Brace yourself

The Neck Brace System was first shown to the public at INTERMOT in Cologne, in October 2005 and then at the 2006 EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan.

According to the company: Helmet and body protectors are acknowledged as essential safety features in motorcycling and many other sports. But the sensitive neck area has remained largely unprotected to date.

Although accident-induced injuries on this part of the body are relatively rare in statistical terms, as opposed to other types of injury, neck injuries, when they do occur, constitute a far greater risk for the rider. In many cases the consequences of such injuries are indeed quite dramatic.

In cooperation with KTM and a team of specialists made up of accident researchers, bio-mechanics, accident surgeons and, not least, the inventor of this protection system, South African physician Dr Chris Leatt, BMW Motorrad has actively pursued the development of the neck brace System.

It is a lightweight construction made of carbon, kevlar and glass-fibre-reinforced plastic covered in part by a soft, impact-absorbing layer of foam pleasant to the skin.

The rider places the it round the neck like a collar, with two rapid action catches at the side ensuring simple handling and adjustment.

It does not form a static connection linking the helmet with the rider's shoulders, but rather rests on the rider's upper body, offering its safety effect as soon as the wearer moves his head to the front, rear or side.

As a result the rider retains the required freedom of movement under normal conditions, with the risk of over-stretching his head in the respective direction (hyperflection, hypertension, lateral hyperflection) being reduced significantly.

Injuries resulting from forces exerted on the helmet that may act on the spine (axial loading) are minimised by the lower edge of the helmet resting on the neck brace.

It's priced at $1000 and the company says it has already undergone a significant amount of testing in competition.