Sparkplug #9

Although my last two articles about James Stewart’s woes (last week’s Sparkplug #8 and “Open Letter to James Stewart, Jr.”) generated more traffic to this site than any 10 articles combined, I’m not going to get all ratings-mad and throw up another JBS essay today. Instead, this week’s Sparkplug is a look at the (lack of) innovation in the safety gear we wear.

Let’s start at the top and work our way down, shall we? Motorcycle helmets have become lighter, cooler and more stylish as the years have progressed, but have they gotten any safer? Certainly, today’s full-face motobrainbucket is far safer than the pudding bowls of yesteryear, but is today’s Bell Moto 8demonstrably safer than the original Bell Moto 3 that debuted in the late ‘70’s (and which is still available for sale)? I don’t think so, but I’m no scientist.

One of the things that has always bugged me is the concept that motorcycle helmets are designed to be disposable. That is, after a serious impact, common wisdom (and manufacturer’s instructions) tell us to throw the helmet away. This, after investing about half a grand for the lid and another 5 bills for the custom paint. Compare this to today’s professional football helmet, which is designed to take multiple impacts. Is there some technology that could be transferred from the gridiron to the starting gate? Football helmets are also light and cool. Does anybody know why those helmets have air-filled padding in them and motorcycle helmets do not?

Recent innovations in goggle technology, if you believe the press blurbs, have been centered around improving the sweat absorbing properties of the foam. The last big change in goggles was the introduction of the roll-off vision systems. I’m not sure there’s much more room for innovation; if your goggles can keep rocks out of your eyes, they’ve done their job.

Chest protectors. Some people wonder if these things work at all. I can tell you that my old Thor Aftershok has earned it’s money keeping my chest from getting dented by roosted rocks, but I’m not so sure how protective it is in a fall. Most chest protectors come with explicit disclaimers stating that they will not protect shoulders like football shoulder pads do. The fast vet ex-racer known as “hillbilly” on MotoDrive and MotoNews, used to advocate wearing a professional bullriding safety vest similar to this one… maybe we motocrossers should consider something that will give us more upper body protection. I just heard that Transworld Motocross’ Donn Maeda (get well soon, Donn!) suffered some broken ribs from a get-off at Glen Helen; is it possible that a safety vest could have prevented the injury? There’s no way of knowing, but one thing we DO know is that whatever he was wearing didn’t stop him from getting hurt. There’s no question that there’s room for improvement.

Jerseys aren’t normally thought of as safety gear, but they play an important part in preventing abrasion. And most high-end jerseys feature some type of elbow padding. But the truth of the matter is that jersey innovation is limited to style and comfort issues; all progress on improving safety has stagnated.

Elbow/knee pads and kidney belts. Like goggles, there’s really no room for safety improvement here.

Pants. The last great innovation in pants was the integrated kidney belt offered by HRP (Hannah Racing Products) back in the ‘80’s. The high-waisted wonders didn’t catch the moto-public’s fancy, so I guess they weren’t such a good idea after all. Pants seem to offer less safety features than before. It used to be they came with pockets in the knees that allow you to insert kneeguards. Now, you where your knee brace and/or knee pads under the pants. Is there room for improvement?

Which takes us to the kneebrace, which is truly the biggest safety innovation to hit the market in three decades. Whether custom or off the shelf, almost everyone (except me) is wearing them. There is some evidence that the braces, while protecting the knees, expose the other parts of the leg to danger. A kneebrace will prevent hyperextension of the knee, but the force may be transferred to where the brace clamps onto the rider’s thigh, leading to a fracture of the fibula. Again, I’m no research scientist, so I’m not claiming to know one way or the other. But I do believe the widespread adoption of the kneebrace has prevented many, many injuries.

Boots. There’s got to be something that can be done with boots. We’ve been wearing the same high-rise, heavy leather and plastic (and sometimes steel) plated things for decades now… and still Grant Langston had his ankle dislocated by a rut at Hangtown. Do the boots need to be so high, now that we’ve got full-length knee pads and kneebraces? Look at this interesting book sold by streetbike gear maker Icon, it’s like half of a MX boot. Looks to me like just enough ankle protection, plenty of foot protection, and none of the extra weight and bulk of a traditional dirt boot. But is it safer?

The fact is, motocross safety gear is sold on style and cost drivers. There is an unfortunate assumption by the general motopublic that injuries happen and the gear can only do so much to prevent them. I beg to differ, and I’d like to see the gear makers step to the plate and start spending R&D dollars on safety innovations, instead of the latest graphic designs. Who’s with me?