Plessinger crash: Did he bust the front brake lever with his helmet?

Xeno
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Xeno
Edited Date/Time 4/28/2017 1:46am
I was checking out GuyB's photos from SLC, and I noticed a brake lever floating in the air. I think Plessinger hit his front brake with the chin bar of his helmet so hard that the lever broke. I don't think I've ever seen this before.

Here's two of GuyB's photos from http://www.vitalmx.com/features/Vital-MX-Perspective-Salt-Lake-City,5298







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IWreckALot
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IWreckALot 4/24/2017 10:38am
4/24/2017 10:38am
That's a pretty good hit if he did break it. I was hoping he would win this round too.
Track and Trail 4/24/2017 10:41am
4/24/2017 10:41am
Shoulda been wearing a jimmy Lewis helmet. Woulda saved that brake lever for sure.
TXDirt
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TXDirt 4/24/2017 10:43am
4/24/2017 10:43am
He must run super thin grips or have custom handle bars because I've never seen such small diameter grips before. maybe it's just the camera angle but they look ultra skinny. Is it just me?
slipdog
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slipdog 4/24/2017 10:43am
4/24/2017 10:43am
Aren't those the "unbreakable" levers?

Maybe from the new ARC "Titanic" line...

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MX Guy
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MX Guy 4/24/2017 11:27am
4/24/2017 11:27am
Damn he snapped it clean off. What a catch.
GuyB
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GuyB 4/24/2017 11:29am
4/24/2017 11:29am
Lever doesn't look broken to me. Broke the mount?



JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 4/24/2017 11:31am
4/24/2017 11:31am
TXDirt wrote:
He must run super thin grips or have custom handle bars because I've never seen such small diameter grips before. maybe it's just the camera angle...
He must run super thin grips or have custom handle bars because I've never seen such small diameter grips before. maybe it's just the camera angle but they look ultra skinny. Is it just me?
They look like lock on ODI grips to me.
Black Diesel Bomber 4/24/2017 11:39am
4/24/2017 11:39am
I saw that too right when ML512 posted it. I thought it might have been his wrist catching it at a bad angle but you might be right it could have been his helmet. Only Plessinger knows:

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Aaron-Plessingers-Salt-La…
Xeno
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Xeno 4/24/2017 11:43am
4/24/2017 11:43am
GuyB wrote:
Lever doesn't look broken to me. Broke the mount? [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/24/190184/s1200_042417aaronlever.jpg[/img]
Lever doesn't look broken to me. Broke the mount?



Yes, it could have broke the casting on master cylinder. I'm not trying to defame the lever vendor, so good call GuyB.

jorgechavez 4/24/2017 12:03pm
4/24/2017 12:03pm Edited Date/Time 4/24/2017 12:05pm
It's hard to tell and I'm not familiar with whatever their running but nothing looks broken at all to me when I compare the two pictures, seems like it just came off. I have no idea though honestly maybe I'm blind haha
slipdog
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slipdog 4/24/2017 12:16pm
4/24/2017 12:16pm
Xeno wrote:
Yes, it could have broke the casting on master cylinder. I'm not trying to defame the lever vendor, so good call GuyB.

Agreed, jokes aside, crashing breaks more than bones. I cross rutted yesterday and the ensuing cartwheel cracked my sub frame and bent my bars. Can't blame the people that made those parts, I blame the clown that cartwheeled a 220lb motorcycle down the track...
peelout
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peelout 4/24/2017 12:44pm
4/24/2017 12:44pm Edited Date/Time 4/24/2017 12:44pm
it's actually a torque wrench. AP learned the hard way that you check your sprocket bolts before the main, not during.
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Falcon 4/24/2017 2:12pm
4/24/2017 2:12pm
GuyB wrote:
Lever doesn't look broken to me. Broke the mount? [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/24/190184/s1200_042417aaronlever.jpg[/img]
Lever doesn't look broken to me. Broke the mount?



Xeno wrote:
Yes, it could have broke the casting on master cylinder. I'm not trying to defame the lever vendor, so good call GuyB.

Actually, I think the lever did break. The main lever of an ARC is mounted to a smaller interface which fits into the lever perch. The black part of the levr may be unbreakable, but it looks to me like the silver part isn't:

GuyB
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GuyB 4/24/2017 4:31pm
4/24/2017 4:31pm
Falcon wrote:
Actually, I think the lever did break. The main lever of an ARC is mounted to a smaller interface which fits into the lever perch. The...
Actually, I think the lever did break. The main lever of an ARC is mounted to a smaller interface which fits into the lever perch. The black part of the levr may be unbreakable, but it looks to me like the silver part isn't:

I'd say you may be correct there. The remaining silver bits in there look about right for the design/shape.
RCMXracing
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RCMXracing 4/24/2017 8:40pm
4/24/2017 8:40pm
Falcon wrote:
Actually, I think the lever did break. The main lever of an ARC is mounted to a smaller interface which fits into the lever perch. The...
Actually, I think the lever did break. The main lever of an ARC is mounted to a smaller interface which fits into the lever perch. The black part of the levr may be unbreakable, but it looks to me like the silver part isn't:

GuyB wrote:
I'd say you may be correct there. The remaining silver bits in there look about right for the design/shape.
The way that part is machined with the right angles, and not "radiused" creates a stress riser just begging for snappage. Obv not meant to flex that way, perch probably really tight. It would be strange if they weren't using a mount with a plastic insert to allow some perch movement in a crash...or the 'ole teflon tape trick.
Xeno
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Xeno 4/24/2017 9:18pm
4/24/2017 9:18pm
RCMXracing wrote:
The way that part is machined with the right angles, and not "radiused" creates a stress riser just begging for snappage. Obv not meant to flex...
The way that part is machined with the right angles, and not "radiused" creates a stress riser just begging for snappage. Obv not meant to flex that way, perch probably really tight. It would be strange if they weren't using a mount with a plastic insert to allow some perch movement in a crash...or the 'ole teflon tape trick.
In the second photo I posted, it looks like the master cylinder did rotate forward- but it's hard to tell from the angle of the photo.

If it did rotate, then the Teflon tape served its purpose. For sure those guys don't want the lever perches too easy to move. Sometimes you see a guy get up from a crash and he has to hit the perch really hard to get it back in place.
When Savagy hit the ground in St. Louis (or was it Indy?)- he was struggling to get the clutch perch back in place.
FlickitFlat 4/24/2017 9:34pm
4/24/2017 9:34pm
Am I the only one that doesn't give a shit about the lever but more on the fact that he broke it with his chin? I don't care if it is made out of plastic, that is a pretty brutal hit. Think about it, Plessy smacked it hard. The fact that it was caught so well on photo that it can be analysed is about equally amazing.
MohMoto14
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MohMoto14 4/24/2017 10:07pm
4/24/2017 10:07pm
FlickitFlat wrote:
Am I the only one that doesn't give a shit about the lever but more on the fact that he broke it with his chin? I...
Am I the only one that doesn't give a shit about the lever but more on the fact that he broke it with his chin? I don't care if it is made out of plastic, that is a pretty brutal hit. Think about it, Plessy smacked it hard. The fact that it was caught so well on photo that it can be analysed is about equally amazing.
I'm confused about the reasoning for your first sentence.

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MohMoto14
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MohMoto14 4/24/2017 10:36pm
4/24/2017 10:36pm
RCMXracing wrote:
The way that part is machined with the right angles, and not "radiused" creates a stress riser just begging for snappage. Obv not meant to flex...
The way that part is machined with the right angles, and not "radiused" creates a stress riser just begging for snappage. Obv not meant to flex that way, perch probably really tight. It would be strange if they weren't using a mount with a plastic insert to allow some perch movement in a crash...or the 'ole teflon tape trick.
Xeno wrote:
In the second photo I posted, it looks like the master cylinder did rotate forward- but it's hard to tell from the angle of the photo...
In the second photo I posted, it looks like the master cylinder did rotate forward- but it's hard to tell from the angle of the photo.

If it did rotate, then the Teflon tape served its purpose. For sure those guys don't want the lever perches too easy to move. Sometimes you see a guy get up from a crash and he has to hit the perch really hard to get it back in place.
When Savagy hit the ground in St. Louis (or was it Indy?)- he was struggling to get the clutch perch back in place.
I always run my front break tighter than my clutch bc I'm always worried about it coming up and hitting the throttle cable during a crash and making the situation worse. I'd rather replace a lever than have my throttle cable be damaged, it could make it stick and you might not realize it until after you take off again. I Had something like this happen during a team hare scramble long ago when I was on a kx60. The lever came up and twisted the whole throttle mount back until the throttle cable pulled tight. I moved the brake back but didn't have the strength to move the grip. Had to run back and hand the tag off to my teammate and of course I crashed at the point furthest away from there!
DemoDick
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DemoDick 4/25/2017 5:09am
4/25/2017 5:09am
Manifest I ever need a murder solved I am calling on the vitards. Analytics galore.
Falcon
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Falcon 4/26/2017 2:57pm
4/26/2017 2:57pm
I'm not sure he hit it with his chin. Check out the sequence:

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F.B 4/26/2017 4:22pm
4/26/2017 4:22pm
TXDirt wrote:
He must run super thin grips or have custom handle bars because I've never seen such small diameter grips before. maybe it's just the camera angle...
He must run super thin grips or have custom handle bars because I've never seen such small diameter grips before. maybe it's just the camera angle but they look ultra skinny. Is it just me?
JBecker 72 wrote:
They look like lock on ODI grips to me.
That picture shows why I have never used ODI grips and never will.
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colintrax 4/26/2017 4:36pm
4/26/2017 4:36pm
F.B wrote:
That picture shows why I have never used ODI grips and never will.
Why?
Brent
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Brent 4/26/2017 4:53pm
4/26/2017 4:53pm
I have watched that in slo mo 100 times this week, and I really can't see where he makes contact with the lever?
BGT21
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BGT21 4/26/2017 5:13pm
4/26/2017 5:13pm
Is it possible his hand/wrist knocked it off when he got ejected on the last whoop? When you watch the bike hit the last whoop it jolts backwards pretty violently whilst his body is of course still moving forward causing a huge "kick back" on his right wrist/hand. He was also holding his right wrist afterwards and looked in some pain too. I didn't and still can't see any contact made by his face or even helmet, but i did noticed how big of an impact on his wrist when i watched it first time round (before i saw his lever came off)
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RCB33 4/26/2017 6:51pm
4/26/2017 6:51pm
I busted a lever with a chin bar one time, it's possible, and painful... I've watched it a few times and I don't know where or when he made contact but I don't know how else the lever could break midflight...
Shawn142
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Shawn142 4/27/2017 10:26pm
4/27/2017 10:26pm
F.B wrote:
That picture shows why I have never used ODI grips and never will.
colintrax wrote:
Why?
I don't get it either. What do ODIs have to do with missing a whoop and getting out of rhythm?
HenryA
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HenryA 4/28/2017 1:46am
4/28/2017 1:46am
FlickitFlat wrote:
Am I the only one that doesn't give a shit about the lever but more on the fact that he broke it with his chin? I...
Am I the only one that doesn't give a shit about the lever but more on the fact that he broke it with his chin? I don't care if it is made out of plastic, that is a pretty brutal hit. Think about it, Plessy smacked it hard. The fact that it was caught so well on photo that it can be analysed is about equally amazing.
Haha I'm with you! Amazing photos snapped in just the right time

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