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MOTOGIRL

FAST THOUGHTS FROM JESSICA LEE

Sunday June 15th, 2008
My New Arai Helmet
Bones can be broken and healed; wounds can be stitched and bruises will fade but a brain injury will never leave you the same. Anyone who has ever had a bad concussion will tell you that it never quite heals 100%. In motorcycle racing one of the most common injuries along with broken bones is concussion. Speaking from experience, you most definitely want to have a great helmet to protect your noggin from getting hit too hard because even mild concussions add up.

As you may recall reading my story in February of 2007 when I experienced my first concussion; it was not only caused by a hard impact but also by a cheap helmet. In today’s growing motorcycle market many people are buying helmets with an awesome paint job or buying them because of low prices not realizing that the helmet might not do its job; to protect you’re most important body part.

A few months ago at the dealer convention in Indianapolis, my teammate Brent Kasemeyer and myself were convinced that Arai made the best helmets out there. We saw the proof with helmets sent in by thankful customers who experienced life threatening crashes while wearing an Arai. For these customers, the reason they are alive is because of the quality and protection of an Arai. When the people at Arai heard about my brain injury they wanted me to be in one of their helmets and thanks to a few insiders we know, Brent and I were each sent helmets for our new season. My helmet which is the Josh Hayes replica is called the “Jolly Roger”. When I got the helmet I was amazed at the quality and time that went into making the helmet. It’s hand painted and fits perfectly. It’s the most comfortable helmet I’ve worn. So far, I haven’t gotten the chance to ride with it at a track but just riding around with it on feels great. The helmet is lightweight but feels safe. I’ve worn HJC, Troy Lee Designs, KBC, Fox Racing and Shark helmets but I have to admit, so far I’m loving the Arai the best. It may be one of the most expensive helmets but its more than worth it. You're neck and brain are the two of the most important body parts; you can't put a price on them.

Also at the convention, Silvio Giorgetti from the Italian company Ariete hooked me up with what I believe are the best goggles. Each year at the convention he has been very gracious and has given me a pair of goggles with lenses. The goggles look great with my new helmet and are my favorite color; hot pink!



In a few days I will be out on the track training with my new helmet and goggles. Be sure to check back for a full review of both of our helmets!






Posted by Jessica @ 12:27PM  -  Permalink  -  2 Comments  -  0 Trackbacks
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Tuesday April 17th, 2007
Bikes, Bikes, and more Bikes! My life the past few months.
Guess what, I won my first race back from being out injured for 3 months! I am so happy to finally be back on a bike. My friends say I’m crazy to be racing again after getting a bad concussion, memory loss, and a broken wrist but if you love something than you will never quit. At least, that’s what I believe anyways. Besides winning the race there are a few other things I have been thinking about lately.

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In Florida we have a “no helmet law” which means you don’t have to wear a helmet if you don’t want to. I think it is pretty silly because I can’t imagine hitting the pavement at 50 mph without a helmet but then again the state isn’t responsible for you. I know of a local guy who rode around a parking lot at 10 mph, did a wheelie, and hit a curb with his head. He died that day in the hospital after being airlifted from the scene. If he didn’t die I don’t even want to imagine his headache the next day. With my little jumping accident I was wearing a Troy Lee Designs Helmet which I later learned was not the best out there. Although it was more than 300 dollars, I paid for the paint job not the safety. With my concussion, I lost my memory for 2 days, got knocked out, and didn’t even know who I was! All I remember is getting out of bed a day or two after it happened feeling like someone had put an axe in my brain. I could not keep anything down for about 3 days, I couldn’t ride in a car for 2 months without taking prescription strength motion sickness pills, and I am still not myself. My reaction times are still slower than normal, and I can’t remember some things. People do not realize just how bad life is with a brain injury. After 3 months, I still have trouble trying to concentrate on one thing for a while without getting a headache, I still want to fall asleep at 3:00 in the afternoon and I cannot eat as much as I used to. The really weird thing is since the concussion I have been burping more than normal! Ok, so everyone burps like a little kid sometimes but I seemed to have a problem controlling it now! How embarrassing right! My dad was saying how a friend of his had the same exact problem after a bad concussion and it went away after a while. Your brain really does control everything and it is really odd what happens when it gets messed up. As a high school student, I have a lot of hectic work to do and ever since the concussion it has been so much harder for me to get it done. I even have trouble on tests because it is hard for me to focus and remember the information. From firsthand experience my advice to you would be always wear a good helmet and try to avoid concussions!

On a happier note, during these past few months I have done more than riding and crashing. I went with my parents and a few guys from their company up to the Dealer Show in Indianapolis, Indiana where I worked the Techmounts booth. I got to see so many new riding goodies! In March I also went with some friends to the Daytona Supercross and 200. This year my friend Josh Day was racing the 200 and got 9th place which is very good for a young privateer! So, congratulations again to Josh!

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While I was in Indy, I made friends with the people from Ariete an Italian company that makes grips and goggles. They actually gave me two pairs of goggles and new lenses as a gift! Grazie! So, far I would definitely recommend their goggles. They are especially great for women because they are smaller, lighter, and come in cool colors (even a glamorous sparkly design). Best of all, they are tough! The super cool people that make the Shock Spot R also gave me one of their very smart indicators that tells you if your helmet has a had a impact strong enough to consider buying a new helmet. I have not put it on my new helmet just yet but I will very soon. Speaking of helmets, my new helmet is a Shark brand. I first heard about these helmets when I was at Road Atlanta the year that Miguel Duhamel had just switched from Shoei to Shark. Shark Helmets have a European safety rating which is higher than in the USA and they have a special inside that allows the helmet to take more of a shock than your brain in an accident. So far, I love the helmet. I have not worn it very much since buying it last month but it is very comfortable and light.
Well, hope you like the little update on what I have been up to! Pretty soon I will let you all know more about the Shock Spot and Shark Helmets! Now I am off to finish some homework and get my gear together to go to motocross practice. So, now get off your toosh and ride!



Posted by Jessica @ 8:43AM  -  Permalink  -  0 Comments  -  0 Trackbacks
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THE AUTHOR


Jessica "Motogirl" Lee is a 34 year old motocross racer and journalist. Born into a family of motorcycle enthusiasts and industry insiders, she has been riding and nurturing a passion for motorcycles from the age of four.

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