Greetings from Old England. That’s not an obscure new breakaway state, but our little Island with fish and chips and crap weather. I was watching the video of the Suzuki test, as usual, impressed with the quality and your riding (I will now take my tongue out of your bum crack!), but I did notice a strange camera angle that seemed to place the camera near your family jewels. When the tech guy said "stick this on your helmet, David," did you have a lapse of concentration, or is this a new technique that we may see on Speed’s coverage of the nationals? The only problem I see is if the camera "wearer" crashes, will the footage get a XXX rating? Keep up the good work (that’s not a euphemism), and watch out for curlies on the lens! Best wishes from sunny England.
Tristan
Dear Tristan,
Keep up the good work... Classic. That’s what I love about you Brits: You always know the perfect time to make a pubic hair joke. Spot on, mate. The rather odd camera angle you are referring to comes courtesy of GoPros "Chesty" mounting system. We thought it would provide a cool perspective from the cockpit. Yes, I just said cockpit. Touché, Govnor. But the actual outcome was more of a genitals point of view than what we were intending. Never let it be said that Martin Scorsese doesn't earn his money. Thanks for writing in, Tristan.
PING
Hey Ping,
Over the past several years I have ridden off and on due to circumstance. I have bought bikes to ride and it last about 3-6 months and then something happens and since I'm the nice guy that I am, my bike gets sold to pay for something else. I'm not a bad rider, and can always catch up to speed with my buddies within a week or two of getting a new bike, and beat them soon after. I am now in the Army and in the best shape of my life and getting better every day. My question to you: Is it time for me to just give up the risky back-and-forth-pin-it-and-hang-on style of riding I have and just watch everyone else, or should I wait till I can come up with the money and buy another used bike to ride for a couple months? I love riding with a passion, and have gone so far as buying an ‘88 CR250 and cleared the backyard 70-foot triple with it, but Idk if it’s worth it anymore. Got any advice?
Do I have any advice? Let's recap this: You love riding motorcycles with a passion, you are in the best shape of your life, you apparently have some speed and you are hitting 70 triples on a bike built in the late 1980's. Have I nailed the pertinent facts as you see them? This is a no-brainer. It’s like a guy saying that he's neat, clean, single and isn't really attracted to ladies, but he’s not sure what to do about it. I’ll tell you what you do, Miss Thang... Get yourself a new V-neck, some fancy Italian shoes and hit the gay bars because you are en fuego. Listen, guy, you save up some cash and find yourself a used 125 that you can dial in and have some fun on. There are some great deals out there, you just have to hunt for them. And then send me a photo of you hitting this 70 footer in your backyard. That I’m going to need to see.
PING
Hi Ping,
Thanks for the weekly Friday morning entertainment that is Ask Ping! I was watching you tear it up at the track on the Racer X Suzuki 2012 450 test and saw that you were wearing a neck brace and it's probably a good guess that other than possibly getting it for free, they don't actually pay you to wear it like they would current top pros like RD, RV, etc. My opinion is that if you're not one of those no neck guys and you're comfortable wearing one, then having one is probably safer than not overall. I follow Ryno [Ryan Hughes] on Twitter and love hearing him go off about how horrible and dangerous neck braces are. I love Ryno’s passion, but I think it's fair to say he may be a little closed-minded sometimes and hasn't actually done any scientific studies on neck braces himself. Not that a I want to start a feud between you and Ryno (that might actually be fun to read verbal sparring entertainment, though) I'd love to hear your honest opinion about his adamant stance that it's much more dangerous to wear a neck brace than to not.
Thanks!
Paul
Dear Paul,
I’ve spent the last couple years going back and forth and round and round with different braces and no braces. This is a sensitive matter and each person has to make their own decision regarding their safety gear. Let me start by telling you that Leatt is not paying Dungey or Windham or anyone else to wear the brace. They wear it because they believe it improves their safety in a crash. I’ve heard all the same cynical crap about the braces and I’ve spent some time researching the results and stats listed from Leatt and some of the other manufacturers. You want an undeniable truth? The best way to avoid an injury in motocross is to not throw a leg over your bike. Simple, right? But for those of us who love to ride, that isn't an option. So I've made the choice to wear the most protective equipment I can. I finally found a chest protector/neck brace combo that I’m comfortable in, and that I believe in, and that's what I’ll wear from now on. As far as Ryno and Reed "Tweeting out" about the dangers of a neck brace, I’ll just say that I’m going to take statistical evidence and the word of a doctor over two dirt bikers without a high school diploma between the two of them. That’s just me. And saying that Ryno is a little closed-minded sometimes is like saying that occasionally the surface of the sun is a little warmish. I put myself in the shoes of David Bailey, Ernesto Fonseca, Jimmy Button and every other rider who might have been better off if the Leatt Brace existed when they crashed. And I can’t imagine suffering an injury like that and knowing that I had a brace sitting in my garage collecting dust. This is just my opinion and the way I made my decision.
PING
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