CW Evaluation: Leatt STX RR

Off-road and motocross riders have benefited from the added safety afforded by neck braces for more than a decade. Dr. Chris Leatt invented the motorcycle-specific devices back in 2002, and his company is once again leading the charge with the release of its STX RR brace, developed specifically for roadracers and trackday riders.

Designed with what Leatt calls Alternative Load Path Technology, the STX RR protects against hyperextension, hyperflexion, lateral hyperextension, hyper­translation, and compression injuries. As the only guy on the Cycle World staff who has broken his neck (CW Evaluation: Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support), I credit an Alpinestars brace similar to this Leatt with preventing more serious injuries than I sustained. So I test and use these devices regularly, with safety and comfort my top priorities.

At a recent trackday, I was fitted with the STX RR by Leatt’s staff and used it all day. The brace fits over racing leathers, secured by underarm straps, and is designed to accommodate an aero hump. It’s easy to put on and take off. Fit is optimized using swiveling scapula wings at the back of the brace, a changeable rear platform height, and shoulder adjusters, all of which fine-tune the gap between the helmet and brace.

Unlike my first experience with an off-road brace—which took some getting used to—the STX RR was instantly comfortable. The front brace supports sit over your clavicles and are hinged to move with your body as you tuck in, sit up, and move around. The only time I noticed the brace while riding was through Chuckwalla Valley Raceway’s turn 13 bowl, which requires you rotate your head nearly 90 degrees to see the exit line, which caused my Arai helmet to make light contact with the brace’s platform.

Aside from this, the Leatt “disappeared” in the same way other safety equipment like my helmet does, making its added protection a welcome addition to my riding gear.