Travis Pastrana has done for motocross what Lance Armstrong did for cycling. He has brought deserved attention to a sport that requires determination and commitment. From his days as a young racer to the beginning of what looks to be a promising Rally career, Travis has done it all when it comes to being a larger than life comic book type hero. If I can remember, I believe his own father said he was a bit of a fictional character come to life for the world to see some of the amazing things you can do when you commit. Having said all that, now comes a reality check.

While leaving the theater I was thinking of the message presented to me in the 2 hr autobiography of the Nitro Circus king. Travis Pastrana is a calculated risk taker. Calculated, but a risk taker none the less. Some of the comments on his own mortality concerns me for our sport. As perhaps the greatest ambassador for our sport at this time I feel that Travis Pastrana has a responsibility to present himself in a way that inspires kids to push their limits, not “the” limit. The whole go big because you only live once attitude never settled with me. It has nothing to do with running scared from a track that has a huge center jump, but rather the conversations I have had with parents that have lost their kids to our sport or that one time customer who now sits in a wheel chair. The image as great as Travis Pastrana is that is portrayed is not what our sport needs. It’s not just Travis. I was disappointed to see RC at a step up competition at some X Games ESPN presentation launching his bike some 38ft straight up and ultimately ending up in stitches. I found it ironic that he ends his career of racing motocross, which made him who he is today, in good health and less torn up then the champions before him with stitches in his jaw from trying to jump over a pole.

I am not saying that Travis is bad for the sport. I am saying that with all the injuries that are causing many to leave the sport or worse lose their lives we need to do more to make the sport safer and not glorify it’s dangers. I am not a Travis “hater”. I am trying to make racing motocross on the weekends fun again. I know that broken bones are a regular part of the sport. I can accept that, but unless we are ready to accept death as a regular part of our sport we need to have ambassadors that promote hard work, determination and good judgment. It might be good judgment for a guy like Travis to do a back flip off the Grand Canyon or jump out of a plane without a parachute, but I think for most of us aspiring to be better racers or keep our kids safe as they get faster and push their limits the Nitro Circus attitude coming from a bigger than life TP could be a bad gate pick for all. As an alternative I think it would be good to see all of Travis Pastarana accomplishments and go for broke attitude backed up with more of the preparation and precautions that it takes to compete in his arena. I also think it might be beneficial for a role model like Travis Pastrana to push the limits of promoting safer riding and racing. Think what you want, but our sport needs safer tracks and responsibile riding and racing before it needs another video of a back flip.

I am now living across the country following an industry that I love. I have been following the amateur race scene and in the last 30 days there has been 1 death, 2 parallelizations and one uncertain at this point. All with in a 200 mile radius. Our tracks need to change. There is no reason that a public track should have a 100ft plus step up, step down or doubles. The largest jump in Supercross is usually no more than 75ft. Why do public tracks have a professional grade layout? Do they think they are grooming our sport’s future kings? I don’t think so. Are the track owners afraid that nobody will come unless the track is the most technical in the county? Maybe, but the tracks on the other side of the rock are doing better than ever with less accidents and on any given day you can see the top pro’s in our sport turning laps on these tracks. I Don’t think it’s just the weather either. If you want a 100ft double build a private track or create multiple tracks on the premises for different levels. If some of the athletes are grabbing a can of Monster and “Unleashing the Beast” maybe, think for them. Motocross racer’s are usually the last to put safety as a priority when compared to winning races. As a racer if your worried about not learning the skills to race without that huge triple, just remember “Jump for show, but corner for dough”. Lastly, if a track does not separate practice based on ability or bike size do not support the track. There is no reason why an 85 should be on the track with a 450. I don’t care how fast little Timmy is the statistics for a potentially life changing injury increases with higher powered, bigger bikes on the track with that of the lesser.

If you agree with what I say, great let us know and we’ll get the word out there. If not, then let us know how we can make our sport safer and we’ll post that too.

Ride safe,

Otto

Two things happened recently that got me thinking about motocross, something I rarely do these days. The first was attending the opening round of the GNCC series in Okeechobee, Florida. I had an opportunity to ride the industry class at the Florida race, but I wasn’t really sure I wanted to. It was sunny and hot, rather dusty, and looked like it would be a whole lot more fun to get another lemonade and watch, and take a few pictures.

I was still partly on the fence about riding when I walked out onto the motocross section of the track to watch Monday afternoon practice - they let you practice the course at Okeechobee, so everybody has a chance to ride and get their bike dialed in. The first thing I see is some guy launch across a 60-foot tabletop and land it sweet on the other side.

Wow! That’s impressive. Then I scan around the track and see there’s double-jumps in about four different places, and a couple more tabletops. Guys are jumping these things left and right, but there’s hundreds of people on the track, because it’s an open practice session. There are C class riders poking along, just trying to stay upright, and meanwhile there are jump animals riding like winning practice is the only thing that matters. The more I watched, the more it looked like mayhem, and when I saw one guy jump clear over another rider - this is practice, remember - I was sure I wasn’t going to ride the next day.

You know, I mean it would be one thing if I could ride the track with a bunch of my spode friends, and we could screw around with the jumps, or avoid them, or whatever. We’re not jumpers. I never learned how to clear a double, and dropping the front end to slide down a table-top properly is a mysterious art to me. I mean, I have never done it. It seems to me that every time my front end gets low, my feet are up in the air and I’m about to meet the ground in a most interesting way.

So I’ll ride hare scrambles, no problem. I even like to have a single, solitary jump now and then, because airborne is fun, but watching the potential carnage on that Florida track honestly scared me off that day.

(I have to add the fact that I was doubly apprehensive, because I’d be riding someone else’s bike, a machine I’d never slung a leg over before, and I just can’t get that comfortable that fast. It’d be a little better if I was doing it on my own bike, but I still wouldn’t have ridden down there. Too chicken.)

The second thing was calling Rich Daly at Dyno Port the week after, and telling him about what I had seen down there. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” I said to him.

“It’s not crazy, it’s stupid, plain and simple!” came his reply, and I soon learned that I had touched of a powder keg of emotions here. “The sport of motocross used to be a fun thing to do, but now we’re practically killing people with it.”

“I’ve made it my mission to change motocross and try to educate race promoters that we don’t have to injure riders to have a good time.”

Rich is passionate about it, there is no doubt. He’s not anti-racing, far from it. All he wants is racing to be a little safer. He has too many friends in wheelchairs, he says, and he’s sick of it.

He has a point, even one that I - a non-motocrosser - can understand. It’s been my belief that the popularity of Supercross style racing has split our sport down the middle, as far as amateur riding goes. On one side are the people like me, who can’t hack Supercross riding and know it, and on the other side are the jump artists. Not that there’s anything wrong with being in either camp, mind you. I like what I do, and given the circumstances, I’m happy.

The trouble is between both these camps are a lot injured riders, guys who thought they wanted to be Jeremy McGrath, because he made it too easy, and now they’re wondering if hare scrambles might be more fun, once they heal. Or if they heal. Or maybe they’re going to heal and take up some other sport, because “motorcycles are too dangerous.”

That’s the one thing that really raises my hackles, the “motorcycles are too dangerous” line of thinking. There is nothing dangerous about motorcycles. It is inert, a piece of art; you can see them in museums.

There’s nothing dangerous about them riding down the highway. The dangerous part is when some wingnut aims it at a wall and then tries to sue everybody because he got hurt.

The dangerous part of Supercross is when little Johnny Wingnut sees a set of doubles and launches into them with no clue how to get out of the other side without a wheelchair.

Now you know, I’m not trying to be negative, but Rich Daly is right. I probably would ride motocross on the odd weekend if it was anything like it was a long time ago, when I started riding.

Or if I had the option to ride such a track. The old style of tracks - with a lot of turns and berms and off-cambers, and maybe two or three jumps - would definitely look stupid and boring to most of our Supercross clowns these days.

But you know what? People raced on them. Bar-banging, throttle twisting, berm slamming racing. And the best rider always won and the rest of us licked our wounds afterwards. And not once did we risk coming up short on a double, casing out and breaking both arms, nor did we have Johnny Wingnut launching off a triple jump and landing on us because he wanted that plastic trophy so bad.

There was still plenty of risk - there is nothing “safe” about racing anything - but - old tracks were much more user-friendly if you got out of shape on them.

And being “jumpless” doesn’t mean being a sissy. Unadilla, as far as I can recall, never had a man-made jump on it, and few would argue that it wasn’t one of the toughest, meanest, and most humbling motocross tracks in history. And I’d still like to ride the Unadilla course one day. But I don’t want to ride the Anaheim stadium track.

The proof that there’s something wrong is as easy as reading Cycle News. I recall a couple months back, in one of the stories on the first Supercross races of the season, they ran a laundry list of all the riders on the “injured” list, and it was only two or three races into the season: Jimmy Button, Keith Johnson, Donovan Mitchell, Jeff Emig, there must have been eight or ten more names. All of the injuries were related to extreme jumping - cased it on a triple, came inches short on a triple, short on a double, jumped on in a race - and I hate to say it, but all were avoidable if the tracks were designed more for racing and less for air time.

Rich Daly has a mission, and a mountain climb in front of him, but I’m a hundred percent for him. We have a new category of Freestyle riding in our sport now, a sort of exhibition-style jumping contest dominated by artists like Travis Pastrana and Mike Metzger; a sport with its own heroes and founding fathers, if we can offer such a title to Seth Enslow, and they’re doing some really cool things with extreme jumping. And they’re great, huge fun to watch and the guys are incredible acrobats.

So right now, we have a chance in this business to quickly and quietly turn motocross back into racing and leave the jumping contests to Freestyle. Personally, I think racing would get better, and you’d probably see a lot of “old guys” like me and Rich a lot more enthusiastic about motocross.

Plus, we’d keep a lot of our friends and family out of the hospital; and that would be a wonderful thing

According to Snell, finding a good helmet is as easy as remembering “the 4 S’s: Size, Strap, Straight and Snell.”

SIZE
Try on several different helmets before you purchase one. The best way to gauge comfort level and fit is through comparison. The helmet should fit comfortably all the way around your head. Additional pads can be used to make it snug.

STRAP
Pay attention to the chinstrap. Make sure that the chinstrap fits around your ear and under your chin snugly and comfortably. The helmet should not shift on your head.

STRAIGHT
Know how a helmet should fit. A helmet is meant to be worn low on the forehead, just above your eyebrows. Look into a mirror or have a friend/parent help you determine the proper fit.

STICKER
Look for Snell certification. Snell Standards are the most stringent in the world, exceeding those set by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Need to know which helmet is Snell certified? Browse through our helmet certification lists.

We also checked with the guys over at SIXSIXONE to see what they recommend. Let’s face it, beyond basic safety requirements; the final decision you make on a helmet has a lot to do with look, fit and feel. Here are a few of their recommendations:

COMFORT AND FIT
Buy a helmet that fits properly by being snug, but not tight. Ask people that own different brands of helmets how they like theirs. Most people will be more than happy to tell you what they like and don’t like.

DON’T BE A BOBBLE HEAD
Some helmets are made with one shell size. This is OK if you’re at the large end of the size range, but it creates the “bobble head” effect on smaller heads. We’ve all seen it: the pee wee rider with the enormous helmet! The SIXSIXONE Flight helmet size range is covered by two shell sizes: one for medium and smaller, and one for size large and up. The sizes can be changed if you like to alter the fit or customized with different size liner parts. Fro example, if your head is a medium, but your face is small, you can put in size XS-SM cheek pads to create the perfect fit. Or say you change bike brands and your red helmet doesn’t work on your Kawasaki; you can change the Medium to a X-Small for your little brother!

CHEAP INSURANCE
Don’t be afraid to spend a little more for a quality helmet. This is the one piece of equipment that makes the most difference in the even of a crash. You can bargain hunt on gloves and wear the jersey of whoever wants to sponsor you, but it’s your head at risk when it comes to helmets. In the same breath, just because a helmet costs a small fortune doesn’t mean it’s the best thing out there. Again it boils down to making sure the helmet has all the best safety standards, the comfort & fit, and the right reputation from people who have worn them.

LOOK FOR QUALITY
Buy a helmet from a company known for making good protective equipment. Just because a factory guy uses it, doesn’t make it the best. It takes more than a cool logo or slick paint job to protect you in a crash.

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
No matter how good a helmet is; it has a limit. Crashes, no matter how minor reduce the usable period for any helmet. Sometimes that one big crash is enough to replace the unit even if it looks okay on the outside. The helmets job is to absorb the impact by crushing the liner. Once compressed, it’s not going to protect you the same way again. Replace and destroy it so no one else can use it.

Ten Motocross Safety Tips
For Parents & Riders

1. NEVER let your child who rides a 50cc, 65cc or 85cc on the track with bigger bikes (No matter how good you think they are).
2. If you are a NOVICE rider on a 125cc, 250cc or 450cc - NEVER ride a track at the same time as faster, more experienced A & B level riders.
3. DEMAND that your local track owner split practices as follows:

- A & B Big Bike Riders 15-20 Minutes
- C&D (Novice) Big Bike Riders 15-20 Minutes
- Supermini & advanced 85 cc Riders 15-20 Minutes
- 65cc & 85cc riders 15-20 Minutes
- 50cc Riders 15-20 Minutes (if no kids track is available)

4. ENCOURAGE your local track owners to hire flaggers for every practice they hold. Even if this costs you an extra $ 10.00 per day (money well spent).
5. NEVER ride a dusty track. If your vision is impaired so is the vision of all of the other riders. Ask the track supervisor to water the track.
6. PARTICIPATE don’t spectate. If you are not riding, volunteer to flag. Every extra set of eyes on the track protects other riders.
7. NEVER ride over your head. You can’t become a better rider in 1 day. Riding beyond your skill level only endangers you and others around you.
8. SAFETY GEAR is crucial. At a minimum you should always have a good helmet, goggles, boots, knee pads and gloves. If you can afford it invest in a Snell approved helmet and a neck brace. A good set of knee braces will help prevent ACL injuries before they happen.
9. GET INVOLVED! If you ride or your kids ride it only benefits you to get involved. Don’t be afraid to tell someone else to get their kids off the track if there are bigger bikes out there. If the track has issues tell the track owner, ASAP. If they don’t like it, too bad! One day they will thank you for it.
10. PRINT this list and hand it out to other riders & parents at the track. It will be your good deed for the day. Who knows, you might prevent an accident before it happens.

LocoMX.com is offering 10% off ALL SAFETY GEAR through Sunday!
(Leatt is not eligible for discount)

At Checkout Enter Coupon Code: GOSAFE

Go to Locomx.com

www.locomx.com