From: Mark D. Moon
Date: March 29, 2013
In the summer of 2011, I competed in a cross country hare scramble race in Springville, Alabama. It was a two man team race where partners would swap out running laps. It was a long, strenuous race lasting around 3½ hours.
Near the end of the race, I had a very dangerous crash. A rider in another class had closed up behind me in a fast section. I could hear his engine behind me so I prepared to move over to the left and let him pass. When I did move I hit a log or bump and my right foot came off of the foot peg causing me to slump down on the right side of the bike. This then made me twist the throttle to full open causing me to then turn left into some trees. I was in 2nd or 3rd gear and hit the trees almost at full speed for that gear.
I was thrown over the handlebars and went head first into the ground at an angle of approximately forty five degrees with my chin and upper chest hitting the ground first. Upon impact, my head was violently slammed backwards but the Leatt brace prevented my neck from bending completely back. Then to make things even worse, the rider behind me ran over me and my leg got caught in behind his front tire. His bike then was dragging me for several yards before he could stop.
One of the racer’s actually came into the pit area and told my team mate that he had just witnessed the worst crash he had ever seen and somebody was probably hurt very badly! Guess who he was talking about?
My injuries were a cracked rib up high under my right arm. I believe inertia caused my rib cage to compress and this resulted in the cracked rib. I also had internal chest bruising which prevented me from doing cardio exercises for several weeks. As far as my neck, I only had about a one inch spot on the back left side that was just mildly sore to the touch.
With the speed and violence of the impact I am thoroughly convinced the Leatt brace prevented me from breaking my neck which in turn may have possibly saved my life! No doubt about it.
Thank you folks at Leatt for a very well designed product that definitely saved my neck!
If you ride dirt bikes you have to have this around your neck. Some riders I know say, “Man, that thing is expensive”, I simply say, “what is your neck worth?”
Mark D. Moon, P.E.
Chattanooga, TN
From: Steve Ramon (Professional Motocross Racer) http://steveramon.com/
Question:
You have been wearing a neck brace for quite a while now. Did it help when you crashed in the deep sand of Lommel?
Answer:
Yes for sure. I have had two major crashes where I feel the Leatt brace really saved me from further injury. A few years ago in Valkenswaard I crashed in the first moto and didn’t realize at the time but I fractured my neck in the fall. I raced the second moto and finished 7th but the next day I was still in a lot of pain and when they x-rayed they saw it was fractured. On this occasion the Leatt Brace stopped some of the impact and also helped to keep the neck from displacing which of course would be very bad.
Then my fall in Lommel was very heavy and the impact was straight onto my head. On this occasion I had nerve damage because of the amount of impact that I had. My shoulders both pushed down so far that it over stretched the nerves that lead to my neck and head. Also on this occasion there was no displacement – the Leatt brace moved the impact from my neck and head onto my shoulders. My surgeon said it would have been a lot worse without the brace.
From: Darren
July 9th, 2012 is a day of riding I will likely never forget. It started out a good drive up to my favorite spot, meeting friends for pancakes and bacon and getting my wrist band to catch a chair up Highland Mountain to shred DH trails. I lose track of laps as the days races by.
With my 510's laced up gripping the pedals, full face snapped on and my carbon Leatt DBX resting on my shoulders I began my last descent of the day. Berms, gaps, drops, faster, higher, Catspaw, Bonesaw, adrenaline rush! In a train, riding close behind one of my buddies as we rage down Hellion we hit a high speed step down (nearing 30mph and 8-10 feet air-modest!) and in a moment of awe as I watch Steak pull a big no-footer I found myself being bucked OTB, pulling a big flopping yard sale. I rag dolled hard into the ledge and gravel, hitting my head so hard that I cracked the rear upper deck of the my Leatt. I blew a knee pad off and tore open my knee, crushing half my patella into the trail, fracturing and exposing my femur and tibia as well as several muscles and tendons and ligaments. (Look at the pics if you dare!) A bone on my elbow was exposed as well as a few deep scrapes down to my scapula. My forearms were one big scab. The required emergency surgery took several hours and over 200 stitches just to repair my knee alone. Through it all, I NEVER ONCE, felt a pain in my neck, arms or spine. I have worked in healthcare for almost 10 years, doing MRI imaging on people with neck injuries sustained from far far less traumatic accidents (try falling out of bed for example) and I am 100 percent convinced that had I not been wearing my Leatt brace there is a good chance I would have "spinal injury" to add to the list of wounds from my 'Battle with Hellion". Thanks to my gear, and especially my Leatt, I am able to work on recovering and look forward to 2013 being a sick year or riding with my Jacyo crew- we get higher and go faster! BRAAAAP! Also, thank you to all my friend who helped me, trailside, bedside at the hospital, the messages and visits. We will ride again buddies! -Bullwinkle.
Darren J.
From: Ryan Kudla
To: Leatt
Date: February 23, 2012
Hello, I just wanted to say that I really am thankful for the neck braces that you provide. I broke my C-7 vertebra while wearing a Leatt and according to the doctor that worked on me, the Leatt is the only reason I am not paralyzed from the triceps down, or even worse. Thanks again for the great product!
Ryan Kudla
Oxnard, CA
www.kudlaracing.com
From: Sebastian Kartfjord
To: Leatt
Date: February 10, 2012
Subject: Broken back, saved by Leatt - BMX Pro Norway
I probably had my biggest crash warming up for the World Cup last year in Chula Vista, USA. I made a big mistake going for the berm jump and ended up head first into the asphalt berm. My head and neck took most of the beating and I was released from hospital 4 days later only with a broken T12 in my back. Clearly my Leatt-brace took the load from my neck and moved it down and towards the rest of my body. BMX racing is my job and I`m minimizing the risk of getting sidelined with the Leatt-Brace. My helmet and Leatt-brace is a combo I fully trust in my racing.
Best Regards
Sebastian Kartfjord
Sandnes , Norway
From: Michael H
To: Leatt
Date: August 29, 2011
Subject: Thanks
Hi, my name is Michael from New Zealand. Over the weekend I had a serious crash while riding my downhill MTB, I did not have enough speed to make a gap jump, causing me to land completely upside down on my head. I was using clip-in pedals so when I crashed, the bike was still connected to me, increasing the weight and force. I had recently started using the Leatt DBX Comp, never thinking I would need its services, but it made me feel safer. I am sure that without this fantastic invention I would have ended up in hospital with a broken neck! The force of the crash compressed my full-face helmet onto the brace, stopping the movement, then the helmet broke from the continued force pushing through. I sat up and kissed my Leatt-brace! With nothing more than some scratches and bruising, I felt I had to thank the company for saving my sole. I will never ride without a neck brace again.
Thank you very much.
Mike
From: Claudia G.
To: Leatt
Date: August 29, 2011
Subject: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Good Morning team at Leatt-USA
I cannot thank you enough for your absolutely amazing product.
My son is fourteen years old, and is a downhill mountain bike rider/racer.
Last Christmas I bought him the Leatt DBX Comp 2 – and I am ever so thankful I made this a part of his riding gear.
This weekend, he raced CAT2 at the PRO GRT in Northstar, and hit the rock garden too fast and took a horrible face first fall.
I firmly believe that without his Leatt on, his injuries would have been at the very least a concussion – as it was, he is sore, scraped, bruised and battered…but not BROKEN!
THANK YOU AGAIN for such an incredible product. As the sport grows there are younger and younger kids riding and I believe that your equipment should be a mandatory in order for anyone to ride downhill, let alone enter a race.
Kindly,
Claudia, mom of Dominic
Clayton, CA
From: Brad U.
To: Leatt
Date: August 04, 2011
Subject: Leatt brace saved another life
Hi, I wanted to put in writing my thanks to your company and its quality products. My son’s brand new neck brace (only the 2nd time he wore it) saved him from death or being a quadriplegic last night. He was riding a Honda CRF450R at the local MX track just practicing and he hit a jump at full throttle that he has done many times before, but this time he went over the bars at high speed and landed directly on top of his head/helmet. If he had not been wearing the Leatt-brace I’m sure he would be in much worse shape than a dislocated shoulder and numerous bumps and bruises. The impact was so hard the brace left a bruised imprint on his neck/top of his back. All the other MX gear he was wearing would have done nothing for him, it is this one piece that he just bought that saved him.
Thank you.
Brad
Aztec, NM
From: Rick W.
To: Leatt
Date: October 03, 2011
Subject: Thanks!
This is just a note to say, “Thanks”....On Labor Day, (5 Sept. 2011), my 17 year old son Jared suffered a closed head injury and broken back while riding at Cycle Ranch MX park, Floresville, TX. Due to this, he suffered disability to his entire left side, and is now re-learning to walk, use his left hand and speak.
Luckily he was wearing all his protective gear (as he always does), including his LEATT GPX Club neck brace. He was thrown from his bike, landing directly on his left forehead. I’m sure had it not been for the quality of your neck brace, his injuries might have been much worse!
It’s still very early in knowing exactly how fast he will recover, but I do know it will be months long just taking it one day at a time.
The brace remained completely intact, protecting him from what might have been a catastrophic cervical spine injury. It absorbed the shock just as it should have!
Usually there’s no way to tell which neck brace manufacturer makes the “best” brace, as you unfortunately have to sustain this kind of injury to find out, but now we know!
We’ve never worn any other brand of brace, and after my son’s recent injury, definitely never will
From my son Jared and I, we appreciate all your hard work in developing a product that does what it’s supposed to - saving lives!
Thanks again,
Rick
Killeen, TX.
From: Adrian N.
To: Leatt
Date: February 16, 2009
Subject: Thank you!
G’day guys.
I’m a downhiller (MTB) from the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
As of last Saturday I’m now a proud owner of one of your fantastic products, the Moto GPX.
It was about 4 and half years ago (starting out in the downhill game) at a local race meet I was lucky to survive a relatively large off where I was pitched clean over the bars and dart like speared into the ground. Making a real mess of my C1 and doing no favours to my C7. Thanks to the brilliant staff at the Gold Coast Hospital who then fitted me with a Halo Vest to me. For 9 very long hot Gold Coast months I had to endure this thing.
But I can ensure you the moment I was released from this cage I went straight back for the bike. Nothing stupid, no hardcore drops, rock gardens, just the pure pleasure of motion on two wheels. But now, though I still have no compulsion, you guys create this product to make all that stuff accessible to me again. Thank you. But even beyond that just to have it on in any situation is a boost of confidence that money can’t put a price on.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thanks again guys for doing what you do!
Adrian
From: Bernard B
To: Leatt
Date: July 09, 2008
Subject: Your Brace Saved My Son!
Hi Leatt,
On Thursday, July 3rd, 2008, my 12 year old son was wearing a Leatt Brace while doing a morning practice at Piru MX Park in Filmore, CA.
One of my sons’ sponsors purchased the brace for us as a precaution even though he had never had a bad wreck in the 3 years he has been riding dirt bikes.
The practice was only to run until 1PM that day and during the first couple of hours, everything was uneventful. At about 11AM, he went out for another moto and about 20 minutes later, one of his friends rode into the pit area to tell me that he had fallen...badly!
I went to the upper part of the track to find my son on his back surrounded by 3 other riders who all looked very concerned. Apparently, the tail of his bike came around after a bad launch from a jump and the bike came down sideways. This ejected him from the motorcycle at a great velocity and he landed on his head and left shoulder. He was knocked completely unconscious for a short period of time but had regained consciousness by the time I arrived at the scene.
After being thoroughly checked over for neck and back injuries, we brought him down the hill to the pit area where he sat in a chair until I had retrieved his bike from the hill. About 20 minutes had passed since the accident and this was when I realized that he did not remember even having had an accident! I suspected a head injury and we immediately left to go to a hospital for a complete check-over. My son suffered a moderate to severe concussion from the fall, a bruised kidney and also had some bleeding on his brain. He spent 24 hours in ICU at Ventura County Medical Clinic, but I am happy to say that by the grace of God, he is home and healing. Actually back to his usual nutty self.
The reason I am sending this to you is because of the picture I have attached. Please have a look to see what the Leatt Brace did. You will notice that there is some heavy bruising on his back all the way around the outline where the Leatt Brace sits. This indicates to me that the brace was pressed with heavy force into his back. If that brace had not been there, that force would have been carried by his neck as it obviously shows that the helmet pressed very heavily into it. Your brace has most likely saved my son from a broken neck!
I cannot thank everyone at Leatt enough for the wonderful and critical device that you have created. By the number of copycat devices available on the market, you surely have addressed a major concern in motorcycle riding and racing.
We will continue to be faithful Leatt Brace users.
All The Best
Bernie
