BMW Motorrad introduces Neck Brace System.

[totalmotorcycle]

BMW Motorrad introduces Neck Brace System.
11/21/2006

Munich. After thorough research and testing, BMW Motorrad, the world's leading motorcycle manufacturer in the area of innovative safety systems, will introduce the Neck Brace System at the beginning of the 2007 motorcycle season. Presented to the public for the first time at the 2006 Intermot Show in Cologne, BMW Motorrad's Neck Brace System is currently being admired by highly interested visitors at the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan.
Helmet and body protectors are acknowledged these days as essential features in motorcycling and many other sports. But particularly the sensitive neck area has remained a largely unprotected safety issue so far. 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. So to close this safety gap, BMW Motorrad is now offering the Neck Brace System as a safety concept endorsed and acknowledged by renowned researchers.

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 consistently and actively pursued the development of the Neck Brace System. The objective is to reduce the risk of injuries around the neck area, on the cervical spine and collarbone in the event of a severe fall.

The Neck Brace System 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 Neck Brace System round his neck like a collar, two rapid action catches at the side ensuring simple handling and adjustment. The Neck Brace System 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: In such a case the rider retains the freedom of movement he requires 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 coming down from the helmet to act on the spine (axial loading) are minimised by the lower edge of the helmet resting on the neck brace.

Originally developed for enduro and rally sport, the Neck Brace System has gone through several months of careful testing by BMW Motorrad and KTM works riders, accompanying the actual process of development. Wearing the Neck Brace System, Chris Pfeiffer, riding for BMW Motorrad, finished among the top 10 in the 2006 Erzberg Rodeo.

This safety system is now also used in street races, successfully proving its qualities in the South African Superbike Championship, to mention just one example.

The Neck Brace System is a major improvement of passive safety both in sports riding and in everyday use on a motorcycle.

The price of BMW Motorrad's Neck Brace System has not yet been determined.