Leading motorcycle manufacturer KTM prepares to launch the Neck Brace, a new type of protection designed to reduce the danger of injury to the cervical vertebrae. This new product will be available from all official KTM dealers from the end of March.
The need for safety and protection through helmets and protective clothing now goes far beyond professional motor sports and has become an essential buy for active motorcyclists and leisure motor sports enthusiasts. They now demand maximum protection and comfort with a minimum of weight. Despite the availability of a complex range of products, equipment designed to protect the sensitive neck area has not existed.
The cervical vertebrae are one of the most complicated areas of the human body. When it comes to riding motorcycles, up to this point in time it has hardly been possible to effectively protect the neck area and still have freedom of movement. The KTM Neck Brace represents a major step forward in the development of safety equipment. KTM, in cooperation with BMW worked on a neck protection system that was conceived and developed by South African Dr. Chris Leatt. The KTM Neck Brace is made from glass fibre reinforced plastic and carbon to ensure that the weight is kept to an absolute minimum.
According to the latest scientific and technical information this system offers protection against the following injuries in the event of an accident:
• Hyperflexion (extreme forward movement of the head e.g. forward distension of the head)
• Hyperextension (extreme backwards movement of the head e.g. backwards distension of the head)
• Lateral Hyperflexion (extreme sideways movement of the head)
• Axial stress (compression of the spinal column through the corresponding stress against the helmet)
• Posteral Hypertranslation (when the head is vigorously forced backwards on the neck)
The basic principle of the KTM Neck Brace is to stop the uncontrolled movement of the head/helmet in the case of an accident. This is achieved by the following characteristics of the neck brace:
• Energy-absorbing material on the surface and on the areas where the brace touches the body
• Flexibility through the construction of each individual part
• In extreme cases, controlled breaking of the neck brace in order to absorb the energy generated.
But even the best safety equipment doesn’t make sense when it hinders the rider. That is why, when designing the KTM Neck Brace, particular attention was made to allowing unhampered movement. The extremely low weight of the brace also makes wearing it comfortable. The material used - glass fibre reinforced plastic and carbon - which in part are covered with a soft layer of shock absorbent material, reduce the weight to just 790 g. With a simple series of adjustments the KTM Neck Brace can also be modified to suit the body size of the rider.
In principle, existing safety equipment does not need to be modified to be able to use the KTM Neck Brace. The system is also compatible with most motorcycle helmets and can be used for on and off-road riding. Very small modifications need to be made to suit leathers with a raised hump at the back.
Additional equipment from KTM includes a motorcycle jacket with a special collar construction allowing it to be comfortably worn with the KTM Neck Brace.
Just like all KTM products the KTM Neck Brace has also been subject to the most rigorous tests in a racing situation. All KTM Rally factory riders wore the neck brace for 2007 Dakar Rally.
“I cannot imagine riding in a rally without the neck brace. After a short period of getting used to it you absolutely don’t notice it any more. I had a high speed crash in training and the helmet was rather badly damaged. Normally you would have extreme neck pain after such a crash but with the neck brace I didn’t feel anything,“ professional rider Cyril Despres, winner of the Dakar Rally 2007, said about his experience with the new protection system.
The neck brace has also been successfully tested in motocross riding, where freedom of movement of the head is extremely important.
Those responsible for KTM Motorsport - Heinz Kinigadner and Pit Beirer - both agree that the neck brace makes a significant contribution to safety for the motorcycle rider and that it can protect many athletes from serious injury in the future.
The KTM Neck Brace will be available from the end of March at a RRP of around £325.
Related Linkswww.ktm.com
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