Australasian Dirt Bike – May 2019

FACTORYRIDE/READERSRIDE/HERITAGE/ACTION/OAS/BUYERSGUIDE

GETITHERE

BILL

$1139.95(pair)

BROWSER

podactive.com

BLOWER

(03) 52444111

I’VEHADTWOarthroscopies

onmyleftkneeandafull

reconstructiononmyright,so

it’sfairtosayIneedallthehelpI

canget.WhenIfirststarted

wearingPODkneebracesback

in 2010 theytookarideortwo

togetusedtobut,sincethen,

I’veneverriddenwithoutthem.

Infact,ifIridewithoutthem

nowIfeelnaked,unsupported

andathugeriskofdoingmore

damage.Braceslikethiswill

helpprotectyourkneesinthe

eventofanaccident.

I’dliketosayeveryoneshould

haveasetbutI’vebeenwarned

byareaderthatcallingpeople

silly for not wearing them is

unfair because they are

expensive. But, then again, so is

a knee reconstruction. Trust me,

I know!

When I slipped into the latest

offering from POD, the K8 V2, I

noticed they had addressed

many of the issues some of us

were struggling with. This latest

version is a signifi cant

improvement over the old K8s

and here’s why:

WE RATE 

PATELLA PROTECTION POD

introduced a new patella

protection system for the V2

POD K8 KNEEBRACES

http://www.adbmag.com.au APRIL 2019| 121

VERDICT

I love these braces and I could

not ride without them. They’re

comfortable, fi t well and, best

of all, provide excellent

protection including over the

kneecaps. The ligaments feel

tight and indestructible while

the new strap system makes

them easier to put on and less

likely to come undone in your

pants. If you can afford them

and you’re prone to a little foot

dab, I’d add them to the

wishlist.

ML

LS2 MX470 SUBVERTER HELMET

I’LL ADMIT I DIDN’T know a

lot about LS2 helmets when I

was handed this one. I’d heard

of them but had never worn one

or really even checked them

out. My fi rst thoughts when I

pulled it out of the box was

“wow, it’s bright”.

The colours really stand out. I

certainly won’t have any

problems getting lost on the

start gate, that’s for sure. The

next thing I noticed was the

quality. You can really tell the

quality of a helmet by feeling it

with your hands.

Before I put it on, I jumped on

the internet and a quick Google

search brought upall

the MX470’s

specs. It is made

with a light KPA

shell and offers a

security sliding

structure with a

double injection of

EPS, to guarantee

exceptional protection on

impacts. The laser-cut foam

liner is hypo-allergenic and

breathable as well as being

removable and washable. The

helmet features a double D-ring

buckle, emergency release

system, reinforced chin strap,

metal security plate and

multi-density EPS liner.

The helmet also

features Dynamic

Flow- through

Ventilation, fully

adjustable intake

ports and venting in

the liner.

I’m keen to put some

hours in this helmet and report

back on how it shapes up. I’m

not planning on landing on my

head to test how well it absorbs

an impact but I guess anything

is possible. Stay tuned and I’ll

give you all the run down on

how well it holds up.

Mat Boyd

GET IT HERE

BILL

$299

BROWSER

ls2helmets.com.au

BLOWER

(03) 8720 6000

Just

Landed

WE DON’T RATE 

PRICE Picking something I

didn’t like about these braces is

diffi cult but I’m a down-to-earth

person and I’m aware $1100 plus

is a lot to spend on braces.

MOVEMENT The ligaments are

so tight that sometimes it can

be hard to kneel down. Better

than being loose I guess!

Editor Mitch Lees

Used&

Abused

and it allows the kneecap to be

protected at all times by using

two pieces of plastic that slide in

and out of each other as you

bend your knee. I haven’t had

anything get through!

COMFORT This is the

top-of-the-range brace and that

means it comes loaded with

carbon-fi bre. The frame is

contoured to suit the average

knee so it fi ts comfortably and

the carbon-fi bre means it’s

stronger than the plastic ’braces

out there.

HINGE SYSTEM Podhangs its

hat on the tough hinge system.

An internal ligament, strong

enough to hold a KTM1190 (they

have one hanging from a

ligament in their showroom in

Vicco ), is what is stopping your

knee from going sideways or

hyper-extending. After nine

months of use, they feel just as

tight and strong as the day I

got them.

STRAP ON The straps on the

old PODS would often unravel

and split at the ends.

Fortunately, a clever clip-on

system means they are now

quicker to put on and the straps

also don’t split anymore.

/ TECH / KIDZ KORNER / USED RIDE / FACTORY RIDE / READERS RIDE / HERITAGE / ACTION / OAS / BUYERS GUIDE