Komodo Gear  is focused on providing affordable world class motorcycle safety apparel for road racing, drag racing, track days and street riders. I recently came across some very disturbing statistics. In 2010 there were 4,376 motorcycle fatalities in the United States.  In 1997 there was a historic low of 2,116 fatalities.  Since then, except for a decline in 2009, motorcycle deaths have steadily increased to more than double the number in the ensuing 13 years.  The introduction of the Motorcycle Road and Track 2 Piece Leather suit is the latest example of Komodo Gear’s purpose driven approach to motorcycle apparel.

“The death of any motorcyclist is one too many, so this news that fatalities are down is encouraging,” said AMA senior vice president for government relations, Ed Moreland, in the AMA’s own press announcement. “While we are pleased that the number of motorcycling fatalities dropped dramatically in 2009, a one-year drop isn’t a trend.”  Unfortunately, the 2010 numbers showed us that it indeed was not a trend!

The Sport R/T is positioned to provide more than adequate protection for street riding and track days at a price that enables serious street riders the ability to ride with confidence at a track day in a safe and cost-efficient manner. NOTE: The Sport R/T is not designed to be used as a road racing suit.

Any two-wheeled mode of transportation is at a higher risk in traffic with automobiles. Not surprisingly, two-thirds of all motorcycle accidents are caused when the passenger vehicle does not yield right of way to the rider.

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The Komodo Gear Vintage leather jacket is built to the rigorous race standards that Komodo Gear demands of its famous racing leathers. These leather jackets are constructed of full grain premium cowhide, not the cheaper top grain leathers that have been shaved thin to eliminate defects found in cheap pelts. The stretch panels in the Komodo Gear Vintage leather jackets are genuine Schoeller Keprotec which carries the highest coefficient of abrasion of any fabric. Zippers are YKK which are the “gold standard” for high quality closures, assuring years of trouble free use. This jacket, as all Komodo Gear jackets, also includes CE rated armor in the shoulders and arms (relaxed fit) for superior protection that combines all day comfort with classic styling. By the way, most “street” jackets do not have CE rated armor!
The Komodo Vintage Leather Jacket was one of the company’s first designs and it came from feedback that they were getting from riders that wanted an old school type of motorcycle jacket but with modern race quality protection. No funky designs, no 50 gazillion pockets and zippers everywhere; just a good old fashioned motorcycle jacket. Komodo, being a company that listens to what riders ask for, made a jacket just for them; try getting most companies to do that! Komodo Gear’s goal is to build the best, highest quality motorcycle gear and sell it at a price point that the competition can’t match. How can they do that? Not by using cheap materials or cutting corners on the manufacturing process, but by being a company that manufactures their own products and eliminates the “middle man” by selling exclusively on line and passing the savings on to the customer!!
You can get “leather” jackets cheaper, but do you really want to look cheap? Or when you are sliding across the pavement, are you really going to be complementing yourself on the “smoking deal” you got on eBay?

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CE Rated Certified Armor is a standard rating covering motorcyclists protective clothing  against mechanical impact.  In Europe there are two standards EN 1621-1:1997^[1] and EN 1621-2:2003^[2], 

Both standards test the protective devices by measuring the force transmitted though the device when it is impacted by a falling mass.

There are several different types of protection used in a motorcycle race suits today such as foam armor, memory foam and hard armor.

Komodo Gear uses three main types of CE Rated Armor in their products.

Betac-knee-armor Betac-shoulder-armor

Leidel & Kracht CE Armor

Made in Germany to the highest standards.
LK – 2 Joint Protector (knee, shoulder, hip, elbow)

This multipurpose protector is tested and CE-certified by EN 1621-1 and meets the highest quality standards. The material consists of a thermoformed PE-foam structure with a light and flexible EPS-core. Additional fabric in the material structure increases strength. The high density of small segments ensures increased flexibility and wearing comfort. A pre-shortened version of the LK – 2 can also be used as a hip protector.

KNOX armor is made and designed in the UK and specializing in the design and manufacture of protection systems for a range of extreme sports.

Komodo uses KNOX Armor because of its excellent reputation as an industry leader for protective safety armor. All KNOX armor meets or exceeds the current CE standard of EN1621-1.

Key Advantages:
. Unique honeycomb structure for excellent impact performance

. Flexible three-dimensional molded shape and soft inner layer ensure that optimum comfort and flexibility are maintained.

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The great thing about track days is that you are constantly meeting new people.  New faces, personalities, backgrounds and behavior.  Yes, there are some riders who consistently come back and that is not only a great compliment, it’s also comforting to watch them improve their riding skills right before your eyes.  However, new riders means that the sport and passion for riding motorcycles in a track environment is growing and that is a very good thing, indeed.

The key difference with the track days at Eagles Canyon is that is resembles a “Members” day.  Eagles Canyon Raceway is an exceptional race track with well thought out facilities.  Management at Eagle’s Canyon is very involved with its members, but also very professional.  In regards to riders, We set expectations with up front and make it very clear that we are about offering solid track time and offering one on one dialogue with an instructor when it is asked for.

Quality time in the saddle on the track, does make a difference.  A lot of the riders who attend the track days at Eagle’s Canyon are new to Eagle’s Canyon, but not to track days.  Many of the riders (notice I didn’t say “students”) have attended actual track day riding schools.  They get a lot of class room instruction from these schools, which can be extremely valuable for many “students”.  However, a lot of the “schools” are over crowded and the ratio for student to teacher is many times a determent.  Not to mention, a lot of riders “attack” the track and crash, which alienates many of the riders, but they don’t want to publicly speak about it in front of the other students. Sound familiar?

The track days that we provide at Eagles Canyon are all about the  actual “rider” and greatly resemble an actual “Members” track day.  We position the riders into 3 classes:  new, intermediate and expert.  Experts know what they’re doing; they don’t need us to tell them how to ride so we let them get on the track immediately after we discuss the ground rules and track etiquette.  For new and intermediate riders, we carefully cover the facts:  track in detail, riders etiquette, corner workers, technical for the bike, tires, safety apparel and then ask them what do they expect from the day.  It’s more of a conversation than a lecture and we bring the atmosphere down to a more relaxed level.  We think the riders take more in and actually enter the track with more confidence since they know what to expect.  That’s a big plus.

Another big plus is the fact that the owners of Eagle’s Canyon wanted to provide a “different” experience for the riders. Great thinking on their end because their strategy doesn’t conflict with any of the riding “Schools” that use their track.  Also, another huge factor is that  Michelin attends the track day and so does Komodo Gear along with Ottis Lance (former WSB rider).  You have 3 key people who come from the industry and also raced for many years.  To build upon that, all of them are also still deeply involved in the business side of motorcycling, so they have not only the racing background, but also the business  background to listen to the riders.

Saddle time is such a huge factor in building confidence.  It allows the rider to “invest” so that they can actually figure some things out and really get to know their bikes in a dedicated track environment.  They have the unique opportunity to actually visit with Michelin, Ottis and Komodo Gear.  Lastly, all of the control riders who participate are Expert CMRA racers and are there to assist and provide input when it is asked for by the rider.  Again, every rider knows the rules before getting on the track and also realizes they are there to get time on the track as well as be in the company of truly experienced control riders.  It’s about providing an environment that offers a hell of a lot of fun.  You can learn so much about a person with a couple of hours of play time than you can sitting in a class room.  You also get a chance to build relationships with quality people who share the same interest and passion that you do.

We hope you take the time to come to our track day and experience a day that greatly resembles a “Members” day at Eagles Canyon.  It’s a fantastic experience and we welcome you to our next event!

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Komodo has built a hard earned reputation in the racing world.  Our products are     designed solely with rider safety and quality of construction in mind.  This

design  philosophy has earned us world wide recognition as a leader in “race proven” products as Komodo has been the leading choice for privateer racers in North America, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia, Malaysia, China and Saudi Arabia.

Committed to rider safety, Komodo Gear has invested heavily in research and development and     continues on it’s journey of using the best materials and construction methods available in every     product we manufacture.  The Pro Racer is the next level in rider safety technology and is available as a custom suit option that delivers world class features.

- Full grain leather
- Triple stitching in impact areas
- Kevlar Flex and stretch accordion panels for exceptional maneuverability
- Reinforced seams in impact areas
- Stainless steel molds on shoulder, elbow and knees
- Quality construction that is world class
- Stingray panels on forearms

More privateer racers ride in Komodo Gear products than any race apparel product on the market today. Don’t take our word for it.  Do a search on Google and you will see that Komodo Gear is the definitive leader in rider safety when it comes to motorcycle road racing, drag racing and track days.

Komodo Gear is purpose driven motorcycle gear.

We’ll see you at the Track!

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NEXT TRACK DAY SUNDAY MAY 8th 2100

The barrier has been removed to becoming a better rider and finding out what your bike can “really do”……….SAFELY! There is a new track day organization available to the riding public through Eagles Canyon Raceway in partnership with Komodo Gear and Island Racing Services. We are not interested in “certifying” you, turning you into a “racer” or intimidating you because you have never ridden on “a race track”. What we are interested in doing, is showing you how much fun a Sportbike can be! But, I must warn you; you will probably learn a hell of a lot as well!!

It’s all about having FUN! You can now get your sport bike on a real race track and ride alongside your friends in a safe and friendly environment. Classes will be smaller than other track day providers, so you will receive real, personal attention from the instructors who are industry experts. You will also benefit from discussions on track essentials, defensive riding and the incredible technology that has gone into your bike. It all amounts to being a better rider and having a really good time.

For More Information Please Contact

Organization: Eagles Canyon Raceway
Link: www.eaglescanyon.com
e-Mail: registration@eaglescanyon.com
Phone: (940) 466-9775

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Because the track is not the street, we have come up with a several recommendations for making your track day more successful.

We would love to hear your raceday bike tips

Motorcycle Technical and Preparation:

Headlight and Blinkers – Tape over your headlight, tail light, turn signal lenses and any reflectors.  Remove your mirros.   We also recommend taping over your speedometer; it will only distract you. Painters tape works best.

Bodywork:

Tighten down all the bits; double check the bolts and screws.  This means check everything before flight!  So don’t overlook your mirrors, turn signals, horn, etc.  It’ll make the bike safer for everyone on the track.

Lights:

Before you get on the track you’ll need to disconnect the headlight and the brake light.  The heat generated from the bulbs could “bake” the tape on – ugh…

Tires:

The facts are simple when it comes to tires.  Street tire pressures will be fine if you’re running street tires and not riding beyond their engineered purpose.  Consult with your dealer on the type tire you are using for accurate pressures.  Tires really make a difference on the track; we recommend the Michelin Power One for track day use

Apparel – Safety and Protection:
Wear a quality leather riding suit, full gauntlet leather gloves and sport riding boots.  Two-pieces leathers that zip together and one piece leather suits are perfect.  No mesh products (gloves, jackets or pants) as they present too much liability.

Helmet:

Full face helmets are the way to go; certifications such as D.O.T. and Snell are good.

Spine:

Highly overlooked by all riders; use a back protector, they are worth their weight in gold.

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The K-XP is considered by many privateer road racers as THE GOLD STANDARD in leather race suit protection. This race suit is constructed of full grain leather and includes extra padding in key impact areas that offers exceptional protection. Komodo Gear didn’t stop there and engineered advanced safety features such as external Carbon-Kevlar plates into the elbow and forearms. Using CE rated armor in all key impact areas and incorporating over sized Kevlar stretch panels in the legs from Schoeller Keprotec assist in less fatigue and greater maneuverability. There isn’t any other race suit on the market that offers these performance features at this price point. Don’t compromise your safety – ride with confidence – Komodo Gear All The Time!

-1.4mm Full Grain Leather Chassis that is pre-formed and designed specifically for road racing
-Double and triple Oxley stitching used through out entire suit
-Advanced CAD designed Italian CARBON/KEVLAR composites on elbows and forearms for maximum impact and abrasion resistance
-Leather reinforced impact areas: butt, hips, legs, lower back, knees, forearms, shoulders
-Perforated, removable nylon liner that is preformed to the suit for comfort
-Extensive use of large, genuine Kevlar panels in the legs/arms (Schoeller Keprotec)
-Advanced stitching technology
-Perforated leather for advanced cooling
-Genuine YKK zippers only (stainless steel and nylon)
-KNOX CE approved armor
-Advanced HIP PROTECTION with removable CE rated armor and temper foam
-Advanced BICEP protection with CE rated armor covering the humerus bone
-CAD design aero hump for mid & upper back protection
-Reinforced stretch accordion panels in the lower back and knees
-RAM AIR cooling vents on each side of the neck for advanced cooling
-Crash tested and well documented to survive at over 140 mph by CMRA and WERA race experts

Motorcycle Race Suit Customer Testimony

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w1AUqfEsE4

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Many things had crossed my mind leading up to round one of the Central Motorcycle Road Racing Association (CMRA) and none of my thoughts were even close to what I should have been thinking.  Most years my feelings leading up to the first race of the year are filled with anticipation and a bit of nervousness to get the first green flag underway.  This year was different in a strange way.  It was as if all the pressure had just been amplified, but at the same time it was like I was going to ride some laps with friends with no worries in the world.

You see, there happened to be quite a change in my program about 3 weeks before race weekend.  I was anticipating riding the same bike I rode last year, a 2009 Suzuki GSXR 750.  Then, with short notice I was given the opportunity to ride for Team M&M Racing.  A new team that was still in the process of putting everything together.  Team M&M is fielding the 2009 Honda CBR1000 for the stock classes and a 2008 CBR1000 for the modified classes that I would ride in the Superbike and Formula 1 class at the CMRA.   I was somewhat excited to be back on a Honda because my first year of racing I started out with a 2005 CBR600.  I won 49 of the 54  races I entered in one season.  So the past has proven that Honda seems to work well for me.  However, I had never really ridden a newer, race ready 1000cc motorcycle.  But I must say that I am very lucky to be associated with the people that I am with this year because everyone knew that I would be showing up to race a bike that I had never ridden before.

It was very welcoming to hear the team owner, Mitch tells me “Just go out and have fun, don’t worry about going fast.” and that’s just what I did!  As I took off from our pit area I noticed the bike felt really good.  As any seasoned rider will tell you, sometimes when you get on a race bike that feels set up just for you, it doesn’t take a track to know it.  It’s like making friends easily, I was comfortable on a new racing platform instantly.  It’s sounds odd, I know, but it’s a weird feeling.  Without even hitting a bump, you feel like your suspension is already tuned for that track and ready to go.

Needless to say, my first day of practice went on without a hitch, except for one, for just a moment.  And I will be the first to admit that I am a very fortunate rider.  Due to the people that surround me and support me,  I have never had a race bike with stock suspension.  One of these CBR1000’s I was riding still have stock fork internals.

And to add to that, it also had a leaking fork seal that we had discovered at the track.  There was a point I thought it would be a good idea to pull out the old race bike from last year to ride in the stock class just to get through the weekend.  But during Friday practice I decided, what the heck, I’ll just take it out to see how it works.

To my amazement, I went faster on that bike then I did on the other.  So, last year’s GSXR 750 race bike went back into the trailer.  By the end of Friday practice I felt like I was ready and comfortable with the new Honda racing bikes.

Leading up to the first race was different from years before.  Not quite sure why but I had no nervousness at all, no butterflies, nothing.  I just went out to ride my own race.  I started a bit back on the starting grid because I did not send my pre-race entries in quick enough.  (The CMRA determines your starting grid on the first race based on order of entry.  After that it goes by overall finish.)  As I was pulling up to my 8^th or 9^th row starting position, I thought to myself…..It would have been a good idea to practice at least one start on this bike before the race.  Turned out I did not get a good start.  I was about as far back as I had been sitting on the grid.  As I entered the first turn that far back I knew I had to make some moves fast because this particular track, about 1/3 of it, is very “one line“, meaning it is really hard to pass in that section.  As I exited the first turn to head down the long straight I tried to get a good drive out of the turn despite the slower riders ahead of me and out break them over “the launch” (a name of a section on the track.  A small, very fast hill just before a sharp 90 to the right) into the beginning of the one line turns, and I was able to do so.  I entered the sharp switch backs in 4^th position, not far behind the lead.  I speeded down the long, back straight and was able to take over and into 3^rd position!  Over the course of 6 laps I was able to jockey myself up to 2^nd then back to 3^rd by the end of the race.  It was a good race for me but I lost taking 2^nd place from my own mental error.  What I mean by mental error is basically being a baby and not making the pass for second soon enough and instead playing ‘follow the leader’ for 3 laps letting some of my competitors catch up to me.  But I had leaned from my mistake and was not going to let that happen again.

The second and third race went about the same but there were some highlights in both that made them far more exciting then the first.  In the second race, I had worked my way up to third place, just behind the person that took 2^nd away from me in the first race.  On the last lap I positioned myself just right.  A couple turns before the final sweeper to the left, I was able to put a front wheel in on my competitor to let him know I was there.  By doing that I spooked him a little and pushed him off the line he was aiming for, causing him to loose a bit of exit speed.  This was important for me because my bike would not hang with his (the BMW 1000 race bike) on the long, back straight.

By the end of the next straight and entering into the last long sweeper to the left I was able to make that needed pass on the BMW before the finish.  That race was really exciting and I’m sure it was fun to watch for everyone else.

By the third race, I was ready to go.  Maybe a bit too ready.  I was determined to get a good start, so I just decided to stay on the gas longer then everyone into the first turn.  It worked good at first, but then when I had to break, it turns out I came in a little too hard.  I blew the first turn, went off the track and was able to get back on just before being in last place.  I ended up finishing second in this race.  I was really happy though.  In that race I was about 10 sec. back from the leader out of the first turn and by the end of the race I had caught up to under a half a second.  I feel I should have won that race, but then again, maybe I shouldn’t have run off the track on the first turn!

Overall, I was more then happy with this past weekend at the track.  I was able to post the second fastest time all weekend next to Ty Howard.  So, that is a big accomplishment for me and to know that I have what it takes to get up front and battle for the lead.  The next round will be at Texas World Speedway and I look forward to another fun and challenging race weekend.

To See More Of Danny’s Stories go to Komodo Gear Forum.

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Komodo Gear has been producing motorcycle racing gloves for the public since 2005. Later that same year, we introduced the Meso racing glove. I’m going to spend a bit of time on the Meso race glove, because it was our very own design and was a labor of love. It took a while to actually bring the Meso to life because we were working with several different people (racers, designers and our factory). We made several different prototypes as there were a lot of “hands” on board in this glove design. Intellectually, the design of the Meso glove was truly our own. In looking back, the Meso glove actually proved to be very effective in testing and was adopted by many profssional racers starting in the beginning of 2006. This also means the glove was being harshly tested (crashed) heavily. The fact that the racers didn’t return them and used them for the full racing season said a lot about the quality and overall design of the glove. Komodo took a big risk with the Meso because it really was a new idea (a clean canvas design) including the fit and different use of materials. Like a lot of creative ideas, they either go big orgo bust; thankfully, the Meso was a huge hit!

The Meso actually incorporated Kevlar stitching throughout the entire glove, it was constructed of all leather, used commercially available TPU on the knuckle and on the fingers. The gauntlet was huge, it covered the full length of the wrist and offered a lot of protection for the racer. The main ingredient of success was the careful executio of the overall design and fit. The Meso glove was also comfortable. Instead of just using leather overlays on the palm, we actually found a way to incorporate a large Kevlar panel that covered the majority of the lower palm (including scaphoid) without inhibiting feel or function for the racer. This was a key safety feature because it’s a natural tendency to put your hands down during a crash where the palms take a lot of punishment and heat. Incorporating the Kevlar palm made sense and the design worked as planned. The Meso design was proof that Komodo was going in the right direction, it was a well received glove that was in use across the world in road racing. This included racers in the AMA, WSB, CMRA, WERA, CCS and even British Superbike! When you create a product that works, you really study it to find its faults so you can evolve it. Why start over whenyou have a solid design that is working? As you can see in the pictures, we took the Meso from an idea (we actually drew it up), then began making prototypes at our factory and then getting them into the hands of professional racers for use and review (that was a real test). Once the racers gave us the nod of approval, we then put the finished product into production for use by real privateer racers once we knew we had a really solid glove.

Naturally, a year of hard racing from dozens of pro racers on 3 different continents will quickly help you find your weakness. The lessons learned were quickly put into R&D and more testing ensued, and that is how we came up with our next generation glove, the K-FX, which was launched in 2007. As you can see in the pictures, the K-FX was an evolution of the Meso glove. We tuned the fit, added more TPU in critical areas and also incorporated the now famous KNOX SPS protectors on the palm in combination with the Kevlar panel. This wasn’t an easy task. We actually sat down face to face with the Geoff Travell, the owner of KNOX, and discussed our strategy for the K-FX glove. Thankfully, Geoff liked our idea and approved our use of his new design, the SPS. It’s our understanding that Komodo was the first company in North America to actually use the SPS protection system in a production race glove. The relationship with KNOX proved to be invaluable. The K-FX glove was truly a success as we sold the glove all over the world. Like any product, the work is never complete. You continue to see the glove succeed, but also get plenty of feedback from racers and customers. You can never be content with a design, regardless of its success. After three years, we have now decided to further evolve our glove line.

New for 2011, Komodois officially introducing the new, “Pro Racer”, glove. Like it’s predecessors, the Pro Racer shares many of the same safety features, but also incorporates a few new safety features such as a Kevlar upper.

It is a fresh safety feature that already compliments an extremely race proven design. Komodo worked very closely with a professionaldesigner on the Pro Racer glove to retain many of our proven safetyfeatures. As you can see in the pictures, we were able to retain the same palm, but instead of using the KNOX SPS system, we are incorporating stingray. Stingray is nothing new as it’s been in use for many years, just like Kangaroo has been used for years. The difference is that Komodo is able to use the both stingray, Kevlar and kangaroo in combination and keep the price point at a level that is reasonable and acceptable for the club racing community. As mentioned, you can never be content with your position, so we also refined the fit on the Pro Racer even further. We also designed new TPR moulds for a more custom look and continue to use commercially available Carbon/Stainless steel knuckle moulds. Our customers have complimented the new look and also have told us it’s our best fitting glove, yet. That in itself is quite exciting since many of our customers have told us our last generation K-FX glove was the best fitting glove they have ever worn. So, take a few moments to study the new Pro Racer glove and you will see it’s heritage from the Meso and K-FX glove along with a few new additions for a completely new look – and feel! Take comfort knowing that you have access to a glove that uses all the technology you can find in MotoGP, now available to the public for under $200.00!

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