Supercross Jiri Dostal injured pretty badly.....

[rmxtgh]

alrighty......first off.....to me its really stupid to ride without a leatt brace.......about the only thing more senseless is riding when you DON'T have health insurance.......

while i dont mean to sound like a preacher apparently Jiri Dostal is really dumb since he choose to ride without both...

the good news is he's not paralyzed......bad news is his neck is broken and he'll need surgery to fuse some vertebra and his hand......

the really ironic thing to me is i believe he was a EMT/paramedic for a few years while taking a break from racing......you'd think someone in the profession would realize how critical insurance is to protect against what he's now facing.....

if you'd like to throw a few bucks his way check out racerx.com.

[madday]

I agree. I know several here in Michigan that dont have with either also, but the wear knee braces. Duh

[Engine_24]

Riding without a Leatt is a personal choice. Some people just don't feel comfortable with them on. So, I don't think it is exactly fair to bust somone's balls about that, becuase they are simply not for everybody. On the otherhand, riding without insurance is like playing roulette with a fully loaded gun. It is not a matter of IF you are going to get blasted, but when.

[BrokenSpoke2]

On the otherhand, riding without insurance is like playing roulette with a fully loaded gun.

But what health insurance covers you while racing?

[eastreich]

But what health insurance covers you while racing?

Mine does. Well, at least it has before!

And the Leatt is a personal choice. Up until two years ago, no one even thought of wearing one since they didn't exist. And up until just a short time ago, not many could justify the high cost of one. And don't give me the "its a safety item, so you should have it anyway." I see so many people out there with cheapo helmets or helmets that are old that even if they had a Leatt the helmet is so crappy they have high odds of brain injury.

IMO I'd rather see someone with a top quality Shoei, Arai, etc... on their head and no Leatt than a cheapo sub $100 helmet and a Leatt.

[Engine_24]

But what health insurance covers you while racing?

So does mine... I have never had any issues with this before.

[Engine_24]

Mine does. Well, at least it has before!

And the Leatt is a personal choice. Up until two years ago, no one even thought of wearing one since they didn't exist. And up until just a short time ago, not many could justify the high cost of one. And don't give me the "its a safety item, so you should have it anyway." I see so many people out there with cheapo helmets or helmets that are old that even if they had a Leatt the helmet is so crappy they have high odds of brain injury.

IMO I'd rather see someone with a top quality Shoei, Arai, etc... on their head and no Leatt than a cheapo sub $100 helmet and a Leatt.

Well said, a Leatt is not "proven" yet, and until it is and is a required piece of safety equipment as a hemlet is, it should not be looked at in the same light as a helmet. Oh, and I do wear one, but it took a lot of getting used to, and I still dont really like it, but I would feel guilty not wearing it knowing I have one.

[yamasaki]

riding without a leatt is crazy to me

[rmxtgh]

But what health insurance covers you while racing?

the racing coverage or non-coverage is a moot point....he crashed while play riding with friends.

[dlowe102]

Man that sucks...Anyone notice the anouncer that anounces live during the day at a supercross practice ...the one who talks out of his nose???really anoying...dostal must be his favorite rider.

ALL day long i hear(in a high pitched nasaly voice)and its JIRI DOSTAL.

But that does suck not to have insurance...I hope he recovers quickly.

[MotoXT]

Well said, a Leatt is not "proven" yet, and until it is and is a required piece of safety equipment as a hemlet is, it should not be looked at in the same light as a helmet. Oh, and I do wear one, but it took a lot of getting used to, and I still dont really like it, but I would feel guilty not wearing it knowing I have one.

Why do you say it's no proven? I've yet to hear of a single catestrophic neck injury while someone was wearing a Leatt, but there are numerous stories of those that swear they would be in a wheelchair had they not been wearing one - certainly not scientific, but on paper, the science and design, along with the testing behind it, makes sense. In practical application it's lived up to its promise.

[FLMX]

i've ridden and been racing my entire life without either.

just dumb luck i guess.

you know what they say, if you're gonna be dumb you gotta be really lucky or really good. i like to think i'm the latter.

i have both nowadays...

[yzfjbw323]

GEEEEEZZZ USSSSS.

Do you know how many times in the last year I have heard "If I hadnt had my Leatt on I would be in a wheelchair right now"? It is freakin stupid I swear to god every time somebody has a serious get off (I am not talking about with the ole lady) they think that expensive POS saved their life. How many of us have had bad, bad wrecks the last 20 years and we are still walking? How many posers wanna be dick heads throw on a Leatt, crash and justify wasting several hundy by saying "OH GOD I AM GLAD I HAD MY LEATT" I am calling BULLSHIT!! I am not going to wear one, EVER!! Everyone should stop the preachin..If you want to wear one great, leave those of us that choose not to look hip, cool and Chad Reed ESC alone!!!!!!

[MotoXT]

GEEEEEZZZ USSSSS.

Do you know how many times in the last year I have heard "If I hadnt had my Leatt on I would be in a wheelchair right now"? It is freakin stupid I swear to god every time somebody has a serious get off (I am not talking about with the ole lady) they think that expensive POS saved their life. How many of us have had bad, bad wrecks the last 20 years and we are still walking? How many posers wanna be dick heads throw on a Leatt, crash and justify wasting several hundy by saying "OH GOD I AM GLAD I HAD MY LEATT" I am calling BULLSHIT!! I am not going to wear one, EVER!! Everyone should stop the preachin..If you want to wear one great, leave those of us that choose not to look hip, cool and Chad Reed ESC alone!!!!!!

Whose preaching now? I didn't in my post, and don't even suggest anyone wears them. I don't care if someone choose to wear one or not, but you can't argue with the fact that no one, or at least no one has ever reported as far as I know, ending up paralyzed after landing on their head while wearing the brace. And yes, we've all had nasty get offs, but the kind that break necks are pretty specific hits in nature. Hit your head just right, it doesn't take much to axially load your neck and crush it. I hope you, or anyone else in this sport does not have that happen, but it does and the Leatt has proven its ability to prevent it. Happy riding.

[BrokenSpoke2]

but you can't argue with the fact that no one, or at least no one has ever reported as far as I know, ending up paralyzed after landing on their head while wearing the brace..

Actually there have been quite a few cases of riders being paralyzed while wearing the Leatt. The fractures, and resulting paralysis, were in the mid-back area. This area is right where the "spine" of the Leatt ends. Did the Leatt cause the fracture due to the pressure placed upon the lower spine by the Leatt, who knows. Did the leatt simply transfer what would have been a broken neck to a lower, more survivable, point in the spine? Again who knows. But it has happened.

[yzfjbw323]

Whose preaching now? I didn't in my post, and don't even suggest anyone wears them. I don't care if someone choose to wear one or not, but you can't argue with the fact that no one, or at least no one has ever reported as far as I know, ending up paralyzed after landing on their head while wearing the brace. And yes, we've all had nasty get offs, but the kind that break necks are pretty specific hits in nature. Hit your head just right, it doesn't take much to axially load your neck and crush it. I hope you, or anyone else in this sport does not have that happen, but it does and the Leatt has proven its ability to prevent it. Happy riding.

Sorry did not mean to act like such a douche..You were not preachin, I just saw the word Leatt and got all butt hurt..Sorry dude:thumbsup:

[MotoXT]

Actually there have been quite a few cases of riders being paralyzed while wearing the Leatt. The fractures, and resulting paralysis, were in the mid-back area. This area is right where the "spine" of the Leatt ends. Did the Leatt cause the fracture due to the pressure placed upon the lower spine by the Leatt, who knows. Did the leatt simply transfer what would have been a broken neck to a lower, more survivable, point in the spine? Again who knows. But it has happened.

I've heard of injuries to the mid-back potentially caused by the Leatt, but agree, who knows for sure what the outcome would have been without the brace. However, I've yet to read of anyone being paralyzed from it. Do you remember the source? Thanks.

[MotoXT]

Sorry did not mean to act like such a douche..You were not preachin, I just saw the word Leatt and got all butt hurt..Sorry dude:thumbsup:

? No worries man. Be safe:thumbsup:

[BrokenSpoke2]

I've heard of injuries to the mid-back potentially caused by the Leatt, but agree, who knows for sure what the outcome would have been without the brace. However, I've yet to read of anyone being paralyzed from it. Do you remember the source? Thanks.

Chris Blais. Crashed pre-running Vegas to Reno while wearing a Leatt. Broke his C-7 vertebra I think and is paralyzed from the chest down. Was it due to the Leatt, the way he fell, did the bike land on him? Who knows. Chris does feel that the Leatt saved him from a more serious spinal injury though.

[Engine_24]

Why do you say it's no proven? I've yet to hear of a single catestrophic neck injury while someone was wearing a Leatt, but there are numerous stories of those that swear they would be in a wheelchair had they not been wearing one - certainly not scientific, but on paper, the science and design, along with the testing behind it, makes sense. In practical application it's lived up to its promise.

This is not a discussion that should be started up again. It has been torn into extensively on this forum and others. Yes, it is a safety piece of equipment. There is no argument there. Is it proven to reduce the extent of a neck injury to the same degree that a helmet has proven to reduce the severity of a head injury, or anywhere near that? No, it has not, and it is still too new, but time will tell. The whole "helmet for your neck" motto is Leatt's pitch to sell these things. In my opinion, it seems like they try to scare you into buying one. Hell, it worked for me, I hate it, but I wear it because I would feel guilty knowing I can afford to wear one but don't. Oh...if you do a little research on here, you will find some reports of riders being injured by their so called "helmets for your neck."