I know that my family and friends are sometimes scared when I race my dirt bike (especially Grandma.) Many people wonder what kind of safety equipment I wear since I know I will be falling.
I looked on-line and found the top 5 most dangerous extreme sports….don’t look Grandma.
- Ultimate Fighting
- Base Jumping
- Bull Riding
- Motocross Riding
- Cave Diving
Even before we knew that motocross was number 4 on the list my Mom and Dad always spend the most money on my safety equipment. They always buy me the best and as soon as something is worn a little they replace it to make sure that I am always 100% protected.
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HELMET: A helmet should fit snuggly and be lightweight, but be rated properly. The helmet is one item that I replace often. Whenever I take a hard fall, or several small falls, my parents replace my helmet. This is the one item that is hard to know if it is still protecting you. A helmet could show no sign of damage and have been compromised because of an impact and not working. It is better to be safe than sorry, so always replace the helmet after an impact.
NECK COLLAR: Several different neck collars are available and it is important to find something that works with your body. I us an EVS neck brace that is soft around my neck but supports my helmet and shoulders. The neck collar should work with your helmet and chest protector…these three items are the most important to protect against head, neck and back injuries.
CHEST PROTECTOR: My chest protector has changed since I started riding. When I first started riding I wore the standard plastic protector that covers your chest and rib cage. These protectors do help against impact, but they have side and arm straps that can be very dangerous. In one of my races I got together with another bike and the strap from my chest protector was caught on the other bike and I was drug down the track. When that happened we looked into other alternatives and found that “bull riding vests” protect the body much better without straps. These vests are very hard and wrap the entire upper body also protecting your sides, which the others do not do.
KNEE PADS: Knee pads are very important. When I first started riding I had little knee pads that only protected my knee cap and every time I fell on them they would slide up my knee. Just recently my knees have been bothering me and I was getting a lot of bruises on the side of my leg. We just invested in some really tough pads that also brace the side of my knee. Having anything on is helpful and does take some of the initial impact away from your knee, but it is important that they are protect also against side impact. My current knee pads have a bar on each side of my knee and they go up high on my thigh and into my boot for almost a full leg protection. Since I have started using these knee pads, I have not had any more bruises on my legs.
BOOTS: It is important to have good fitting motocross boots. I know some parents buy kids shoes a little big because they grow so fast. It is important to have your motocross boots fit correctly. A boot that is too big won’t provide enough ankle support and it will be hard for the rider to use the shifter and rear brake levers. Right now I am wearing Oneal Monster boots, but I will be getting new boots soon.
RIDING SOCKS: When you wear riding boots and knee pads, your legs and feet would be really sore without the proper socks. I wear two kinds of socks together to protect my feet and legs. I have long socks that go high on my leg just over the top of my knee. I then put on a second sock that has no feet that goes from my calve to my upper thigh.
RIDING PANTS: Most dirt bike riders wear “in the boot” riding pants, however I like the “over the boot” pants. This is just a personal choice and both pants work the same. Riding pants a sturdy and tear resistant and come with hip pads that cushion the hip bones during a crash. Because these pants are thick, in most cases they protect the rider against the mud, dirt, and weather.
JERSEY: Motocross Jerseys are also worn with protection in mind. Most jerseys have padded elbows that allow additional protection. The jersey helps protect against small scratches and scrapes and is a great base for all of the protection equipment we put on top.
ELBOW PADS: Elbow pads can be worn under a jersey or on top of the jersey…I wear mine on top. Elbow pads are not very big and do move around when you crash. The idea of the elbow pad is to protect the elbow against the initial impact of a fall. I often get scratches on my arm and elbow when I crash, but the initial impact is absorbed with the pad and it is made to move as I do to help prevent serious injury.
GLOVES: Gloves protect your hands and help when trying to hold on to the bike. It is important to pick gloves that don’t have excess room in the finger tips and are comfortable.
GOGGLES: When you choose goggles, you must have your helmet with you. Goggles fit differently with the helmet and it is important to have a comfortable fit that protects you. The goggles should fit snuggly leaving no gaps for dirt or rocks to slip through. I have a little bit of a hard time with that because I have a little nose that usually allows a little bit of dirt to sneak through. Along with goggles, I have to also say Tear Offs. When I am racing other bikes often throw dirt in my face, I put tear off’s on my lenses to easily remove the dirt.
Safety gear is not cheap, but very important. When you are riding fast and racing against other people, falls and crashes are going to happen and my parents do their best to protect me. After this crash below, I got up and finished the race….thanks to my safety gear!
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A dirt bike frame is made of “Chromoly” tubing. (Chromoly is like steel on steroids. It contains Chromium and molybdenum a splash of carbon and mostly iron). A dirt bike frame is the main component of a dirt bike that the wheels and engine and other components are fitted on. The frame design for a dirt bike consists of triangles holding the main support of the bike. The triangle shape is used for extra strength and support. The dirt bike suspension (front forks and rear spring) also absorb the impact when I jump. My bikes are made with extra stong metal, we have the best suspension, and is constructed to withstand impact. My Dad and Grandpa have added extra support pieces to ensure that my bikes are as safe as possible for me. 
CROSS 71 - HUNTER CROSS 