08 Jan Protective Neck Gear – Neck Braces
If you consider the importance of your neck on a scale from 1 to 10, it’s safe to say you will be scoring it a 10. But if you ask motorcyclist to score the importance of a neck brace, it’s sad to say that riders don’t share the same enthusiasm.
Why is this? There seem to be a few reasons
Some part is due to a lack of product knowledge. Riders not understanding what goes into the development of a neck brace for the purpose of protecting you against whiplash and concussion and ultimately braking your neck. It’s a sad but true reality when it comes to a sport like motorcycling. I always say we did not choose painting as a hobby so make sure you are kitted accordingly.
For some it’s the fact that it’s not the most comfortable piece of equipment to race with. This we find more amongst the road racing guys and girls. When cornering there can be a level of restriction in terms of how far you can turn your head left or right to look through the corner at high speeds. Mostly this takes a bit of getting use to but it’s also important to understand that the guys like Leatt Brace can help you set the brace up to fit as close to the body as possible. In some cases you can mount it to the leathers to ensure it does not move. Is it worth the effort? 100{02c0c177ee4fd9beaa1f7860c90a8df2b6c3227773fff8a5ad31f40277892f83} yes!! In the case of high side the brace prevents your neck from turning too far in any direction by stopping against the helmet and although there is a much more technical way to explain this, ultimately it prevents you from braking your neck.
If you are an enduro or motorcross rider or enthusiast, you will notice that almost 99{02c0c177ee4fd9beaa1f7860c90a8df2b6c3227773fff8a5ad31f40277892f83} if not 100{02c0c177ee4fd9beaa1f7860c90a8df2b6c3227773fff8a5ad31f40277892f83} of the riders invest in one of these braces. There is simply no way they can afford to not ride with a brace as the conditions are unpredictable all the time. Off-road riders add the necessary value to the use of a neck brace and also find it more comfortable to use because of their riding position. It’s more upright therefore the restriction when having to look through a corner is less. Also its’ save to say speeds are not as high as what you will find on a superbike and for this reason you don’t need to look as far ahead.
Road riders are unfortunately also guilty for not adding the necessary value to wearing a neck braces.
Some find it to be an extra accessory which is already too much when you think about everything you have to carry when you stop at the shops or at a restaurant. But if you luggage space on your bike, like most touring riders would, then you have no excuse. For others I would say use the brace as a stand for your helmet then you at least don’t have to put the helmet on the floor.
I suppose we can also find a reason to wear a neck brace or not.
But understanding more about it and the purpose it serves would be wise before you decide not to invest in one. Dr Chris Leatt from Leatt Brace decided in 2001 that he wanted to make a difference and design a neck brace to help riders. Visit http://www.leatt.com/company/history/ to find out more about the history of Leatt and what a video that explains some of the lab testing, how it works and why.
Leatt Brace did not stop at the neck brace, they decided to expand in all different areas like Body Armour, Helmets, gloves and even casual wear. Don’t be one of those riders saying “I should have”. It’s a small price to invest on yourself for one of the most important parts of your body. A neck brace should be as important to your neck as what a tyre is too a rim! Try it, you’ll Love it! http://www.leatt.com/
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