"Is it safe?"
It is the very first question every non-racing parent asks me when they find out Jäger races motorcycles. The idea of a 13-year-old hurtling into a corner at 100km/h with nothing but a leather suit between them and the asphalt is terrifying to most people.
But the truth is, the safety gear these kids wear is phenomenal.
They aren't wearing jeans and a windbreaker. They are wearing custom-fit, armored leather suits from sponsors like Gryphon Moto. Underneath the leather, they are strapped into CE-rated back protectors and chest plates. Their heads are wrapped in FIM-approved helmets, and their boots and gloves feature rigid sliders to protect joints.
They are essentially wearing modern armor.
When a crash happens—and it always happens—it is violent to watch. Seeing your kid low-side, separate from the bike, and slide across the tarmac into the grass will always stop your heart for a second.
But then they stop sliding. They immediately jump to their feet, run over to the bike, pick it up, and try to restart it.
That is the testament to the gear. The leather takes the abrasion, the armor takes the impact, and the kid walks away with nothing more than a bruised ego and a bent brake lever. We spend a fortune on this gear, but it is the one area of the budget where you never, ever cut corners.