The RHINO Body Armor Story:

After witnessing first-hand several deaths, paralysis and life-altering injuries sustained by motorcycle riders, we decided that the "better than nothing" armor that exists today, isn't much better than nothing.

On February 14, 1999, while riding wooded trails, the throttle of my 250cc 2-stroke dirtbike stuck open.  The bike wheelied at 40mph and I crashed into a large tree.  Although I was wearing protective gear, I still sustained six broken ribs, three fractured vertebrae (T3-T5), punctured and collapsed both lungs, broke my clavicle (collarbone), shattered my hip and femur joint and got a concussion.  All armor is not the same.  Without naming names I will say that I was wearing a 'top-brand' chest protector (more of a rock deflector if you ask me) as well as their hip armor.  Neither product provided any measure of protection.

Last year a motorcycle rider 'low-sided' his sportbike while on a group ride.  The bike slid a short distance along the road, struck a tree, bounced back off its front forks and struck the rider in the back.  The accident seemed simple enough.  Unfortunately, the rider was paralyzed from the chest down.  He had broken his cervical spine (C5-C6).  He was wearing a jacket with built-in soft "armor".

Five days ago I was returning from a trip to the Adirondacks with a group of motorcycle riders.  I stoppied (some call it an endo) my 2002 Ducati 998S Bostrom, narrowly avoiding hitting one of several dogs that were running back and forth across the road.  I flew over the handlebars and landed on my face (I was wearing a full-face helmet, one-piece race leathers, race gloves and boots).  I put my hands out to stop my fall and drove my forearms through my elbows, breaking both elbows.  My face and chin smashed off the ground and my neck snapped back violently.  The motorcycle flipped over its front wheel upside down onto its top and landed on my right leg (the one with the titanium plate, 7 femur screws and compression fitting received from a previous accident).  Thankfully I was wearing RHINO Body Armor.  The back protector supported the helmet as it whiplashed backward towards my spine (as it was designed to do).  The specially-designed, "hard" hip armor absorbed both the ground and motorcycle impact.  X-rays were taken of both my cervical spine and right hip.  Neither area was broken, strained or damaged in any way.  Without RHINO Body Armor I shudder to think of the outcome of this fairly minor accident.

In addition to the paralyzing crash story, I've chosen to include my own accidents since they formed the basis for my decision to develop the finest quality, profession-grade body armor possible.  While most motorcycle accidents result in road rash and perhaps a broken rib or collarbone, there are also thousands of deaths and critically paralyzing injuries that occur every year in the U.S.  Many of these injuries could be prevented with proper protective gear.  Leather, nylon and carbon fiber / kevlar are excellent at stopping abrasion, but severe impact accounts for the most critical injuries.  RHINO Body Armor addresses extreme sports athletes' needs and concerns for the highest grade body armor possible.

© 2002 LegalBriefs, Inc..  All rights reserved.  LegalBriefs ® is a registered trademark of LegalBriefs, Inc.  RHINO™ is a trademark of RHINO Body Armor, a division of LegalBriefs, Inc.  All armor products are patent-pending.  Various trademarks listed on this website are the property of their respective owners.  Disclaimer.