Protective Gear Question

[Burt Munro]

Gntbldr dragged my ass back home back in June. maybe he or his wife remembers?

at least i have an extra helmet coming... doesn't mean i'm now not going to get raped at tech...

You know what - I'm done here.  I really resent that last comment.  I've tried to find a solution to evaluating your helmet for you, but I guess that won't work to your satisfaction.

I wasn't about to try and refer you to an Amateur racer who has 1 season of racing under his belt.  You have some people in Wisconsin who have won numerous National Championships and in the process have probably dealt with as many crashed helmets as the number of years you've been alive.  I'm talking people who any official within CCS would respect and value their opinion.  

And you know what, I know Jim.  Jim and I sat at a Banquet table together a couple of years ago.  I think Jim's got a pretty level head on his shoulders and if he were to tell you something, I'd respect his opinion.

Bottom line, that's what we're talking about here - an opinion, based on experience.   This isn't like putting a bike on a Dyno and getting an imperical HP reading.   We don't have a machine at Tech that we put your helmet into to arrive at a pass/fail decision.

That seems to be what your looking for - black and white data that assures you that your helmet is safe.  That's not going to happen.  You're going to get an opinion based on the condition of your helmet and you know what?  We're going to err on the side of caution.  Maybe your helmet is safe, maybe it isn't .  No one associated with CCS is going to take a chance that you're safety is compromised by letting you go out with a helmet that we think might be unsafe.

So good luck next year.  I truly hope that having a helmet rejected that you already crashed in won't ruin your season.

[Knightslugger]

Rick, i'm confused here and that's why i'm so adamant about this thread continuing.

You ARE the tech guy. you ARE the go to person for my questions. i'm getting conflicting information.

first you tell me it's all up to the person at tech that moment i show up

then you tell me that you'd respect the opinion of a seasoned racer - You don't tell me you'd accept that and pass it, but you don't go on to say you wouldn't either.

tell me this! Say it was Jim that i took the helmet to, or any other person you deem respectable. they say it's good. would you then pass it on race day?

I really resent that last comment.

hey, try getting called retarded and stupid for trying to preempt a technical faux pa before your first season even gets off the ground...

[tstruyk]

Oh now youve gone and done it...  

ya know we still love ya Rick, right?  RIGHT?????

Oh and btw when turning into your subdivision by the Dobbs make sure you stop at the flashing red light at 2am especially if youre eatin a taco... just sayin

and again, where on Earth does it say that it wouldn't pass tech? It's nowhere to be found in the rule book.

eh I thought we went to snell 2005... I go through enough helmets its a non issue for me  ::)

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

UH-OH the new guy pissed off Rick, I didn't even know that was possible!

 

[HAWK]

UH-OH the new guy pissed off Rick, I didn't even know that was possible!

 

Hey Rick, isn't that one of the ways to join the 10000 smite club?

Among other things......

[spyderchick]

Knightslugger, the tech guys in CCS might be ornery, cantankerous, and at times down right frustrating, but, BUT, at the end of the day, they are there to make sure everyone, including the most decorated champion, passes the tech rules.

The thing that the racers here have learned is that if you come to tech with sub par equipment, be it your bike or your gear, you might not be racing that day.

I remember back a few years ago when we were doing Friday practice at Blackhawk. Some guy who had just gotten his license was tooling around on an R1. I looked at his bike and asked him if he had a reinforced case cover. He said nope, what was I talking about? I said that if he would have read the rulebook he would have found out that he needed an aftermarket case cover or some form of reinforcement, like a bar of aluminum because that was a weak spot and could spill oil on the track. I told him we had a drill he could use if he wanted to stop at the hardware store and pick up some metal.

He must have gone home and read the rule book a little further after Larry read him the section pertaining to his machine because he was no where to be seen the next day.

Moral of the story? First, experienced racers know what to expect in tech. Second, read the entire rule book, not just areas that pertain to you. We've all had those pissed off moments at the tech guys that should really be directed at ourselves. Mine was the 'yellow plate' plate issue that wasn't yellow enough for Larry. He didn't stop me from racing, but you can bet I came back the next weekend with a 'yellower' plate.  

Getting back to the scratch on your helmet, I had a nice little mechanical going into turn one. My transmission locked up (And I was a moving chicane back in the day, probably not going very fast), and got sent to the ground pretty abruptly. I didn't get very hurt, and took the brunt of it with both my hands and wrists, which were okay for the most part. Had a scratch on my helmet (Nice AGV, $565 retail) on the left side of the chin/jaw area that was really only cosmetic. Much less than yours. I don't recall hitting my face that hard. 6 months later I lost a molar that was traumatized by that crash.

So here's the deal, understand that most CCS officials are either former racers, or folks who have been involved with racing and motorcycles for a very long time. They have tons of experience you can't even begin to fathom. So when Rick offers to hook you up with an experienced racer in your area (something he doesn't have to do), you say "Thank you sir" and take him up on the offer. Why? Because you will get background on the sport, some valuable safety lessons, and a perspective that is priceless. Oh yeah, you'll have an instant mentor and guy who you can ask those questions you don't necessarily want to ask on a public forum.
I was fortunate enough to hook up with an awesome group when I first started in the late 90's, and I had been a spectator and had friends racing from the mid 80s on! You think I knew it all? Hell no, and I learned a lot! In fact, I know one old school fast guy who still admits he's learning. Probably how he stays fast, he's still humble, too.

If I were you, I'd thank the nice racers here who've tendered their advice, apologize to the nice tech dude, and eat a bit of humble pie. We are all human, none of us know it all. What we do know is how to protect someone who might not know the ropes. We all want racing to grow. You might not know everything, but you have a whole paddock of folk who are willing to teach you. The fact that they want you to stay alive by protecting your head is a good indication of their intent. None of the people giving that advice are here to make any money off of you. Think about that.

Last, be glad you didn't post this on the WERA BBS, because son, we have 3 days here and everyone has been fairly nice. 3 hours after your initial post and you would have been flamed to the hills and eaten by jackals. Probably would have set a page per hour record. They have the same intention, but they won't 'tolerate stupid' as they say. Insult one of their techs and it would have been all over and to add insult to injury, you probably would have insulted an industry insider without knowing it. 

Hope to see you at Anna Maria's next year chomping pizza and listening to post event bench racing. Make sure to thank the corner workers and staff at the end of the day. And remember this is club racing; everyone, (except for a few retired guys in white) has to go to work the next day. ;)

[funsizeracing]

http://picasaweb.google.com/humphreycharlesa/BFRIntermediate61009#

Who cares about the helmet, your form is horrible!  You really need to work on keeping your toes pointed on the dismount.

[spyderchick]

Who cares about the helmet, your form is horrible!  You really need to work on keeping your toes pointed on the dismount.

Spoken like someone who's been there! 

[DEVINC]

That was a very nice way to put things Alexa (three posts up)

[spyderchick]

That was a very nice way to put things Alexa (three posts up)

I was in a nicer mood this fine AM. :)

Weird, I like the first, pretty snowfall. (we got about 6" last night) By January I'll be sick of it all. 

[eboos]

Last, be glad you didn't post this on the WERA BBS, because son, we have 3 days here and everyone has been fairly nice. 3 hours after your initial post and you would have been flamed to the hills and eaten by jackals. Probably would have set a page per hour record. They have the same intention, but they won't 'tolerate stupid' as they say. Insult one of their techs and it would have been all over and to add insult to injury, you probably would have insulted an industry insider without knowing it.

Word!

[ScubaSteve]

Go spend some time in a rehab center that has head injury's. You'll have no problem replacing that helmet. One thing i'm thankful for after breaking my neck is I didn't get a head injury

then go buy a ARAI i sent plenty of my helmets to them for inspection. I beleive it was only $20.