on this board to know about it.

ps: i don't know the leatt guys. never talked to 'em. haven't bought stock in their company (NASDAC: LEAT), didn't get a "good deal"...paid retail.

for those of you who know me, the simple fact that i paid retail oughta tell you enough to stop and think.

This looks very interesting, except it makes me wonder (honest question): how can something that leaves you enough freedom of movement to lay your head in your neck on a sportsbike give you any sensible protection. I mean, I wear glasses and I probably have to tilt my head a little more than others just to be able to see properly and the collar of my jacket is already annoying sometimes when it presses against my helmet. If it allows that much free movement, what's it gonna do in a crash?

how is it that they only have medium and small?
how about us big guys?

My injury was caused when my right ear was introduced to my right elbow, almost literally(Lateral hyperflexion). Apparently this design permits rotational movement but restricts pitch and yaw.

Keep in mind guys, this thing WILL increase your odds of surviving a crash. It is VERY likely able to prevent a broken neck along the Cervical column, maybe even T1 or T2.

But It is not a guarante for avoiding a wheel chair. While wearing this brace it is likely that you can still bust a Thoracic vertebra. IMHO. But I'm buying one.

Brad, Thanks man. I'm buying the sport. I have a question, the site only lists small and medium sizes. I'm 6'4" 250 lbs. Will the medium fit me?

Dave, I wrote to them last night with a similar question, I don't know which to buy small or medium.

Let me know what they tell you, please?

depend upon it!

the medium fits regular size guys (16 years and older). the term is somewhat misleading it should be listed as "youth" and "adult".
i understand there isn't any problem with it fitting big guys too.

BMW did some testing.
here's a head impact WITHOUT the brace: http://www.leatt-brace.com/av/av_gpx_pendulum_nobrace.htm

and with the brace: http://www.leatt-brace.com/av/av_gpx_pendulum.htm

another example:
http://www.leatt-brace.com/images/rd_sabs03.gif

a magazine review: http://www.racerxcanada.com/news/3084/racer-x-canada-tested-leatt-brace

a piece about the Dakar competitors using it:
http://www.leatt-brace.com/pdf/press/20070206_press19.pdf

Stewart and Carmichael try it out:
http://www.racerxill.com/breakingnews/article/2366/sx-champions-stewart-and-carmichael-will-try-the-leatt-neck-brace.aspx

an interview with our group's doctor (who's seen more than most guys should ever experience): http://sxweekendwindow.blogspot.com/

more info:http://www.leatt-brace.com/gpx_testing.asp

i'm heading out to the racetrack soon. i'll know more tomorrow.

Thank you for the link. I'll buy one before my next kart race!

Gets more interesting by the minute, but I still only see MX or 4-wheel applications. MX typically has a more straight up riding position than a sportsbike and the head is in more of a natural position. I am worried that on a sportsbike it will either interfere with being able to lift your head high enough to properly see, or is adjusted in a way where it is not really effective, at least not for a front to back motion.

Ordered the same one today. I may have stock shocks, but I'm definitely going CF on this...

BTW, should I start calling you Moses?

I ordered mine. Thanks Brad. I'll post my thoughts after racing with it.

Hasn't BMW been pushing this through some of their Motorrad channels too? This isn't the first I've heard this device in the past year and it's looking to be the way to go. Hey, if the MotorGP guys don't notice it at the speeds they are riding adn the positions they fly through, it shouldn't impede any of our rides.

Hmm ... safety is the easiest thing the get the SO to let us buy into! :)

Anyone have any lucky with the much cheaper ($40) MX designed neck rolls...like EVS or Alpinestar.

-Eff

Brad, thanks for the heartfelt posting and information. This is a valuable service.

Personally, ATGATT works up to a point, but there has to be a limit, otherwise, we'd wear full-face helmets and leathers while driving a Honda Civic to the grocery store. I'm certainly going to consider this device for track days and very aggressive sport riding. I'm not sure I'll wear one going on 45-minute toddle around town though.

Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but there was a time when I could hop on my CB350 and toddle around wearing a Bell TX500 3/4 helmet, $10 leather hardware store gloves, jeans, and my Bates Fast Lane boots and feel like I was riding in a reasonably safe way. I rode for years like this and it was nice to ride without feeling like I was an astronaut preparing for a moon shot each ride.

Further, it's a very strange world when half the motorcycling population lobbies for the right to not wear a helmet while the other half is putting on devices like this. I sometimes think both extremes need to move to the center a bit.

Just rambling. The world is getting awfully complicated.

- Mark

So this thing is kinda like a HANS device for motorcyclists (neato!)although I paid just a hair less for my HANS than what they want for the full CF model. It doesn't list the weight for it though. I don't think it (Pro) would be much lighter than the Sport since only the lower portions are changed. I think the Sport model might be the way to go.

I need to consider this as my next safety equipment purchase (after a full set of leathers which I still have yet to buy). :eek: I know... I know.

SergioK did you see the leathers for sale last week on this forum? They are for under 6 ft. Buy now or soon, the price that you paid will fade.

Brad thanks for the updates and real life info. It's on my list but is it before of after some other items is where i'm at, e.g. tires. Will I wear it most every ride or like my back brace, less often.
I did however email two riding friends to look your post and info. up, so the word is spreading.
thank you ingmar

Brad,

Where were you a week ago? The LEAT stock went from under 15 to 45 in the past week, apparently due to the David Bailey publicity (and huge number of orders).

Cents that is.

geo

Still 300% increase, aka someone got very richt out of that.