This wouldn't be a forum without a Leatt thread would it......????? I rode Perris tonight with a group of about 9 guys..... maybe 40 bikes at the track all evening... what an absolutely great track.... hi speed Vet track with great tables and an easier double... great for wide open railing and jumping I was working on clearing the two grand stand tables ..... spent some time just sitting watching guys and realizing that I had to have some more speed to clear them both and them into a sweeping bermed corner with some wet clay, clods but a nice railing line....that exitied into a high speed straightaway. So here I come on about my 12th lap and crudely clear the first table (50 Ft) and then come onto the next one ( another 50ftr) ..... I'm doing ok but do not clear...... I'm still full speed in third and rail into the exit berm just like the last 11 times when it happens.... I drifted inside ( look ahead stupid!) and my front tire caught in a small inside rut with soft mushy clay clods... it immediately threw me up on the high side wall of the berm to the top of it where I hook another clay clod that immediately makes me high side up and over the berm.... keep in mind I'm pinned in third at the apex of the berm....... I have long been off the brakes at this point and throttle is wide open......the clod literally stood my bike up sideways and pitched me over the 5 to 6' berm and threw me sideways out onto the hard pack clay......I'm thinking this fffing hurts as I roll three more times and end up in a semi splits standing on the inside of my ankles on each of my boots....my body is not meant to move this way...... Now for the Leatt: the helmet came into positive contact with the left side of it.....and pushed into my shoulder so hard I thought I had dislocated it... the tether straps that I always use pulled hard into my back and up under my shoulder blades and the back brace put pretty good pressure on my mid back.... every joint in my body aches right now including my left shoulder, all of my back, my hips and even my ankles...... I've taken on a full load of ibuprofen that my wife had laying around from her c-section.......and took a steaming hot shower. I landed full on my right shoulder and side and I felt my Leatt come into my shoulder and my helmet absorb into it. Definitely found that the tethers worked well in distributing the pressure all around my body.....I had no pressure whatsoever on my collar bone and my chest actually feels the best out of the rest of my body... I'll be sore tomorrow a.m.... but am walking and although sore right now am very glad that I had my Leatt on tonight.... Thought this might be good for some of you to hear that are concerned with the whole collar bone breaking thing...... my recommendation: take the time to adjust your Leatt perfectly ( i had) and use the Tethers. It saved my ass tonight. T
I started wearing a Leatt this past spring as I am still climbing the learning curve to fast woods riding. So consequently have been pushing more and more the past year and meeting up with more ground and trees on occassion. Once I got it dialed in for offroad riding it was only an extra 30 seconds of PITA getting it on, but from there it was comfy. Back in May I rode in a tarmac rally in SM trim on my HP2. It was a little challenging to adapt the Leatt brace to work with my racing leathers, but I managed and am very glad I did. First stage I over cooked a negative camber, reducing radius blind corner and had to ride out a ditch at over 55mph overgrown with weeds. At about 45mph the front wheel found a washed out rut which sent me over the handlebars and my head (with a fresh Arai) was the point of impact. I was a lil spooked but was able to get the bike going again and ride out the ditch in no time at all. Later in the day I missed some arrows and headed straight off course through and over a fire ditch&berm, again hauling some serious ass and landed on my not so new anymore Arai again. With no doubt in my mind thanks to the Leatt I did not end up on a stretcher that day and was able to place fairly well considering the 2 off course endeavors I took on. Next day I was not even sore in the neck or shoulder area and when examining the Leatt discovered the rear CF section had actually cracked on one of those impacts, so it was doing it's job.
Glad you are only sore Tim!! Good reports,,,you guys are hammerin',,,I just blinged my leatt with a graphics kit,,,,(Blu) heck it even has my name on it!!Go pro or go home...... does it make me go faster???? nothing really can at this age,,,,but I do feel more secure,,,the only test so far for me was the little downhill get off at Glen Helen when Tim almost ran me over the leatt had scooped up a bunch of dirt, as I slid down the hill but I was back on my feet fast. PS all my friends friends refer to it as the toilet seat hung around my neck... I think that is a funny comparison as it does look like a toilet seat!!! RN where is my AIROH Helmet????? (next bling) not easy to get here even knowing the AIROH factory MotoGP rep...gotta buy it in the EU. Husky's rock!!! 09 is another dream year!!! RN
I just wanted to see the whites of your eyes to make sure you were ok...... I missed your body by at least an inch.... that's Precision Husky Ridin' there bud! I warned you to take your first SRA GP lap at Glen Helen easy.... they always throw some suprising s..t at you on that track! T
I've been wearing my Leatte since last year as soon as one appeared where I could see it first. My bro-in-law became paralyzed from the neck down in March '07 and once I saw one, I was sold. I can't really tell it's on and find it very comfy. I don't use the tethers though and this story was a good reminder to start using them. Thanks.
I cannot reccomend the thethers more.... maybe a PIA to put on but well worth it.... I have a little soreness right under my shoulder blades where they dug in..I honestly think that the tethers help prevent/distribute the forward rotation into the collarbone....... I'm glad to have had a positive effect on your thoughts Gandalf...... T
T, the tethers??? you mean the base strap assembly that clips around your chest right?? Just to be sure,,,,I always have used that part of the kit, some people don't?RN
thats right..... the straps that come from the back around your chest to the front and clip in... a lot of guys that I see riding don't have them on. T
