Ask Ping!
Friday, September 2, 2011 | 10:00 AM
ODI dates back to the 1980’s as the leader in grip manufacturing. Focusing primarily on the bmx and mountain bike industries through the 90’s and early 2000’s, ODI re-entered the motocross scene when they developed the patented lock-on grip system that eliminates wire and glue. Continuing to advance the way riders hold on to their bikes, ODI has worked closely with the teams they support such as Troy Lee Designs to create the product that is now being used by some of the top teams in the industry.
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Hey Ping,
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
This is what it looked like on me. You know, without the Puffy jacket
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?
All this can be yours for a low, low price. Stand not included.
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
This guy is probably not going to benefit from a neck brace.
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
Got a question for Ping? E-mail him at [email protected].
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When the lights go off on supercross and racing hits the daylight with the launch of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, everyone gets to start over. Page 110.
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Nice work, Ping!
The last 2 lines say it all about the neck braces. Good job Pinger!!!
Great read until the POP UP showed up!!!!!!
No need to worry about accidental exposures. Ping's stomach blocks every possible line of sight to the nether regions. You'd need 100X zoom anyways.
Good as always!!
. PING??? Can YOU do something about this F ing POP UP?? Man that thing pisses me off...and everyone else too!!
i didnt notice till i read 111mphs post, i dont have a pop up, hope its not just my cpt acting up, great job DC on listening to your readers posts!!
Yeah BillC, David Pingree is gonna make sure the pop up goes away because YOU said so...once again, you are a flaming douchebag.
Someone told me about the Reed incident and how he doesnt like the neck braces...who does he think he is to preach ?? Didnt he wear one for a while?......It is personal preference I guess....Kind of like the boners who dont cover up their dong , knock some chick up and wonder how it happened.?..... Reed is a kook and maybe he should bless his lucky Aussie stars that he didnt hurt himself or land on his head first at milleville.....
The fly-in is gone, guys. If you're still seeing it, hard refresh your browser. Sorry for the annoyance!
Get rid of pop ups!
Pop ups- guys, open your browser, go to the settings/options and turn off "allow pop ups."
This has been a feature of every browser for years. Duh.
Love the website, Hate the POP UP, for one thing everyone on here loves dirtbikes and read 99% of the articles on here, we don't need to be told what we might like we KNOW what we like, and the pop up is not one of them!!!!
Probably should not have touched on Leatt paying riders. They have paid riders as well as one of the two mentioned in the reply for sure. Did Leatt not pay TLD a sponsorship amount when you were the manager?
Ryno does not have the intellectual capacity to compete in a verbal joust with a master raconteur like the almighty Ping!
Good job on the "life after motocross" article.
I'd like to read more about the serious, straight-from-the-rider's-mouth, feelings about what it's like to leave the sport you so dearly love and have to pick up the pieces, how you're just heartbroken and lost, you have no reason to get up in the morning, life as you know it has ended, you have to re-create yourself into a whole new person, how it's like losing the love of your life, I want to read interviews of riders who will open their hearts and expose their inner thoughts about this devastating and life-changing threshold through which we must pass. Maybe include interviews with psychiatrists who can share the deep emotional upheaval it causes in a person's life, and possibly include coping strategies for different personality types.
I think this is an important subject for those who participate in the greatest sport on Earth. It has happened to me, and to a hell of a lot of other people, especially those who ever rode pro, those who ever raced for an amateur or pro championship of any kind, and those whose careers were cut short by the realities of life.
Hopefully you can write this article with the same thorough attention to detail you gave to the other one. Maybe this isn't the article for you to tackle. Somebody should do it. I don't just want to hear riders list their sponsors, I want to get to the nitty gritty of the realities of the heartbreak of losing the love of their lives - motocross - so I don't feel like the Lone Ranger. It's probably hard for most people to understand what it's like for a dedicated motocrosser to leave the sport that defines the very fiber of their being.
Ping,
Tell that Army/macho man/Triple clearing dude to go to Craigslist where ever he's at and look for a good used 2 smoker or even a 4 banger. I got my 4 banger for $800 just had to do a valve job. total cost of invesment?? $1100.
Anyone want a 04 TLD CRF250R moded by J/M Racing?
The pop-up is gone on my computer, yipppeee!!. Good read Ping, but the issue with the neck braces is a pouchy one sometimes. But I have a question, why does it have to go down the middle of your spine in the back?? that resulted in a kid from Indiana getting his spine broke by the brace. Instead of having one leg going down the middle of your back, have two, one on each side of your back going down just inside your shoulder and down your scapula, and next to yopur spine on either side. Why just one down the middle of your back??
I dont have the pop up anymore "knoks on wood using head with out Leat neck brace" Duh, where am I and how did I get here?????? Oh I am om Ask Ping now reallity may set in......
YES YES YES, our voices were heard, its gone!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ping taking moto shots of his yang for this years Christmas cards? Thank you Bryan!
@bd200 the thoracic spine thing on the leatt is not what caused that kid to break his back. dr leatt was on dmxs radio last week and spoke about it. what he said was that the spine part on the leatt is designed to break well before your back will break.
and ping, i like what you have to say about your decision to wear a neck brace. i follow a lot of what ryno says too and recently decided to spin some laps without my leatt. i can honestly say i noticed VERY little difference and cannot say i felt any more comfortable without it.
i went back to wearing it and a few days later (last friday) i ate serious shit over a big downhill double and ended up with a broken femur. through the violent tumbling i took, all ill say is i am glad i was wearing my leatt.
thanks for removing the pop up so we can see our really stupid comments again...the guy with the 88 needs to throw a flywheel and a spark arrestor on that thing and hit the trail. The 70 footer won't provide much but a need for a Leatt.
I am at a crossroad of life , I am 54 years old , have raced MX since 1972 , I am considering retireing ,I have spent most of my life obsessed with this sport , Several broken bones , couple of concusions , and a lot of money spent on bikes and equipment , Racing now just seems to be more of a hassle ,than its worth , entry fees , gas prices , four strokes blowing up , four laps per moto, if its a lot of riders that day , all for a cheap plastic trophy , Is their a Gracful way to bow out , or just go cold turkey , Anyone have any ideas , This truely does create a lot of anxiety, I am not sure how to be a regular Person
Great as always PINGER...but seriously WTF are these pop UPS doing on this site all of a sudden?? Guys enough is enough take them off ASAP....IT SUCKS!!! I hit this site up multiple times a day for years now and 10 times as many on race day, and to be honest with these pop ups its going to much less and less.....
@howard- we usually quit things in life when they no longer bring us enjoyment. We sometimes give up things when we no longer can do them! There alot of guys at the track who don't race anymore, but come to just to lay down some laps, hang out and have fun. There is alot of people who just trail ride and still have fun. Think about what got you started in the first place. Also when the bikes just sit in the garage and time has gone by becuase you found something else to do, then you will know it's time. But what is a regular person? Also you are still young at 54.
Maybe just not as fast as you used to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The strut that runs down the back of the brace is designed to hold it in place. A lot of people, myself included, felt like maybe that was causing injury to the thoracic spine where it ended. Dr. Leatt spoke about this in his DMXS interview and the posterior strut is designed to break WAY before any damage could be done to the spine. The middle of the thoracic spine is a very common point for injury due to the curvature there. Listen to that podcast because he explains it very well. From an anatomical standpoint what he says is absolutely true.
Regarding Leatt paying the TLD team, that is not exactly true. TLD distributes the brace so they have an agreement as a team sponsor. Part of that deal includes design on a TLD model. TLD riders are not required to wear the brace though, it's more of a business partnership.
@czmark.. Thanks for your comment , It was very helpful , I think I will sell my crf250, Keep my yz125 and just do ride days with my local club , SMDR , we get to use budds creek about a dozen times a year , for flagging the National , Plus I get to ride all day , and its free , except gas for the two hour ride from my house , I just have to wrap my head around the idea that I do not have to race anymore to enjoy riding .... My Yz allways brings a smile to my face , I have to remember that , I swear thes four strokes are from the devil
I dont understand why this is a touchy subject. Either wear one or don't. I wouldn't get upset at sometone else because they don't or do wear one. How weird that it is a touchy subject.
Anyway the "pop up" is not a pop-up window. That is why pop-up blockers do not work. It is a fly-in. Thanks for removing it.
@Howard, I don't know about your area, but there aren't many tracks near me but the local Hare Scrambles are where it's at... Show up race morning, race for 2-3 hours, go home... You still get your race fix without making a whole weekend out of it.
@
Ronnie Barnhardt... F OFF loser!!
Ping, I'm glad that you and many others are an advocate of the Neck Brace. When I get me a bike and start riding again, I will make sure to have money put aside to purchase a neck brace as part of my gear ensemble. Keep fighting the good fight Ping...
She said Bum Crack.......
I bought a house and sold my bike. Once it was sold and the money was spent there was (and is) a void. I miss changing air filters let alone riding. I have zero interest in any other hobby or sport. All I have is a 1982 atc250r and thats more of a punishment. My point is that motocross as a hobby is like a tree; It takes a long time to grow in skill and equiptment but a short time to cut it down and sell it all.... thats it I'm getting a cheap 125. i'll get her a ring next year.
Ryno pretends to be a "Innovative Trainer" with no education or data.
Ryno pretends to be a "Chemist" with his Ryno supplements with no education.
Ryno pretends to be a "Scientist" with his ignorant comments with no education.
Ryno pretends to be "Tough" when we all saw him get handled, then whine like a girl.
We were at an amateur national and I took a verbal lashing from several mini dads about not having a Leatt on my child (the only kid on a full gate). He had on one of those 661 donut deals. Whether they work or not, people out there sure are convinced they do. Convinced enough to call you stupid to your face for not having one. We have them now but I grew up without them, as did everyone back then. It just makes me feel like a sheeple using one without any conclusive data to say so.
@howard and CZmark you said it good ! I am 55 and feel lost cause I could not race anymore , now I got a new hip and am training as hard as I can. I know I will never be as good as I was but Im gonna try that vintage stuff. Yes I still dream about racing, some of them dont make sense but some do!!!!
LETS RACE!!!!!!
That Welker guy always writes the most incoherent gibberish. Way to keep the comments entertaining man!
@Quality parenting---- Dont let it bother you nothing can stop everything it outta your contol. When my parent made it to one of my races and I crashed hard they would count to five cause if I did not get up by then I might be hurt, well the pain and desire to win made me a man. Dont fret about it!
@Welker, I hope you didn't bang you head to hard earlier. Next time you knock on wood, find something else. But anyways I know I told this story before, but met a guy at the track who was 64 yrs old riding vintage Yamaha 125s. As long a he was able and still having fun, is all that mattered to him. Viva Old Age! lol
@codyw20- are talking about a condom or a Leatt? Both could be a life saver! lol
Q: How can we be sure that Leatt doesn't pay riders to wear their brace?
A: Because James Stewart isn't wearing one.
Z: ing
pizzacorner is a badass
What are you all talking about,no popup. Its still popping up on me and its still pissing me off.WTF
@BillC way to tell it. I for one, like your comments. @welker I was in a bad car crash right out of high scool. Artificial hip age 18. Not to let it get the best of me, I chose to race. Never was real fast or dedicated, as I knew I would pay for it later, but the point is, I rode. It wasn,t bad at all, and now at 52, I have an ATV set up to do the moto thing and being from mn, in the winter I ride snowmobile. Thinkin' you'd love it. Can hop on outside the door and ride right through SPRING CREEK PARK! Beautiful. New sleds are cool. Mine has over 100 hp and wieghs less than 400 lbs. Big time suspension. way cool. trail systems so good you can ride pretty much anywhere. I hope you find this post encouraging, Hang in there, buddy, can't wait to see you posting your upcoming trophy winning race days. good luck (my newest hip has been in place since 1989 and I have very few issues) and please don't pick on me for ridin' a quad, as I've also broken both knees, same time and had to go to four wheels or stay home two wheels make my legs too vulnerable. Not snivelin' I'll be fine, just sayin' hang in there-just like the pro moto's-It aint over til it's over.
@Fred- whats still popping up and be honest! I know you have tons of fun over there! lol
Roido is an idiot for not wearing a brace. But, roido is a fool anyway, so I wouldn't do what he says anyway!
@ Howard & CZ mark, I'm 53 and an Ex- Pro mx'er. I ride a CR500 AF, You can do anything with it. I titled it for road use, it makes a damn good trail bike and can still hit Moto's if the 'Jonesin' for a MX fix' gets too strong. I want to get involved more in the Vintage thing too, still have TM 125 that I turned Expert on. The vintage MX's are a blast, more B.S. session than Pain. Old Bultaco's still give me a chubby. Moral of story is... don't give up ridin' just adapt to age effects.