#Leatt

–We’re constantly on the look for great deals on motorcycle gear. We’ll be updating this post each week with the latest sales on gear and accessories, so keep checking here for new deals.

HEY! Did you know you could help support us MOrons by buying stuff at Revzilla? It’s true. Whenever you click on over there after seeing a thing here, we get a piece of the pie. It’s a win/win situation – especially when the thing is on sale. You get a deal on what you needed anyway. We get to keep eating. Here are a few of this week’s retail therapy opportunities.

Just like anything else, motorcycles are continually evolving and getting lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Despite improvements to how well bikes handle and perform, having an accident and crashing is always a looming threat that can never be eliminated, only mitigated – especially off-road. Fortunately for us riders, there are engineers working hard to keep our heads and bodies as safe as possible so we can continue to enjoy riding motorcycles – both on- and off-road – with confidence in knowing that we have the best chance in decreasing the amount of damage a potential crash can cause.

We here at MO are proponents of ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time), however, if you’re only going to buy one piece of equipment, you better make it a helmet. Below is a list of the best dirtbike helmets money can buy.

It’s the start of a new week, which means Revzilla has a whole bunch of new deals and markdowns to sort through. In this week’s edition of Revzilla deals, we see all sorts of riding gear getting marked down, but this is only a small sampling. Head on over to Revzilla to see the full list of fresh price drops.

Happy first week of July, everyone. With summer in full swing, you’ve hopefully had the chance to get some riding in. If you have, by now you’re probably aware of any potential upgrades or replacements you need to make to your moto wardrobe. In this week’s edition of Revzilla deals, there are an assortment of products for Adventure, touring, and even off-road riders.

Shop for the Latest Deals here

Innovation, whether it be the motorcycle I’m riding or the gear I’m wearing, always piques my interest. I remember the introduction of 6D’s Omni-Directional Suspension (ODS) technology in MX helmets at the now defunct Dealer Expo show in 2013, and to now see it realized in a street-legal helmet a few years later satisfies my progressive inclinations.  

If the technologies driving motorcycle components progressed at the same rate as motorcycle helmet technology we’d still be riding around on drum brakes. Where’s the motorcycle helmet equivalent of cutting-edge technologies such TC, C-ABS or semi-active suspension? The general construction of motorcycle helmets hasn’t changed much since leather lids became passé: a hard outer shell, impact-absorbing EPS (expanded polystyrene) liner, comfort padding. Helmets are certainly lighter, quieter, more comfortable and safer than their bygone counterparts, but I would have argued 20 years ago that the features touted by failed helmet company start-up, Skully, would have been commonplace by now.

Sena Unveils Smart Helmet With Noise Control + Video

Make no mistake, helmet manufacturers and the technology companies that support them are dutifully working toward improving helmet functionality, and there has been some recent breakthrough technologies introduced from proprietary helmet companies 6D, and Leatt, as well as MIPS.

MIPS is the acronym for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, a system that reduces rotational forces via deflection technology. Basically, according to MIPS, when a crash occurs, your helmeted head is more likely than not to hit the ground at an angle, creating rotational forces. MIPS provides a thin, low-friction layer inside the helmet allowing for some rotation to occur separate from your skull, thus deflecting the energy in another direction and reducing the impact to your brain. The video below provides a visual representation of MIPS in action deflecting rotational forces.

Helmets, leathers, gloves, boots, back protector, chest protector, air bags. When it comes to road racing, millions of dollars are spent to keep the rider covered in some sort of protective equipment, all in an effort to keep you as safe as possible when pushing to the max. Through it all, however, there’s still one incredibly important (and sensitive!) part of the body exposed to the elements — your neck.

Dr. Chris Leatt, an innovator in the field of body armor and restraints, and the founder of the company which bears his name, has been designing neck restraints since 2001, when he witnessed the death of a fellow rider. Incorporating Alternative Load Path Technology (ALPT), the theory behind the braces is to prevent the neck from hyperextending, hyperflexing, laterally hyperextending and hypertranslating. Basically, to stop it from bending in ways it shouldn’t during an impact.

“The business of selling safety,” that’s the company line, straight from the horse’s mouth. Leatt has made a name with protective neck braces for bicyclists and motorcyclists, and for 2013/14 the company has a few new items to guard the zaniest racers and riders. On a hot day last week, the South African company invited thirty or so media associates to its US distribution facility in Santa Clarita, California to take a long, refreshing swig of the Leatt kool-aid from General Manager, Phil Davy.

Developed by Dr. Chris Leatt, a 45-year-old South African who saw a friend’s son become severely paralyzed in a bicycle wreck, Leatt neck braces work using Alternate Load Path Technology (ALPT), which is a fancy way to describe how the collar-like braces, resting on the muscles on either side of the neck and on the chest and back, reduce the chances neck and spine injury by transferring forces to other parts of the body. In a crash where the head is severely impacted, the bottom edge of a full-face helmet will interact with the brace, keeping the head from being jarred, jammed or twisted in any direction. The result, theoretically, is fewer spinal cord injuries – and therefore fewer fatal or paralyzing crashes.

Sounds great, but does it work? There are naysayers, but Leatt (naturally) presented research that shows it does. For his part, Dr. Leatt says his personal yardstick for any of his company’s products is to ask himself the question: “Would I let my own son wear it?” That may not convince the young and indestructible-minded – but it’s enough to assure a lot of parents whose kids want to ride fast and fly high.

Still, while the Leatt brace made quite a splash in the racing world when it debuted several years ago, the company admits usage among racers and stunt riders has fallen off lately – perhaps that’s because it’s the type of safety item you hope you never need, and therefore people grow tired of strapping it on before every race. Or perhaps it’s because of comfort issues, a typical complaint the company plans to address (very) soon. Regardless, a Leatt neck brace performs as promised, keeping the head and neck reasonably upright in even the most severe crashes.

Does it prevent injury? Leatt brought up three of its most famous ambassadors to testify. X Games freelance MX gold medalist Lance Coury admitted he doesn’t know if the Leatt brace he religiously wears prevents injury, because he’s fortunate enough to have never needed it – but in the same breath made it clear he rarely even practices without it. BMX star Mike Day also swore by the Leatt’s safety and security, and MX veteran Ryan Morais recounted how he was wearing a Leatt brace when he famously landed on a crashed Trey Canard at the L.A. Coliseum Supercross race in January of 2012. Morais had to have his jaw wired after the crash, but counted himself fortunate as Canard suffered a broken back and was out of motocross for more than a year.

But there’s more to Leatt than just neck braces. For 2013/14 the company is offering an expanded line of safety products, and Davy and Dr. Leatt were happy to demonstrate them for the assembled audience. There isn’t a ton of product of huge interest to average riders, but those who race, ride off-road – or have kids that do – should be very interested in what Leatt’s got on tap for 2013.